TP-Link Opens Wi-Fi 8 Preorders, Skips US Market

TP-Link has opened global preorders for its first Wi-Fi 8 router, the Archer 8 Ultra. Preorders are live in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and other markets, but the router is not available to order in the United States.

The Archer 8 Ultra runs on a Broadcom Wi-Fi 8 chipset. According to TP-Link, it delivers up to 33 percent more real-world throughput than the company's Wi-Fi 7 hardware, along with 24 percent more consistent throughput in high-interference conditions.

On the wired side, the router carries two auto-sensing 10 Gbps WAN/LAN ports and four 2.5 Gbps LAN ports. TP-Link rates its coverage at up to 3,600 square feet and says it supports up to 200 connected devices.

More Wi-Fi 8 hardware is coming

TP-Link plans to expand the lineup with the Deco 8 Ultra mesh router in Q1 2027 and the Roam 8 travel router in Q2 2027.

The US absence fits a broader pattern. Over the past six months, competitors including Netgear, Asus and Amazon gained Conditional Approvals from the FCC to sell their hardware in the US, while TP-Link did not, as reported by tomshardware.com. Earlier Wi-Fi 7 gear from TP-Link that received FCC certification can still be sold, but new Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 8 products are effectively blocked from the US market. TP-Link incorporated TP-Link Systems in California to position itself as a US company, but those moves have been challenged in legal filings.