TP-Link's new Wi-Fi 6E router features motorized self-adjusting antennas

TP-Link makes a yearly habit of trotting out new routers at CES 2022, and this year, that crop is headlined by a high-powered Wi-Fi 6E model with motorized, self-adjusting antennas. I'll be honest here, I'm really resisting the urge to call it a robo-router.

You know what? Screw it. TP-Link brought a robo-router to CES.

More specifically, it's the TP-Link Archer AXE200 Omni, an AXE11000 router capable of connecting devices on the 2.4 and 5GHz bands as well as the new, Wi-Fi 6E-exclusive 6GHz band. With more than twice as much bandwidth as the 5GHz band and no interference from previous-gen Wi-Fi devices, that 6GHz band is being positioned as the latest Wi-Fi upgrade, though our initial tests show that 6GHz range is more limited than 5GHz, particularly with respect to uploads. There also aren't very many Wi-Fi 6E client devices at this point capable of putting the 6GHz band to use.

As for the eyebrow-raising smart antennas, they'll rotate and adjust automatically throughout the day based on device location and Wi-Fi usage in order to ensure the strongest connection possible. TP-Link hasn't set a price for the AXE200 Omni yet, but Wi-Fi 6E routers typically cost hundreds of dollars at a minimum, even without motorized antennas in play.

As for the specs, TP-Link lists top speeds of up to 4.8Gbps on both the 5 and 6GHz bands, as well as speeds of up to 1,148Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. The router features an ultra-high speed WAN port too, capable of handling incoming wired speeds as high as 10Gbps, plus an additional Ethernet jack that's capable of accepting speeds of up to 2.5Gbps. Combined with the Wi-Fi 6E support and the self-adjusting antennas, it'll be one of the most future-proofed -- and futuristic -- routers on the market when it hits shelves later this year.

It's also just one of several new TP-Link routers planned for 2022. For starters, there's also the Archer AXE300, a quad-band Wi-Fi 6E router with two separate 5GHz bands alongside the 2.4 and 6GHz bands. Like the AXE200, the AXE300 features a 10Gbps WAN port, and it goes one step farther with a second Ethernet jack that supports speeds of up to 10Gbps, too. Don't expect to encounter any wired bottlenecks with that one anytime soon.

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Also headed into the Archer lineup is a new tri-band Wi-Fi 6E range extender; an AX5400 Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 PCle adapter; a new high-gain Wi-Fi 6 USB adapter; and the Archer AXE75, a tri-band AXE5400 router with support for Wi-Fi 6E. Though TP-Link isn't sharing pricing or release dates on any of them just yet, the company expects all to arrive in the first half of the year, and flags the Archer AXE75 as the router that will offer "the best performance-to-price ratio" in 2022.

And then there's Deco

Along with the Archer lineup of routers, range extenders and networking accessories (as well as a flurry of new smart home devices), there's also Deco, TP-Link's line of mesh networking products. You can expect Deco's numbers to see some considerable growth in 2022, with TP-Link preparing to launch a wide variety of Deco variants for different use cases, all of which are capable of working together within a single network.

Most notable among them is a new water- and dust-resistant outdoor version of the Deco system, which could be a useful way to extend your network out onto a patio or into the yard. There's also a new Deco PoE system, short for power over Ethernet. Like the name suggests, that model will draw its power from an Ethernet connection, which gives you the freedom to run cable through your walls and mount the router on a wall or on the ceiling, where the higher vantage point will help it perform better. 

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Also noteworthy: new AX3000 Deco systems with support for Wi-Fi 6, including one capable of passing traffic from the router to the extenders over a power-line connection that uses your home's wiring, a helpful trick for homes with lots of concrete and other obstructions that can interfere with wireless signals. Another new Deco system will include 5G support for homes with a fixed wireless home internet plan from a provider like Verizon or T-Mobile. TP-Link adds that the Deco Voice system with extenders that double as Alexa speakers should hit the market soon after a stalled rollout last year.

All of that brings us right back to Wi-Fi 6E, and to two new top-of-the-line Deco systems set to launch in the first half of 2022. First up is the Deco XE200, a tri-band AXE11000 mesh system that supports speeds of up to 4.8Gbps on either the 5 or 6GHz bands as well as single-gig speeds on the 2.4GHz band. You can use either the 5 or 6GHz bands as a dedicated, multi-gig backhaul connection between the router and its extenders, and each device includes a 10Gbps WAN port.

Second is the tri-band AXE5400 Deco XE75, which cuts the top speed of each band in half (574Mbps on 2.4GHz, 2.4Gbps on 5 and 6GHz) and replaces the 10Gbps WAN port with a trio of single-gig Ethernet jacks. Pricing isn't finalized for either system, but TP-Link is positioning the XE75 as a budget pick, similar to the well-reviewed Deco W7200. At any rate, I'd expect it to be significantly less expensive than the Deco XE200.

We'll be eager to test all of it out in the coming months, especially after a very strong 2021 for TP-Link that saw the brand earn top recommendations on CNET among our favorite Wi-Fi 6 routers, our favorite range extenders and our favorite mesh systems. Time will tell if the new hardware can build on that momentum -- and I'll be interested to see how TP-Link ultimately ends up pricing everything, and if those self-adjusting antennas turn out to be nifty, noisy or both. When we have more to share, we'll do so.