The IT Nerd

Outdoor security cameras are the in thing at the moment. For example here in Toronto, they are often used to watch over cars because car theft is a problem here, or to secure your home from break and enter scumbags. So I’m having a look at the TP-Link Tapo C560WS to see if this a viable option for your security camera needs. First some specs to get you started:

Resolution:4K

Connectivity: 2.4GHz + 5GHz Wi-Fi and Ethernet

Night Vision: IR + Full Color

Field of view: 326 degrees (horizontal), 53 degrees (vertical)

Storage: Up to 512GB via microSD + optional cloud storage

Two-way speaker: Yes

IP rating: IP66 (Water resistant against powerful jets)

Here’s a look at the camera itself:

It looks pretty much like any other security camera. There’s minimal branding on it.

There’s the speaker behind the camera:

Here’s the front of the camera with the IR illuminators that’s below the lens for night vision purposes and spotlight for lighting purposes. At the top is a rubber cover that behind it has the microSD card slot and a reset button.

So there is a cable that has two connections. When I saw the Ethernet connector, I thought “Oh this does Power Over Ethernet”. Well, it doesn’t. That’s a bit of a disappointment as I would rather run one cable to the camera rather than two to a camera. On top of that, for the best possible security you should connect this camera via Ethernet as car thieves in Toronto have been found to be using WiFi jammers to disable security cameras that are on WiFi. That’s clearly not going to happen if your camera is on Ethernet. The other connector is the power connector which appears to be a BNC or barrel style connector. That makes life easier if you have to run a power cable to the camera. Though I will note that the power adapter that comes with the camera has a pretty long cable.

Also included in the box is all the mounting hardware and screws as well as the waterproofing hardware for the cables.

Physically mounting the camera was pretty easy as I mounted it on my balcony. Then I used the Tapo app which is available for iOS and Android to get it onto my WiFi. I ended up using 2.4 GHz WiFi as it had better signal strength versus the 5 GHz network. I could then use the Tapo app to control it.

Let’s start with the visuals. I always got clear and detailed image when I tested it. Here’s a still image from the camera:

And here’s a video test:

One thing that I should point out is that I had the camera set to auto in terms of resolution. But the camera kicked into 4K mode for this clip. I could pick out snowflakes in the recording as well as footprints on the ground from 14 stories up. Very impressive!

I then did the same test at night. Here’s the still image:

And here’s the video:

I also tried the spotlight and it’s pretty bright based on this image:

What it also shows is that when spring comes around, I need to clean the glass on my balcony.

One thing that I should note is that black and white mode never triggered on this camera. I am guessing that this is because there was enough light to make going into that mode something that wasn’t required. But having said that, these pictures are outstanding.

Other highlights:

• I could clearly hear audio from the camera and my voice was clearly audible. No issues here.
• I did not test the AI features of this camera. But this camera is capable of recognizing faces on top of being triggered by motion. That can be handy to have the camera trigger actions based on who or what it sees. I should note that the AI features are on device.
• Pan, tilt and zoom features were easy to use. The zoom was particularly impressive.
• You get the option of TP-Link hosted cloud based storage via a subscription. That may be worth it if you want off device storage rather than using an microSD card inside the camera.
• The camera supports Amazon Alexa and Google Home. But strangely, not Apple HomeKit.

The best thing about the TP-Link Tapo C560WS is the price. I found it for $120 CAD on Amazon. At that price, you could forgive the fact that it that it doesn’t have Power Over Ethernet for the best possible deployment. But if you look past that, this is a great choice for a security camera. It is easy to set up, has great video and audio, and has a variety of storage options. All for a pretty unbeatable price.

Geez. I haven’t even rolled out WiFi 7 yet.

 TP-Link today announced it has successfully demonstrated Wi-Fi 8 connectivity, transmitting data with a prototype device developed through a joint industry partnership. This achievement represents a major step toward defining the next generation of wireless technology.

The test successfully validated both the Wi-Fi 8 beacon and data throughput, confirming the viability of the technology and marking a critical milestone in Wi-Fi 8 development. This technology is poised to deliver the ultra-reliable wireless performance that the industry will require as more devices and bandwidth-intensive applications come online.

Through ongoing collaboration with ecosystem partners, TP-Link is dedicated to advancing the technologies that will shape the next era of connectivity, offering users unprecedented speed, stability and reliability.

TP-Link has this page on WiFi 8: https://www.tp-link.com/ca/wifi8/.

If you want to buy a TP-Link router, or you own one, you might want to pay attention to the fact that three US Government agencies are investigating TP-Link at the moment:

U.S. authorities are considering a ban on China’s TP-Link Technology Co over potential national security concerns after its home internet routers were linked to cyberattacks, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

In August two U.S. lawmakers urged the Biden administration to probe the Chinese router-manufacturer and its affiliates over fears their Wifi routers could be used in cyber attacks against the U.S., according to a letter seen by Reuters.

The Commerce, Defense, and Justice departments have opened separate probes into the company, with authorities targetting a ban on the sale of TP-Link routers in the U.S. as early as next year, the report said.

An office of the Commerce Department has even subpoenaed the company while the Defense Department launched its investigation into Chinese-manufactured routers earlier this year, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Last year, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency said TP-Link routers had a vulnerability that could be exploited to execute remote code.

Now TP-Link is highly competitive in the home router market via their aggressive pricing relative to companies like ASUS, Netgear, and others. And ISP’s have been supplying TP-Link gear to their customers for some time now. For example, when I switched from Bell to Distributel, I got a TP-Link router. I didn’t use it though which now looks like it may have been a good decision on my part. But one thing that might be driving this is the fact that TP-Link’s routers have been the target of botnets like this one for some time. And there have always been rumours in security circles that these routers have unpatched vulnerabilities that can come back to bite users of these routers at some point. Thus if you were thinking of buying a TP-Link router, you might want to hold off doing so until you see how this plays out. And if you own one, you may want to consider switching to another brand if this ban actually happens.

Finally, some advice for TP-Link, you may want to come out with a statement that is evidence backed which describes in detail why your gear isn’t a threat and what you’re going to do to improve your security posture. And then commit to throwing the metaphorical doors open so that the world can see you taking action. And you should do that ASAP. As in today.

China based TP-Link who make routers that are pretty popular here in North America are being fingered by US lawmakers for being a national security threat. Here’s the details:

In a letter sent this week to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Reps. John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) claimed TP-Link’s routers have been found to have an “unusual degree of vulnerabilities.” They called on the department to respond with findings on the company’s security risks by the end of August, and to determine if TP-Link products should be restricted in the U.S. 

Amid China’s “increasingly draconian data protectionist and national security-focused legal regime,” the lawmakers wrote, “companies like TP-Link are required to provide data to the PRC [People’s Republic of China] government and otherwise comply with the demands of its national security apparatus.”  

The congressmen, who lead the House Select Committee on China, cited the cyber activity by the Chinese APT group Volt Typhoon as a reason for concern around home and office routers. A hallmark of the group’s hacking campaign against U.S. critical infrastructure is the infiltration of home routers for the purpose of launching other attacks.

And the thing is that flaws in these routers that hackers can exploit are a thing:

For years, critical vulnerabilities in TP-Link routers have been abused by hackerswho use them as cover for subsequent attacks or add them to powerful botnetsthat disrupt websites with bogus traffic.  

In May 2023, researchers at the cybersecurity firm Check Point attributed cyberattacks on “European foreign affairs entities” to a Chinese state-sponsored group they called “Camaro Dragon.” The hackers used a firmware implant for TP-Link routers to get control of infected devices and access networks.  

TP-Link denies the accusations. But if you have a TP-Link router, you may want to reconsider if you want to use it. It could be perfectly safe. But it also may not be safe. These days you can’t take any chances.

Last week the UPS guy knocked on my door and handed me a package. I wasn’t expecting anything but after checking my email, it turns out that I should have been expecting this:

This is the TP-Link Archer AXE75 Wi-Fi 6E Router. It promises speedy WiFi 6E support at an affordable price. Let’s take a closer look at the router.

The router has six non-removable antennas. This means that if you break one, you are sending the whole router in for repair. I should also note that you can see wires at the hinge which I am not sure how I feel about that. It is made of plastic and feels on the lightweight side of things.

The front has a bunch of LEDs that let you know what the status of the router is at a glance.

You get four gigabit ethernet ports and a gigabit WAN port.There are also buttons to turn on and off the LEDs, activate WPS, turn on and off WiFi, and a reset button. Plus there’s a on/off switch and a power connector.

Finally there’s a USB 3.0 port on the right side which can act as an FTP media server or connect to a USB-enabled printer for anyone on the network. 

Bonus points for the tiny printed QR code on the bottom that can quickly connect you to the preset Wi-Fi when the Archer is powered on, alongside the usual default passwords and networking info. More bonus points for the included quick installation guide being very clear with simple diagrams and even another QR code linked to instructional videos. That made setup insanely easy. You can either use a web page to configure things or you can use the Tether app which is available for iOS and Android.

So here’s the question. What’s the performance of this router over WiFi? Well, I will say this. I didn’t have a chance to test this with WiFi 6E devices as I could not source any. But over WiFi 6, I was pretty impressed. First, here’s a speed test while in the same room as the router:

This is pretty good. But it’s about to get better. Starting with this test from the other side of my sub 1000 foot condo:

The upload speed took a bit of a hit. But this is still a good result as a lot of routers struggle at providing decent speeds across the length of my condo. I decided to push the envelope a bit and dive into my den which introduces two concrete walls into the mix.

While there was another hit to the speed that I was getting, this is better than most routers that I have tested with the exception of mesh routers. Speaking of mesh routers, you can use this in a mesh setup if you need additional coverage. That’s a nice touch.

Finally, I went outside my condo and walked twenty paces down the hall. That introduces a concrete wall into the mix

This is pretty good actually as I was expecting it to slip into sub 100 Mbps speeds.

Based on this testing, I would say that TP-Link’s claim that this router will cover a house the size of a 2 or 3 bedroom house is confirmed. And if it doesn’t you can always leverage the mesh option to enhance things.

Now besides some decent amount of configuration, you get TP-Link’s HomeShield network management as part of the deal. Though it is locked to the Tether app and a monthly or yearly subscription. Parental controls, in particular, require signing up for the paid service. If you’re expecting to set network time limits for your children’s devices, you won’t be able to do it for free which is a bit of a #fail as some of TP-Link’s competitors allow you to do this for free. For a fee of $5.99 US, will you be also able to access security features like DDoS protection and malicious content filtering. In-depth device traffic statistics, including time spent online and visited URLs, are, among others, restricted to the paid subscription. You can see what you get for free and for a subscription here.

So, what are the cons to this router? Well the main limiting factor is that the WAN port is a gigabit port. That’s a problem in someplace like Canada where 8 Gbps Internet is suddenly a thing. But other than that, this is a pretty good deal. I found it on Amazon for $399 CDN which makes it a great price for a WiFi 6E router. And this is something that I would recommend for someone who wants a router that allows them to have great range, great speed, and the ability to expand to a mesh system. Plus you get to future proof your network with WiFi 6E support. What more could you ask for?

The TP-Link AX1800 Deco X20 Mesh WiFi system bills itself as the “WiFi Dead Zone Killer” among other things. That’s a pretty bold claim as pretty much every mesh WiFi system has some version of that claim. So I guess the question that I’m asking is if it lives up to that claim. Let’s find out. I’ll start with the specs that are on board:

• WiFi 6 speeds up to 1,800 Mbps
• 1,201 Mbps on 5 GHz
• 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz
• OFDMA and MU-MIMO technology to increase capacity over 150 devices.
• WPA3 encryption
• 2 Gigabit ports per unit
• Amazon Alexa compatibility (which I did not get the opportunity to test for the record)

Well on paper things look good so far. So let’s look at what you get in the box:

In the box you get three units. These three units will cover a staggering 5800 square feet.

Here’s one of the units with the protective wrap still on it. It’s going to fit into any decor without a problem because it doesn’t look like something from space or a Transformers movie.

You get a power plug on the back along with two gigabit Ethernet ports which increases the versatility of this mesh WiFi system. And as part of the deal you get TP-Link HomeCare. That encompasses the following:

• Parental controls
• Built-in antivirus
• Quality of service

Setup is insanely easy. All you have to do is the following:

1. Turn off your modem
2. Connect one of the Deco units to your modem and power on both devices
3. Download and launch the Deco app (Available for iOS and Android. I used the iOS version) to walk through the setup
4. Declare victory and have a beer

Once everything was set up, everything happens through the app. Firmware updates, configuration, setting up TP-Link HomeCare. Everything. You can also get all sorts of stats from the app as well. But if old school web management is your thing, it can do that too as long as you have the most recent firmware version.

So, now that I am through the setup and specs, how does it perform is the next question? Well, I don’t have a 5800 square foot home. But I have a 1000 square foot condo with lots of concrete as well as a ton of competing WiFi access points as illustrated here:

If you come back in 30 seconds, you’ll see more WiFi access points. It is a challenging environment for WiFi to operate in. I used this setup for a week and noted these observations:

• Even though I don’t currently have any WiFi 6 devices, I found that devices that relied on WiFi connected with more consistent speed above roughly 600 Mbps downstream. Which was about 100 Mbps higher than normal.
• The range that I was getting was impressive. I could easily get these same numbers on places like my balcony which is usually a dead spot in my condo. I was also able to get WiFi in the hallway outside my condo. Plus I could also get WiFi one floor above or below my condo. If I had a house with a second floor, there’s no question that this range would be most welcome.
• I noted no connection issues of any sort and moving devices like laptops and smartphones from place to place was a non-issue as the device was able to seamlessly connect from Deco unit to Deco unit without a problem.

So based on all of that, I think that it is safe to say that the TP-Link AX1800 Deco X20 Mesh WiFi system talks the talk and walks the walk in terms of being the “WiFi Dead Zone Killer”. If you want speedy WiFi that will cover your entire home, this mesh WiFi system is worth a look. I found it on Amazon for $400 CDN with free shipping which is a very aggressive price for a mesh WiFi system. That gives you another good reason to have a look at this mesh WiFi system and perhaps set one up in your home.

TP-Link is now bringing its first AX router to Canada, the AX6000 Next Gen Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router. TP-Link is known for its high-quality networking products at consumer-friendly price points.

At the hub of the powerful AX6000 router is Broadcom’s 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) chipset. The next generation 802.11ax standard is designed to provide incredible Wi-Fi speed with the stability, range and efficiency to optimize home Wi-Fi networks

Archer AX6000 Key Features Highlight

• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) speeds of 4,804 Mbps (5GHz) and 1,148 Mbps (2.4GHz)
• Backwards compatibility with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
• Advanced OFDMA, MU-MIMO and 1024-QAM (4x more capacity, performance and speed)
• 2.5 Gbps WAN port
• 1.8 GHz 64-bit Quad-Core CPU
• 1 Type C USB 3.0 Port
• 1 Type A USB 3.0 Port
• 8 Gigabit Ethernet Ports
• HomeCare Parental Controls and Antivirus monitoring
• RangeBoost, Beamforming and Smart Connect Technologies
• Accelerated VPN Access (5× faster OpenVPN and PPTP VPN connections)
• Airtime Fairness
• Link Aggregation doubles the connection speeds

Pricing and Availability

TP-Link Next-Gen AX Routers can be purchased at BestBuy Canada starting at MSRP $199.99 CAD for Archer AX50, $399.99 CAD for Archer AX6000 and $549.99 CAD for Archer AX11000.