Why I still use a tp-link router

Not every day Wi-Fi routers make titles, but TP-Link has more than its fair share in the last six months. Three different departments in the United States are exploring it for connections with Chinese cyberattacks and potential predatory prices. It’s a very bad press but it wasn’t enough for me to buy a new Wi-Fi router Still.

I have been discovering the world of the Internet for more than six years and in the last two I have used a TP-Link router. I can honestly say that I have never had a problem with it – minimal buffering, solid range and without interruptions (for which I could blame the router anyway). In our recent Wi-Fi Router tests, TP-Link performed delightfully, winning our choice for the best budget router.

This is a thorny problem that will personally orient it to me and readers. Can I honestly recommend a company that faces a potential ban in the US? My own data are at risk? Should I replace my router?

These questions began to rotate in my head on December 28, 2024 when Wall Street Journal reported that the US government is weighing a ban on TP-Link routers due to the company’s connections with several high-profile Chinese cyberattacks. Three months later, Rep. Raja Krishnahorti, Democrat from Illinois, held a tp-link router In Congress, he said, “Do not use this.”

TP-Link representatives have greatly denied CNET that the company has some relationships with the Chinese government. However, Chinese corporate records and government messages show that the company still work around 11,000 people in ChinaS

When the news broke, I asked four cybersecurity experts Would they still use a TP-Link router. One gave a strong “no”, the other said there was a “risk for a user” and two refused to answer the question directly.

Spend at any time shopping Wi-Fi routers and you will notice that TP-Link routers are often cheaper than competitors. The Ministry of Justice is investigating whether these low prices violate the federal law that prohibits companies from selling products for less than they cost, according to a A recent Bloomberg reportS Of the 32 routers we tested for our recent review, TP-Link reports eight of the nine cheapest models.

I did not handle the investigation of our testing and I felt that it was important to evaluate TP-Link on our own merit. In the end, it accounts for about 65% of the router sales last year, according to the magazine report.

In the end, I decided to include the TP-Link Deco X55 Pro as our choice for a budget router. It was the only router with above average efficiency for less than $ 100 and I decided it was important to offer readers a cheap option that was still doing the job.

After all, I use a tp-link router I and I have no plans to replace it. Privacy and security are important to me, but I do not lose sleep on TP-Link. Knowing that I am following some basic Best network security practices It gives me peace of mind, but it is also a problem with risk tolerance.

Itai Cohen was one of the authors of a 2023 report. identifies a firmware implant In TP-Link routers associated with a Chinese-sponsored hacker group. He told me In a previous interview Such implants have been found on devices manufactured around the world.

“I don’t think there is enough public evidence to support the avoidance of routers from China straight,” Cohen said. “The vulnerabilities and risks associated with routers are largely systemic and applied to a wide range of brands, including those manufactured in the US.”

This risk is greater with TP-Link, in my opinion, when smoke is three separate federal investigations, there is probably a fire somewhere-but this is not necessarily for you individually. Hacks associated with TP-Link have used abducted routers to target brain trusts, government organizations, non-governmental organizations and suppliers to the Ministry of Defense.

Cybersecurity experts I talked to recommended after some basic steps, no matter what type of router you use: Make sure your firmware is up -to -date, use strong login credentials and consider using VPN serviceS

I will continue to update our Wi-Fi router recommendations as I learn new information about TP-Link investigations. At the moment, I still feel comfortable to recommend them.