TP-Link BE65 Outdoor takes direct aim at the Eero Outdoor 7

What just happened? TP-Link, the most popular router brand in the US, could be banned in the country. The ongoing saga over the firm's alleged links to China and anti-competitive behavior has led Republican lawmakers to urge the Commerce Department to ban sales of the company's products. The seventeen senators and representatives wrote a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick this week to support the ongoing investigations into TP-Link. The company is being investigated by the Commerce, Defense, and Justice Departments over whether its China ties pose a security threat and whether the firm engaged in predatory pricing to undercut competitors and dominate the US market. The group essentially claims that TP-Link's cheap prices have helped it become the number one router brand in the US, thereby allowing the Chinese government to launch cyberattacks and surveillance programs against the United States using the devices. The letter also urges Lutnick to prohibit further sales of TP-Link networking products in the United States. The group goes on to accuse TP-Link of having a close association with the Chinese Communist Party, using predatory pricing to eliminate "trusted" US alternatives, and embedding foreign surveillance and destructive capabilities into US networks, all of which make it a "clear and present danger." The letter states that Chinese state actors have exploited TP-Link small and home office (SOHO) networking devices to wage cyberwarfare against the United States. It's also claimed that TP-Link is the only router company that refuses to engage in industry efforts to remediate Chinese state-sponsored bots. // Related Stories "Each day we fail to act, the CCP wins while American competitors suffer, and American security remains at risk," wrote the lawmakers. In a statement responding to the letter, TP-Link told PCMag, "The allegations are categorically false, and we look forward to setting the record straight about our company." "To be clear, TP-Link is not a state-sponsored company, has no 'deep ties' to, and is completely independent from, the Chinese Communist Party." Nine of sixteen best-selling routers on Amazon are TP-Link brands, including the top three models. It's estimated that 60-65% of homes and small businesses in the US use the routers, whose cheap prices help make them so popular. In October 2024, Microsoft exposed "CovertNetwork-1658," a Chinese-run botnet siphoning credentials from Azure since August 2023 via password-spray attacks. The network marshalled 16,000 hijacked SOHO routers, cameras and other IoT nodes – chiefly TP-Link models. The company's routers have a history of vulnerabilities: a CVSS-10 flaw hit the Archer C5400X in May 2024, and 2023 reports tied Chinese state actors to custom malware installed on TP-Link routers. The latter incident arrived soon after the US government said Mirai Botnet operators were using TP-Link routers for DDoS attacks. TP-Link, founded in 1996 by brothers Zhao Jianjun and Zhao Jiaxing, established its US arm in 2008 to handle marketing and support in North America, though ownership and operations remained tied to its Shenzhen-based parent. In 2024, TP-Link USA merged with the company's non-Chinese operations to form TP-Link Systems Inc., headquartered in Irvine, California – a move intended to create an "organizational separation," with distinct ownership, governance, R&D, and supply chains on each side.

A group of Republican lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to ban sales of TP-Link networking products, including the company’s popular Wi-Fi routers. The Commerce, Defense, and Justice Departments have reportedly been investigating TP-Link for national security risks. On Wednesday, the lawmakers—including 12 GOP senators—wrote to the Commerce Department to voice support for its investigation, and called on the White House to block further sales of TP-Link products in the US. “TP-Link’s deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), use of predatory pricing to eliminate trusted US alternatives, and role in embedding foreign surveillance and destructive capabilities into our networks render it a clear and present danger,” they wrote to Secretary Howard Lutnick.The lawmakers claim TP-Link is a security threat because Chinese state-sponsored hackers have exploited the company’s routers and networking devices before, giving them a way to conduct cyberespionage within the US. The letter doesn’t include any evidence showing TP-Link has been deliberately aiding Chinese hackers. Still, the lawmakers alleges that TP-Link has been offering low “predatory” prices for its products to help it capture “nearly 60% of the US retail router and Wi-Fi system market.” In turn, the Chinese government can allegedly piggy back off TP-Link’s hardware to launch future cyberattacks on the US. (Photo by: Bildagentur-online/Schoening/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)“For these reasons, Commerce should immediately prohibit future sales of TP-Link SOHO (small and home office) networking equipment in the United States. Each day we fail to act, the CCP wins while American competitors suffer, and American security remains at risk,” the letter adds. The FBI has long been concerned that Chinese state-sponsored hackers are laying the groundwork to disrupt US critical infrastructure in the event conflict breaks out between China and the US. Recommended by Our EditorsAlthough a ban would be drastic, some former US security officials want a crackdown on TP-Link, saying it's imperative the country remove such devices before they become a threat. Other former federal officials have also said a ban would send a message to Beijing that its state-sponsored hacking will have consequences for China-based companies that may be involved. However, TP-Link says the letter is based on misinformation. “The allegations are categorically false, and we look forward to setting the record straight about our company,” the vendor told PCMag, adding: “To be clear, TP-Link is not a state-sponsored company, has no 'deep ties' to, and is completely independent from, the Chinese Communist Party.” Last year, TP-Link went as far to establish a new global headquarters in Irvine, California, although it was founded in Shenzhen, China, and still has a headquarters there. As a result, TP-Link also told PCMag: “As a US company, no foreign country or government, including China, has access to or control over the design and production of our products.”TP-Link also says it only has around a 35% share of the US market rather than 60%. “The allegation that bad actors from China used our routers for cyberattacks is misleading and disingenuous – routers made by many companies have been targets of attacks,” the company added. “TP-Link has been the victim of a smear campaign, driven by the goal of removing a competitor from the marketplace.”The Commerce Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In the meantime, TP-Link says it’s confident the Commerce Department’s investigation will lead it to “recognize the security of TP-Link’s operations and products.” TP-Link added that it has not received any inquiries from the Justice Department.

TP-Link has long been associated with delivering quality networking equipment at competitive prices. Their routers have been famous for their reliability, ease of use, and excellent value, and the Archer BE550 Wi-Fi 7 router is no exception. Being TP-Link’s latest model, this router brings next-generation tech to large homes in the form of its powerful performance, wide coverage and great features that are designed to meet contemporary “connected” home needs. The router is available on Amazon for just $199 now, down from its usual price of $299. Even better, using code 30BE550 at checkout, you can get an extra $30 off, which brings the final total down to just $169 which is a whopping 45% discount that makes this deal hard to resist. See at Amazon Up to 5760 Mbps The Archer BE550 is a Tri-Band BE9300 Wi-Fi 7 router which is designed to deliver incredible speeds and uninterrupted connectivity throughout your home. With Multi-Link Operation, Multi-RUs, state-of-the-art 4K-QAM, and super-wide 320 MHz channels, it provides scorching wireless speeds: up to 5760 Mbps on the 6 GHz band, 2880 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, and 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. For streaming 4K or 8K content, participating in lag-free AR/VR gaming or downloading large files, the Archer BE550 will deliver a smooth experience. With six internal antennas and advanced beamforming technology, the Archer BE550 is built to cover up to 2,000 square feet, which makes it perfect for large homes where multiple floors and solid walls often cause dead spots. For even greater coverage, TP-Link’s EasyMesh technology allows you to add compatible routers, range extenders or powerline adapters to establish a whole-home network that eliminates dead zones and keeps you connected throughout your home. Future-proof your home network with the Archer BE550’s full complement of 2.5G WAN and LAN ports. Equipped with a 2.5G WAN port and four 2.5G LAN ports, you can take full advantage of your wired devices and future-proof your network for tomorrow’s smart home devices’ increasing demands. With TP-Link HomeShield, you get whole-network protection, robust parental controls and IoT security in real time, so you can be safe at home or away. The router also has the feature to set up a private IoT network which isolates your smart devices from your main network and adding security through WPA3 encryption and advanced threat protection. With this time-limited promotion ($169 with promo code 30BE550) it’s the ideal time to introduce next-gen Wi-Fi 7 performance to your residence! See at Amazon