5 Highly Rated TP-Link Devices That Aren't Routers

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TP-Link is a household name when it comes to routers, Wi-Fi extenders, and all things home networking. In fact, it's one of the leading router brands out there, securing close to 10% of the market share in North America in 2024. Users particularly like it for its solid value for money, good performance and reliability, and hands-off user experience.

But more than networking equipment, TP-Link offers a range of other consumer devices. These include USB and PCIe network adapters for your desktops and single-board computers, along with smart home products under different brand names. You might already be familiar with Kasa Smart, which has a line of smart plugs, switches, and bulbs. Then, there's also Tapo, another TP-Link smart home brand but with a broader portfolio, including robot vacuums, sensors, and home hubs.

These TP-Link devices are just as well-loved as the home networking essentials. If you're looking to add more TP-Link products to your home, here are five of the options that are highly rated on Amazon.

For PC builders or those who just want to upgrade their desktop, consider the TP-Link Archer TX3000E PCIe WiFi Card. It features Wi-Fi 6 speed that pairs well with a Wi-Fi 6 router, providing you with a maximum of 2402 Mbps for the 5GHz channel and 574 Mbps for the 2.4GHz channel. The brand claims that you get up to 75% lower latency, making it perfect for when you're gaming or in a video conference. The Wi-Fi card also supports WPA3 security for your password safety. Other than Wi-Fi, this TP-Link Archer TX3000E comes with Bluetooth 5.3 too. Compared to Bluetooth 4.2, it's twice as fast and covers four times as much area. 

The Archer TX3000E has a 4.7-star score on Amazon with over 10k ratings. User reviews on Amazon mostly highlight the Wi-Fi card's value for money, saying it provides solid and reliable performance on a budget. It's also praised for its wide coverage. One user noted the Archer TX3000E still works even from a floor below and another reported that they could get a strong connection from 30 feet away. This is thanks in part to the Wi-Fi card's two multi-directional antennas. Durability-wise, the Archer TX3000E is built with gold plating and a specialized heatsink to make sure it can handle heat. True enough, some users did mention that the Wi-Fi card doesn't get hot. 

The downside with this highly-rated TP-Link Wi-Fi card is that you can only install it on 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 computers. While this Wi-Fi card has a list price of $45 on Amazon, it is currently available for $28.83 at the time of writing.

One of the cheapest ways to turn your house into a smart home is with a smart plug, and the Kasa Smart Plug HS103P2 is among the most highly-rated TP-Link products in this category. It has good reception among users, mostly because of its ease of setup. Unlike smart switches that require wiring installation, smart plugs just attach to any wall outlet. You can pick any outlet, as long as that location gets a good Wi-Fi signal. Once the Kasa HS103P2 is plugged in, you can then connect your dumb devices. Just make sure the maximum load is 1800W, so you won't overload the plug.  

Aside from ease of setup, users also like how well the smart plug connects and works with Alexa. You're free to pair it with Amazon Echo for voice control, but Google Home smart speakers/displays work too. As with other Kasa smart home products, the Kasa HS103P2 comes complete with standard smart home features. These include schedules, timers, away mode, scene creation, and group control. You can even pair the smart plug with other Kasa devices to create automations. For instance, when a Kasa security camera detects motion, the smart plug will automatically be triggered. All these are conveniently configurable from the Kasa Smart app on your Android or iOS device.

Design-wise, the Kasa HS103P2 is a space saver with its compact build. It's only 2.62 x 1.57 x 1.50 in, small enough to let you fit two smart plugs on top of each other on a single wall outlet. The HS103P2 has a 4.6-star rating with over 150k ratings on Amazon, where you can buy it for $18.

The Kasa Smart Light Switch HS200 is the best seller in Amazon's Electric Light Switches category at the time of writing and ranks among TP-Link's most highly-rated products. The smart switch has a 4.6-star score on Amazon with over 43k ratings. It replaces your regular switch and turns your dumb devices smart. This essentially means remote control — you can now start controlling your lightbulbs and ceiling fans via your phone or voice (when you connect it to Alexa or Google Home). The switch also gives you access to common smart home device features. For instance, if you prefer to switch your lights and fans on/off at certain times, just go to the Kasa Smart app and create a daily schedule. You can also enable away mode, where the connected device turns on and off randomly to give the illusion that someone's home. 

Conveniently, the Kasa HS200 works without a hub. To integrate it into your smart home, all you need to do is connect it to your network. From there, you're free to sync the switch with your other Kasa devices for group control. One user even mentioned that installation only took five minutes. Configuring the switch on the app was just as quick too. Another common praise for the Kasa HS200 is the reliability and consistent performance. 

While you might use the Kasa HS200 mostly for remote control, it still functions like a typical switch that you can press to control the device connected to it. While it offers excellent functionality, a single-pole variant of this smart switch will cost you $41.62 at the time of writing. That said, it is often discounted and sells for under $25 on Amazon.

Thin, lightweight laptops are great, but they usually lack one important feature: input/output ports, specifically the Ethernet port. Thankfully, essential laptop accessories like the TP-Link UE306 USB to Ethernet Adapter exist. It does one thing and one thing only: connect your USB device to your wired network. The adapter uses USB 3.0 on one end and a standard RJ45 port on the other end. 

With the TP-Link UE306, you can enjoy as much as 1,000 Mbps speeds. This can come in handy when downloading large online files and transferring files locally within your network. Compatibility-wise, the adapter supports major desktop operating systems: Windows 8.1 and later, macOS, and Linux, along with Nintendo Switch. Yes, you can plug it into your Switch to connect the dock to wired internet for faster speed. It's pretty much plug-and-play and should work out of the box even without installing drivers. If you connect the adapter to a computer running Windows 7 and 8 or macOS 12 and earlier, though, you first need to install a driver to use it. 

In terms of application, users plug the TP-Link UE306 into old laptops with poor internet speeds and TVs, projectors, and streaming devices with no built-in Ethernet ports. When not in use, you can conveniently tuck the USB end into the slot at the back of the adapter. The Ethernet adapter has amassed a 4.6-star score with over 8.8k ratings on Amazon. It is also available for a discounted price of $9.94, down from its list price of $14 in a limited-time deal.

Security should be a priority in every home, and the Tapo C210 2K Pan Tilt Security Camera is one of the TP-Link products homeowners rely on for this very purpose. Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, the Tapo C210 captures 2K HD videos at a resolution of 2,304 x 1,296 and can record in the dark up to 30 feet away with its infrared night vision feature. The camera even rotates across a 114-degree vertical range and a 360-degree horizontal range, so you can easily track moving pets and humans in the vicinity. 

Speaking of movement, the Tapo C210 is also built with motion detection, which sends you real-time alerts. You'll get alerts when the camera detects humans or spots a baby crying. If you ever need to speak with the person on the other end, you can do so using the built-in speaker and microphone. 

For storage, there's a microSD card port in the camera, supporting as much as 512GB. If you have a Network Video Recorder (NVR) or Network Attached Storage (NAS) monitoring system already set up, though, you can integrate the Tapo C210 into it thanks to its RTSP and ONVIF compatibility. If you prefer to upload the recordings to the cloud, you'll need to subscribe to Tapo Care. 

Users are raving about the $19.52 Tapo C210 camera's picture quality and ease of setup. Many report that it needs only a couple minutes to set up and that it captures good videos even in the dark. It scores 4.5 stars on Amazon with over 21k global ratings.

TP-Link has a range of impressive devices, but we focused on the products with high ratings on Amazon. We only considered those with thousands of reviews and a rating of at least 4.5 stars. We tried including products that cater to a wide variety of users, including smart home owners and laptop or PC users.