TP-Link Omada EAP723 review | IT Pro
TP-Link was one of the first vendors to deliver Wi-Fi 7 access points (APs) and now offers an impressive portfolio of products aimed at a wide range of businesses. The EAP723 on review is the latest to join the family and stands out from the crowd as this has to be the lowest cost Wi-Fi 7 AP currently on the market.
Costing only £70 excluding VAT, the EAP723 looks remarkably good value, but there is a catch as it’s an entry-level model that doesn’t have a 6GHz radio. It isn’t mandatory for Wi-Fi 7 APs to have this, though, and there are many other vendors offering low-cost dual-band models – although none currently come close to this low price.
The EAP723 is a BE3600-rated AP offering two spatial streams each for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands and claiming maximum speeds of 688Mbits/sec and 2,882Mbits/sec respectively. The US version has a higher BE5000 rating as it supports the 5GHz 240MHz channels.
It may only be a dual-band AP, but the EAP723 is endowed with all key Wi-Fi 7 features, including 4K-QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) and multi-RUs (resource units). The latest firmware version adds support for MLO (multi-link operations), which allows compliant wireless devices to connect over an aggregated link using both bands.
TP-Link Omada EAP723 : Build quality and version variations
With a 160mm diameter and 37mm thickness, the EAP723 is the most discrete Wi-Fi 7 AP we’ve yet seen. Clothed in a sturdy polycarbonate casing with an aluminium inner shell, it presents a 2.5GbE port in a recess underneath and only requires an 802.3at PoE+ power source.
Along with a reset button, the AP also has a 12V DC input socket in the recess. You’ll need to source your own 1.5A power adapter, though. The box includes a complete mounting kit with wall-mount screws and plugs, plus T-Rail brackets for dropped ceilings.
There are two hardware versions of this AP, and we can highlight the differences as we have both the original V1 and the later V2 models. Dimension-wise, they are identical, but you can easily tell them apart as they have differently shaped recesses.
TP-Link advised us that it only changed some internal materials to ensure the supply with both models supporting MLO. Other minor differences are the V2 is 2gms lighter and its maximum PoE+ power consumption is 1.8W less.
TP-Link Omada EAP723 review: Standalone management
Deploying the EAP723 in standalone mode is simple as its web console’s quick start wizard required us to supply a new username and password after which it sensibly removed the default admin account. The AP supports up to eight SSIDs per radio, and the wizard offers the opportunity to configure the first ones for each radio and secure them with a new encryption key, which includes mandatory support for WPA3.
The AP’s web console is a simple affair that presents a status page showing CPU and memory utilization, all wireless networks, plus tables of inbound and outbound traffic, and lists of connected clients. Each SSID can have their own authentication scheme, upload and download rate limits, and L2 isolation, which blocks wireless clients from the local network.
A built-in scheduler controls when the AP or its SSIDs are active, QoS (quality of service) can be applied to voice and video traffic, and MLO is enabled by creating a new SSID, which automatically has both radios assigned. Basic captive portals can be applied to selected SSIDs, and although authentication is limited to a global password or an external Radius server, you can apply a redirect URL and present them with a web page and AUP (acceptable use policy) message that they must accept to continue.
TP-Link’s Omada mobile apps also support managing APs in standalone mode. We connected an iPad to one of its SSIDs and, after choosing the app’s standalone mode, could view the AP’s status, enable and disable selected radios, and create new SSIDs.
TP-Link Omada EAP723 review: Wi-Fi 7 performance
For testing, we hooked the EAP723 up to the lab’s Zyxel XMG1930-30HP multi-Gig PoE++ switch, which confirmed a 2.5GbE connection and a PoE+ power draw. We ran performance tests between a Lenovo Windows 11 Pro desktop client equipped with a TP-Link Archer TBE550E Wi-Fi 7 PCIe adapter and a Dell Windows Server 2025 host connected over 10GbE fibre.
With the 5GHz 160MHz channels enabled, our client confirmed a 2.8Gbits/sec link speed. We used Microsoft’s NTttcp utility to measure raw TCP upstream and downstream speeds between the desktop and server, which reported back rates of 201MB/sec and 170MB/sec.
Our real-world large file copies between the client and Windows server averaged close-range speeds of 180MB/sec, dropping to 156MB/sec with the AP moved 10 metres away and into an adjoining room. With MLO enabled, the client reported an aggregated link speed of 3,570Mbits/sec and further NTttcp tests revealed a very small increase in upstream speeds to 204MB/sec.
TP-Link Omada EAP723 review: Cloud mode
TP-Link offers one of the widest range of options for cloud management, as you can choose from four OC-series hardware or free self-hosted software on-site controllers or use its cloud-based versions. The latter has extra appeal as TP-Link offers a free Omada Essentials cloud controller which provides a base set of management and monitoring features for smaller businesses.
To cloud-manage the EAP723, we swapped the Omada iOS app over to controller mode, chose our Essentials account, scanned the AP’s QR code label and added it to our site. Once adopted, it took all its settings from the controller and broadcast our predefined SSIDs with the portal also offering a firmware upgrade.
The Essentials dashboard presents a basic overview of all managed devices along with the most active SSIDs and wireless clients, but, unlike the Standard version, it can’t be customised. Other features not available in Essentials include WLAN optimisation, IPS/IDS, ACLs, and DPI.
Cloud management supports the same number of SSIDs as standalone mode, and from the site settings page, you can easily create new ones, apply encryption schemes, assign rate limit profiles, and enable MLO. Wireless meshing can be enabled on compliant APs to extend coverage, and captive features are superior to standalone mode as these support more authentication methods and allow you to create custom landing pages.
TP-Link Omada EAP723 review: Is it worth it?
Small businesses and retail outlets looking to offer Wi-Fi 7 services will be very tempted by the EAP723’s incredibly low price. The AP is easy to deploy, offers good coverage and client density while its palm-sized package makes for a discrete solution.
The trade-offs are its underwhelming Wi-Fi 7 performance and the lack of 6GHz radio so clients won’t get the benefit of this cleaner, less congested space. TP-Link scores highly for its wealth of management choices though, with the free Omada Essentials cloud portal providing all the features its target market is likely to need.
TP-Link Omada EAP723 specifications
|
Type |
BE3600 dual-band 2.4/5GHz 802.11be |
Row 0 – Cell 2 |
|
Aerials |
Internal – 2 x 2.4GHz, 2 x 5GHz |
Row 1 – Cell 2 |
|
Network |
2.5GbE multi-Gig (LAN/802.3at PoE+) |
Row 2 – Cell 2 |
| Row 3 – Cell 0 | Row 3 – Cell 1 | Row 3 – Cell 2 |
|
SSIDs |
Max 16 – 8 on each radio |
Row 4 – Cell 2 |
|
Mounting |
Ceiling/wall |
Row 5 – Cell 2 |
|
Brackets included |
Yes |
Row 6 – Cell 2 |
|
Power |
Optional external 12V/1.5A PSU |
Row 7 – Cell 2 |
|
Dimensions (WDH) |
160 x 37 x 160mm |
Row 8 – Cell 2 |
|
Weight |
410gms |
Row 9 – Cell 2 |
|
Management |
Standalone, Omada controller cloud/software/hardware |
Row 10 – Cell 2 |
|
Warranty |
Limited lifetime |
Row 11 – Cell 2 |