Which is better, Mercury or Tenda routers? My two brands have used it for five years, and the hundred-yuan range is just missing these five spots

Last month, my cousin moved and asked me to help pick out a router, with a budget capped at 150 yuan. A quick search on JD.com showed two in my cart: the Mercury Phantom AX3000 and Tenda AX12 Pro, with a price difference of thirty to forty yuan. He asked me which was better. I actually have the right to answer this question—the Mercury D191G has been running in my study room for four years. The Tenda AX12 at my mother-in-law's house was installed by me in 2023. I've handled both models for a long time and have ridden most of their pitfalls. To put it simply: both are passing products in the hundred-yuan range, neither can crush the other, but there are three or four real differences. Judge according to your own situation.

first clarify his background: Mercury is TP's younger brother, while Tenda made his way alone

Many people think Mercury is a nobody brand, but that's not the case. Mercury (MERCURY) is TP-Link's own sub-brand, with three brands under TP-Link targeting the market: TP-Link as the main brand for mid-to-high-end segments, while Mercury and FAST focus on entry-level cost-effectiveness. In other words, when you buy Mercury, the solution and firmware framework you get are the same as TP-Link, and the after-sales hotline 400-8810-500 is the same system, with the official service outlets directly using it. I called Mercury's customer service to ask about the firmware, and the connection speed was no different from TP.

Tengda is Shenzhen Jixiang Tengda Technology, established in 1999. It is a legitimate independent manufacturer with products exported to over eighty countries and has no affiliation with Mercury TP.

plainly: buying Mercury is like buying an affordable version of TP-Link, while buying Tengda is buying from another independent manufacturer. The two companies' positioning overlaps significantly—both are stuck in the 100 to 200 yuan price range, with both backend addresses at 192.168.0.1, targeting people with 180 Mbps broadband at home who don't want to spend hundreds more on routers.

How did these two cars in my hands get moving

give me some background first, so no one will say I'm doing cloud reviews. The Mercury D191G serves as a secondary router in my study for wireless bridging, connecting the main router to supplement the study's signal. This has been running for four years, with a few manual restarts in between. I wrote about the specific bridging method and speed being cut in half in my Mercury wireless bridging . The Tenda AX12 is installed at my mother-in-law's house, with 300Mbps telecom broadband. For daily use, I just need a TV and two phones. Last Lunar New Year, I even set up speed limits for the TV box so my kids wouldn't take up the broadband during holidays. The process is in the Tenda speed limit article.

Both companies passed the

stability aspect: Mercury hadn't dropped the chain for four years, Tengda hadn't moved for two years. People online always say certain brands break easily. At this price point, don't worry about brand failure rates. Most people who fail end up buying carrier-customized phones, second-hand refurbished products, or knockoffs with free shipping for 9.9 yuan. Buying from reputable channels is pretty much the same.

the most tangible difference lies in the firmware: one does not automatically upgrade, the other uses one-click cloud upgrade

I think this is the hardest difference between the two companies—bar none. The official Mercury FAQ states: The entire series currently does not support automatic upgrades. To upgrade the firmware for Mercury, you have to go to the official download center to search for the model, check the hardware version, download the zip and extract the bin file, then plug in the network cable into the melogin.cn system tools and manually upgrade it. I upgraded the D191G once, and the whole process took ten minutes without hassle, but the premise is that you have to remember it yourself—most people never remember it. The specific steps contradict the official firmware page that says "the main text says it's missing the specs, the FAQ says it's not." I covered all of them in the of the Mercury firmware upgrade article.

Tengda, click software upgrade in the backend system management for one-click online scanning. If a new version is available, upgrade directly, and operate it in the app. Tenda also has a detail that Mercury doesn't have: when the online test says it's 'the latest version,' don't believe it completely. The official download center isn't in the same account as the one. That time, my AC10 was said to be the latest online, but the official website had updated firmware. This was recorded in the of Tenda's firmware upgrade .

Whether

firmware is important depends on the person. Firmware updates fix bugs and patch vulnerabilities, but a home router won't die unless upgraded. If you're a complete novice and never plan to go back to the backend after buying, Tengda's automatic upgrade has real value for you; If you're willing to check the firmware on the official website every six months, the Mercury flaw can basically be ignored.

App Remote and Backend Experience: Both are usable, but the pit locations differ

both have mobile apps and can manage remotely, but the details differ significantly.

Mercury's app is called Mercury WiFi, and only the "cloud router" supports it. My old D191G doesn't work; to remotely check devices, you have to upgrade to a new model. There's another counterintuitive point: the Mercury Cloud router's web side doesn't support remote management, so you can only use the app for remote management. How to tell if your device is a cloud router? Go to the backend and check if there's a 'Login MERCURY ID' at the top—if it does, it does. After binding, you can change passwords and kick devices while you're at the office. I wrote about this in Mercury Remote Management .

Tenda's app is called Tenda WiFi, and binding requires the person in front of the router, and phones running Android 9 or above must have location permissions; without them, the device won't be found—a trap many people only encounter when binding remotely from the office. If you buy a second-hand Tengda, be especially careful not to fully unbind the previous store. I've sorted out the five situations for binding rescue, and the Tengda App binding .

backend interface and first-time login are also different. Mercury has both new and old interfaces: the old one's left-side menu, the new card-style style, and tutorials can't be randomly mixed; Tengda's interface has undergone few upgrades, and its online tutorials are highly versatile. The first login to two new models doesn't have a default password: the new Mercury model forces you to set a management password before you can enter. The rules are written in the article Mercury initial password Tenda's old models were admin or left blank, and the new models are self-set. The rules for both new and old models are in the Tenda initial password .

price, workmanship, and after-sales service: the price difference at the same price is just a few dozen yuan and a phone call

price-wise, Mercury of the same specification is usually 20 to 50 yuan cheaper. In the AX3000 segment, the Mercury Phantom series usually costs just over 100 yuan, while the Tenda AX12 Pro is around 169 yuan. During the New Year shopping festival, both sides can get another discount. Don't underestimate these few dozen yuan—you can even afford a single network cable.

build quality, I can't really talk about the equipment, so I'll try it out: the AX12 is a bit heavier than the D191G, and the four antennas are a bit thicker, making it sturdy on the TV cabinet. But machines at this price point all share a common issue—overheating. Don't put in weak current boxes, don't stack them together, ventilate the area, and treat both brands equally.

after-sales service is a factor many people overlook. Mercury hotline 400-8810-500, Tengda hotline 400-6622-666—I've called both, and someone answered for firmware or warranty replacement. The difference is that Tenda's answer times are marked except for holidays, so during the New Year days, calls might be unavailable; Warranty policies for both companies are based on the invoice and official website terms, and we support sending your repair to home. When it comes to using after-sales service, first check if the purchase receipt is still there.

five groups of people should be assigned to their assigned positions and copy their homework

have said so much, but when it comes to how to buy specifically, it depends on your situation:

check how much broadband your home has before setting your budget. 100Mbps broadband paired with a budget phone is just right. I calculated this in my about how many Mbps broadband installed; If you're still debating whether to go for WiFi 6 or replace your old device, check out the article on how to choose between WiFi6 and WiFi 7 then pay.

in the end, it comes down to one thing: both 100-yuan brands have been used for five years and haven't disappointed. If your budget is tight, go for Mercury; for peace of mind, go with Tenda. If the price difference for the same spec exceeds 50 yuan, don't pay for the brand. When placing orders, focus on self-operated units and avoid custom phones and second-hand products from unknown sources—it's much more important than obsessing over brands.