TP-Link is consistently ranked as the world's number one Wi-Fi provider by the analyst firm IDC, serving over 170 countries and billions of people worldwide.

The company was founded in 1996 by two brothers, Zhao Jianjun and Zhao Jiaxing, with the purpose of manufacturing and distributing a network card they had developed. The company's name is rooted in the concept of "twisted pair," a wiring technique invented by Alexander Graham Bell that reduces electromagnetic interference, from which the "TP" in the company's name is derived.

TP-Link began its first international expansion in 2005. In 2007, the company moved into its new 100.000-square-meter headquarters and facilities located in the Shenzhen Hi-Tech Industry Park.

In September 2016, TP-Link unveiled a new logo and tagline, "Reliably Smart", which aims to present the company as a "lifestyle" oriented brand as it expands into smart home products.