TP-Link - Deco M5

Currently using Deco X20 and 3 M5?/3?, hoping to switch to Ubiquiti once they have a U7 Mesh. Running a cloud gateway ultra already so eventual transition to Ubiquiti is expected.

thanks for the short review. looking for an upgrade for my aging 3-pack m5. i wanted something compact as well due to placement. out o curiosity, does any of your devices show that you're connected to a wifi 7 network? e.g. on my samsung s24, when connected to a wifi 6 network will clearly show a wifi icon with a 6. does this show an icon with a 7 perhaps?

Yea for run of the mil stuff I can't really see much of a difference with my m5 decos. E. G. Streaming 4K content on my TV via wifi seems to be no difference. Just good to know I'm future-proofed is all.

A pack of TP-Link Deco M9s or M5s would easily do the job for you. https://www.tp-link.com/us/deco-mesh-wifi/product-family/deco-m9-plus/v1%20(3-pack)/ Available on Amazon.

Just for fun, here’s ChatGPT’s take. TL;DR using a business oriented system like Ubiquiti Unifi will be the least hassle long term (bit more expensive and require running Ethernet with POE); a mesh network using TP Link Deco will be the cheapest and simplest to install but not as flexible with QOS and less efficient if using “wireless backhaul” ie using WiFi to connect them all. ——— Absolutely, I can walk you through practical, step-by-step advice for upgrading motel WiFi yourself on a budget. Here’s a comprehensive, realistic plan, with gear suggestions and management tips for fair usage. ⸻ 1. Assess the Situation • Map Out the Motel: Sketch your motel’s layout. Note thick walls, distance between rooms, office location, etc. • Test Existing WiFi: Use a phone or laptop with a speed test app (e.g., Speedtest) in various rooms to spot dead zones. ⸻ 2. Set Goals • Reliable WiFi in Every Room • Easy Management • Prevention of Bandwidth Hogging • Keep It Simple & Affordable ⸻ 3. Choose a Hardware Approach A. Mesh WiFi (Best for Simplicity) A mesh system uses multiple access points (“nodes”) that work together—easy to set up, strong coverage. Recommended Mesh Systems (Budget-Conscious): • TP-Link Deco X55, XE75, or M5 (3-packs; add more if needed) • Eero 6/6+ (Amazon’s house brand, reliable and simple) • Google Nest WiFi (user-friendly, but a bit pricier) B. Business-Grade Access Points For more control, but a little more technical: • Ubiquiti UniFi 6 Lite or UniFi AC Lite (around $99 per AP) • TP-Link Omada EAP225 or EAP245 You’ll need a router and PoE switch (if powering by Ethernet). ⸻ 4. Physical Setup A. For Mesh 1. Place main node near the Xfinity modem (likely in the office). 2. Add mesh nodes every 2-3 rooms or so, especially in dead zones. Nodes should be within wireless range of the next, but not too close. 3. Plug in each node (some allow Ethernet backhaul for even better performance). B. For Access Points 1. Run Ethernet cable from your modem/router to each AP location. • APs should ideally be ceiling-mounted in hallways, central to a cluster of rooms. 2. Mount and power each AP (some can use PoE—Power over Ethernet—if your switch supports it). 3. Connect APs to your router/switch. Tip: If running cable is impossible, consider powerline adapters for a few hard-to-wire spots. ⸻ 5. Network Configuration • Create a guest network (SSID like “Motel Guest WiFi”). • Enable WPA2 or WPA3 encryption. • Hide management SSID (use a separate, hidden network for yourself/office). ⸻ 6. Prevent Bandwidth Hogging • Mesh Systems: Many (like Deco, Eero, and Google WiFi) have built-in “QoS” (Quality of Service) or parental controls. You can limit bandwidth per device, pause connections, or schedule downtime. • Business APs (like UniFi or Omada): • Limit speed per client. • Enable “client isolation” (prevents guests from seeing each other on the network). • Set up bandwidth quotas or rate limits. • Router Level: Some routers let you set limits per device or user. ⸻ 7. Maintenance and Monitoring • Regularly check for firmware updates (on the app or web interface). • Monitor network health via the mesh app or UniFi/Omada controller. • Consider signage: Place simple instructions for guests. ⸻ 8. Estimated Budget • Mesh (Deco M5 or Eero 6): $150-350 for a 3-pack (may need 2-3 packs for 40 rooms) • UniFi/Omada APs: $80-120 each; estimate 6-8 APs = $700-900 plus a PoE switch ($100-150) ⸻ 9. Sample Setup Example (Budget Mesh): • Buy two 3-packs of Deco M5 (~$200 total) • Install one in office (main), one at each end of motel, and remaining three spread evenly • Set up guest network • Enable parental controls/QoS in app to set max bandwidth per device (e.g., 10 Mbps down/2 up) • Monitor and tweak as needed ⸻ 10. Final Tips • Test coverage in every room. Move nodes/APs if needed. • Keep the main router/AP in a locked location. • Educate staff on simple troubleshooting. ⸻ Would you like a detailed wiring guide for access points, or step-by-step mesh setup instructions for a specific brand? Let me know your skill level and which sounds more comfortable (mesh vs wired APs)!

Coming from a Deco M5, I am looking at upgrading to the Be25 as they cost exactly the same as the X60. All of my units are on an ethernet backhaul, but I do appreciate you sharing your results.

Just checking but you do know that one of the WAP's has to connect to your router via ethernet to work? That becomes the master unit and the other(s) mesh to it wirelessly. If you think you can cover your home with just two access points then the X20 would probably be the more solid choice. It's more recent tech and faster speeds. Without a floor plan it's hard to offer more detailed advice. I have a three pack of the M5 TP-Link WAP's and I have to say they've been great. I've two on my ground floor and one upstairs and they are rock solid in my 3 bed detached. With careful placement the whole house is covered and I can sit at the bottom of my garden about 80 ft away and still watch YouTube quite happily.

Get rid of the powerline adapters. Plug-in your Deco on the 2nd floor to your Ethernet outlet. Buy a fourth Deco unit for the third floor. If you can afford it, replace your Deco M5s with something newer like Deco BE65 for example. It might be enough to have a single one on each floor. If want something **really** good, run an Ethernet line to the third floor,.or hire someone to do it for you.

I use these. They are superb.

Seconding TP-Link Deco. I've got a hybrid set up of M9 and M5 units (including one M5 in a detached garage) that's been rock solid for years.

Tried pretty expensive WiFi routes and finally a good working setup using Deco mesh units

I'm using the M5s, been running them for a couple of years and they have managed to reach all bedrooms, etc. Bear in mind that a mesh device will either be hardwired via ethernet or will require some bandwidth from the WiFi to talk to each other (backhaul) Some have a WiFi channel just for the devices to talk to each other (dedicated backhaul) so they do not compromise on speed, the M5s don't.

I have been using the Deco M5 and M9 for several years now with my TMHI. Previously used it with AT&T fiber and it has worked the same with both Internet providers. I just used the wizard in their app and set it up in normal mode. I use the ethernet jacks on the back of the TMHI router to feed an M9 in my office that feeds the mesh for the other nodes.

I've been running Deco m5's for years. I love their mesh product. I've had no problems with traffic on my network no matter what I'm doing streaming, gaming etc. Frequently have five TVs all streaming (kids), never have with a game now I do have a gig plus connection from Comcast. And I rent the Comcast modem so I can maintain that gig speed. I also have each one of my mesh access points connected in over cat6 connected to a gigabit switch. But with networking, it always helps to set priority on certain traffic. So I have all critical devices on as high priority.

I recently went to xe75 pros from my 5 year old m5s. 3 of them, 3500 sq ft on 2 floors but have wifi cameras in attic and crawl too. Things are generally fine but the wifi cameras start to have issue after about a week which bogs down the NVR itself too, and today for first time, my hue bridge failed and reboots did nothing, the only fix was to reboot deco system. So, I have set up reboot schedule but, do you have any issues like this? I have about 30 devices at all times considering cameras, nest devices, and all our other normal stuff. Otherwise it seems fine. Laptops, phones, TVs, xbox etc are good. Wired backhaul .

Yes you can if you get the right models and config. I use the TPLink Deco series and have it set up like this: 1) Wifi is turned off on my main Router. 2) Primary Deco is plugged into the main router LAN ports. 3) In the Deco app, under advanced settings, operation mode is set to Access Point. This stops the primary Deco from acting as a router. 4) Other Decos are then spread around the house as normal. They can link back to the primary via either wireless or wired backhaul. I'm using a few Deco M5's (older) and have now started adding Deco X50's (also called AX3000's). They have been working great for me. Just get the plain X50's 2 pack or 3 pack, without any VSDL or Cellular features.

Do you need that much power ? I have the m5 decos and they hit 500mb over wifi. Can’t justify upgrading.

Mesh is a WiFi game changer. For blink cameras pretty much any system will do. I have the deco m5’s and they have served me well but are a little outdated now. Eero have some good options but there are lots of other systems at different price points.

I would said no.2 is wrong if i remember not wrong they adding those web interface for their Deco M5 / M9 later , but later model like X20 / X60 I'm current use have web interface but setting may be not good as in App, but still have most thing you need

A quick question, i have my Decos (X20 and M5) set to AP mode and before i had the Decos i had an ISP modem with a built in router. After setting the Decos into AP mode i am not able to connect to my ISPs built in router. Why is that? And what fixes can I do?

I upgraded from my Deco 5 that I had been using for like 5 years to a TP-Link BE3600, which I have 1 on each floor. Our basement has the internet cable modem, with a deco (and my main PC attached), then 1 deco on the other 2 floors, and I have no trouble getting signals, even in my back yard, or in my car in the driveway.

I had been running the TP-Link Deco M5, for over 8 years and it was still running very well, and I had no problems with it. I finally upgraded to a TP-Link BE3600 Wi-Fi 7 Dual-Band which is working very well so far (only have had it hooked up for about a week)

How are you getting on with the BT10? I'm in a similar position as you but I use a Three 5G ZTE MC888a BB router. I used to have all ASUS mesh (Asus DSL RT82/XD5 wireless BH) and it was excellent but sold it when I changed my setup (stupid me). I've tried the TP-Link BE9600 and X60 packs and weren't impressed with their range/cover/stability so I'm back to my M5 and X20 dotted around and they've been very stable, albeit d/l's suck in places of the house. I was considering the BD4 3 pack with a XD5 for the loft but noticed this setup is not tri or quad......my goal is a decent spread d/l , I don't mind if I have multiple units but require wireless BH, with the main until configurable as router mode so I can setup the main ZTE in bridge. Thanks

Yup, easy to set up - just plug into the Etisalat box and configure with your account info. Set this up at a friend's place with the Tp-link M5 3-pack.

I have 3 m5 units and an M4R too and was looking at the be25 too. Did you end up grabbing yours yet?

Got TP Link Deco for my older parents. I set it up and that has been it, they even been able to move the spots around to fix some coverage, because all they had todo was unplug move and plug back in [https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862?th=1](https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-Whole-Home-System/dp/B06WVCB862?th=1)

I have a 2 pack TP Link Deco mesh system and it works great for me.

I have a 1gb connection and about 100 feet from the main unit through a brick wall I can get 25 megabits a second down.

get mesh system - depending on your current DL speeds that you are paying for you may get away with a pre WIFI 6 system of 2 or 3 units... they go cheap on FB market place where people have upgraded to faster speeds We have TP deco on a 3 story townhouse... 1 on each floor - works well no dead spots like we had before and can plug in apple tv in the lounge to one via a wire... not a massive outlay tbf for good coverage if you are looking for less than 100MB down Look for DECO MESH on FB market place and you may get 3 units of pre WIFI 6 for less than 100 bux... it does enough for less than 100 down

I’m currently running a TP Link mesh network with 3 nodes. The current system is a cheap TP Link Deco mesh (WiFi 5). I’m curious if the coverage from the Dream Router 7 would be superior to my current setup, or if I would need an extra ap. My current setup has trouble connecting to my WiFi ring doorbell and my car parked in the driveway on the other side of the house. I live in a 1700 sq ft, 2 story cape. I’m new to this so any pointers would be appreciated!

I second that recommendation to get a mesh system. Also make sure the mesh system is capable of “WPA3 security”. I am using a TP-link Deco system, with 3 units. I have a 2 story 2100 sq ft home and this system covers all areas well.

Keep the TMO gateway and the hardwired Deco about 6 ft (or more) from each other. Then just put the other Deco where you need it. All Deco have ethernet ports so you should be good to go for your hardwired needs. I have G4SE and a 3 pack of TP-LINK Deco covering 5400 sq ft across three floors. Works great!

What I recommend for best Experience is Mesh configured in Backhauling connection via LAN cable. That is the best option if you want good signals all through your house. A sacrifice in installation, Yes? but way better results than any other option. For this setup you may need 3Pack Mesh. you may refer to this website to answer your questions. [General Questions About the Ethernet Backhaul Feature on Deco Mesh Systems | TP-Link](https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1794/) High End Gigabit routes, no matter how expensive and good still suffers from signal losses. you may feel that it is good enough kasi hindi significant ang drops pero still, Losses are losses. in terms of latency and in speed.

Got rid of my Netgear Costco router and replaced it with Deco mesh with three stations. No change in performance with the eufycams. Everything else connects great though.

Changed out my Netgear for a Deco mesh network with three towers so the whole home is covered. Fiber optic with 1Ghz and the cameras have full bars at every location.

I use a deco. I had disconnection problems when I was using the fast band and I saw someone recommended that Google home prioritize consistency over speed and that I should switch over to 2.4hz. I did that and my Google home has never had a disconnect since.

I have tp link Delco each has ethernet back haul works great.

I have a pretty good TP link Deco but need to check the model. Not sure about the backhaul. Either way this helped for me. It was surely more than 4 ms too. 

Saw that too. I have TP Link Deco in my home. It’s been amazing but may look for another mesh alternative.

I'm using TP Link Deco's. Wish I'd gone for UniFi (which I've just installed at work - my word it's good)

Not HomeKit compatible since that was short lived, but I’ve had good luck with TP-Link Deco. I have an Ethernet hub I connect to the main Deco that I can then plug my AppleTV and gaming systems into. I also think most TP-Link routers will mesh together anymore. I was shopping for a fourth Deco this last week since I’m moving and couldn’t find a single Deco in store, but the TP-Link that aren’t sold as part of a mesh set all said they were compatible on the packaging. Although I will be getting another Deco on Amazon because they’re cheaper and faster. I’m getting Google Fiber at my new place and want to maximize that gigabit speed.

I’ve had good luck with TP-Link Deco. I have a combined 5ghz and 2.4ghz main network, but I also have a separate IoT network that is 2.4ghz only. It’s worked well for a SwitchBot Hub Mini and a Lifx bulb. Another thing to consider is not using WiFi devices. Devices that use Thread or their own hubs are going to be more reliable. Zigbee devices are rock solid.

Another vote for Deco! I have a set of three that worked really well in a two story rental house and a two story townhome. They’re a little weaker now that we’re in a 2300sqft SFH, but I just may need to adjust placement or add another unit.

I was using decos until last week. Never been happy with them, random disconnects, rubbish app that won't let you change settings 9 times out of 10. Stuck with it since lockdown. Finally got fed up last week, ran some cat 5 cable from my router to an old router set up as an extender, more cat 5 from that to the next old router and now I have 4 daisy chained around the house and workshop. Rock solid wifi everywhere, and as a bonus, plenty of ethernet ports everywhere for pc's and tvs

Seriously, set it up at my parents too a couple of years ago. So easy to use and good price point and the security concerns are actually wildly overblown I find.

Lmao, I knew the minute I saw this that it was going to be someone with a tp-link deco. Same headaches here. I just manually restart them occasionally. One day I’ll switch to a different brand, just waiting on WiFi 7.

I'm with u/eternal_peril here wired is always better regardless of connections however a step down woulkd be mesh, I would stick with TP link deco.

I'd go mesh, if you have a cable already running to the back use that as wired back haul. I've been happy with my decos

Honestly... If your budget is limited I might just keep running on your Deco's. They're decent units. Unless you have 5+ people streaming/working/gaming at once... You're probably more likely to saturate your uplink. Save you're $ until you can build a good Unifi system or just save it, pay off debt, etc.

TP Link Deco definitely requires an app and an account and although there is a web interface, it can't do much. Nice gear, but not acceptable under your policy. Netgear Orbi may have required me to install an app and get an account to get it setup (I didn't try to get around it.) But the web interface is full fat and I've never opened the app since installing.

I got the tp link deco setup like this. Using 2.5gb back haul. Works like a boss, I've got a fairly large double lot rectangular property and I can get damn near full speed at the water. Haven't had a single issue yet. Honestly not quite sure what the beef is with them.

Deco here as well and never have any Sonos issues, 160square metre house so I have 3 decos to cover it.

I'm using the unify mesh backhaul. It's not great / weaker then the tp link deco meshing setup i was using before. Lower connection speed and more frequent disconnects. Maybe with the dedicated meshing AP it works better, I'm just using i7 Lite Models.

TPLink Deco Mesh user here with no issues.

I did this with TPLink Deco system from Costco. Builder ran Ethernet to each room but didn’t finish them 🤷‍♂️. So a $50 crimping kit from Amazon and I now have whole home LAN. Set the Decos in AP mode and wired all my AppleTVs, Lutron and Hue bridges. HomeKit is nearly bulletproof. Being able to set hub in iOS 18 will be last step (every once in a while my upstairs ATV takes over)

Your internet speed (150 vs 600 Mbps) affects how fast stuff downloads/uploads, but not your WiFi signal inside the house. For better wifi coverage, I’d skip the “powerful modem/router” and go with a mesh system, like a TP-Link Deco series which will plug straight into the ONT/Modem depending on your ISP. Super easy to set up and reliable.

Only if you want Wi-Fi 6 and to go down the mesh route, it depends on your devices. With a mesh system like the Deco, you won't need the AC1900 anymore. However, if you really want to keep it, you could just add an access point to increase the wifi coverage. Who is your ISP? I would just look at something like the X50s; you can pick up a 3-pack for cheap, solid units.

for me personally high end gigabit router then lagay mo sa 2nd floor tabi ng modem. if mesh naman, 2nd and 3rd floor merong mesh, pero ung sa deco tp-link ko, hindi ganun ka "reliable" yung never disconnect feature nya eh. pwede naman 3 mesh, lagay ka din isa sa first floor for solid reception. Note: gusto ko din itry ung wifi 7 routers

1. probably other, as google products cant use wired backhaul. Look into TpLink Deco. 2 extenders usually do not act as routers. Whatever you add to extend wifi, needs to act as as access point only. Only when using two routers with their router functionality enabled, double nat can become a problem. 3 keep the At&t router. just turn off its WiFI. That means it will still be en charge of everything apart from Wifi. When setting up the deco system, make sure to set them up in AP mode. So that it will only do the job of wifi access points

Same here

I like my TPLink Deco. Many features Ubiquity has at a cheaper price (VPN, mesh affinity, separate networks for guests and IOT, etc). Plus, it has cheap outdoor mesh nodes.

Yep all absolutely true. I ended up trying to downsize and optimize picks but the lag and need for content reboots remained. Switched over to Decos and never looked back. Incredibly fast solid coverage throughout and no downtime. Light years better.

I was hoping to use Deco with Ethernet backhaul in my house wired with 5E, but the two satellites have that fun red blinking light – I may have run into the issue with the IEEE spec they seem to require. I'm using Netgear gigabit switches, and the idea of dropping a few hundred on switches blessed by TP-Link seems… annoying at best.

Works fine. Not a single issue

We have a two year old tp-link deco mesh system (can’t remember exactly what model) but it’s been great. Stays updated, app is simple and easy to use, pretty solid coverage for a 3 story town house. I’d definitely recommend any of their stuff. Like other people have said upgrading to the higher model wouldn’t be a bad idea. It never hurts to future proof yourself for a bit with routers.

It’s a good system…..until your modem looses internet and the whole LAN side of your network stops functioning. It’s a known issue with many still waiting on a fix. For whatever reason, TP Link decided not to designate one of the Ethernet ports as “WAN” and instead relies on auto sensing. When the internet goes down, Deco gets confused and the general response is that the LAN also goes down until internet is restored. I ended up just running these as APs and put in a different router.

Deco system would be your best choice. It does support mesh as well as wired back-haul if you wanna go for an access point route. Either way, you'll only be having a single SSID

I have one of their combined routers and modems. I still run 3 decos across the house broadcasting is own signal. No issues.

I did. I have one house with 3 decos and spectrum and another house with 5 decos on optimum and no issues on either. I named both ssids on the decos the same so every device connects in both houses.

It works pretty well. I think bridge or pass through mode is a better way. But if you can’t change the settings, then this way works

Exact same setup and results (TP-Link Deco). We couldn't be happier - including multiple family member Internet power users. Life is good.

More customization helps though. My TP-Link Deco units don't allow you to change the network channel, instead they have an "algorithm" that always picks the most congested channels.

Using some Decos in mesh mode, works perfectly, although you can't use their traffic prioritization features, I wasn't interested in that anyway. Setup is dead simple, DHCP is handled in my pihole and vlans and routing managed in firewalla.

Deco is horrible for not moving to a channel that’s free and instead layering with other wifi signals around. There’s no advanced control what so ever and I can have my scanner going and I can see where they over lap. I can restart devices and still they don’t change channels. TP-Link has a bad track record of lying to end users about fixing this on their support pages. At first it was acknowledged as an issue and was going to be fixed then it turned into “it’s working as expected and it’s smart to change channels when needed”.

I have a similar set up with TP Decos - one on each floor of my house all in access point mode. Works great and never have issues with devices switching

\+1 for deco, I have 3 of them at home (one on each floor) and it works great!

Initially, I had an issue where DNS resolution was failing on only some web sites, so they were just not loading and if TM reset things on their end, it seemed to work for a day or two but problem returned. Long story, short… factory reset on their end Deco fixed the problem. I think the AI didn’t like me changing to TM. No problems since.

Both should work, no issues at all. Etisalat tech lied to you. All their hardware is bargain bin stuff. You can get Deco or get multiple tp link routers with Easy mesh ethernet backhaul - the latter is cheaper and what I'm using these days.

I don't think it would honestly. The XE70 pro is a freaking beast still, you will not be disappointed. Just make sure to get a solid modem. I recommend the Netgear CM2000, or CM3000 if you want to future proof for multi gig plans down the road. I tried a combination of arris modems, top recommended routers with Merlin firmware... so much trial and error. The CM3000 and deco mesh just worked right off the bat - blazing speeds and zero issues. I 100% recommend deco

Deco works really well with extending range. Actually better than a range extender, as Mesh systems are designed from the ground up to work with each other in the system. I had a Ge800 tied to a be550 and a WiFi 7 range extender. Super good stuff right? But it's half ass "patched up" jerky jerky mesh was no match to a Deco. Deco was snappier, more reliable, and longer range.

Can confirm. Have Deco. Am miserable.

To echo what plenty of others are saying, but also provide links to specific items to Do-It-Yourself and save money but still get good finished product. Assuming you have roof/attic access above the rooms and can run power to the attic: * buy bulk CAT6 cable, shielded twisted pair, not CCA (CCA stands for copper coated aluminum). [Get good shielded copper wire, like this](https://a.co/d/ijNWYa0). * buy a [crimper toolkit like this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7GRX9DW) * watch a few youtubes on terminating Cat6 cable. * buy a mesh wifi system like Amazon Eero, tp-Link Deco, Asus Zen Wi-Fi, etc. [Here's a good article / review of mesh systems and what to look for](https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-mesh-wifi-routers/) **NOTE:** mesh wifi is the consumer grade solution. If you can afford it, you're better off getting Wifi Access Points (APs) - the business grade solution - Ubiquiti is the best known of the AP options. Connection works similarly, with one key difference -- APs require power over ethernet (POE) instead of an electrical outlet / power supply. There are pros and cons of installing either Mesh or APs. * buy at least one [Unmanaged Ethernet Switch like this](https://a.co/d/88WLwNn) - this one is 8 port (1 connection in, 7 out). * You'll run an ethernet cable from your Comcast box to your wifi mesh router. Then you'll run a **long** ethernet cable down toward your L-corner dead zone. You'll plug that long ethernet cable to the Unmanaged Ethernet Switch. Then you'll run another ethernet cable from the Unmanaged Ethernet Switch to one of your mesh wifi satellites. BAM! Good internet within reach of that mesh satellite. You'll need to estimate/experiment with how many satellites the system needs (get multiple people to watch netflix on iPads, and spread them along rooms close to the mesh satellite -- see how many people / how many rooms you can cover before you need to add another mesh wifi satellite). I did a low-key simplified version of this at my house. Reply here if you have questions / need help. # You can do this yourself.

I have TP-Link Decos. You can setup an “IOT” network on one band, a main network on another band. That’s how I achieve this

Not sure what prev post is about but I am using the deco app with extensive parental controls and have never been asked to subscribe to anything. We have 6 nodes set up around the house and have not had any issues at all. Don’t even need the 6 nodes but upgraded to get higher bandwidth and just left the prev nodes in place - was super easy to add new nodes to existing network as well as convert the primary node from old device to new one. Will never go back to non-mesh network

Wow, not good at all. I just double checked my app and confirmed all options available and nothing locked behind subscription that I could find. Running app version 3.7.65 if that helps. Yours looks a bit diff than what I’m running so likely due to age of your network devices and its related app software.

on TpLink Mesh Deco App, you can set the preference GHz for each device in the app. it appears as a single SSID, the switching is handled by the Mesh. lets say my phone is connected to the Mesh. if i leave the apartment, it would switch to 2.4GHz by itself to ensure my phone is connected when i stand outside.

For the less network savvy, it's worth mentioning that many of the fancy features the deco router offers through the app will not work in AP mode. I consider that a good thing, but YMMV. I 'upgraded' to a deco system months ago, unaware that this is meant for the average user and advanced features are crippled, e.g. browser config is minimal as they want you to use the app. No luck querying the DHCP reservations from a script. I'm now moving to a separate OpenWRT wired router behind my cable modem and switching the deco to AP mode. This gives a lot more control. Another upside is that upgrading the WiFi system is then possible without losing all the painstakingly configured DHCP reservations and port forwarding rules.

Tp link deco. Just a no fuss system. Plug in, download the app, set ssid and don't worry about it anymore for years. Mine has been stable and working for years. There are better systems out there for sure, but at the price point, it's good value

Naka deco mesh ako spread across a 200sqm home with thick walls/floors 3 pack mesh solid na for your setup.

Strange, I use vlan tagging on my deco system. It has allowed me to replace my ISP modem.

Yes, supports Ethernet backhaul with mesh within the same network.

My TP-Link Deco (with all nodes connected via Ethernet backhaul) has been superb for me, easy to setup, zero black spots, seamless transition between nodes, decent and pretty consistent speeds throughout the house.

I recently bought a Netgear WiFi 6 router from Costco. Used it for like a week, and returned it for a TP-Link Deco solution. Deco isn’t perfect either, but that Nighthawk was a true piece of garbage. I know this is a newer model, and I don’t want to compare apples and oranges. But I would not buy another Netgear device.

I am pretty happy with my Deco system. All these systems are typically discounted on prime day if you have surrendered your soul to Darth Bezos and if you can wait until then. I know the standard advice on this sub is to do hardwired APs. But without enterprise grade system with controller, devices (I am looking at you fruit-phone) tend to cling to APs. I think the mesh systems are somewhat better at making the devices hop since the stations can “talk” to each other. Read about 802.11 k/v/r if interested. Also, most mesh systems offer wired backhaul that will always make things better.

I do this as well. It works wonderfully.

Don't they are an Archer You want a Deco Mesh System EasyMesh, OneMesh and Deco Mesh are not compatible with each other [https://www.tp-link.com/au/home-networking/deco/](https://www.tp-link.com/au/home-networking/deco/) Choose carefully and use 'Ethernet Backhaul' where you can to improve communication between Deco's I have 4 Deco's for a large apartment and I have strong signal everywhere. You may need more Deco's but start with 4 Also take note you do not need to buy Wi-Fi7 right now. Most of your devices can't use it fully, and, they may be more unstable using BE & MLO I would suggest Wi-Fi 6E tbh, cheaper and much more reliable (without upgrading every single piece of technology in your house)

Yeah I have a Deco and only one of the are hardwire to the internet and I never really had a problem with it.

I've got two deco units due to my previous apartment having solid brick walls. They've been amazing for my use case. Easy setup with advanced options for what I needed. Works with TPG and now Aussie broadband. Only issue I had while with TPG and the dexo unit was not having a setting to change the packet size. With my works VPN on Microsoft teams would have a packet size just slightly over what TPG's system accepted so my teams would just stop working. Switching to Aussie fixed the issue as it was too hard to explain to IT that they need to change some backend operating system settings.

Don't do this if you have a home network and semi-regular internet outages. I just discovered that Decos and TP-Link's gaming routers require a modem connection to route traffic for physically connected devices. This is probably no big deal for a lot of folks, but for those of us with a NAS, or PCs that require a physical connection, it's obnoxious. The Deco unit ports are WAN/LAN ports, and they default to WAN until a modem is detected (same for their gaming routers). During an internet outage, most modern modems go into a reboot cycle, and every time they do a full power cycle, the Deco no longer detects them, and flips all of its ports back to WAN. This results in your physically connected devices getting disconnected from your network every 15 minutes or so while the modem reboots, effectively rendering your home network useless.

For the price that’s good, I like the mobile app and the setup is pretty easy. I installed this one at my parents house and am able to reset their router remotely from my phone or show them the password I run a nighthawk setup at my apartment and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them if I wasn’t the person that set them up

im a fan of tplink deco. for the best speeds get wifi 6/7 capable, and buy a few nodes to increase their range.

> The Decos do not daisy chain—they all connect to their main router directly connected to the modem at the far end of the house if each deco ap is connected back to the main router ie back hauling, does this include the one near the office also? how far is the AP to the office? maybe a map/floor plan could be helpful and distance.

best solution is to use ethernet cable, or coax with moca adapters and backhaul the AP. next best is wifi mesh.. eg tplink deco

I just set up a new deco connected to my ISP-supplied router (I did not put it in bridge or IP passthrough mode). The Deco set up did not prompt me with anything like the choice to put the Deco in "Access Point" mode, and prompted me to add a network name. Does this mean it's in router mode?

Thank you. I did later find the setting and switched the Deco to access point mode. I found it confusing because, starting the setup assuming the Deco is in router mode means that I specified an SSID name (I used the same name as I used for the wifi from the ISP's router) and later when I switched the Deco to access point mode, that 2nd duplicated SSID hung around for a bit looking like another wifi network with the same name.

Now I understand that both the router and the Deco access point have their own SSID. I have now turned off the wifi coming out of the ISP's modem+router, while leaving the main Deco in access mode.

Totalky agree, Orbs is garbage. I switched to Deco and I've never looked back.

I’d stay away from the nest pros. I “upgraded” from these and have Ethernet backhaul and was having issues all the time with drops and lagging. Since I got them from Costco was able to return them (after over a year) and switched to the deco system. With the way these systems are setup now it seems you need points in every room because signal can drop so much with the environment. Example- my kid had a Stanley water battle near the point on their desk and the cut down the signal strength by half while only standing 2 feet away.

Was happy I remembered I bought my set from Costco and returned them after about 15 months for a refund. Had the same issue and ran through so many hoops trying to get them to work properly even on wired backhul. Switched to decos and seem to be working well but may need to add a few more WiFi points.

I have this setup,no issues whatsoever.

A mesh probably wouldn’t help with interference much. The only benefit they have is an ‘optimise’ feature where they move to different channels based on which has the lowest interference. I would keep your existing router in place, but disable wireless and operate it in modem mode. Mesh devices aren’t great running as a router. This also means you keep Ethernet ports and reduce the need for a switch. If you have an existing wired connecting from your router to your office you can use it as a wired backhaul from mesh to mesh. I’ve used the TP-Link deco system, it works fine and was significantly better than my ISP router alone, but I’m now looking at installing wired access points around my house and moving away from a mesh.

No, it will be fine. I like the tplink Deco range

I recommend TP-Link Deco or Omada systems.

I’ve got arlo cameras on my deco mesh setup. Never a problem. And my network has a lot going on all the time.

As a part-time streamer myself, how I had my Converge set-up in my old apartment (before it got flooded) was that I used a TP-Link Deco setup that is connected to the main router, with three of those Decos spread between three floors. For the first floor where I used to reside, it was connected to the second floor Deco (which was connected to the router) via ethernet backhaul. Basically, to improve ping times on mesh, you really have to connect it via ethernet cable. WiFi is too unreliable for anything related to livestreaming or online gaming (unless you spend harder on better WiFi gear). If you're missing out on LAN ports, TP-Link says that you can buy a separate switch and connect that to the Deco. For your use case, I would recommend something similar. Get a three-pack of Decos and put them in the first three floors; the attic doesn't need one. Don't worry, mesh WiFi, especially the Decos, are just as easy to set up as normal routers. (Unless you're dealing with Ubiquiti, but that's mainly for the IT/corporate crowd lmao.) You need a mesh on the first floor too because the thick flooring could hamper streaming media over WiFi. Then connect the third floor Deco to the second floor Deco via ethernet backhaul. The first floor Deco doesn't need to be connected via ethernet, that's personal preference for you now. (Edit: Looking at your stats again, you may not need a Deco on the first floor, as the Deco on the second floor may be good enough to get to the first floor. In my experience, it's better to be safe than sorry, but if you really can't afford a three-pack, a two-pack will do for now and then you can just get an extra one if you want to in the future.) As for turning off the WiFi on the Converge router, we didn't end up doing that and it didn't affect the performance in the second floor that much; we keep it on as a backup to connect to in case the Deco fails for some reason or if we really only want to test the WiFi coming raw from the router and from Converge. But if you want to turn it off, as far as I know you can do that yourself from the router admin panel. The problem with routers is that they don't really play nicely with each other when you have multiples of them spread to each floor and you get a bad WiFi signal because your phone just happened to connect to the wrong router with the same SSID. And if you change the SSIDs to a unique one per router, that's just pure inconvenience. A mesh is well-suited for multi-floor or large environments, like a really wide house, and can get your devices to connect better to the nearest access points. If you're a pro gamer who wants those pro gaming routers, I've never tested them nor do I know if they work well in a multi-floor setup. Makes more sense to me to just get a mesh system. Gaming routers make more sense when requiring low ping on phones, not so much on PCs IMHO. Note: When buying mesh WiFi, doublecheck the max speed of the ethernet ports. The cheapest of the Decos, the E4, can only handle a max of 100Mbps for ethernet, so get something like an S4. The benefit of Decos is that all the models work with each other, so you can get cheaper models like the E4 for areas that don't need gigabit/200Mbps. Hope this helps!

I have a TP link Deco with all nodes hardwired it works brilliantly. Anything wireless is not going to perform it’s best especially as most people put mesh nodes in the wrong place

Deco was OK until they started putting features behind a paywall. Things like "screen time" etc were all moved to be on their subscription service.

I tried this on our living room. The main deco's range is really small. The ISP's router reaches farther like up to our neighbor next door. Should I wall mount the main deco to increase its range? It is just set on the center table. This is why I didn't turn off the WiFi from the ISP's router. My other decos are in the 2nd floor and the 3rd floor. 3rd floor has really good range since there are lesser walls. 

Works great.  Been using it a year now. Everything connected seamlessly 

The main network is T-Mobile, my decos are connected to that,but the,decos are named a separate network. I can connect to the T-Mobile main or my deco All decos are one network name. I don’t know how to describe it but it works and I have signal all over the house.

Any tutorials out there to show how to do this? I just picked up a tp link deco mesh

Love my TP-Link Deco mesh setup. We have 8 satellites spread throughout the house (long ranch) and two outdoor buildings. Some are wired backhaul and others are wireless. Works great.

TP-Link Déco is cheap and simple to install. Other brands got more features, I don't need.

I don’t know if it would suit your needs, it’s kinda barebones, but I’m using TPlink Deco line for this. I have one of their outdoor units outside in Minnesota, and it sees up to 100 F in the summer and -20 F as extremes. It’s lasted fine for two years now. I have it attached PoE outdoor Ethernet I ran along my fence.

Deco is the best mesh I have had experience with but I still wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who is tech savvy and has the ability to wire up APs. The wired back haul is a great solution, I have the ability to do that so I could get mesh to work really well if my APs were not already working perfectly for a fraction of the cost.

Mesh systems are great but you still aren’t going to get your full internet speeds via WiFi unless you only subscribe to sub 500mb service. Maybe if you’re standing in the exact right spot compared to the wireless routers. Depends on the capabilities of the d vices you’re connecting to WiFi as well as distance, height and interference. I run tp-link after finally ditching my slow ass eero mesh setup but WiFi is WiFi and it’s never as good as connecting directly to an Ethernet port.

I would get a deco mesh WiFi system and use a switch off of the main router for all of your wired needs(gaming, large file transfers internally, etc). The deco routers each have two Ethernet ports. The one that you designate as the main router will have both used(1 incoming from your cable or fiber modem/terminal and the other one out to a switch to feed Ethernet devices. You can run Ethernet from your switch to each of the other mesh devices as a faster backhaul or connect them wirelessly if there’s a strong signal. You will get some speed loss here, no doubt, but without a lot of interference or great distance the speed loss won’t be terrible. If you do run Ethernet to each one as a backhaul then you can use the other port on those mesh devices to connect a device via Ethernet as well. I have one sitting in my living room anyway that’s connected to the others via WiFi with a strong signal but my tv has a crappy WiFi card in it so it doesn’t always have the best connection so I just plugged the Ethernet port on my tv into my mesh device and it works like a champ. You may not even need to use a switch very much if you strategically place your mesh devices and backhaul then with Ethernet. You can attach two Ethernet devices to each one (other than the main one) if they’re open because you didn’t use any for backhaul if and chose WiFi as your backhaul instead

Another vote for deco, just works.

I would get one that does absolutely then. I've had good luck with the TP-Link Deco systems

I concur that you need a mesh Network. There's a lot of options out there and for your building you could probably do it for under $1,000 easily. I myself have a deco and we have four modules through a long rambly ranch house and we have nearly 300 MB per second everywhere because we have about 1 GB per second fiber to the house.

Definitely get a mesh Network and you can actually make it use 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and you can't tell the difference. I have The Deco and it works super well in this old thick plastered house

I moved recently, and in my current situation, my PS5 is nowhere near my router and there is no way to plug an ethernet into it. This made it impossible for me to use my portal via the PS5 (it would not even connect), it would only work via streaming. Of course, this frustrated me a lot. This prompted me to go on a journey to upgrade my home network. I previously never even thought about improving my network setup, I just always used whatever router the internet company provided or a cheap / normal one. The first thing I tried was using powerline adapters. I read that this is hit or miss depending on your electrical wiring. It sucked a lot for me, so I returned them. The next step I took, and what worked for me, was buying a high end modem and building a mesh network using tp-link deco. I was expecting the wifi coverage at my home to improve, after all that is the goal of the mesh network. What I was not expecting and am blown away by is just how much faster my internet is overall. Probably because I’m using a good modem and good router vs what I had before. I just never knew the impact would be so high. I use two decos, a main and a satelite, and my PS5 is connected via the ethernet on the satelite. My Portal now connects and works amazing. Fast connection, zero lag. Just wanted to share this because I know a lot of people have connection issues - when connecting directly to your main router isn’t an option, a mesh might be just as good.

I like TP-Link for both consumer (Deco) and commercial (Omada, though I lean toward UniFi), but it's good to be aware of the differences between the lines. (As for this question, both make it pretty easy to do a 2.4ghz only network)

You can also not use VLANs and use OPNSense as it was meant to be used, as a router, and route traffic at the IP layer. You'd be able to use your existing Deco WiFi in its own separate network. In fact, this is what I do. with my Deco.

While Wi-Fi 7 Devices are limited in availability, I think you may be surprised at the devices that can support Wi-Fi 6E. For the most part, 6e functionality has been limited to phones and tablets, as computers and laptops only received compatibility in a recent Windows update. At this point, most devices will support the 6GHz network and we will begin to see more Wi-Fi 7 devices released over the next year. For Decos, there is another reason to choose Wi-Fi 7 nodes, and that is the fact that the wireless backhaul of your network will take advantage of Wi-Fi 7 when communicating between nodes. This means that your entire network, without even considering your devices, will become more efficient, will support a higher bandwidth, and will use the new features such as MLO and 4K-QAM.

Same. Plus all Decos are compatible with all other Decos, which makes upgrades easy.

Tp-Link all he way. Either Deco (if you want ease of installation) or Omada (if you want configurability). You can run the Omada Controller locally as a HA Add-On and also there is an Omada Integration giving you control over all your Omada gear, including control over PoE management on switches.

I use the hub 3 in modem mode with a netgear router, it works good but the range isn't the greatest, just about gets around my small house. In hindsight i would use a mesh system, I use one at my workplace that's bigger than my house and it works great, just 3 deco's around the building and is much easier to setup

Take the Spectrum modem, get a TP-Link Deco Mesh system (don't listen to the nonsense about them being banned in the US). My house is about 2500 sq ft, I have over 60 devices connected to it, and have ZERO issues.

I do not have much experience with the powerline kits so won't comment on them other than to say you would need to know how your circuits are laid out since they use the electrical cable to carry the signal. The mesh route using 3 devices should work and I believe a good cost effective solution would be the TP-Link Deco range. They do sell them in 3-packs.

Hit or miss. Get deco

After having the same issues I ended up doing the same. 0 issue since using my old Asus router with the Decos as APs.

I upgraded to TP link deco this year and everything about it has been miles better. I get faster speeds and the app is so much better. On my Google WiFi I never got the upload speeds I was supposed to get from my IP. On top of this, I had devices connecting to pucks that were further away in the house. It never made any sense. It makes me realise how Google really doesn't care about maintaining their products after the sales volume dies down a bit.

Decos work

What kind of walls? I helped a friend recently and their old home had concrete walls, Google did the best of the three Mesh systems I tested, Deco next, I ended up adding more points for better line of sight, but got her up to 400MBPS where she couldn't hit 50 before. I have a much smaller home, 3000SQFT and my Deco Mesh works great, but I have it backhauled with just the main router and one other MESH point. Used Nighthawk router with 2 AP's before, my current setup increased my speeds everywhere and eliminated those outside dead zones where I have cameras. Good luck.

I used orbi for several years. Never had problem. Switch to Deco for several months. The speed is good but there is one problem. It took about 5 minutes for my TVs to connect to the wifi every time I turned on the TVs. Didnt have this problem with Orbi before.

I’ve got the same setup. Works great, just make sure you set it up in access point mode instead of router mode, or you’ll get double NAT.

I've had my hands on a fist full of different mesh solutions. Cost to performance the Decos are winning for now. However given the issues your describing, I don't think a mesh solution is right for you. Look into a more traditional wireless access point solution. Downside is you need to run CAT5e or CAT6 from your router to the APs. My go to right now is the TP-Link EAP670 or the Mikrotik cAP ax. You can use the supplied POE bricks and just hook them directly to your ISPs router. (there are better ways to do this, but its the simplest/cheapest)

Depends on construction materials but assuming wood and drywall your issue won’t be area per floor it’s getting the signal between floors. Wired data to Wi-Fi per floor is best but if that’s not available a tp-link deco mesh system on floors 1-3 ought to do you may need a 4th node on the fourth floor it’s just hard to say. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to set up. TP Link is getting a lot of news right now so you’ll see some opinions on it. All I can tell you is that if you’re looking for ease of set up and solid operation at a good price its a good fit.

The cheapest will be TP-Link but everyone will tell you to stay away from them because they're under fire by the US Government right now and might be banned from being sold in the US. I'm personally riding my Deco system out until that time comes though.

This works on Deco in AP mode.

if you want speed, you definitely need deco in each room. if you just want coverage, whatever I guess. get the one you can afford, just make sure that the deco your buying is gigabit capable, at least the main deco that is going to connect to your ISP provided CPE ONT, tapos you can go cheap with the satelite/slave devices to widen the coverage.