I just bought the TP-Link Deco BE3600 3-pack for $180. It is replacing a 3-year-old eero mesh system that stopped being useful to me for two reasons. One is that the ability to include a backup ISP option is part of a subscription plan (as well as other useful features) and the other is that I added a detached workshop to our network which required a mesh device capable of using a hardwired ethernet connection.
The BE3600 units are all identical, all have dual gigabit Ethernet ports. One serves as the main router, holding the login info for our ISP and then controlling the other two devices. Two units are adequate for our 2,000 sq ft single story home and the third is in the workshop.
We have 80 mbps DSL service and the speed tests at the main router show 79 mbps consistently. The most distant computer using WiFi via the wired satellite unit is getting 71 mpbs, which is impressive in my book.
An advantage I hadn't considered before buying this setup is that it includes a separate IoT network, so all my smarthome devices are now separated from any other network and cannot be used to, say, hack into one of my computers. Also, the heatpump in my shop was never able to connect to the eero mesh system. It connected right off to the TP-Link system, on the IoT network even, and I is now part of my smarthome setup. It is nice to wake up in the morning, set the temperature of the shop to what I'll want it to be, etc. I can also set routines to handle this but I don't have a set work schedule in my shop.
It has been a week but so far I'm extremely happy with the TP-Link system.
I have 2 be3600 connected across ~15 meters in my house, while there are a couple open doorways between them there are at least 4 walls between the 2 units and i show 2 out of 3 bars of connectivity between the two units. So I say worth a shot.
You're going to get a lot of hate towards tplink. I have had great experience with them for a long time.
That being said, the deco stuff just isn't it. Go with the eero if your between these two systems.
I just recently moved into an older home built in the 70’s, that’s 2600sqft 2 story. 4 bed rooms and an office. Running completely wireless using the tp link deco kit with 1gb service from xfinity. The modem and main deco unit is in the office closet up stairs, the other unit is on the same floor but on the other side of the house and then the 3rd unit is in the daylight basement. I let the modem do the dhcp work so i can keep my nas connected to it wired. My devices can pull around 500 plus mbs oj average at place in the house. Im running about 56 devices. Between xbox series x, apple tv, 3 roku tvs, wife works from home and is on teams calls all day.
https://us.store.tp-link.com/collections/mesh-wifi/products/deco-wifi-7-dual-band-be3600-mesh-system-3-pack-be23?country=US¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22911401016&gbraid=0AAAAA-7-kORese9ldL1eyrnq3Zra4tcVx&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo4TKBhDRARIsAGW29bdRM9jE8EGck8XG5A2amwlJi50fMZXw0WJuASExtzjNO7BUDhe5pbYaApJhEALw_wcB
The TP-Link BE3600 3-pack is currently £200 - https://amzn.eu/d/en0RiVL
Ive been using them with Virgin (Hub3 modem-mode, 350mb) for over a year.
They're smaller than the X50s, height-wise, so you can buy wall mounts for them to place them in hallways near the stairs where the brick walls shouldn't affect the signal between them as much, while the X50s size means theyd need to be on the floor or a little table in a hallway or in a bedroom, so not centrally placed.
If you can stretch to it, the 2.5G version (BE25) is £260, but if you're only using it for wifi (no wired devices) and since you're only on the 125mb plan with VM you don't need anything more than the BE3600's as it has Gigabit ports.
If you **can** wire them together with a decent length of cat6, the routers have whats called a backhaul between them and they use the Gigabit speed to transfer the data back and forth rather than wifi, so your wifi devices should get a fairly decent speed boost from their closest connected router.
Without the backhaul, speeds obviously have a noticeable drop the further from the main router the other mesh devices are, but the kids haven't complained while playing their games and their speed tests are still close to 150mb, (before I set up the mesh they would be lucky to get 20mb from a single router on the ground floor)
Edit: fixed Amazon link
DoingDaveThings
