TP-Link𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨 X50-PoE AX3000 PoE Mesh WiFi - Ceiling/Wall-Mountable WiFi 6 Mesh, Replacing WiFi Router, Access Point and Range Extender, PoE-Powered, 2 x 2.5G PoE Ports, 3-Pack

For years I've lived with pretty good WiFi from my network provider's Internet modem, with the exception that there were some dead zones in my house. In addition to that, it has dual-band 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz networks. When I encounter a Wifi dead zone with my phone, I would then have to manually try the 2.4GHz (slower) network, or switch the phone into 5G cellular mode. Frustrating - and not optimal. I looked into WiFi repeaters and extenders, but all the research to find a better working, and integrated, WiFi experience was leading me to build a Mesh Wifi network for my home. After watching lots of product reviews on-line, I finally decided on the Tp-link Deco X20 system. I purchased a 3-node solution. Node 1 is in my office and connected to my Internet modem. Node 2 in the living room with my home theater, and node 3 upstairs in my bedroom. Now I have decent and reliable Wifi signal throughout the house, with speeds ranging from 500mbps, to about 150mbps in the most distant areas. Set up was very easy. I chose to set up the X20 as a WiFi access point (AP mode), and not use the X20's router functions. This means that my Internet modem is still in charge of DHCP and assigning IP addresses to all devices downstream, and that all devices on my network can talk to each other, because they are all on the same subnet. In addition, the AP mode allows me to leave the original WiFi networks turned-on, and migrate these devices to the new mesh WiFi, as needed. Two important things to note about the Deco X20 system. First, the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz signals are combined into one SSID. If switching is required, the Mesh Wifi does this seamlessly in the background - so you don't have manually switch WiFi networks on your device. Second, the nodes have two wired network ports. In my office, one of these ports is used to connect the node to my Internet modem. However, it is possible to use the other network port, and the two ports on the other two nodes, for devices that are sitting close to the node. For example, upstairs I have the Deco X20 node sitting next to a Roku Ultra video streaming device, which has a network port on the back of the unit. Rather than telling the Roku to use Wifi to connect to the mesh Wifi network, I can just connect a short network cable from my Roku to the Deco X20 node, and the Roku now thinks it has a wired LAN connection. Wiring a device directly to the node, where it is convenient to do so, should provide a faster connection, because there is one less network hop for the data to jump through, to get onto the network. In short, the Tp-link Deco X20 this is a very good product, easy to set up, and I recommend it as an affordable way to get started building a mesh WiFi.

I bought the TP-Link Deco X20 WiFi 6 Mesh System to fix coverage issues in my larger home, which had several frustrating dead zones. After placing the 3-pack strategically throughout the house, I now get strong, reliable WiFi in every room, including areas that previously had little to no signal. I’ve trusted TP-Link products in the past, and once again, they delivered. These units are built to last, and the performance has been excellent. Even with 25+ devices connected, including smart TVs, phones, laptops, smart home devices, and gaming consoles, the system hasn’t missed a beat—no lag, buffering, or random drops. The TP-Link Deco app makes setup incredibly easy. It walks you through each step, and once up and running, it’s great for monitoring usage, setting parental controls, and managing guest access. I also appreciate that it supports wired Ethernet backhaul, which I used for faster, more stable connections between nodes. With six total Ethernet ports across the system, I had plenty of hardwire options for my home office and entertainment center. If you're dealing with weak spots or an overloaded network, this mesh system is a fantastic solution. It's fast, easy to use, reliable, and handles a large number of connected devices effortlessly. Highly recommend it for anyone with a large or tech-heavy household.

Our Installation: We subscribe to a 800 Mbps Comcast plan which actually tests at 900 Mbps. Our 1975 tinker toy construction (drywall/plywood) L-Shaped, single-story ranch 2300 sqft home has a crawl space under the footprint with an attached 3 car garage and backyard patio/swimming pool area.The 5800 sqft wi-fi coverage (overall average wi-fi data rates = 500 Mbps includes smartphones) is more than adequate for our needs (no gaming, 2 TVs (family room and garage) with 5 Alexa Plus/Echo Dots, roaming smartphones/GEN 6 laptop, desktop, multiple switches/plugs, Xfinity/Comcast owned Home Security router and irrigation controllers).We tested the Deco X-68 (2-pack) with dedicated 5GHz tri-band, finding the Home Security upgrade solicitations to be annoying vs the lifetime included Home Security bundled with the X-20 (very good). Since we have a crawl space, wiring backhaul CAT 7 cable (chosen if ISP plan ever exceeds 1 GIG) through a TP-Link unmanaged 5-Port switch made longer term usage/performance sense. Note: also connected TP-Link USB/Ethernet adapter to switch for HP Pavilion Desktop (ethernet adapter only 100 Mbps)...increased wi-fi data rate from 250 Mbps to wired 500 Mbps. Aside: The Mrs wasn't thrilled to call the local Fire Department because I was stuck trying to get out of the crawl space!900-600-300-(50%)900 = ISP subscription signal data rate directly from Arris SB8200 cable modem to desktop and laptop. ALERT: The cable modem has 2 1-Gigabit ports, but ONLY 1 is operational unless you upgrade your Comcast subscription plan (not knowing cost me a lot of time plus the Comcast technician during his visit didn't even comment on this condition..."we don't troubleshoot 3rd party equipment" Oh you don't? = I collected $250 in refunds FROM Comcast during this installation process) Suggestion: We put a book cover around cable modem on bookcase to hide it, but it's still accessible if we need to manually reboot (see photo).600 = Signal loss (300 Mbps) connecting cable modem to Main Deco and backhaul ethernet cable wiring 2 nodes/satellites. Both our desktop and Lenovo Gen 6 laptop speed test at 600 Mbps by each Deco X-20 location. Note: Gen 6 laptop "wi-fi data rate" is also 600 Mbps at each location which implies the Gen 6 new standards firmware is performing well. Also smartphone Pixel 3A XL wi-fi roaming throughout house speed tests at 500 Mbps.300 = Signal loss (300 Mbps) speed testing wi-fi on the Gen 6 laptop in remote areas: Garage & Patio areas performing at 300 Mbps50% Loss Non-Wired Backhaul = Using the Deco X-20 routers to transmit ISP signal through its 4 antenna/radios vs backhaul wiring, decreases signal by 50% at all locations...ie signal in Garage by Android TV drops from 300 Mbps to 150Mbps (basically triggered decision to run ethernet cables or reinvestigate tri-band solutions)Deco APP = Extremely well designed, absolute piece O cake to use. Provides me all I need to manage the entire network (connected devices/mac addresses/connected frequency rate (2.4 vs 5)/locations/wired not wired) by online/offline plus separate listing by locations) Easily reboot All Decos, optimize network, turn on/off Guest Network (works well with Alexa skill) to include 2.4GHz and/or 5GHz signals+++ = Just terrific!TP Link Support = 24/7 phone support with very caring and generally very competent technical troubleshooting. I made a very costly set-up error by testing QoS (Quality of Service) by entering 100 Mbps download (I recommended to TP-Link about adding WARNING for this input) because it basically puts a governor on your real available data rates. Xfinity and I got tired proving I was getting the subscription rate we are paying for!Bottom Line = For our installation and needs, we couldn't be more ecstatic with the upgraded High-Efficiency/High-Value mesh routers for $220. Note: Switch, USB/Ethernet adapter, CAT 7 cables = $75What triggered this entire project was our purchase of a Gen 6 enabled Lenovo laptop. Of note, BOTH your router and connected device need 802.11ax or Gen 6 chip sets to tap OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access)/RU (Resource Units) efficiency and WPA3 security (160 MHz channels (not supported in X-20) and MU-MIMO (Multi-user, Multiple Input, Multiple Output = currently vaporware) adds nothing to our WLAN performance needs). I believe, although cannot unequivocally test, the Gen 6 enhanced data rates are performing extremely well. All other legacy devices are solid with the new available signal strength and strong data rates near the 3 APs (Access Points). Our Orbit hose/timer up the back hill tucked under the redwood trees receives 75 Mbps!6E chip set devices will be rapidly appearing in the marketplace over the next few years. You need BOTH the router and device to include 6E chipsets to utilize the new 1200 MHz, 6Ghz "pristine spectrum". As we Long Term Evolve (LTE), our new Deco X-20 (3-pack) will easily last 3 years or longer as our devices are steadily upgraded to 6E.We highly recommend!