Hello @bhullar,

FYI, this is the business Wifi forum, and the Deco product is the consumer/home product line.

That said, generally speaking, wireless backhaul / MESH connected units will generally prefer to connect to the Ethernet connected Master Node for optimal performance.  If the Deco series is similar to the business class EAP225/245 series, the MESH fabric supports a maximum of two AP to AP hops (three in all if you count the STA/client).

So for example, I believe this is the "deepest" connection possible

MasterNode -- AP -- AP -- STA

Also note that in this scenario performance is rather poor.  Speeds are cut roughly in half for each hop.

How large is the area?  9 seems like a rather excessive number of AP's.  You would likely do much better with an Ethernet conncted business class solution (e.g. EAP225/245).  Even if you continue to use MESH to some degree.  If you could strategically place an Ethernet connected MasterNode in the center of three or 4 general locations, and then just have a few wirelessly connected AP's, performance would be much better.

-Jonathan