@Stefancpt 

 

I may be able to provide you with basic troubleshooting steps and workarounds, but I need to have clear picture of what you have.

 

1. You have two storey house, with Main and Satellite Deco on ground floor. 3rd Deco, also Satellite, is on the first floor. Your home office is on the first floor, too, right?

 

2. You said "home office is connected to the baser station on the first floor" - what does it mean? Is "baser station" your 3rd Deco? What does "connected" mean: devices connect wirelessly to "baser" Deco, they are wired to Deco with Ethernet cable?

 

3. "We do voice calls, WhatsApp, zoom calls." What are devices that you are making calls from: laptop(s), desktop(s), tablet(s), smartphone(s)? 

 

4. How far devices you use to make voice calls are from Deco they connected to: same room, different room, distance? 

 

5. These devices you use to make calls from, what link speed do they report? If there are multiple devices, pick one that has most issues with calls, and check. See How to check the associated/link speed on a wireless client

 

6. Have you made any changes to default Deco mesh configuration settings, under Advanced:

 

 

 

7. Please check Signal Source for each of your two Satellite Deco, it'll show where that Deco is connected and with what signal quality. You can find that information in Deco app, under each Satellite Deco. Example:

 

 

In that example Satellite Deco is connected to Deco named Living Room, and with good signal quality.

  @Alexandre. Thank you for the assistance.

 

I will answer all your questions.

 

1. Main deco ground floor, second deco ground floor, third deco first floor. Home office is on first floor.

2. The base station is the first Deco unit connected directly with ethernet cable to router. This unit is set to AP.

3. We both use Macbook pros as well as Iphone 12 Pros to make voice calls and zoom and teams calls. Mostly the phones are used for whats app calls and the macbook pros for zoom and teams meetings.

4. As mentioned, if we make ANY calls from ANY devices within the home office space, we get dropped calls. If we move very close to the main, first Deco unit connected to the router we have NO DROPPED calls.

5. Link speed in the office is around 70Mbps down and 40Mbps up. At the main Deco unit it is around 420 Mbps down and 40 up.

6. No changes have been made. currently Smart DHCP is Enabled and Fast roaming is DISABLED. WE have some older wifi speakers which most likely wont function if this is enabled, but havent tried this. WE do NOT have a beam forming option...

7. Both satelites are connected to the base station (the one connected to the router via cable). This, I think is the issue.... In my mind it should connect to the second satellite on the ground floor as its closer.

 

Hope this helps?

 

thanks

 

Stefan

 

 

 

 

 

  @Stefancpt 

 

Signal Source for Office Deco is too weak. This may, or may not be the cause of issues with voice calls, but it definitely says Office Deco placement is suboptimal. Let's address it first.

 

Two ways to deal with weak Signal Source I can think of. One, while keeping Office Deco turned off, move Hallway Deco on the ground floor to right under home office room. If at that location Hallway Deco still has good Signal Source, and wireless client speed in home office is good (see my previous post on that topic), then check how voice calls will work with that setup.

If everything is now fine, perhaps you only needed two Deco nodes at your house, both on ground floor.

 

Another option is to keep Office Deco on and move it on the first floor in the direction of Main Deco. Walk from where Office Deco is currently in the direction of Main Deco, find first electric outlet and plug Office Deco there. Check its Signal Source. If still not good, keep walking to next electric outlets and plug Office Deco there, until you can get good Signal Source in Office Deco. Then, see if your mobile devices in home office still connect to Office Deco and do have good WiFi connection (check their wireless client speed). Try voice calls now.

 

--------------------

 

It makes sense to check if Office Deco connected to Hallway Deco will get stronger Signal Source. Unfortunately, you can't do this with Deco M4. Can you return them to seller, if nothing works? If you can, there is different Deco hardware you could try, that I can recommend, where you can define how Deco nodes connect to each other.

  @Alexandre. 

 

Thanks for the help.

 

I have done the following: I moved the Hallway Deco unit into our closet, which sits directly under the wooden stair case. This allows for better connection to the first floor. I have NOT moved the office deco (due to aesthetical reasons)

The office deco still has ony one bar... but the connection seems better as we did two calls today; one with google and one on zoom and only had one drop out. Not sure why as it still says it is connected to the main Deco and not the Hallway deco... Why wont the office deco connect to the hallway deco? This doesnt make any sense. It is way closer.

Currently, the Lounge deco is only three meters away from the hallway deco with a dry wall between them. The office deco is around 7m away from the hallway deco (with the wood from the staircase inbetween).

 

We cannot return the unit as it was given to us by our service provider for free. 

 

Thank you

 

Stefan

  @Stefancpt 

 

With Deco mesh, Satellite Deco prefers to connect to Main Deco. Only when it absolutely can't, Satellite Deco will try connecting to another Satellite Deco. This is an automatic process.

With future firmware update, it will be possible to configure manually how should Satellite Deco connect. Don't expect that firmware for Deco M4 soon. In addition, your Deco M4 set appear to have firmware customized for an ISP, and if this is true - for that reason you might never see firmware update for it, or will have to wait for new firmware even longer that others.

 

You will have to work with what you have. If you can't (won't) move the Office Deco, your options are limited. What they don't tell when they sell you WiFi mesh, and this is applicable to every brand of mesh, is that placement of WiFi mesh nodes is important. 

 

I am going to list options for you, other than moving Office Deco.

 

1. Power off Office Deco.

 

When you do that, your in office Macbook and iPhone will connect to Hallway Deco. This may be enough for voice call interrupts to go away. 

 

2. Buy single Deco M5, add to Deco mesh, and replace Office Deco M4 with it.

 

Deco M5 has officially released firmware 1.6, which will let you configure M5 to connect to Hallway Deco. Deco M5 is similar hardware specs as Deco M4 and will fit well with your Deco mesh.

If you decided to try that option, make sure you get Deco M5 from the place with return policy, so that you can send it back if this does not fix the problem.

 

3. Connect Hallway Deco with Office Deco by Ethernet cable

 

That will make Office Deco connected to Hallway Deco, instead of Main Deco.

 

4. Move Main Deco into the closet under the wooden stair case.

 

To do that, you will need Ethernet cable on the ground floor from your ISP modem/router and all the way to the closet. Main Deco must be Ethernet wired.

You will also be moving Hallway Deco from the closet to where Main Deco used to be. As a result, Main Deco will be in the middle between two Satellite Deco, they will each connect to Main Deco.

  @Alexandre. Thanks again for the feedback.

Ok, i see the M5 is a ceiling mount device? This wont work for us as we cant reticulate the power to it on the ceiling. Am assuming the antenna patern is designed for it to be ceiling mounted and not wall mounted?

 

Is there no other free standing Deco option?

 

We cannot link the lounge M4 to the hallway M4 with ethernet. No holes in wall.

I have moved the office Deco to the landing. It is now 1m away from the hallway M4 under the stairs and still it connects to the lounge M4 unit but with two bars. sofar this works. ITs just very unsightly as its on the floor and there is nothing to put it on... Will have to try and make a small shelf at height.

 

cant move the lounge deco either unfortunately as it will look terrible in our lounge.... Yes, these are cosmetic considerations, I know.

 

Thanks for the help, appreciate it.

  @Stefancpt 

 

I think you've got wrong idea about Deco M5. It can be ceiling mounted and it can be wall mounted, with optional third party wall/ceiling mounts, but it is free standing by design. Just like M4.

 

Here is picture with Deco M5, from Amazon UK:

 

 

I would not recommend placing coffee mug near Deco M5 or any other electronics, but you should get an idea.

 

>cant move the lounge deco either unfortunately as it will look terrible in our lounge.... Yes, these are cosmetic considerations, I know.

 

No need to apologize. I myself have chosen Deco M5 instead of M4 for my house based on aesthetics. These two Deco models have similar hardware specs and performance, but M4 stands out as mini-tower, while M5 is inconspicuous and better blends with an environment. 

  @Alexandre. Thank you.

 

Ok great, so with the M5 is for the table too, good. I will look at getting one and trying it out.

 

thanks for all the help.

 

 

@Alexandre 

 

Hi there,

 

have purchased the M5 unit. Connected, installed and downlaoded new firmware. Tried to tell it which deco M4 to connect to, wont lwt me....

 

Says it cant connect at this time. Tried for 24 hours. no difference.

please help as we still have major dropped video and voice calls.

 

thanks

 

Stefan

 

 

  @Stefancpt 

 

This is an unexpected outcome. I tested changing Signal Source with my Deco M5, it worked. My Deco mesh consists of M9 Plus on 1.5 firmware and M5 on 1.6 firmware. I can configure Signal Source in mixed hardware Deco mesh where not all Deco nodes are on firmware 1.6. I can make Deco M5 connect to either another M5 or to M9.

I expected, based on my tests, you should not have problems with your Deco mesh and M5.

 

I think there might be an issue with either Deco M5 you bought, or TP-Link cloud through which your Deco mesh configuration changes are propagated. I'll give you more detailed steps for changing Signal Source.

 

To point M5 to Satellite M4 of your choice, you had to make two configuration changes in Deco M5 Signal Source: change it from Auto to Manual and select M4 you want M5 to connect to. You didn't tell, which step failed. When following steps I give below, and if something not working, please make sure you do tell which step fails.

 

Also, if any of steps fails just stop at that step, and do not proceed further.

 

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Steps:

 

1. Verify your M5 is on firmware 1.6. It should be, but just in case. Open "Update Deco" in Deco app and you'll see M5 with its firmware version reported there.

 

2. Power off Deco M5. Wait till you see it as offline in Deco app. May take some time. If it is still reported online, close Deco app and open it again. 

 

3. Bring Deco M5 to the same room where Satellite M4 is to which you want to connect M5. The ideal distance between them should be 6 feet (2 meters) with unobstructed view of each other. Does not have to be precise, but unobstructed view is important. Don't position M5 closer than 2 feet (1 meter) from M4.

 

4. Power on M5 and wait till it is reported as online in Deco app.

 

5. Open Signal Source for Deco M5 and change selection from Auto to Manual. Do not do any other changes, leave  M4 it is connected to as is at this point. Select Save.

If it was at Manual already, leave it as is and continue with step 7.

 

6. Close Deco app and open it again. Wait till Signal Source selection for M5 reported as Manual. If it is not yet, close Deco app and open again after few minutes. That may take few minutes, be patient. That is the change that is propagated through TP-Link cloud.

 

7. When Signal Source selection is finally shown as Manual for M5 in Deco app, select Satellite M4 to which you want M5 connected. Make no other changes, just that one. Select Save.

 

8. Close Deco app and open it again. Wait till Signal Source screen is what you configured it in previous step. If it is not yet, close Deco app and open again after few minutes. That may take few minutes, be patient. That is also the change that is propagated through TP-Link cloud.

 

----

 

If you've got to this point successfully, power off Deco M5, bring it to your office to its permanent place, power it on and check if Signal Source selection for that M5 is still what you want it to be.