@KerbMonster
Thanks for reaching out. I understand that after a recent firmware update, your Deco Mesh network is no longer respecting your manually set preferred signal source for your satellite units (M5), and they are now connecting to the main Deco unit with a very weak signal, resulting in poor performance. Even when you try to set the connection preference in the app, it seems to be ignored.
Normally, Deco satellite units automatically select what they determine to be the best signal source, which is not always the physically closest unit or the one with the strongest signal. To give users more control, Deco offers a feature called "Connection Preference" (or "Set Preferred Deco for Satellite Units"), allowing you to manually select which Deco unit a satellite should connect to.
Here’s how you can set or check this feature:
1) Open the Deco app and go to the details page of the satellite unit (your M5s).
2) Look for the "Connection Preference" menu in the middle of the page. There, you should be able to select your preferred signal source (for example, the upstairs X90).
3) If you do not see the "Connection Preference" option, your Deco model or current firmware might not support this feature yet, or it may have been temporarily removed in a recent update. Please keep an eye out for future firmware updates in the Deco app, as TP-Link is continually improving features and compatibility.
For visual guidance, you can refer to this FAQ: https://www.tp-link.com/support/faq/3480/
If the app is showing that your M5 units are still connecting to the main Deco with a poor signal and ignoring your manual settings, it could be due to a bug or limitation in the current firmware. In this case, we recommend:
• Restarting all Deco units after setting the connection preference.
• Checking for the latest firmware updates for all your Deco units in the Deco app.
• Contacting TP-Link support directly with your Deco models, firmware versions, and a description of the issue, so we can escalate it to our engineering team if needed.
We appreciate your patience and feedback as we work to improve the Deco experience.