Creating a Personalized Whole-Home Deco Mesh Solution
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Creating a Personalized Whole-Home Deco Mesh Solution
In the high-paced environments we all live in and interact with, whether it be social media, work, or entertainment, having a stable wireless network has become ever more important. Over the years, TP-Link has released a variety of Deco Mesh Wi-Fi Systems to help ensure that you can enjoy a seamless, reliable wireless home network inside and out.
If you find yourself confused about what model is best for your home or if you have a unique need, our team has provided a few suggestions to help guide your decision; otherwise, feel free to ask in the comments below.
When deciding on a model or if you need to upgrade your network, consider the following questions:
- How Many Deco Nodes You Need for Your Desired Coverage
- How Will Your Deco Nodes Communicate with Each Other? (Wirelessly, Wired)
- Find any Special Cases or Unique Needs for Your Mesh Network (Outdoor, PoE, Powerline)
- Determine How Powerful of a Network You Need Based on Your Traffic and Use
How Many Deco Nodes You Need for Your Desired Coverage?
While your experience will vary depending on other factors such as the model, interference, appliance use, and the materials used to build your home, each Deco will provide a general guideline of the coverage our teams saw while testing the model. Please Consider these as a general guide for what you may need in your home.
We recommend placing at least one Deco Node per floor and not skipping a floor when setting up your satellite nodes.
| Number of Rooms |
Total Indoor Coverage |
Recommend Number of Deco Nodes |
| 1 |
1~800 ft² (1~80m²) |
1 |
| 2-3 |
800~2000 ft² (80~200 m²) |
2 |
| 4-5 |
2000~3000 ft² (200~300 m²) |
3 |
| 6-7 |
3000~4000 ft² (300~400 m²) |
4 |
| 8-9 |
4000~5000 ft² (400~500 m²) |
5 |
| 10-11 |
5000~6000 ft² (500~600 m²) |
6 |
| 12+ |
>6000ft² (>600 m²) |
How Will Your Deco Nodes Communicate With Each Other?
A Deco network may use a combination of backhaul methods to provide the most flexible experience. We recommend attempting to provide a wired connection to as many nodes as possible, as this will improve your network performance and latency.
Wireless Backhaul:
- All Deco Nodes are able to build a wireless backhaul.
- AXE Series Quad-Band Models and AX Series Tri-Band Models can use the additional wireless network for a designated backhaul.
- When looking at Deco models, consider choosing a model with a designated wireless backhaul to optimize your network’s performance.
Ethernet (Wired) Backhaul:
- Determine the speed of your network and the speeds at which you would like your backhaul to operate.
- Keep this in mind when looking at the Ethernet Ports on each Deco Model.
- Ensure that the Ethernet Cables running through your home support the speeds you are looking for, normally CAT5E or above: Learn More about Ethernet Cables and MultiGig Speeds
Do You Have a Specific Need for Your Network or Nodes?
To increase the flexibility of your network and improve coverage in areas unfriendly to wireless signals, you may consider a Deco model with Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE), Powerline Connections (PLC), Fiber Connects, Weatherproofing, or a Mounting Option.
Power-Over-Ethernet (PoE): PoE will provide power to the Deco over the same ethernet cable used for the data backhaul, which will require additional equipment to create a PoE signal. Read More: What is PoE and What It Can Do for Your Home
- Compatible Models: Deco X50-PoE, Deco X50-Outdoor
Powerline: Powerline Connections will use the existing power lines in your home to distribute the backhaul network signal of the Decos.
- This is recommended when wireless signals struggle to penetrate walls and running ethernet cables is not an option. (Stone, Concrete, or Historical Houses).
- Compatible Models: Deco PX50, Deco P9
Mountable: Most Decos are designed to be used on top of a table or cabinet. However, PoE Decos also come with the added option to mount the Deco to a pole, ceiling, or wall, depending on the model.
- Compatible Models: Deco X50-PoE, Deco X50-Outdoor
SFP+ (Fiber) Compatibility: An Added SFP+ Port will allow compatible Decos to take advantage of your ISP’s Fiber Connection without additional fiber equipment. Currently, SFP+ Ports are only available on some Wi-Fi 7 Deco Models. Read More: Common Applications of SFP+ Interface
Outdoors (Weatherproofing): Last year, we saw the release of the Deco X50 - Outdoor, the first Deco node with weatherproofing and intended for use outdoors.The X50 - Outdoor supports IP65 weatherproofing from rain and dust; while also supporting the additional mounting methods above.
- Compatible Models: Deco X50-Outdoor
Determine the Level of Deco You Need Based on What You Use Your Network For
| Sub Gigabit ISP Connection |
|
| Gigabit ISP Connection |
|
| Deco X95 |
|
| Deco XE70 Pro |
|
| Multi-Gig ISP Connection |
|
| Deco XE200 |
|
| Deco BE16000 |
|
Need Multi-Gigabit Ethernet Ports (10Gbps, 2.5Gbps)?
Check out the list of Decos on our site, and use the filters on the side to select your needed ethernet port speed: Deco Mesh Wi-Fi Product Family
Hint: Deco Models ending in “Pro” (Deco XE70 Pro) are models upgraded to include a multi-gig port and will often have a non-multi-gig equivalent (Deco X50 vs Deco X55 Pro).
Don't Forget: All Decos Work Together
Feel free to use a multi-gig deco as your main node and provide fewer models to areas that will not see as much traffic. In the future, this also means that you can easily upgrade or replace nodes on your network to help extend your coverage or improve your performance.
Please Note: When Using a Mixed Deco Network, some features may require compatibility with each node on the network. Otherwise, your nodes will communicate with each other to the best of their ability.
All Your Decos Work Together: Upgrading Your Deco Mesh Network
The Difference Between AC, AX, AXE, and BE Deco Models
These are representative of the different generations of Wi-Fi used by Deco. Examples of how the Deco naming system relates can be found below:
- Wi-Fi 5(AC) = M4, M9, AC1200
- Wi-Fi 6(AX) = X50, X75, X20, AX3000
- Wi-Fi 6E(AXE) = XE75, XE200, AXE5400
- Wi-Fi 7 (BE) = BE85, BE95, BE11000
Learn More About How Different Generations of Wi-Fi Can Improve the Performance and Efficiency of Your Network:
From Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7: How Your Deco Mesh Network Takes Advantage of the Latest Technology
How is Wi-Fi 7 More Advanced than Wi-Fi 6E?
The Difference Between Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6
Have Questions or Need Additional Help? Leave Your Question or Idea in the Comments Below!