TP-Link needs no introduction, and today they’ve sent over their mid-range Deco X50 3-pack mesh WiFi (AX3000) for us to take a look at. With dual-band connectivity, AX WiFi 6 built-in and a max transfer rate of 3000Mbps, the specs offer a solid start to this review…
TP-Link Mesh Technology Optional Ethernet backhaul work together to link Deco units to provide seamless coverage
AI-Driven Mesh Intelligently learns the network environment to provide ideal Wi-Fi unique to your home
2× Antennas (Internal) Multiple antennas form a signal-boosting array to cover more directions and large areas
Beamforming Concentrates wireless signal strength towards clients to expand WiFi range
Dual-Band Distribute devices to different bands for optimal performance
2×2 MU-MIMO Simultaneously communicates with multiple MU-MIMO clients
OFDMA Simultaneously communicates with multiple WiFi 6 clients
4 Streams More than enough bandwidth for connected devices
*Per Deco Unit Supports WAN/LAN auto-sensing
Real-Time IoT Protection Malicious Site Blocker Intrusion Prevention System DDoS Attack Prevention Home Network Scanner
Custom Profiles Professional Content Filter Library Family Time Bedtime Off Time Time Rewards Family Online Time Ranking Pause the Internet Weekly and Monthly Reports
Taking a look at the box, and TP-Link heavily brand the Deco X50 under the Deco brand, much like Netgear do with Orbi. Though, Deco is the brand TP-Link use for their mesh networking kits so it’s unsurprising. The box itself is well presented and has the quality feeling you’d expect from a TP-Link product. The rear of the box has some information on how the mesh WiFi network works laid out very clearly making it easy to understand how it works.
Taking a look at the internal box with the goodies inside, we can see the system in all its glory. The best thing about this kit is that any of the 3 units can be the main router so it doesn’t matter which one you pick out of the box. The units themselves come slotted into perfectly cut foam holes which are covered with a card cover. The foam is plenty thick to ensure no damage to the units in shipping. The lower section of the box houses the 3 power supplies, a single 1m flat white Cat 5e Ethernet cable, and a Quick Start Guide.
A closer look at the power supply for the units shows the white housing with a grey cable. The cable is 150cm or 59 inches, which is more than enough to have the units sit on a shelf or desk in an office, lounge, or bedroom. Taking a look at the unit and it’s a cylindrical shape unit with a cover on the top with a ridge indicating where the back of the unit is. There is a small ventilation gap around the top edge. The only branding is the “deco” logo on the lower section at the front. The units measure 11cm or 4.33in tall with a diameter of 11cm or 4.33in, making them a surprisingly small but girthy size.
Taking a look at the business end, another TP-Link logo can be found at the top. Below that are three Gigabit ports and the power adapter connection. The rear of the unit shows off some ventilation holes around the edge of the unit. 4 grey rubber feet are positioned in the corners giving the unit 7mm of breathing space. Other than that, a sticker with product information, a reset button, and the LED on the front edge can be found.
Easy to use app: Setting up the Deco X50 requires a mobile app. Usually a web browser could be used to complete the setup, but in this situation, TP-Link has removed that option from the user. Understandably, the Deco app is stupidly simple to use and I completed the configuration, including manually entering my ISP’s FTTP connection, WiFi configuration, connected the two satellites, and a firmware update in about 15 minutes flat. It’s hard to articulate just how easy TP-Link has made setting up the Deco X50 for anyone, which for technology, is no mean feat! But the user interface is well laid out, and the steps are simple to follow.
You can still access the Deco X50 configuration using a web browser, but most of the configuration usually accessible is removed. In its current form, using the web browser is pointless except for viewing the Network Map and performing Firmware upgrades, which you may as well do on the app.
TP-Link has added a whole list of features to the Deco X50 model that you might find useful. We’ve compiled a list of them for you:
The Deco X50 offers dual-band WiFi 6 (AX) connectivity with the 2.4GHz band at 574Mbps and the HE160 5GHz band running at 2402Mbps for a total theoretical bandwidth of up to 3000Mbps, hence the AX3000 branding.
Testing methodology: Network speed test (iPerf3) using a laptop with AX210 WiFi 6 (AX) card installed connected to file server (Host) on 2.5Gbps Ethernet.
Additionally: As we’re testing a mesh networking kit, the Deco X50, the testing needs to be extended. As well as range testing (on a single unit), we want to see the speeds the satellites communicate with each other, this is called the Wireless Backhaul, this is done using 2 computers connected via Ethernet, which eliminates additional WiFi links. The units are positioned in what we’d call a typical home layout with one downstairs acting as the router and a second unit upstairs in a central location. We believe this is the most typical use case for a mesh networking product like this.
15-metres – Second Floor (MegaBits): 342Mbps
The Deco X50 did well in terms of coverage. The 3-pack can handle a home of about 6000 ft² (557 m²), which is acceptably less than the rated 6500ft² (603m²) yet still covers a 4-6 bedroom house with ease!
Remembering that the Deco X50 is specced as a mid-range offering, the results are actually not bad at all. The “backhaul” testing results get all the more impressive when I tell you that the Deco X50 doesn’t have a dedicated backhaul that tri-band routers typically offer. Instead, it uses the regular 5GHz band which all the other devices connect to, which is impressive. Linking the satellites together with an Ethernet cable backhaul would improve communication speeds between them, but the wireless performance is adequate enough which pleased me as I don’t have the liberty of running cables through my rental house as I wish. The range of the 3-pack is very good too at about 6000 ft² (557 m²) and is plenty fine for my 3 bedroom house. TP-Link rates the 3-pack X50 for 4-6 bedroom properties.
The Deco X50 is very limited in terms of what user-configurable options there are, especially when it comes to Wi-Fi. Typically routers allow adjustments to be made to things like the HT link speed e.g. 20/40MHz on the 2.4GHz band and 80MHz or 160MHz on the 5GHz band, for example. But no such luck on the Deco X50, the only wireless options are the ability to change the name (SSID) and password of the Wi-Fi and what security e.g. WPA2/WPA3, you’d like the password to use. This isn’t new to mesh systems in general though, and TP-Link is not the only guilty party. There are some counterarguments to be made though, and that is that TP-Link has configured the Deco X50 to work out of the box immediately, which for the majority of customers is, undoubtedly, something they actually want in a product like this.
With a nice overall aesthetic curved white unibody, power supply and Ethernet cable, a familiar and easy-to-use app with decent WiFi speeds and excellent range. They all come together to make a good package in the Deco X50 3-pack.
So, with everything on offer. What’s it going to cost you? How does £229.99 in the UK at the time of writing sound? Pretty good right? I thought so too!
So is the TP-Link Deco X50 mesh Wi-Fi kit for you? If you’re looking for a decently specced mesh Wi-Fi kit, that comes with Wi-Fi 6 (AX) out of the box that has excellent range, decent performance, looks great and just plain works with next to no configuration then the Deco X50 is certainly something you should consider.
Big thanks to TP-Link for sending the Deco X50 over for today’s review!
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