Tp-link Deco M5 Whole Home Mesh Wi-fi
Need a stronger signal around your home? Tp-link’s new mesh Wi-fi kit could be the answer. Five Computeractive readers tell us how it boosted their home network
Earlier this year Tp-link teamed up with Computeractive to give five readers the chance to test its new Deco M5 Whole Home Mesh Wi-fi system. Winner of a ‘Great Pick’ award in Issue 508 (16 August, 2017), the kit comprises three discs that create a ‘mesh’ of signals between multiple nodes, providing a blanket of Wi-fi throughout your home. It can keep over 100 devices connected at the same time. If one node is disconnected, the remaining units will automatically re-establish web connection. Here’s the verdict from our readers… The Deco M5 passed the first test because it was easy to set up. I plugged in the first unit (pictured below left) and the Deco app on my phone (see screenshot below) told me how to to connect the other two. I then connected all my gadgets, which took a while because there are more than 20 of them. It was just a matter of pointing them all at the Deco and typing my password. Within 25 minutes, everything was up and running.
I have many types of gadgets connected, including two doorbells, two ipads, two iphones, one Huawei phone, three Windows PCS, one Apple TV, three Amazon Echos, one Epson printer and an Apple Watch. While testing the Deco, I never had a dropped connection. I tried using everything connected at the same time, again with no problems.
I had previously used BT Whole Home mesh Wi-fi, which was slightly faster, but it kept having connection problems. Also, the Deco’s range was much better, so I was able to use my gadgets in the garden.
The Deco’s discs are smaller than BT’S. It doesn’t have protruding legs, so was easily fixed to my wall (using a fixing bracket from Amazon).
The Deco performed excellently all the time with only one glitch. When opening the app I often got the message that the network couldn’t be found. This was solved by clicking ‘Try Again’.
Overall, I loved the fact I got a message every time a new device connected, the small disc size, and the fact a new gadget worked out of the box. I had several friends round connecting tablets and phones, again without trouble. The Deco performed extremely well all through my testing and I highly recommend it. Many thanks for letting me play with it. Milton Brown, Tamworth
Our home has always struggled with poor connections on both Wi-fi and wired (using Homeplugs). Even though we have 76Mbps delivered to the router at the front door, reception drops to zero on our patio and in our garage. Wi-fi levels vary between 1 and 30Mbps around our three-storey house. We have three tablets, two phones, a PC, a Sony Playstation 3, a smart TV and PVR, Sonos speakers, an Echo Dot and other smart switches and plugs all taking up bandwidth.
The discs are small and neat. After downloading the Deco app
While testing the Deco, I never had a dropped connection. I tried using everything connected at the same time, again with no problems
to my ipad, I plugged the first disc into my router (pictured below) and on the second attempt it linked and connected seamlessly by Bluetooth. The other two discs also connected quickly. I wired my PC and PVR directly into the discs’ Ethernet ports – neither have Wi-fi.
I was astounded to measure a Wi-fi reading of 60Mbps on our patio, and get readings of over 75Mbps in every room, and a reading of 30Mbps in the garage, which is full of Wi-fi-blocking treasure. I also like the the guest network, which makes sharing our network easy when we have visitors. We can now watch ondemand TV with no dropping internet, and my PC never loses its wired connection.
My only concern was using the built-in Mcafee antivirus along with my Norton antivirus on my PC, tablets and phones. However, Norton confirmed that because the two antivirus products were separate there would be no conflict.
Brian Pike, Belfast The chance to review the Deco M5 was not something I was going to miss. The feel of the packaging was very special and I noted it was all suitable for recycling, which was a definite bonus.
Next, the simple task of downloading the Deco app to my iphone. Within a few minutes I was all set to install the system by following the simple step-by-step instructions. These even allowed me to name my network for each Deco disc, as well as a password, and a name for the location of each disc.
The app is versatile, letting you set up profiles for each user on the network with options to restrict and control access to the web. These include age restrictions and time limitations. The other huge benefit is the built-in virus scanning to ensure your devices remain safe.
This review soon became a family affair, as the Deco provided overlapping coverage to the far-reaching corners of my children’s bedrooms, increasing their stable and uninterrupted viewing of Netflix and use of social media.
Overall I would recommend the Deco M5, especially if you have Wi-fi black spots in areas of your house and feel protection from virus attacks is important to you.
Russel Midleton, East Sussex
We live in a long barn conversion (about 28 metres), with a second floor in the loft around half this length. The current router is a third of the way down on the ground floor. Because this doesn’t reach the other end of the building, I’ve used a powerline Wi-fi booster in the end room. However, two issues remain: the main living end still has poor Wi-fi from the nearby router, which is at the main phone master point. And while the far end now has Wi-fi (through powerline boosters), it does mean phones and tablets don’t stay connected as they flip between the powerline booster and the main router - or just cut out if in between!
So what difference has the Deco made? TP Link says the routers should be no more than 10 metres apart, with no obstructions. So we’ve placed one Deco either side of the main routers, which results in two-thirds of the downstairs having really good Wi-fi. The most distant room is just too far - and obstructed by walls - for the next booster to reach.
We probably need four routers rather than three to provide the level of service needed. However, we’ve been very impressed with the Deco units. The app itself is easy to use, and having two Ethernet ports per unit is also handy.
Chris Price, Rugby
With no solid brick internal walls, my modern detached house shouldn’t present problems for Wi-fi. But what can be demanding for the network is two teenage granddaughters and a daughter who constantly use their iphones, a wife who uses the TV on catch-up and ipad for social media, and myself on my desktop (pictured above right).
I connected three Deco units – one to my router in an upstairs bedroom, one in the lounge connected by cable to my TV box, and one in the dining area (which also provides Wi-fi to the conservatory, the location furthest away from my router).
When I received my Deco M5, the packaging made me feel this is a ‘quality’ product. But the instructions refer to a modem and I only have a router. I had to reconnect my PC to the web to check my Talktalk router was OK to use.
Also, I wasn’t sure during installation which type of web connection to use: Static IP, Dynamic IP or PPPOE. The instructions said contact your ISP, but I wasn’t online, so that didn’t help. As a PPPOE user, I chose that option and the Deco connected successfully.
Since then, I’ve had good, strong Wi-fi throughout my house. I tested it with my two granddaughters streaming videos on their phones, my daughter accessing Google, my wife accessing social media on an ipad, my TV streaming a box set and my desktop PC running updates. We were all distributed across the house and no one suffered any loss of service. I would recommend the Deco M5. It is superior in performance to the BT Whole Home system and has given a faultless signal throughout the test period.
John Butler, Thornton-cleveleys, Lancs
The deco lets my grand daughters stream videos on their phones, my daughter use google, and my wife use he rip ad simultaneously