TP Link Deco
TP-Link adjusts its business model. But is it a good idea?
Against the backdrop of the mainstream Wi-Fi router and mesh markets, a new category has been developing: that of the powerful, two-node system which offers wired-like performance from one end of a premise to the other. The Deco X90 represents TP-Link’s first foray into this category but how will it fare in the face of impressive,rival offerings from Asus and Netgear?
The two nodes are large, stylised cylinders that aren’t unobtrusive. Each sports only two ports: a Gigabit LAN and a 2.5Gbps WAN/LAN which will feel limiting to some buyers.
Initial setup is simple via TP-Link’s Deco phone app. It shows which devices are connected and the bandwidth they’re using. You can re-label them, assign them to users and even blacklist them. Other settings include Guest Network, IP specification and Port Forwarding. Well-laid-out parental controls can assign access times, bedtimes, blocked websites and even content filters – but you should never trust the latter.
There are also optional extras that come courtesy of TP-Link’s new Avira-based HomeShield Pro subscription service. It costs $9 per month or $93 per year ($150 per year with five, full Avira antivirus licences). It provides network intrusion prevention and IoT protection, plus enhanced child protection features (including the shouldbe-free Pause Internet functionality) in addition to internet time limits for different users and monthly reporting. Accessing QoS settings also costs money. It won’t break the bank, but charging money for normal features earns TP-Link disapproving looks from us.
Under a Friends of Deco tab there are controls for IFTTT and Alexa smart home automations although, disappointingly, IFTTT support is soon to be dropped in favour of a proprietary TP-Link system. Google Assistant is absent.
As for performance, we expected great things with both nodes offering tri-band, AX6600 Wi-Fi 6 speeds. We positioned one on the ground floor by our modem and Synology 1019+ NAS box and the othert wo floors up by our main PC. We then downloaded large movie files from the NAS to our Dell XPS 15 OLED laptop. Up close it managed a fastest-ever 841Mbps! One floor up it fell to 393.5Mbps, which is still blisteringly fast. On the top floor, next to the node, however, performance collapsed to 158Mbps, which is good for a regular mesh system, but poor for a top-of-therange Wi-Fi 6 router. Moving the node down one floor boosted the speed to an impressive 360Mbps but doing this transformed it into a regular mesh rather than a wireless way of providing a wired-like connection to a distant PC.
Ultimately, it’s faster at short range than Netgear’s impressive Orbi rival; however, that’s ludicrously expensive at $1,399 and comes with additional, expensive, premium features. If you need the blistering short-range speed, can make use of the 2.5Gbps port and don’t mind paying $9 per month for some basic features, then this $899 Deco can’t be beat. However, the Asus Zen XT8 can now be had for $799 and offers similar features, without subscription, plus more-consistent performance at distance. Consequently, we recommend the Asus.
NICK ROSS
Potentially very fast indeed, but questionable premium features and long-range performance dent the value proposition.