TP–Link Deco M9 Plus
Mesh Wi–Fi that’s more than just decoration
$299 From TP–Link tp-link.com Features 802.11 ac/a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, Zigbee–compatible, MU–MIMO, built–in antivirus
When you creep towards the higher end of the mesh router market, it starts to get harder to determine the exact benefits of that extra investment. Here’s a case in point: at $299, TP–Link’s two–node AC2200 package doesn’t wow in terms of those on–the–box specs, and would appear to offer far less than three–node packages of a similar (or lesser) price.
But let’s not get hasty; there’s a lot more to a router than a few numbers. How those numbers are used proves just as important, and TP–Link’s juggling of its 400mbps 2.4GHz radio and twin 867mbps 5GHz radios is quite magnificent. By default, one of the 5GHz bands is used as backhaul, a radio channel which deals with inter–node communication. Pack your network with data, and the Deco M9 will automatically rejig the channels to offer more backhaul where it’s needed — and the results are speedy and consistent enough to speak for themselves.
Each of these squat units contains eight antennas, up from the four of the cheaper Deco M5, which gives them surprisingly great range. And they can do more after being set up through the rather brilliant app. Managing Bluetooth and Zigbee– compatible smart home devices is possible, you can smother your network with parental controls, or even add additional security to your network traffic. Yes, it’s still pricey, but the Deco M9 Plus makes the case for spending more quite convincingly.
the bottom line. The Deco M9 Plus matches three–node mesh setups — and indeed, does much more — with less hardware.