Deco BE25 BE3600Mbps Whole Home Mesh WiFi 7 System, 688 Mbps at 2.4 GHz + 2882 Mbps at 5 GHz, 2 × 2.5 Gigabit Ports, AI Mesh WiFi Booster, MLO, Alexa and Google Assistant Supported, HomeShield

⸻ Exceptional Wi-Fi Performance with TP-Link Deco After experiencing poor Wi-Fi signals throughout my home and facing limitations with conventional routers, I decided to take control of my home network. The TP-Link Deco system offers flexibility with both Access Point (AP) and Router modes. Opting for Router Mode, I strategically placed three Deco units in a triangular formation, ensuring comprehensive coverage across my entire house. Easy Setup Process The setup was straightforward and user-friendly. I connected the primary Deco unit to my ISP’s router using the provided Ethernet cable and followed the instructions in the included leaflet. The Deco app guided me through the process, making it accessible even for those with minimal technical expertise.  Enhanced Wi-Fi Performance With this configuration, my home now enjoys robust Wi-Fi coverage, eliminating dead zones and providing consistent speeds throughout. The Deco system intelligently manages connections, ensuring optimal performance as I move between rooms.

I liked that this had a good spec with a gigabit Ethernet port meaning that there theoretically should be no loss of my gigabit internet signal as opposed to a previous version which had an ethernet port capped at 100Mbps - there was no point in having gigabit internet without upgrading my deco system. As my old 100mbps system was becoming very sluggish, i decided to upgrade to a newer faster deco system. Set up is really simple, virtually plug and play with a little bit of knowledge needed regarding your current wifi password and details or maybe some internet specific settings but these are readily available from your Internet provider. Once the first base unit is successfully attached the the internet, adding the satellite stations really is plug and play using just the Deco app which you will need to download. We have just these three units giving reliable 1 gig internet to a standard semi detached house which is rich with smart tech. Lighting, plugs, alarms, door sensors, motion sensors, ambient lighting, tv's, Sonos, Blink, Ring, Spotify and an internet enabled garden room. The Garden room is approximately 30 meters from base unit two - which in turn is around 10 meters from the main Deco - it really suffers no drop-outs and is reliable for all gadgets. The app gives the ability to implement parental controls and other controls which to be honest, we don't use. Simple hassle free internet around your property. Great for garden usage or for covering any blackspots.

For a long while, we've experienced really poor Wifi connection in our house. Blackspots, random dropouts, can't see some devices (Sonos was the main culprit, would be there one minute, gone the next), slowness etc. So I decided to pick up some powerline Wifi extenders. While that helped clear a few blackspots, all it really did was amplify the crappy Wifi from the VM Hub. So no improvement on reliability at all. No-fault of the extenders. So I decided to switch to a mesh system to replace the VM Wifi completely. As we've got a few areas in the house that are hard to reach and over three floors, I was holding out for a mesh with a Powerline option. As this was in the sale, I took the plunge. Set up was ok, although I needed to create a TP-Link account which seemed a bit OTT. Anyway, getting all three units set up was actually pretty painless via the app on my iPhone. The main issue I had was actually with how the VM router was set up. If your a VM customer, please take note of the following: For a while, I had it set up in parallel to the new Deco network. While everything worked, I had the occasional issue with some devices getting lost or not being able to connect properly. So I decided to switch the VM Hub into "modem mode". What was supposed to happen was the VM Hub is now just providing Internet and DHCP and the Deco the Wifi/connectivity. However, everything fell apart. Any device connected to the Deco didn't have internet or might not connect. Turns out, the VM Hub will only work properly if you connect your new network (in this case, the Deco) into ethernet port 1. As I had the Deco plugged into port 4, nothing seemed to work right. As soon as the Deco was plugged into port 1, everything sprung back to life. Found this out by trial and error, save yourself a few hours. Since then, Wifi and connectivity, in general, has been faultless. My TV and VM TV box are plugged into the ethernet ports on a Deco unit and we've not had any issues watching any streaming services like we used to. Every other device on the wifi works perfectly and every blackspot has been eliminated. Sonos no longer randomly vanishes. No dropouts. Speed is consistent. It just works, which I'm pleased about. If your a VirginMedia customer and are experiencing issues with your Wifi connection, then I highly recommend you consider checking out this product, or a product like this. It will improve your connection no end. As for the Deco, it works just fine. The features with the system are pretty basic, but it's not an issue as it's a major step up from what we had. One thing I would like to see is detail on the Powerline, there is nothing in the app to indicate if powerline is being used, or the backhaul is pure wifi. However, as mentioned, as it just works, it's no biggie.

We live in a 3 bed Victorian terrace (London) using SKY Q as our broadband provider. Internet speed test (c.30 download, c.7 upload) check your speed for free by typing “speed test” into Google. Internet okay downstairs but is choppy upstairs (sometimes download drops to 7!) and sometimes signal falls out. This has been a real problem regards working from home. Video calls have been horrific at times, loading software, opening emails, internet searches.. Urgh. No explanation, just some days it works ok (not fine just ok) but sometimes everything is slow (very). Yes, I’m aware of actions to do, switching off every night, resetting sky box etc. but these have not fixed the problem. So.. I looked into this lots - wifi extenders, or this - a mesh system with “power line” backup. First off, just plugging a single unit into the sky box made an immediate difference (I don’t know why but it did). Noticeably different - speed tests upstairs were better, connection stable, video streaming and calls whilst using multiple devices. I did set up the other two units anyway just incase as the box came with 3 units. Setup, really simple, and took no longer than 20mins. Performance - wow. (Re. Powerline - I should add we had our house rewired last year so electrics are good and circuits are clear - but as stated earlier, our internet performance worked with just one unit). So £150.. but given our change in performance (and what it has meant for productivity) and the simplicity of setup - more than happy. I have tried other devices in the past (Apple airport express, wifi extenders) none have worked as well as this. Delighted. /// Update July 2023. These are now disappointing. Why? Regular drop out, despite standing next to the unit and the app is not helpful nor is the support. I don’t know why these have stopped being useful, nothing changed but we were so fed up with our internet and service we switch provider and ditched these also. Keep in mind if your provider is not great, then these won’t make a difference. FWIW we were with Sky but service was abysmal despite being on the premium package. Regular throttling and slower speeds than advertised so we switched to a proper fibre broadband and no longer need these units

This mesh system has significantly improved my home Wi-Fi. I’ve seen much stronger coverage throughout the house and faster speeds overall. Where I used to struggle with weak signal upstairs, I now get consistent and reliable performance. The Deco units are easy to set up using the companion app, and the process only took a few minutes from unboxing to full connection. The design is modern, and each unit includes two Ethernet ports, which has been helpful for wired connections in different rooms. Performance has been very stable. Speeds have remained strong both wirelessly and over Ethernet, and the system handles multiple devices well. It also supports the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard, which adds a level of future-readiness. ⸻ Pros • Consistent, high-speed coverage across the home • Simple, guided setup process, personally took me under 10 minutes. • Useful dual Ethernet ports on each unit ⸻ Things to Improve • Slightly bulky design • A wall-mounting option would enhance flexibility

This review relates to the TP-LINK Deco P9 Whole Home Powerline Mesh Wi-Fi System, up To 6000 Sq ft coverage. Amazon seems to clump all the reviews together for these type of devices, so to clarify it's the P9. I've been suffering slow patchy coverage and internet drop outs with my Virgin Media hub 3, connected to an Archer AC1900 router via powerline adapters. My Virgin router was upstairs in modem mode, and my Archer AC1900 router downstairs. This set up was less than satisfactory with a loss off internet speed as I move around the house and internet drop outs two or three times a day. This is a particular problem as I have Ring cameras that need a stable connection. My house is a sixties built larger than average semi with sound proofing in the walls and ceilings which adds to the problem. I bought the TP-Link Deco P9 Powerline Mesh system in the Black Friday deal for £169.00. It was incredibly easy to set up. All I had to ensure was that my router was in modem mode (just a tick in a box when I logged into the admin page of my Virgin Hub 3). The Admin credentials were on a sticker on the bottom of the router. It will save you a bit of time if you download the Deco app first and create a TP-Link account. You'll need this to set the TP-Link devices up from your phone. Once this was done I connected one P9 device to my Virgin Hub via an Amazon Basics Cat 6 Ethernet cable. The app walked me through set up which was just a case of connecting to the device and following the on screen instructions, and then changing the default SSID name and creating a new password. Once set up is complete it's a short wait until the light on the top of the unit turns white and the unit is now operational. The first device was upstairs near the Virgin router, the other two units were placed downstairs. One in my back lounge where my TV is, and the other in my front dining room. I just plugged the other two in and they automatically connected, no more set up needed. The devices are aesthetically pleasing and made of white plastic. Slightly taller than an Amazon Echo. They don't look out of place on a table top or shelf. The plug is a standard UK 3 pin plug (for the UK version), which means that the powerline element must be built into the unit itself. This was welcome as it means the small form factor plug fits anywhere (rather than the bulky powerline plugs i'm used to). Each unit has two ethernet ports, for connecting to a router, or for connection between each other or to other devices. As these units use just a single SSID (which I created at set up), my devices connect to the strongest signal and see the Wi-Fi as one connection rather than three. This should mean seamless switching to the strongest signal, unlike extenders which create separate SSID's. It also means that if one P9 goes down, your device can connect to the next available one. With my placement of these devices, I'm now receiving 112 Mbps download and 12 Mbps upload speed in every room with my 100 Mbps Virgin Internet package. It also works at near full speed at the bottom of my garden which is impressive. The app is simple and doesn't give you full control over the router, but does have some handy tools such as monthly reports, blacklists, parental controls (even being able to see internet pages visited by other phones or computers), high priority devices, adding managers, fast roaming (newer devices switch to the fastest connection quicker), and a few more settings. I believe the powerline element of these are to enable 'Backhaul' communication. That is, communication from the three devices back to the router via your electrical wiring, so keeping the Wi-Fi less clogged with traffic. You can't use the powerline feature to connect other powerline adapters. It's a hidden network just for the three units to communicate. It also helps through thicker walls where Wi-Fi might be weak, to keep all the devices talking back to the router. This has transformed the Wi-Fi in my house giving me fast full speed coverage everywhere. It has great flexibility for moving the devices around to test where they work best (all you need is a plug socket). Of course, if you can link these together via ethernet cable you'll get the best connection. But for me, locating them on different floors and in different rooms, just plugging them into a power socket and using WiFi, they have been brilliant. Full speed everywhere and not one known drop out of internet so far. Highly recommended.

I honestly bought this system knowing it was total overkill for my 1 Gig connection, but I was tired of the constant buffering in the back bedroom. I upgraded from an older Google Nest setup to this BE85 pack, and the difference is night and day. Setup was surprisingly painless via the app, though I do find it annoying that I can’t manage advanced settings through a web browser like on my old traditional routers. The range is ridiculous; I’m getting full signal in the garage and even halfway down the driveway now. I wired the units together with an ethernet backhaul since my house is pre-wired, and the speed tests are basically maxing out my ISP line in every single room. The 10G ports are great for future-proofing, even if I’m not using them to their full potential yet. My only real gripe is the size of these things—they are massive and run a little warm, so don't plan on hiding them easily behind a picture frame. Also, make sure you turn off the "mesh technology" toggle for stationary devices like your TV or desktop, otherwise they sometimes try to hop between nodes unnecessarily. But if you have a lot of smart home devices and want a "set it and forget it" system that just powers through interference, this is expensive but worth it.

UPDATE 4: A further beta firmware has been released on the Deco community which has been working well for a week now, therefore increased my review to 3 stars for now. UPDATE 3: Recent update has been pulled from the website. A beta version is available which I tried but alas, using two S7 in Access Point mode and a system failure after approximately 6 hours. Avoid. UPDATE 2: Received a replacement unit which is an older version of hardware. Added it to the app and placed it the far room via Ethernet backhaul as before, received a notification of new firmware which was actually an older version than that was already loaded. Come the next morning, I noticed that most of the connected devices had migrated to the other Deco unit and I'd had an app alert of loss of Internet connection from one device. The unit appeared to be functioning by the time I checked but the app couldn't find this satellite. I have decided to put this in the loft until a new firmware arrives and continue with the replacement I was forced to buy. When it works it's great but due to intermittent issues I have revised the original rating. UPDATE: These were working well until a recent firmware update which appears to have introduced a bug in to one of the units which goes offline and needs to be power cycled until the next time. When this happened, the faulty unit was the one connected to the router (in router mode with the Deco in AP Mode) with rest of the wired devices on switches and the second deco connected via ethernet to the second port of the main unit. Therefore, no internet access for all devices. Swapped the Decos around and the problem remained with the original failed Deco, however, this was now at the far end of the wired network so all other devices were working as expected. Tried a reset and added again but the problem came back, red light, no WiFi signal and not found on the app. Raised a job with TP Link to resolve. INITIAL REVIEW: I've been using a Netgear Orbi reliably for four years but recently started to have a few issues, such as a phone which could connect but not get Internet access, however it could using the device's guest network. Other networking issues arose so took a risk on buying a new mesh system from another familiar name brand. The S7 dual system sits in the same place as it's predecessor did and performs as expected which is a relief. It does have an extra gigabit port per device (3 in total) which is handy. Performance wise, it seems to be satisfactory so far. The only thing I'm not so keen on is the limited control of settings via the interface but if it works as expected then hopefully it won't be missed. I use a CAT cable to connect the two units for the wired backhaul feature which is noted in the app. In summary, it seems to be a reasonably priced mesh system and seemingly decent performance.