TP-Link - Deco X55

I'll be the counter comment. I absolutely despise my 3x Deco x55s. They are absolutely garbage and are a joke of a product. At first I loved them, but then I started having what I believe are DHCP problems and memory leaks. I can't confirm this because they obfuscate everything through their app with hardly any administrative abilities. Basically I have devices that will just randomly drop and can't reconnect because they can't get an IP address. (I have maybe 50 devices...) Oh, and if you don't have Internet your wifi basically craps out because it's all cloud based. I can't custom configure different WiFi's in a way that is useful for my house, and can't really configure different vlans. But worst of all there is simply no ability to troubleshoot when things are broken. I'd love to put openwrt on them, but haven't been successful so far. I really hate my Decos and I wish I never bought them

OP this is helpful- can you comment on my setup. I only got a modem from my ISP- no router. I have 5 Deco X55s in my 4 story townhouse I have one networking closet that has my wires coming in from outside and my exposed Ethernet cables (that are also running throughout my home). In this closet I have my modem from my ISP and my Deco X55 router and a TP link 8 port switch. I have an Ethernet cable going from my modem to my router and also from my router to the switch. I have plugged in the 7 exposed Ethernet cables to my switch as well. Now in my other rooms and floors of the house- I have plugged in my other routers to the wall jacks so they are hard wired. My speed is great everywhere when I run speed tests from my iPhone and iPads and laptops. Am I doing anything wrong or can I optimize further? I believe I have done something called wired backhaul- my Deco app is in Router mode- not Access Point. Is this correct? ​ https://preview.redd.it/27np5avsr7ke1.jpeg?width=1320&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=69fab3f466a2885d7b1260485d4d49bc5b38c691

it gives me the impression that you are comparing the numbers behind the AX. those numbers does not mean much when u have little simultaneous connected devices. in a wireless router (or ap), manufacturer rate them by wifi standard, that is an, ac, ax, be, etc. then they also rate their bandwidth, so for example, the x25 is marketed as a AX1800, it has 2.4ghz and 5ghz, so its 500mbps + 1300mbps = 1800mbps of bandwidth. bandwidth is the total speed it can accommodate across all connections, not just to one devices. so now if u have an old iphone that only connects to 2.4ghz, u will only get max about 500mbps, because its not capable of connecting to the 5ghz network of the router. and if u have a newer iphone that connects to 5ghz of your router, then it will get, in theory, up to 1300mbps, but in most real life situations, its about 600-800mbps, depending on the quality of connection. so with this, ax3000 does not means ur iphone will get 3000mbps, it means, 2.4+5+5 = 500 + 1300 + 1300 = 3100 .. yah, it know it doesnt add up, this is because different manufacturers market their numbers differently, some call 2.4ghz 575mbps, some calls them differently, but they should be in the 400-600mbps range. likewise for 5ghz band, some call them 1200mbps, some calls them 1300, but it should be about these range. so the x55 is marketed as 3000mbps, but if u connect to the 5ghz band, u will only get 1300mbps in theory and in actual, u be like 600-800mbps, still the same as the x25. the only diff is another device can also get this 1300mbps connection at the same time, in an ideal situation. so if u only have 1 wireless devices in your area, ax1800 is equal to ax3000 or ax5400, maybe there are slight diff in other technologies, but more or less that the bandwidth u can expect. this theory remains till wifi 7, which has mlo and such to utilize more than 1 band of connection. so back to your question, i will not think x55 be giving u a faster connection, but it will give u a bigger bandwidth for more devices. also take note that data flowing to the connected devices are not constant, u browse a page on your iphone, it will only load that page and u be reading it for 10 seconds, and there will be no data coming in or out (well, maybe minimal) on this connections, so other connected devices will get 1800mbps. so in actual, 1800 band is adequate for 4 surfing devices, or 2 gaming devices.

I have that model. Coverage is good if you can overlook frequent internet burps where internet connectivity likes to take a little rest from working frequently. Software, both app and web interface, is bush league.

I have these, and they work great. But I am in a single story home, so they might not be robust enough. [https://a.co/d/aamjYeE](https://a.co/d/aamjYeE) Update: actually, mine are a cheaper model, and at 6500 sq ft coverage, they might do it. But the one you show is WiFi 7, which is newer technology.

The TP-Link Deco works great for me.

I’m happy with the TP-Link X55 Deco system. Have used it both with and without Ethernet backhaul and was pleased with the results either way.

From a cost/quality/ease of setup TP Link Deco’s are definitely in the running. I have 3 in a 2600 sq/ft 1 floor house with no problems. Granted mine are all hardwired in AP mode but I imagine they would still work well in mesh.

If they can’t get a cable, have them do a mesh device. Turn the WiFi off on the router, and add a 2 or 3 mesh system like eero. I use TP-Link Deco myself. You hardware 1 to the router and put the other 1 or 2 strategically where you have power only.

Eero is going to be a bit spendy in comparison to TP Link. [This TP Link is around $160](https://a.co/d/8VPQ1au) I have the AC1900 Deco which is more around $120 but not as good. I bought that a couple years ago.

With the limited info you provide, I would suggest going for two X55, located as you describe. If you go for four, it is probably best to install the third and four in the middle of the floor, not at the far end.

The main Deco must be wired to its source of Internet. I would return the Archer, indeed, and build a mesh only with deco units.

3 Deco meshes in the family, purchased in 2020, 2024 and 2025, all working perfectly.

Another vote for the Decos (X55s here). Great coverage throughout our house, easy to setup and use.

If money is no option then I would go with a Ubiquiti setup (router and a couple access points) but best budget option is always gonna be TP Link, best bang for your buck. No need to spend any extra for the latest wifi7 stuff, wifi6 is more than enough for your current speed plan. https://a.co/d/fiO5NkO

I’d try a mesh router system first something like the Eero 7 Plus or the TP Link Deco and see how that works before deciding to run cat6. That should be able to adequately cover 2600sqft no problem. If that isn’t enough then I’d go down the cat6 rabbit hole.

That other end of that line runs outside to the phone nid but you need it to go to your router, so you'll need to fish 2 walls. Not saying it's impossible but it would be much more complicated than you're thinking. I'd go with a mesh system like the Eero 7 Plus or the TPLink Deco, it would be much easier to get up and running.