TP-Link Deco E4 (3-Pack) – AC1200 WiFi Repeater, Mesh WiFi Intelligent, Dual Band up to 350 m², 2 x Ports 100/10 Mbps, MU-MIMO, up to 100 Devices, Suitable for Xiaomi Mi Box

After a pretty terrible experience with a Tenda mesh system (an app that didn't work), and cheap powerline systems, the TP Link Deco is miles ahead. I really wanted a simple plug and play system and was a bit apprehensive about using an app to set up and control everything but I'm glad I went with it as it's pretty damn great tbh! The setup procedure was simple to follow and units updated all via the app. I turned my Virgin hub into modem mode and let the Deco do it's thing. I have full fibre but not the highest speed package. The speed increase from the main unit alone (connected to the virgin router via ethernet) was twice as fast with a solid 290 Mbps downstairs of a 4 bedroom house. I have the two other Decos upstairs which run about 100 Mbps. Complete house coverage and also the garden with no dropouts. Anything outside the lounge with the Virgin router and the speed and reliability would drop like a stone so the Deco is a game changer in our house. We can stream 4K downstairs while the kids can game and listen to music with no complaints. The app is really good too. I can set up profiles and all devices to different ppl and set up bedtimes/internet access for each child and outrite block WiFi if I need too and any device on the network. You can get right into the settings and prioritize devices etc.. but I'm not that technical. It seems to do everything we need it to without changing much. You can set up a guest network so your not giving out passwords for the main one and the app will tell you when new devices try and connect. Very happy we got this and really good value.

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.

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.

Great extender, essential to who has a multi-storey house, extends the signal very well.

Bom

Łączony przewodowo I bezprzewodowo. Daje radę!

Didn't realise it came with uk plugs

He tenido ya varios amplificadores ya que vivo en una casa grande de 3 plantas, normalmente siempre tenia problemas con la cobertura, eran muy engorrosos de instalar o muchas veces perdian la señal, tenia que desenchufarlos de la luz y volver a conectarlos, la ultima vez que me cambie de compañia de telefono, el instalador me recomendo estos amplificadores y estoy super contento con ellos, ademas de un diseño super futurista y bonito, son muy faciles de instalar mediante la apliacion movil y de momento ningun fallo, ademas de que el WIFI llega perfecto a todas partes, me han sorprendido para bien.