Who doesn’t want great WiFi at home or at the office? The TP-LINK Deco M5 AC1300 Mesh WiFi System does exactly that!
Over the past year we’ve seen quite a few mesh WiFi systems but they are all somewhat expensive and it’s not that easy to justify the cost just to get better WiFi range and connectivity.
The TP-LINK Deco M5 is one of the most affordable mesh WiFi systems and you can find it at most retailers under $250 and after using it for about two weeks I can tell you that it’s totally worth it’s price. No matter where i am in the house and even around the house the WiFi just works great all the time.
You can find the TP-LINK Deco M5 on Amazon: http://geni.us/mNwlk41
In the Box
The system comes in a somewhat large box and inside there are 3 identical units. Any of them can be used as the main one for setting up the system. There are also 3 power adapters and a network cable.
Setup
The setup was very simple and everything is done through the Deco App that is available in the Google Play Store or the Apple store. The entire process takes under 10 minutes and anyone can do it. There are pictures and step by step instructions that makes the entire setup a breeze.
You basically connect any of the units to your modem, you plug it in and just follow the steps by step instructions on your phone’s screen.
This system doesn’t expand your existing WiFi network, it makes a new one and technically you can disable your old WiFi network once the new one is ready.
Aside from bringing great WiFi everywhere in your home you can also connect devices to a Deco unit through a network cable and that is great mostly if you have a computer that doesn’t have WiFi.
I got to try this out because one of my older PC’S doesn’t have WiFi and the only way to get it online before was through powerline adapters. Even though powerline adapters are great and quite useful the setup through a Deco unit is much easier.
Parental Controls & App Functionality
Everything is done and changed through the Deco App and there are some great features available. One of the most important features is the Parental Control.
You can set up profiles for different devices connected to your network and you can limit the access to certain websites or social media depending on the user. You can also limit the internet access per day or by hour. For example, if your kid needs to go to bed at 8PM you can easily just turn off the internet access to that computer or device.
Another great function is the ability to set high priority devices on the network. Instead of having the TV eating up your bandwidth with Netflix or YouTube videos you can just set a higher bandwidth priority to your computer or tablet. That is a great feature mostly if you are about to have a video call with a client and you need the good video quality.
WiFi Speeds and Range
I get roughly the same download and upload speeds as i would get if connected to the modem with a cable. I love the fact that now i get the same speeds anywhere I am in the house or the garage.
What i don’t like as much is the fact that the system switches you automatically between the 2.4Ghz and the 5Ghz network based on the device’so needs. I wish there would be a function where i could choose what device stays on what network and when.
Aside from that the system works great and I highly recommend it if you need stable WiFi throughout your house.
The 3 units that come in the box can cover about 4000 square feet and if you live in a bigger house you will need to buy some additional units. They are sold separately as well but a 3 pack offers you a much lower per unit price.
Conclusion
Wifi mesh systems aren’t cheap and may not be for everyone but you want great connectivity everywhere in the house and the ability to control what device can access when connected to your network the TP-LINK Deco M5 is excellent.
You can find the TP-LINK Deco M5 on Amazon: http://geni.us/mNwlk41
I have also done a review video for this system and you can check it out below.