tp-link deco X60 AX3000

Our fourth contestant in this test is from tp-link, although the packaging somewhat hides that fact behind the “deco” range brand name. This particular deco kit is a three-unit one, but you can also buy a two-unit bundle.

The deco kit is rated at AX3000 and tp-link claims 7,000 square foot of coverage for the £340 three-unit bundle. The £302 two-unit bundle can allegedly cover 5,000 square feet.

Aside from the three units in the box, you get the usual power adapters, which in this case are permanently plugged for UK sockets. There's also a ribbon Ethernet cable for connecting to the broadband modem.

The deco is rated at AX3000, and is the only mesh system on test here that uses two rather than three radios. Both support 802.11ax, but one operates at 5GHz and the other 2.4GHz. There are four antennas housed internally.

The 5GHz radio can deliver 2,402Mbits/sec, and the 2.4Ghz radio 574Mbits/sec. These are good speeds, but not having a dedicated backhaul is highly likely to reduce throughput, particularly when serving lots of clients.

All the deco units are identical, so the one that you connect to the broadband modem becomes the router. All the units have two Gigabit Ethernet ports, so the router will only have one to offer a wired client locally.

But the two satellites will be able to support a couple of wired client devices each, which will be useful for distributing your broadband to different rooms around the house.

Price: £339.99 for three units; £302.52 for two units

Specification:

Wireless protocols: MU-MIMO with 802.11b/g/n/ax 2.4GHz and 802.11a/n/ac/ax 5GHz
Performance: AX30000 (2,402 + 574 Mbits/sec)
Antenna Configuration: 4×4 Internal Antennas
Ports: Per unit: 2 x Gigabit Ethernet
Modem Support: VDSL/ADSL 2+ or cable

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