Is TP-Link Deco a good WiFi extender? The XE70 appears to be a new model, and it includes a 2.5Gbps connection instead of a 1Gbps port on the XE75. The primary differences are AXE4900 against AXE5400 on the XE75, however there may be chipset or other differences as well. Designed to provide an exceptional Wi-Fi experience, this system ushers in a new era of home internet with speeds up to an astounding 4.9 Gbps across six streams and 7,200 square feet of coverage, guaranteeing strong and dependable Wi-Fi in every corner of your house. Up to 200 devices can be connected to Wi-Fi 6E at once, providing dependable, lag-free service for your phones, computers, TVs, gaming consoles, smart home appliances, and more. Discover more in TP-Link Deco AXE4900 tri-band WiFi 6E mesh WiFi system (Deco XE70 Pro) review.
In the box
Deco XE70 Pro (3-pack)
3 Deco XE70 Pro units
1 RJ45 Ethernet cable
3 Power adapters
1 Quick Installation Guide
Deco XE70 Pro (2-pack)
2 Deco XE70 Pro units
1 RJ45 Ethernet cable
2 Power adapters
1 Quick Installation Guide
Deco XE70 Pro (1-pack)
1 Deco XE70 Pro units
1 RJ45 Ethernet cable
1 Power adapters
1 Quick Installation Guide
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Multi-gig WAN
- Easy installation
- Built-in VPN tools
- Wi-Fi 6E support
- HomeShield parental control and security software included
- IoT networking
Cons
- No USB ports
- Some HomeShield features require a subscription
- Only one 2.5Gbps port per unit; Security+ and advanced Parental Controls require subscriptions.
TP-Link Deco XE70 Pro Specs
- Handles up to 200 devices
- Wi-Fi 6E
- 1 GHz dual-core processor
- Access Point Mode
- Free Enhanced Security with HomeShield Basic
- Covers up to 7,200 sq. ft.
- Wi-Fi 6E
- IEEE 802.11ax 6 GHz
- IEEE 802.11ax/ac/n/a 5 GHz
- IEEE 802.11ax/n/b/g 2.4 GHz
- WiFi Speeds AXE5400
- 6 GHz: 2162 Mbps (802.11ax, HE160)
- 5 GHz: 1922 Mbps (802.11ax, HE160)
- 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps (802.11ax)
- WiFi Range 4-7+ Bedroom Houses (3-pack)
- 3-5 Bedroom Houses (2-pack)
- 1-3 Bedroom Houses (1-pack)
- TP-Link Mesh Technology
- Optional Ethernet backhaul work together to link Deco units to provide seamless coverage
AI-Driven Mesh
Intelligently learns the network environment to provide ideal Wi-Fi unique to your home
4× High-Gain Antennas (Internal)
Multiple antennas form a signal-boosting array to cover more directions and large areas
Tri-Band
A newly-opened 6 GHz band brings more bandwidth and faster speeds
Beamforming
Concentrates wireless signal strength towards clients to expand WiFi range
WiFi Capacity Very High
Tri-Band
Distribute devices to different bands for optimal performance
2×2 MU-MIMO
Simultaneously communicates with multiple MU-MIMO clients
OFDMA
Simultaneously communicates with multiple WiFi 6 clients
6 Streams
More than enough bandwidth for connected devices
Working Modes Router Mode
Access Point Mode
SECURITY
Network Security SPI Firewall
Access Control
HomeShield Security
Real-Time IoT Protection
Malicious Site Blocker
Intrusion Prevention System
DDoS Attack Prevention
Home Network Scanner
Guest Network 1× 6 GHz Guest Network
1× 5 GHz Guest Network
1× 2.4 GHz Guest Network
VPN Server • OpenVPN Server
- PPTP VPN Server
- L2TP/IPSec VPN Server
VPN Client • OpenVPN Client - PPTP VPN Client
- L2TP/IPSec VPN Client
WiFi Encryption WPA-Personal
WPA2-Personal
WPA3-Personal
HARDWARE
Button Reset Button
Ethernet Ports 1× 2.5 Gbps Port + 2× Gigabit Ports
*Per Deco Unit
Supports WAN/LAN auto-sensing
TP-Link Deco XE70 Pro Price
At launch, the Deco XE70 Pro is offered at a special sale price of $299, which is much less than its MSRP of $349.99. This sets a new standard for whole-home Wi-Fi. The TP-Link website and Amazon.com are offering this special discount, so many customers who want to improve their home networks can take advantage of it.
Compare TP-Link Deco AXE4900 tri-band WiFi 6E mesh WiFi system (Deco XE70 Pro)
TP-Link Deco AXE4900 tri-band WiFi 6E mesh WiFi system (Deco XE70 Pro) review
Design
The Deco XE70 Pro system nodes from TP-Link resemble the cylindrical nodes in appearance. They are 4.1 inches broad by 6.7 inches tall, with a black top. They are white. A tiny LED indicator at the bottom of the node is solid yellow when it is first powered on, flashes blue when it is prepared for setup, is solid green when it is connected and operational, and turns solid red when there is a problem.
Ports
With two Gigabit ports and a 2.5 Gbps port, each Deco unit offers users the convenience of wired high-speed connections. These ports make sure that even the most demanding devices in your home can perform to their maximum capacity.
They are ideal for demanding jobs like managing big file transfers on NAS servers or gaming on powerful PCs. On the base is a button for reset. Each node has a quad-core processor running at 1.7GHz and four internal antennas. USB connectors needed to connect external disks or other accessories are absent.
WiFi chip
The Deco XE70 Pro, like the Asus ZenWiFi ET8, is powered by a Broadcom Wi-Fi chip and features a 1.7GHz four core processor. It can establish three networks using the 2.4-, 5-, and 6GHz bands. It does not, however, have the second 5GHz LAN of the Orbi RBKE963 to transfer data from the satellites to the host router. As many as 200 devices can be supported by its 2×2 MUMIMO system. It is not as capable as the RBKE963’s 16 streams of data, even if it can move six separate streams of data simultaneously.
Coverage
In terms of coverage, the Deco XE70 Pro was identical to the Deco XE75. Although the Wi-Fi range is difficult to measure, a single unit may often cover an area of 1500 ft2 (139 m2) to 2000 ft2 (186 m2), depending on how the home is laid out and where it is placed.
AI-Driven mesh
The AI-powered Wi-Fi Mesh on the Deco XE70 Pro distinguishes it from other models by using sophisticated algorithms and self-learning capabilities to optimize and unify the network. By adjusting to your usage habits and surroundings, this clever system continuously improves the Wi-Fi experience to achieve maximum effectiveness and performance.
Speed
The XE75 Pro boasts two enormous design victories. The first is the additional 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, which is absent from the base XE75 model. Given that the XE75 Pro supports both the new 6 GHz band and superwide channels, this port is important. Instead of being limited to a maximum speed of around 940Mbps by a Gigabit Ethernet WAN port, it enables you to fully utilize a 1,000Mbps internet connection. Additionally, this port enhances the fast wireless real-world speeds that 160 MHz channels may provide.
TP-Link Deco XE70 Pro Setup
The XE70 Pro system was simple and quick to install. I already had the Deco app installed from earlier reviews, but you’ll need to download it and register if this is your first TP-Link Deco device. Alternatively, you can use the web console.
I launched the app, chose the XE70 Pro from the list of compatible devices, and hit the Let’s Begin button on the welcome screen. I unplugged my old router, turned off my modem, then connected a Deco node to the modem by following the on-screen instructions. After turning on both devices and making sure the blue LED was pulsing, I let the Deco connect to my network.
The Deco router was detected in a matter of seconds, so I assigned it a location, chose the default setting of Dynamic IP, and set up a new network with a name and password. The software tested my internet connectivity after taking about 30 seconds to save my settings. The second node was added to the network automatically after two minutes of my following my instructions to plug it in. After I assigned it a place, the installation was finished.
TP-Link Deco XE70 Pro Subscription
Some TP-Link routers come with the Trend Micro-powered HomeCare security feature set. For the duration of the product, the suite is free to use. HomeShield is an additional Norton-powered suite of features available on other TP-Link mesh systems and routers, such as the Deco XE75 Pro. While the Pro edition adds premium features for $5.99 per month or $54.99 per year, the Basic version is available for free.
Power costs
A modest 7.5 watts were consumed by each system when the Deco XE75 units were powered on. The network should cost roughly $18.40 per year to operate, which is similar to the $18.60 cost of the Asus Zen WiFi ET8, if it is left on continuously and you pay the average of 14 cents per kilowatt-hour for power in the country.
TP-Link Deco AXE4900 tri-band WiFi 6E mesh WiFi system (Deco XE70 Pro) alternative
Asus ZenWiFi XT8 (2-Pack)
With its fast performance, great range, and abundance of extra features, the Asus ZenWiFi XT8 takes the top rank. With one 2.4 GHz band and two 5 GHz bands (one allocated for wireless backhaul), this is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system. These units, which come in black or white, are somewhat huge. However, they are discrete, have a sophisticated appearance, and have side vents to help release heat. Very generously, each router has three gigabit Ethernet ports in addition to a USB 3.1 port and a 2.5 gigabit WAN port.
The XT8 was consistently among the fastest systems I tested, whether at short, medium, or long range, and speeds never decreased. It’s great to have Trend Micro’s AiProtection Pro included, as it offers parental controls and anti-malware protection. Unlike most of its rivals, it doesn’t require a subscription. Keep in mind that utilizing AiProtection entails exchanging your data with Trend Micro; therefore, you may wish to review its privacy statement. The parental controls are useful, too. You may plan bedtimes, create and reuse profiles, filter content by age group, and keep track of activity. You may set bandwidth limits for individual devices and give priority to tasks like gaming, streaming, and remote work with the Quality of Service (QoS) option.
The web interface is significantly more detailed, while the mobile app offers an abundance of options. Splitting up a band or establishing a guest network is simple. Additionally, I discovered that most devices were appropriately recognized by the app (occasionally, it can be challenging to identify devices based only on the hardware names that router programs provide). Moreover, AiMesh is supported, so expanding your Wi-Fi network with other Asus routers is simple. You can be sure that even from the node you placed close to the backyard, you will be able to access your internet at full speed thanks to the blazingly fast dedicated backhaul channel.
