TP-Link - Deco BE3600 Dual-Band WiFi 7 Mesh System 3-Pack - White

I live in a rural area with 5G and fixed wireless as the only available home internet options. The speed limitations, combined with the fact that I work from home and have three floors of connected devices, means I'm always on the search for mesh networks that will optimize the network speeds I do have. While I realize that the TP-Link BE3600 mesh system is overkill for the ISP speeds coming in, I find that the features and potential future applications make this a great mesh system for my needs. In the box are three TP-Link Deco WB10800 devices, three power cables, an ethernet cable, and quick start guide.  Setup is amazingly easy, which is one of the many reasons for five stars.  This is the fourth mesh network I have tried in the past six years, and the only one where all devices connected within the first setup attempt, full coverage on first placement attempt, and completely stable during this first week of use. To get started, you'll need to install the TP Deco app, which will then walk you through connecting the central unit, and then the two satellite units. If you're unfamiliar with mesh networks, any of the three devices can be your central hub, the only thing that makes one device the central hub is that it is connected, via ethernet, to your ISP modem/gateway/hotspot (whatever your source of internet service is). Once connected and the light is green, you can then plug in your two mesh units where coverage is needed.  For me, this means I have one unit 30' away near the end of the house, and the third unit upstairs, approximately 25' away. This allows for optimal network coverage, supporting my outside cameras, doorbell camera, as well as the streaming and IoT devices in the basement, plus the 20+ other devices the family has connected to the network at any time. It's easy to move the nodes around to figure out how to optimize your coverage. Note that this system is designed to cover up to 6,500 sq ft. I find that the signal is strong enough that I can also use this for limited applications at my barn, which is approximately 325' away. Note that experiences may vary, as I have direct line of sight to the barn, with only minor obstruction from trees and brush.  Performance features of the Deco BE3600 are dual-band wifi 7 supporting up to 3.6 Gbps connection speeds, 1 Gbps wired connection capacity, support of over 150 connected devices, and boasts multi-link operation (MLO) to increase throughput, improve stability for multi device connectivity, and reduce latency. MLO performance is an important feature to note as it ensures the best connection point and will seamlessly handoff between the nodes as you move throughout the house. It also means if you lose power to one node, you'll be shifted to any other nodes that have signal without interruption. For many users, you will never cap out for speed or devices, however if you game, and have the Gig+ ISP speeds coming in, this mesh network is an improvement over traditional wired or wifi connections for stability, speed, and network optimization. Other features include dedicated IoT connection, Google / Alexa controllable, VPN client and server support for remote VPN server accessibility, included parental controls trial, included web, IoT, and unauthorized access security trial, and compatibility with pretty much any modem, even older modems that are not Wifi7 compatible.   A few things that aren't obvious that you may want to consider: first, if you or someone in your house hates all the light pollution from electronics, the Deco allows for the green LED to be on, off, or set on a schedule, so as to not bother you. Second, using the app, you can get connection push notifications when new devices connect to your network, you can also control if you get these notifications for any device connection, to include known devices. The VPN setup and IoT networking both have a guided walkthrough via the app, in case you want to use these features, but do not know where to start. If you game, work from home, or just fight with your household on bandwidth, the app also allows you to prioritize devices to ensure those devices will not be bogged down by heavy network usage from other devices on the network. Lastly, if you already have compatible Smart Home plugs or switches installed, for example Kasa light switches, the app will add them automatically and you can view usage, control on/off, and set schedule from the Deco app.  Overall, mesh network systems continue to improve and offer more features, functionality, and become more consumer friendly. The Deco BE3600 happens to do just that, combining features for all levels of users, with a stable and reliable platform that works so seamlessly you will forget you're on wifi. For me, I love the fact that all of these features are user friendly, great network stability, and doesn't show any speed degradation over a week of use without reboot. 

I have owned an older TP-Link M5 Deco Mesh network for a few years and it has been rock solid (it finally solved my wireless camera connection issues). I recently got fiber internet in my neighborhood and upgraded to 1Gbps service, but I was not seeing much of an improvement at many of my devices. By adding the BE3600 system to my existing Deco network, I was able to increase my network speed significantly and retain the older M5 nodes to boost signal to devices at the edge of my network. The BE3600 offers the major improvements of Wi-Fi 7 (4K-QAM and MLO) and increased wireless backhaul speed at an entry level price point. ---Pros--- 1. Having already owned an older Wi-Fi 5 Deco system, I am a big fan of Deco and often recommend it to friends. Once you have everything set up and find the best spot for each node, it is easy to forget it is there, it works so seamlessly. It was easy to add the 3 new BE3600 nodes to my network and reassign one of them as the main router that is directly connected to the modem. Each Deco node is capable of acting as the router, meaning if one does have an issue, you can simply swap them and change it to be the main. 2. One of the greatest features is the easy to use app. The Deco app has tons of tools for setting up and monitoring your network via your iPhone or Android (I have both). It makes it very easy to check the signal strength to each Deco, check internet speed, set passwords, enable a guest or MLO network, set connection preferences between device or nodes, add/update nodes, and get important notifications (like new device connection alerts). I recently read a story that thieves were jamming Wi-fi cameras, so I set Deco to send an alert if any of mine went offline. I also have all of my kids devices set up in the basic parental controls section, so I can disable them if needed (you can also set content filters, bedtimes to disable devices for one period during the day, and monitor the sites they visit). 3. The BE3600 is a simple white disk with one LED to indicate status, so it should blend in pretty well with any decor (you can disable the LED or set time ranges when it is off, which is handy if the Deco is in a bedroom and the light bothers you). The new BE3600 Decos are larger than the M5 units, but seem to run cooler (although they are still warm). 4. The BE3600 improved network speed and is a good match to my 1Gbps service without being overkill (I honestly don't need or want to speed money on getting 1Gbps to every device - they simply don't need it). My old system had real speeds of around 200Mbps through most of the house (wireless backhaul) and maxed out around 400Mbps if you were close to the main node. The new system hits around 500Mbps for devices connected wirelessly to wireless backhaul nodes and my desktop connected via network port to a wireless backhaul node is getting around 800Mbps. I only have a few Wifi 7 devices, but they are able to connect to a separately configured MLO network (multi-link operation) that lets them use both 2.4GHz and 5Ghz bands at once - helping them hit up to 800Mbps when connected to the main router at distances of 20-30ft. ---Things to Consider--- 1. The BE3600 is a great budget option and probably one of best for return on investment in the dual-band (2.4Ghz & 5Ghz) Wi-Fi 7 mesh network segment, but you should consider a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 system if you can afford it - especially if you live in an area with a lot of 5Ghz interference (urban area). Tri-band systems add a newer 6Ghz band that is less likely to have interference (at least for now) and adds to the overall bandwidth of the system. Thanks to the Wi-Fi 7 features like MLO and 4K-QAM (which improves bandwidth usage and resist interference) the BE3600 still has an advantage over older Wi-Fi 6E tri-band systems that offer 6Ghz, but can only use one band at a time. I should also note that the Deco BE3600 does offer network optimization via the Deco app, which scans for interference and selects the best channels to help address this issue. 2. A few features in the Deco app require signing up for a paid service called HomeShield. While I am not a fan of paywalls, the Deco app does offer a lot of functionality without this service and TP-Link is not as pushy as some of the other brands (there are no constant alerts, only a little lock symbol to show features that require the pay service). This is only an issue if you are interested in using TP-Link's VPN for network privacy, wanted advanced network security monitoring, or need parental controls beyond the basics (which are already pretty useful and robust).

TP Link has come out with a good setup here to keep those with a large home area connected with their WiFi 7 mesh system. You get 3 Deco pods that carry dual band setups, AI Roaming, and backward compatibility. In my experience, I am coming from a WiFi 6 Deco Pro mesh setup by Deco. I love that TP Link continues to improve as the WiFi iteration upgrades accelerated throughput, lower latency, stronger anti-jamming, and higher efficiency. This may not make a whole lot of sense to buy or upgrade on these reasons alone if you are coming from a WiFi 6 device but it's something to consider. Setup is fairly simple. Since I had to upgrade my existing Deco's, I used the Deco app to change out my main Deco that is connected to my internet modem and then was able to setup the other Deco pods. Now, what I figured should have been fairly easy to setup gave me a little bit of an issue when connecting the Deco to my system. It kept giving me errors when connecting to the wifi system initially but after 7 attempts and toggling airplane mode on/off, it seems to have randomly located my network and connected. Not having to mess with any changes to my network or resyncing my devices is A DREAM! I have too many devices that having to reconnect them all would be a huge pain. In the long run, I can see the benefits for a muti-floor or room setup. The network is smart enough to pickup your device and sync without interruptions as you move around. The app itself is intuitive to allow for your network devices to be mapped out easily to visually see everything.