Which Wireless Mesh System Is Best for Me? TP-Link Deco S7 Vs Deco X25

yerdem on 20/02/2024 - 11:58
Last edited 20/02/2024 - 12:54 by 2 other users

Hey Guys,
About to move into a new house which is at final stages of build, and want to set up a mesh system in house. Just looking for a basic system which will give me good wireless throughout house. Ive come across these two and have a friend who will get me TGG Commercial pricing on the two mentiioned above.

For reference, it will only be for a household of two adults and two toddlers. Ive got FTTP and will be on a 100/20 plan. NBN Box will be set up in Garage, so i am to have one of the three devices in the garage, with the other two in the kitchen and alfresco area. Not a massive house, but single storey and about 33sq.

I have read briefly that the WIFI 6 is the go to technology, so being a house i intend to live in for a while, is it better just to go for the one more superior (if it is). I have come to the guys on Ozbargain for help. Much appreciated :)

Edit. I will have them installed inside the roof most likely, except for the one in the garage.

Poll Options expired

  • 5
    TP-Link Deco S7
  • 3
    TP-Link Deco X25
Computing Mesh Network TP-Link Wireless Router

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Comments

  • Rodyland on 20/02/2024 - 12:27
    +1

    At the risk of not answering your question - I purchased a 3-pack of PoE X50s for use with ethernet backhaul. As a new build, something like this should be an option if you are interested. At the very least I'd recommend investing in some cat6 for the wired backhaul regardless of what you choose for your endpoints. And if you are going to install your units in (not on) the ceiling then I'd suggest PoE is a must-have unless you've already gotten your electrician to install extra power points in the roof space (with power switches routed into the house - because sooner or later one of these things is going to need a reboot). I'm skeptical about mounting in the roof, maybe unless you were mounting to the rafters - the amount of detritus that collects inside the roof space is ridiculous and I'd be amazed if you didn't fry these things due to being choked with dust in short order.

    The wifi6 is crazy fast - close enough to gigabit ethernet that it doesn't matter. But unless you are moving giant files from your NAS to your workstation over wifi then I don't see wifi6 as a "need" but rather a "nice to have".

    PoE and the form factor makes ceiling mounting a breeze, and they are very much unobtrusive, looking like nothing more than obese smoke detectors - very good for matrimonial harmony.

    Take that FWIW, possibly not much depending on your usecase.

    • yerdem on 20/02/2024 - 13:52

      Yep i could potentially have it on a makeshift platfrom on the rafters. That could be an option if im happy with speeds when inside roof. Alternatively, i could just put into the cupboards in the areas i want it to be in.

  • avoidfullprice on 20/02/2024 - 12:49
    +1

    Don’t know what your house physically will look like so unable to help. You able to share floor plan?

    Wifi 6 capable router will deliver that speed to Wifi 6 capable device. In particular they both need to support the wide bandwidth like 160MHz. If your device is of older generation, you won’t get that speed

  • Twix on 20/02/2024 - 12:53
    +1

    TP-Link Deco is not designed to go inside your roof space. Most Deco's are meant to be on a desk or table. Deco X50 PoE can be ceiling or wall mounted and the Deco X50 Outdoor can be wall or pole mounted under the alfresco. You might not even need a Deco outside if the kitchen is close by.

    • yerdem on 20/02/2024 - 13:50

      I was thinking by having it in my roof with ethernet running to at least 2 of the 3 devices, it would allow for me to get the best possible speeds over wifi. I could also test and see it on benchtops or cupboards and see which way allows for me to get highest speeds/connection. I have the flexibility of both,

      • Twix on 20/02/2024 - 14:10
        +3

        Inside your roof you get much hotter temps and dust which can lead to overheating and failure. Ethernet backhaul between the Deco's and ceiling mount is your best option for Wi-Fi speeds, Wi-Fi range and keeping the Deco within normal operating temps.

        I would get ethernet installed next to the nbn NTD and move the garage Deco somewhere inside your home.

  • Marty-69 on 20/02/2024 - 14:06

    I've got three Deco X68, the Wifi is faster than the PoE TP-Link AV2000 (on the same circuit). Roaming and speed are good but I run them as Access Point only, two hooked up to a 1GB switch and one via wifi. As a router, I still prefer my Fritz!

  • atwilliams on 20/02/2024 - 15:03

    As others have said, the floor plan is an important factor in determining if you even need mesh (which is the first question). Not sure what "final stages of the build" means exactly, but if you don't have plaster on the walls or flooring down, use the opportunity to run 1Gb (minimum) ethernet cable from where your NBN NTD will be to various points in the house, in particular to your main TV area. You'll have less congestion and long-term flexibility.

    As a secondary point, I definitely wouldn't be installing anything in like this in my roof. The heat and dust will kill it by the end of the first summer.

    I personally have two TP-Link EAP245's ceiling mounted in my house, both powered via PoE back to my router (which is then connected to the NBN NTD). The coverage and performance of these devices is exceptional even over a large area.

    https://www.tp-link.com/au/business-networking/ceiling-mount…

    • Marty-69 on 20/02/2024 - 15:42

      to run 1Gb (minimum) ethernet cable from where your NBN NTD will be to various points in the house.

      That means you need a switch next to the NBN NTD to get to all the points. That might be too noisy if it's in the lounge room or too hot if it's in the garage.
      I ran a CAT6 cable from the NBN NTD to the laundry (RJ45 wall plate on both sides), there is a switch (a noisy one with fans) and a few CAT6 wall plates to the rest of the house. Behind the TV is one RJ45 wall plate with a quiet 8-port switch to connect everything in that area, already 5 ports in use.

      • atwilliams on 20/02/2024 - 16:00

        Agree you'll need a switch if you are connecting more than one device, but most are fanless these days and pretty cheap.

        Assuming you are streaming Full HD or 4K to the TV, this is probably the data intensive thing you will be doing, so worth the investment to get stable, buffer free performance.

  • yerdem on 20/02/2024 - 20:39
    +1

    Awesome guys thanks so much. My sparky was the one who advised i put it in the roof somewhere, but thats a no-no from what i gather. Ill be running cables via a switch the a few areas throughout my house and then from there ill just wifi it.
    Thanks heaps guys really appreciate all the advice. What an awesome community!

  • GangGang on 21/02/2024 - 12:42

    I'm using the 3 pack of s7. Works pretty good. 1 is connected through ethernet to a switch in my garage acting as router, 1 centre of the house & 1 is connected wireless out the shed at least 20m away.

    No need to put in the roof. Also the app is pretty good & easy to use. Very easy to setup.

  • iflyin on 02/06/2024 - 21:47

    Im in a very similar situation and would love anyones input.

    Im getting NBN FTTP installed, and i have pre-existing ethernet cable running from NBN to closet. From closet, i have 9 cables running around the house and ends as RJ45 wall plates. My house is narrow and long (10m wide by 30m long), and we will mainly use wifi in the living room at the far front (5x6m) and in the living room at the far back (7x8m), dont need wifi in the middle of the home at this stage.

    I have honed down 2 options to take advantage of ethernet cables/wired backhaul over "mesh":

    1) NBN > X50-poe (set as router) > SG1005P PoE Switch [> X50-poe (to front)] [> X50-poe (to back)]

    Advantages:
    - easy set-up with deco app (plug and play)
    - mesh set up will be automatic

    Disadvantages:
    - kinda bulky units on the wall, protrudes 7cm from wall
    - i have a funny feeling tp-link might release a more compact mesh-poe system soon, will have to buy entire pack to upgrade
    - tplink deco team support was questionable when I enquired

    X50-PoE 3 pack $438
    SG1005P $89
    Total $527

    2) NBN > ER605 (router) > SG1008P switch (>OC200 controller) (> EAP615 wall-mount to front of house) (>EAP615 wall-mount to back of house)

    *need to enable roaming in controller to create the "mesh" system

    ER605 $98
    SG1005P $89
    OC200 $140
    2x EAP615 2x $109 = $218
    Total $545

    Advantages:
    - more custom controls with controller eg separate SSID for kids/guests
    - EAP615 looks so much better than X50-poe, protrudes 2cm from wall, looks like a wall plate to blend in
    - each component can be upgraded separately if needed (future-proof?)
    - i can upgrade the AP in future without changing the entire setup
    - the wall-plate has 2 ethernet ports and 1 poe ethernet port. This will be useful at my desk where I plan to put it
    - sinilarly priced to wired-backhaul mesh systems
    - can add NAS and security cameras to switch to have wireless acess (probably need to upgrade the security)
    - when I called Tp-link i got to choose options to speak to deco, business etc. When I spoke to deco team, I didn't find them as knowledgeable and helpful as the business team (takes care of omada range too). I was very impressed with business team (they are from singapore).

    Disadvantages:
    - more technical setup (but willing to learn)
    - when you know more than everyone else in the family, youre the only one who can fix issues when it arises

    I think i answered my own question as i was typing but i thought id leave my findings. Thanks for the insight, great community!

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