3-Pk TP-Link Deco XE75 AXE5400 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System

CoolHamster482

May 7, 2026 5:12 PM

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Joined Apr 2020

CoolHamster482May 7, 2026 5:12 PM

2 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank CoolHamster482

I can confirm that too — I made the same mistake buying a TP-Link mesh system. To be fair, the Mesh technology itself works great. There's basically no spot in my house or even in the garden where I don't have fast and stable internet. The biggest downside is that you're heavily dependent on their app. You only get very basic settings for free, and if you want access to more advanced features, you have to pay for a monthly subscription. Considering the hardware costs around $300, that's a pretty weak move from TP-Link. So overall: the performance and coverage are excellent, but the mandatory app and extra subscription fees for advanced settings really hurt the overall experience.

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VisionJD

May 7, 2026 7:13 PM

70 Comments

Joined Sep 2025

VisionJDMay 7, 2026 7:13 PM

70 Posts

The TP-Link Mesh works very, very well. I get around having to worry about any subscriptions by not actually using them as routers. I use them in Access Point mode and use other hardware as my router. Something to consider.

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slickd888

May 7, 2026 9:53 PM

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Joined Nov 2019

slickd888May 7, 2026 9:53 PM

1,480 Posts

What's a good alternative to TP-Link then? Eero?

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poised

May 7, 2026 11:09 PM

263 Comments

Joined Jan 2013

poisedMay 7, 2026 11:09 PM

263 Posts

Quote from slickd888

:

What's a good alternative to TP-Link then? Eero?

Asus. You can buy their mesh system or buy several routers, dedicate one as the main unit and the rest as end points. I have three different asus model routers and they all play nice together.

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eduardmc

May 7, 2026 11:15 PM

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Joined Mar 2006

eduardmcMay 7, 2026 11:15 PM

3,663 Posts

I love my tplink be63 3x pack. Coming from a rented fios router was a night and day difference. The app is really easy to use and give me all the options I need. But again most of my stuff are basic.

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DealsSkills

May 8, 2026 3:24 PM

80 Comments

Joined Dec 2008

DealsSkillsMay 8, 2026 3:24 PM

80 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank DealsSkills

I have this mesh system and love it... absolutely great coverage (range reaches anywhere on my 1 1/2 acre yard) and speeds with my 1 gig service are also great. People have a right to their opinions, but just remember that some personalities like to complain about every little thing. I did a lot of research before buying and for our house we didn't need wifi 7. We have Sling streaming service, we also stream YouTube a lot. Everything is fast and I've only had to reboot the system once, but I believe it was out IP that was out. No regrets, not even one. At this price, if you can benefit from a mesh system it's the best at this price point. And I am pretty sure TP-Link will receive a waiver from the US for this and most of their mainstream routers... it's mostly their older units that caused the ruckus.

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DealsSkills

May 8, 2026 3:31 PM

80 Comments

Joined Dec 2008

DealsSkillsMay 8, 2026 3:31 PM

80 Posts

Quote from poised

:

Asus. You can buy their mesh system or buy several routers, dedicate one as the main unit and the rest as end points. I have three different asus model routers and they all play nice together.

Just do your homework, the customer feedback on Asus consistently shows unreliable service... what good is free software if you can't use the internet reliably? I was almost swayed by the "Asus has free software and TP-Link charges"... but I don't need the software, what I do need is reliability. And comaints about the app... really? Everything we do is app based in America. And unless you're a secret squirrel working on nuclear fision, basic router security suffices. For those who just have to have more security, there are videos on how to harden your security yourself, just put in a little effort.

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crazyoversports

May 9, 2026 2:30 AM

193 Comments

Joined Jan 2013

crazyoversportsMay 9, 2026 2:30 AM

193 Posts

Quote from DealsSkills

:

Just do your homework, the customer feedback on Asus consistently shows unreliable service... what good is free software if you can't use the internet reliably? I was almost swayed by the "Asus has free software and TP-Link charges"... but I don't need the software, what I do need is reliability. And comaints about the app... really? Everything we do is app based in America. And unless you're a secret squirrel working on nuclear fision, basic router security suffices. For those who just have to have more security, there are videos on how to harden your security yourself, just put in a little effort.

The Asus of today are not the same as the Asus of years ago. Check the reviews. And the cost.

1

DealsSkills

May 9, 2026 4:08 AM

80 Comments

Joined Dec 2008

DealsSkillsMay 9, 2026 4:08 AM

80 Posts

Quote from crazyoversports

:

The Asus of today are not the same as the Asus of years ago. Check the reviews. And the cost.

I did the research in the fall of 2025, so not a long time ago. Looking at their mesh systems specifically, not the Asus gaming routers. This was one that I was interested in but couldn't get past the bad reviews. https://a.co/d/0jk1jjje

jasongw

May 9, 2026 6:44 AM

3.3K Comments

Joined Mar 2011

jasongwMay 9, 2026 6:44 AM

3,255 Posts

Quote from novice121

:

I regret buying these, I did not do my research, and found out I need their freaking app to adjust settings... when that app no longer works because it surely isnt needed to steal my data because they would make another one that does it better, then these will be paperweights...

Not really. I've had TP-Link routers for years and never had a problem, unlike the junk Arris routers.

That said, with the US government ban on foreign made routers, what I'd suggest is using a cheap mini PC as a router using OPNsense and then put these into AP mode. Voila, not only are you secure from prying foreign gov eyes, but from US gov't eyes, too. Especially these days now that our own government is more untrustworthy than ever before.

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jasongw

May 9, 2026 6:46 AM

3.3K Comments

Joined Mar 2011

jasongwMay 9, 2026 6:46 AM

3,255 Posts

Quote from CoolHamster482

:

I can confirm that too — I made the same mistake buying a TP-Link mesh system. To be fair, the Mesh technology itself works great. There's basically no spot in my house or even in the garden where I don't have fast and stable internet. The biggest downside is that you're heavily dependent on their app. You only get very basic settings for free, and if you want access to more advanced features, you have to pay for a monthly subscription. Considering the hardware costs around $300, that's a pretty weak move from TP-Link. So overall: the performance and coverage are excellent, but the mandatory app and extra subscription fees for advanced settings really hurt the overall experience.

Use a cheap mini PC to build a wired router with OPNsense. All the features you'll ever want, free, including Wireguard VPN server built right in. Then put your mesh into AP mode and connect it to the LAN port of your router. Easy peasy and no gov't on earth has keys to your network Wink

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aznxenon

May 9, 2026 7:18 AM

3.7K Comments

Joined Sep 2009

aznxenonMay 9, 2026 7:18 AM

3,698 Posts

Quote from jasongw

:

Use a cheap mini PC to build a wired router with OPNsense. All the features you'll ever want, free, including Wireguard VPN server built right in. Then put your mesh into AP mode and connect it to the LAN port of your router. Easy peasy and no gov't on earth has keys to your network Wink

So cable modem -> PC running OPNSense -> mesh router running on AP mode. Use the OPNSense as a condom that filters out all the input output first, before it touches or leaves your personal devices? I'm intrigued

Currently I have a mini PC running Pihole, it goes from cable modem -> mesh router -> mini PC running pi hole, with DNS setting set as local IP of the pihole, but it sounds like your solution is superior

Last edited by aznxenon May 9, 2026 at 12:21 AM.

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jasongw

May 9, 2026 6:05 PM

3.3K Comments

Joined Mar 2011

jasongwMay 9, 2026 6:05 PM

3,255 Posts

Quote from aznxenon

:

So cable modem -> PC running OPNSense -> mesh router running on AP mode. Use the OPNSense as a condom that filters out all the input output first, before it touches or leaves your personal devices? I'm intriguedCurrently I have a mini PC running Pihole, it goes from cable modem -> mesh router -> mini PC running pi hole, with DNS setting set as local IP of the pihole, but it sounds like your solution is superior

Essentially, yes, LOL. The OPNsense box does all your routing and firewall functions. You CAN use it for DNS, but since you already have a pi-hole running you might as well just use that and disable the Unbound DNS that's built into OPNsense. One tip for picking up an extra NIC for the micro PC: make sure you get one with the Intel i226-v chip. It'll get you up to 2.5gb Ethernet on CAT 5e cable, but more importantly, it has way better Linux driver support than the ones with the Realtek 8125's that are a couple bucks cheaper do. It's worth the extra, and is usually no more than $5 more.

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jasongw

May 9, 2026 6:07 PM

3.3K Comments

Joined Mar 2011

jasongwMay 9, 2026 6:07 PM

3,255 Posts

Quote from slickd888

:

What's a good alternative to TP-Link then? Eero?

Use a micro PC with OPNsense as your router, then use any mesh you want in access point mode. You can add a second NIC to a lot of different models of micro PC's for about $20.

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3-Pk TP-Link Deco XE75 AXE5400 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System

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