TP-Link Deco m5 home setup

[skaertus]

I recently bought a TP-Link Deco m5 router with 3 units for a 1300 square feet apartment. I have a 300 mpbs download/150 mbps upload Internet connection and I wanted to have it at great speed in all rooms. I connected the Deco to the modem/router installed by the Internet provider, and put additional Decos in other rooms. The Deco m5 is running in router mode (not access point mode), but it is not directly connected to the Internet (there is a wired connection between the main Deco and the modem/router). I then tested the speed of the Internet connection three times with my iPhone using Speedtest.net in each of the rooms of the apartment (except for the kitchen and the bathrooms). I got the following results:

1st test:

• Living room (where the main Deco is installed): 381 mbps download/248 mbps upload
• TV room (next to the living room, and where the second Deco is installed): 172 mbps download/96 mbps upload
• Office (next to the TV room, and where the third Deco is installed): 94 mbps download/62 mbps upload
• Bedroom (next to the office, and where no Deco is installed): 76 mbps download/37 mbps upload

2nd test:

• Living room (main Deco): 389 mbps download/244 mbps upload
• TV room (2nd Deco): 133 mbps download/108 mbps upload
• Office (3rd Deco): 117 mbps download/60 mbps upload
• Bedroom (no Deco): 76 mbps download/55 mbps upload

3rd test:

• Living room (main Deco): 379 mbps download/229 mbps upload
• TV room (2nd Deco): 118 mbps download/161 mbps upload
• Office (3rd Deco): 76 mbps download/64 mbps upload
• Bedroom (no Deco): 39 mbps download/22 mbps upload

I have to say I am disappointed at these results. TP-Link announces that the Deco m5 can provide Internet access to a 4500 sq ft home, and the box even says 5500. However, in my experience, the signal is not holding up that well in a 1300 sq feet apartment.

Are these expected results? Am I doing something wrong?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If the second and third WAP are operating in repeater/mesh mode, then yeah, bandwidth would be cut in half. (Everything you send the device, it has to turn around and send to the next device, then it turn back and listens to you.) The slowdown in the bedroom would be normal if you're connecting to one of the secondary mesh devices, and there's a wall or two in the way. (Stucco or plaster, by any chance? That always sucks extra. But not as bad as brick.)

Also, although the device is sold as "AC1300" the best it can do to a single 5GHz device is 867mbps, and cutting that in half is typical best-case "real world" performance, even if the devices have line of sight.

Also, if you're in an apartment building, chances are there's a bunch of other wifi networks, they might be interfering.

Also, you might be running into a limitation of your iPhone (depending which model it is.)

Given the small size of your apartment, you'll probably get better overall performance if you just set up a single WAP somewhere. Maybe. Depending on what your walls are made of and what kind of radios are built into your client devices. But you won't be paying the relay penalty.

tl;dr, wifi sucks, it provides inconsistent performance unless you're in a lab or testing in a faraday cage, and it will slow down if you look at it wrong. It's convenient and easy, and good enough for most uses. If you care about consistent gigabit-class performance, run a wire.

edit: Oh, and if you're running multiple devices in router/NAT mode, don't.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well said, Dave!

 

[skaertus]

If the second and third WAP are operating in repeater/mesh mode, then yeah, bandwidth would be cut in half. (Everything you send the device, it has to turn around and send to the next device, then it turn back and listens to you.) The slowdown in the bedroom would be normal if you're connecting to one of the secondary mesh devices, and there's a wall or two in the way. (Stucco or plaster, by any chance? That always sucks extra. But not as bad as brick.)

Thanks for the reply. This is the first mesh system I ever had, so I still have several questions.

How do I know in which mode the second and third WAP are working in? The Deco app seems to me pretty simple, and I can't get much information out of it.

The walls here are made of brick, but it is still not a very large apartment.

Also, although the device is sold as "AC1300" the best it can do to a single 5GHz device is 867mbps, and cutting that in half is typical best-case "real world" performance, even if the devices have line of sight.

I was not expecting to get 300 mbps in every room, but it seems disappointing not getting even 100 mbps (1/3 of the speed) in a room where one of the secondary Decos is installed, and just two rooms away from the main Deco.

Also, if you're in an apartment building, chances are there's a bunch of other wifi networks, they might be interfering.

As for other wi-fi networks, there are seven of them, and not all of them are 5 GHz.

Also, you might be running into a limitation of your iPhone (depending which model it is.)

It is an iPhone X.

Given the small size of your apartment, you'll probably get better overall performance if you just set up a single WAP somewhere. Maybe. Depending on what your walls are made of and what kind of radios are built into your client devices. But you won't be paying the relay penalty.

tl;dr, wifi sucks, it provides inconsistent performance unless you're in a lab or testing in a faraday cage, and it will slow down if you look at it wrong. It's convenient and easy, and good enough for most uses. If you care about consistent gigabit-class performance, run a wire.

edit: Oh, and if you're running multiple devices in router/NAT mode, don't.

Thanks.

I am perfectly aware that I will not get 867 mbps or anything close to it. But I expected to get a better performance than I am getting, especially with three devices not far away from each other.

Is there anything I could be possibly doing wrong? Any configuration which I may not have set correctly? Anywhere to check?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Thanks for the reply. This is the first mesh system I ever had, so I still have several questions.

How do I know in which mode the second and third WAP are working in? The Deco app seems to me pretty simple, and I can't get much information out of it.

Oh, they're definitely in repeater/mesh mode. That's how they work. So yeah, bandwidth on the secondariiwill be half max.

The walls here are made of brick, but it is still not a very large apartment.

Doesn't matter. Brick is the devil.

I was not expecting to get 300 mbps in every room, but it seems disappointing not getting even 100 mbps (1/3 of the speed) in a room where one of the secondary Decos is installed, and just two rooms away from the main Deco.

Nah, that's about right. (1/3 to 1/2 speed for the relay)

And with the Decos having to talk to each other through a brick wall... You're lucky to get that.

As for other wi-fi networks, there are seven of them, and not all of them are 5 GHz.



It is an iPhone X.

those are good things but they won't overcome brick.

Thanks.

I am perfectly aware that I will not get 867 mbps or anything close to it. But I expected to get a better performance than I am getting, especially with three devices not far away from each other.

Is there anything I could be possibly doing wrong? Any configuration which I may not have set correctly? Anywhere to check?

Routers can always be tweaked. Some have adjustable broadcast power settings or QoS controls that might offer some improvement. But in the grand sense? No, I think you probably did everything fine and this is what you get.

My Dad's house is an old farmhouse, with stone foundation and brick walls in the interior. (Most of the rooms were later additions onto a smaller stone structure.) WiFi performance there has similar issues to what you're seeing.

 

[mxnerd]

Yeah, brick is the killer. You are lucky to get the speed.

To overcome the signal loss, you have to drill holes and connect APs with ethernet wire.