Designed for homes of up to 5,500 square feet, the TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4) may be a affordable three-node whole-home Wi-Fi system that’s simple to put in and even easier to manage because of a user-friendly mobile app. It also offers fast router performance and powerful parental controls. However, it lacks the anti-malware tools, the house automation controls, and therefore the superior speeds that you simply get with its more versatile and pricier sibling, the Deco M9 Plus. Get details in TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4) Review.
Pros & Cons
PROS
- Reasonably priced.
- Easy to install and manage.
- Solid router performance.
- Strong parental controls.
CONS
- Lacks malware protection.
- Middling satellite performance.
Wi-Fi Towers – TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4) review
Whereas the TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4) and therefore the Deco S4 systems use low-profile circular nodes, the Deco M4 employs three vertical cylinders that every stand 7.5 inches tall and are 3.6 inches in diameter. The nodes are white and have black grillwork and an LED indicator on the highest and two gigabit LAN ports on the side. an influence jack and push button are on the bottom .
Each node uses identical hardware, so it doesn’t matter which one you decide on as your main router. Under the hood is dual–band 802.11ac circuitry that supports Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) simultaneous data streaming, Beamforming (direct-to-client signal transmissions), automatic band steering, TP-Link’s Deco Mesh Technology, and Ethernet backhaul.
This is an AC1200 system which will reach maximum data rates of 300Mbps on the two .4GHz band and 867Mbps on the 5GHz band. The Deco M4 doesn’t offer the house automation capabilities that you simply get with the Deco M9 Plus, but it does support Amazon Alexa voice commands and IFTTT (If This Then That) applets. for instance , you’ll turn guest networking on and off using Alexa voice commands and make an IFTTT applet that activates a Philips Hue light whenever a replacement device connects to your network.
Its coverage area of 5,500 feet is respectable compared with the 4,500 square feet you get with the M9 Plus two-pack.
The Deco S4 is managed employing a well-designed iOS or Android mobile app. The app opens to an summary screen that displays the web status (online, offline) and an inventory of connected client devices with real time internet upload and download speeds. Tap a client to ascertain its IP and MAC address information and to offer it bandwidth priority. At the highest of the Overview screen are two buttons: One takes you to a screen where you’ll view notifications like when a replacement device has been detected or when an update is out there , and therefore the other is employed to feature new nodes to the network. At rock bottom of the screen is an summary button, which takes you back to the opening screen, and a More button that takes you to a screen with Router and Homecare settings.
Router settings include Wireless, Blacklist, Update Deco, and Advanced buttons. Wireless settings are sparse: you’ll change the network name and password and enable guest networking, but that’s about it. There are not any security options or settings that allow you to separate radio bands or adjust channel settings. The Blacklist button allows you to dam network access to clients or other devices, and therefore the Update Deco button is employed to see for firmware updates. The Advanced button takes you to a screen where you’ll configure IPv4, IPv6, and VLAN settings, enable Port Forwarding and Fast Roaming, and configure the Deco to run in Router or AP (Access Point) mode.
Homecare settings include Parental Controls, QoS, Monthly Report, and Managers buttons. The Parental Controls are an equivalent excellent options that you simply get with the Deco M9 Plus and include presets for Child, Pre-Teen, Teen, and Adult. counting on the age of your child, you’ll use a preset to dam access to categories like gambling and social networking websites, online gaming, downloads, and pay-to-surf sites. you’ll also block access to specific websites.
Other parental controls allow you to set network deadlines for weekdays and weekends and set a Bed Time that blocks access at a selected time on school nights. To use parental controls, create a profile for every person, assign a preset, and include all devices employed by that person. Tap on any profile to pause internet access for that person and to look at their Insights log, which tells you which of them sites they need visited and for a way long.
Use the QoS (Quality of Service) button to assign bandwidth priority to specific clients and consider a historical chart of total connected network devices for every day of the month. The Managers button allows you to invite friends and family to use the app to assist you manage your network. Missing is that the anti-malware and virus protection software that comes with the Deco M9 Plus and therefore the Deco M5 systems.
TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4) Performance Review
The Deco M4 is straightforward to put in . I downloaded the mobile app, tapped Let’s Begin, and chose the Deco S4 from the list of Deco models. I followed the instructions to power off my modem, restart it, and fasten the Deco router to the modem. I waited 30 seconds approximately for the LED to start pulsing blue and used my phone’s Wi-Fi settings to attach to the router. I returned to the app, confirmed that i used to be connected, and therefore the Deco router was immediately found. I gave it a location (bedroom, office, kitchen, etc.), chose my internet connection type (DHCP), and created a network name and password. I connected my phone to the new network, tapped Next, and waited a couple of seconds for the app to run a connection test. I tapped Add Another Deco and followed an equivalent routine to put in the second node, which I placed in my front room . After a fast firmware update i used to be able to roll.
The Deco S4 router turned in solid scores on our throughput performance tests, but the satellite’s performance was mediocre at the best . The router’s score of 480Mbps on the close-proximity (same-room) test beat the Linksys Velop Plug-In router and was just a tad slower than the D-Link COVR 2202 router. The TP-Link Deco M9 Plus remains our fastest Wi-Fi system router with a score of 546Mbps. On the 30-foot test, the Deco M4 router led the pack with a score of 342Mbps. The Deco M9 Plus router scored 230Mbps, the COVR 2202 router scored 210Mbps, and therefore the Velop Plug-In router scored 181Mbps.
TP-Link Deco S4 satellites performance
The Deco S4 satellite’s score of 239Mbps on the close-proximity test was faster than the Linksys Velop satellite (132Mbps), but significantly slower than the D-Link COVR 2202 (385Mbps) and therefore the Deco M9 Plus (386Mbps). Results were similar on the 30-foot test: The Deco M4’s score of 212Mbps beat the Velop (118Mbps), but trailed the Deco M9 Plus (297Mbps) and therefore the COVR 2202 (340Mbps).
Affordable Mesh Solution
The TP-Link Deco S4 3-Pack may be a budget-friendly thanks to cover large homes with Wi-Fi. With it, you’ll easily assign parental controls with access schedules and presets which will prevent your child from visiting inappropriate websites. like most Wi-Fi systems, it installs quickly and simply and uses a thoughtfully designed mobile app that allows you to manage your network from your phone.
The router node is fast and shows good range, but the satellite node’s performance is simply average. Moreover, this technique lacks the anti-malware tools that you simply get with other Deco systems. That said, its $180 price will appeal to budget-conscious users looking to fill wireless dead zones. If you need a Wi-Fi system that uses low-profile components and delivers class-leading performance, inspect our Editors’ Choice, the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus. You’ll pay on the brink of $120 more for a two-piece kit that covers homes of up to 4,500 square feet, but it is a tri-band system that also is a multi-radio home automation hub, and it offers malware and virus protection.
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