TP-Link Deco M4 is TP-Link latest product in their Deco lineup. It is also the most affordable mesh WiFi kit from TP-Link and probably the most affordable mesh WiFi kit in the market right now. Mesh WiFi kit have been really expensive all the while and this new Deco M4 aims to be really disruptive to get more users to move forward to a mesh WiFi setup in their home.
The retail price of the TP-Link Deco M4 is set at RM399 and it comes in a pack of 2 units. Both of them are identical and they will work together to expand the WiFi coverage at your home. The main unit will be connected to the ISP modem and the second unit can be placed anywhere in the home with to expand the WiFi coverage.
What is Mesh WiFi?
Mesh wifi network is the future of WiFi connectivity. The transmit power of a single wireless router is limited by regulation. In order to get faster WiFi speed around your home, a mesh WiFi system comes with a few units and they work together to bring better WiFi coverage in your entire home.
Conventionally, we use WiFi repeaters to expand the WiFi coverage. But, a WiFi repeater comes with many downsides. Most WiFi repeaters perform poorly as they are just receiving and retransmitting without integration to the main router. Not only that, a proper mesh WiFi system have software that manage the entire network to ensure everything flows properly and avoid congestion. This can improve performance and the overall stability of the entire network.
The Deco M4 comes with AP steering and band steering. It means the device will actually force you
Hardware and Specifications
Being the cheapest mesh WiFi kit you can buy now, there are some inevitable compromises. The Deco M4 features Wireless AC up to AC1200 with support for MU-MIMO and beamforming, both absolutely crucial for mesh WiFi network. Unlike having the same specs as the Deco M5, the Deco M5 will perform better due to the better chipset.
The Deco M4 comes with less features than the Deco M5. It does not come with the full Homecare suite. TP-Link removed the Homecare Anvirus and the Homecare QoS. But thankfully, it still maintain one of the best features of the Deco series which is fast roaming. TP-Link officially supports the 802.11k/v/r fast roaming standard. This feature will give you much better roaming speed which no other mesh network kit selling in Malaysia support. You can refer to TP-Link website for the full specifications.
TP-Link Deco M4 Setup
Like all TP-Link Deco mesh WiFi system, the Deco M4 can only be setup using the Deco app. It does not come with a web interface. Setting up the Deco M4 is a bit different as you have to manually connect to the WiFi of the Deco M4 unlike the Deco M5, Deco P7 or Deco M9 Plus which the app can automatically detect using Bluetooth. The default WiFi network name and password is printed below the M4.
Once connected to the WiFi network, it is all very simple as the app will guide you through the entire setup process. If you use Unifi, you will need to select the Unifi profile during the setup wizard and use the PPPOE mode with your Deco M4 connected to the Unifi modem.
Firmware and Features
The features that come with the Deco M4 is really basic as expected due to the affordable price. It still have a basic QoS feature which let you to set which device have high priority. I suggest not using this as it is not practical with our faster Internet connection in Malaysia these days.
Also worth mentioning is the Homecare parental control feature is retained though they call is parental control here. It still have the same granular control over the content restriction and time usage limitation for selected devices. The content restriction have a preset list of content limitation parameters.
As for networking features, the Deco M4 support DHCP address reservation and port forwarding. There is a free TP-Link DDNS as well. TP-Link Deco M4 can operate in either Router or mesh Access Point mode. It is also able to support wired backhaul for even better performance. As for the WiFi features, it can support MAC address blocking and guest WiFi network.
Testing the Mesh WiFi Network
Supported features:
- MU-MIMO
- Beamforming
- 802.11r fast roaming
- AP Steering
- Band Steering
The greatest concern of the Deco M4 is definitely the performance as a mesh WiFi kit. We will be comparing the Deco M4 agains the Tenda Nova MW6 which is a mesh WiFi kit around the same price range. To benchmark the performance, we will be running speedtest on my iPhone around different spots in my apartment.
Leave a comment below if you want us to compare this against a much more expensive single router setup.
The performance is nothing but impressive being an affordable mesh WiFi network kit. It performs better than Tenda Nova MW6 which is a similarly priced mesh WiFi kit. This is more apparent in the upload speed as the Deco M4 is significantly faster than the Nova MW6 in our upload speedtest.
TP-Link Deco app is also much more user friendly than Tenda WiFi app. We also notice the Deco M4 have an edge on the overall network stability as we occasionally face connection drop while using the Tenda Nova MW6.
Closing Thoughts
TP-Link Deco M4 is a great mesh WiFi kit and I will even go to the length to say you should buy this instead of some higher end wireless router. It does what it should which is to provide whole home WiFi coverage at a really affordable pricing. Not to mention that, there are some features such as fast roaming even some more expensive mesh WiFi kit does not support. The Deco M4 is very easy setup and support Unifi Internet currently.
At just RM399 for a pack of units, the value is amazing as it works really well and offer far better bigger WiFi coverage than even the Archer A7. I recommend getting a mesh system especially for those who stay at a property bigger than 1200sqft.
TP-Link Deco M4
8.5
Tubi Score
Good Stuff
- Inexpensive Mesh WiFi
- Fast roaming support
- Affordable pricing
Bad Stuff
- 2 LAN ports only
Hi! Is there a particular reason that we need to use the PPPoE connection and switch on the VLAN? Thank you!
That’s only needed if you are doing direct connection to the modem.
Presently I am running a pair of M9 Plus. I need to add another one or two nodes.
Will M4 integrate well with my existing M9?
I will suggest maintaining the same model to enjoy faster performance.
Hi admin, i am in a 2000sqft condo ,and just registered with times 500mbps was wondering getting a M4 or M5 will be better. I planning to get the 3point version
The Deco M5 3 pack will always be a faster model.
Hi, I am in a 180sqm apartment. My internet is a 50mbps line. Which would you recommend between 2-pack M4 and one Archer C80 which is much cheaper here? Thanks.
I will recoment a mesh WiFi system instead.
Thanks !
Hi my house is currently under 100mbps unifi. Will the M4 setup work for 100 mbps and also for higher speed if I upgrade in the future?
I will recommend the Deco M4 for up to 300Mbps. Anything more you will need the Deco M9 Plus or the WiFi 6 series.
Hi. im subscribed to maxis 300mbps. is the m4 a viable model to convert to mesh? or are there any other recommendations? (i live in a 3 storey house)
Yes, the Deco M4 model is a good choice for your speed but I think the Deco M5 is a better option considering you are staying in a bigger property.
Hi, I have maxis home broadband now and would like to upgrade router to mesh. What’s your recommendation on best mesh? It’s for double storey house.
The Deco M4 is pretty decent for the price. I believe they are just selling the twin pack for less than RM400 these days.
Bos can review new firmware for m4?
I have just got a pair of M4 to cover a double storey house ( ~ 1800sqft ). Setup was fine. One Deco M4 as the router in the living room and another placed near the staircase. Wifi signal coverage is fine. However, the problem is that the speed is very unstable and also accessing certain websites / server is problematic ( very very low speed ) even when my device is just beside the Deco. I did noticed also a condition, whereby the Deco seem to require some “warm up” time as the first few minutes during Power On… Read more »
Is it still worth while buying M4 while M9 is in the market? Do you get a substantial difference? I intend buying 3 unit pack (whichever one) for my house layout and size. Wondering if I should take the benefit of buying M4 (rated highly) at lower price as against the latest model and pay a higher price. My need is only to have good seamless wifi connectivity in all spaces.
M9 is a lot better than the M4. Heck, even the M5 is a lot better.
Hi, I;ve deployed the Deco M4 with 3 Mesh devices with NAT mode to the internet.
My network utilizes File sharing via Windows Homegroup.
My questions are :-
1) How can we determine a host connects to which Deco Devices ?
2) Windows file sharing sometime working , sometimes not working. suspected the Deco devices created “islands” of devices where devices connected to one DECO LAN is isolated from another DECO LAN devices.
1) If you use WiFi, check the MAC address
2) The entire network is on the same subnet and same IP range. Technically shouldn’t have any issue. Do you use mesh or AP mode on your entire network?
Does this M4 support port forwarding?
Or any mesh wifi that’s supports port forwarding that have unifi support at the same time?
Thanks
Yes, M4 supports port forwarding.