TP-Link Deco mesh WiFi system is consistently the best selling mesh WiFi system in Malaysia. They perform really well, being really easy to operate and works with almost all internet service providers. Most importantly, they improve Wi-Fi coverage resulting in a faster Wi-Fi speed.
Fast forward to 2020 where Wi-Fi 6 technology is now widely available on many flagship mobile phones and laptops. TP-Link released the new Deco X20 mesh Wi-Fi system that’s powered by Wi-Fi 6 up to AX1800 and updated various specifications for a stronger Wi-Fi coverage and a faster Wi-Fi speed.
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The Deco X60 is availale in both twin pack and triple pack variant. TP-Link says the 3 pack variant which cost RM1299 is good for up to 5800 square feet. It comes with a 3 years one to one exchange warranty.
The new Deco X20 is much larger than previous TP-Link Deco products. This is because TP-Link adopted an enhanced antenna design that’s supposed to improve WiFi coverage. TP-Link also used a much larger heatsink to cool the device down since they are designed to run 24/7.
The design language is really elegant and I like the white aesthetics that will fit into modern interior design easily. The Deco X20 is designed to be aesthetically pleasing as they will work better when they are placed at somewhere visible. The multi-color LED indicators are also hidden under the device.
The way a mesh WiFi system works is by combining the power of multiple units to blanket a larger property with a stronger and reliable WiFi coverage. This will result in a much faster WiFi speed and many additional benefits such as seamless roaming which is not possible while using WiFi repeaters.
Being Wi-Fi 6 enabled, the Deco X20 introduced new technologies such as OFDMA and a faster Wi-Fi radio. This will not just benefit Wi-Fi 6 devices as the enhanced Wi-Fi technology in areas such as interference mitigation will provide better speed for older Wireless AC devices as well.
Hardware and Specs
TP-Link Deco X20 is powered by a faster Qualcomm Quad-Core CPU with 512MB RAM. Like the Deco M4 it replaces, TP-Link Deco X20 is only dual-band but it has an much faster updated Wi-Fi 6 radio. This means the WiFi network is faster for 4K streaming and a smoother WiFi experience.
Unlike the Tri-Band Deco M9 Plus with the dedicated mesh WiFi backhaul, we’ll see whether a Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh WiFi system can beat a Tri-Band Wireless AC Mesh WiFi. However, this is expected since the Deco X20 is an entry level WiFi 6 system and all that cost savings need to go somewhere.
| WiFi Band 1 | 2.4GHZ Wireless AX up to 574Mbps (2X2 40Mhz) |
| WiFi Band 2 | 5Ghz Wireless AX up to 1201Mbps (2X2 80Mhz) |
| CPU | Qualcomm Quad-Core CPU |
| RAM | 512MB |
| Ports | 2 x Gigabit Ethernet LAN/WAN Port |
There are only 2 Gigabit Ethernet WAN/LAN ports on each Deco X20. If you need more ports, that can be expanded by using a Gigabit Ethernet switch. It also support Ethernet backhaul and the Ethernet ports on the mesh node also function as LAN port if you wish to connect some devices with an Ethernet cable.
Deco X20 Setup Guide
The process of installing the Deco X20 is really simple. You can either connect the Deco device to any existing router or connect it directly to the modem from your service provider. The setup process is done entirely via the TP-Link Deco app available for both Android and iOS devices.
I will suggest using the direct to modem connection if possible since that will provide a faster performance. For those residing in Malaysia, you will need to select the IPTV/VLAN profile if you use TM Unifi or Maxis Fiber. You’ll probably need to obtain the PPPOE username and password from your service provider as well.
For Malaysian users: On PPPOE mode for Unifi users, the second LAN port will be reserved for HyppTV. It’s poasible to configure the second port for normal devices.
Another good thing about TP-Link Deco X20 is they are linked right out of the box. They no longer require manually link eash node to the main unit. Thus, once the main unit setup is completed, just switch on the remaining Deco X20(s) and they will be automatically linked to the main unit.
Mesh WiFi Performance
The core feature that a mesh WiFi system supposed to deliver is a strong WiFi coverage which the Deco X20 excels at it. It is certainly able to cover an entire 3000 sq ft double-storey house with 5Ghz WiFi coverage when it’s placed at the middle of the house.
The performance is really convincing as well with speeds exceeding 800Mbps when tested from the main unit of the Deco X20. Notice the small Wi-Fi 6 logo that appear on my phone when connected to the network of the Deco X20.
The mesh node performance really depends on where you place each device. Placing them directly above may not be the and I will suggest 1-3 between each unit. On my setup, the Deco X20 outperform the previous Deco M5 mesh WiFi from TP-Link by a significant margin.
Interestingly, the Deco M9 Plus outperforms the Deco X20 at the mesh point for a good reason. The Deco M9 Plus is a tri-band mesh WiFi system while the Deco X20 is just dual-band. Having a dedicated backhaul is the deciding factor on the performance of the mesh point.
Mesh WiFi Roaming
The best part about TP-Link Deco series is their seamless roaming performance with full 802.11k/v/r support. There’s only one WiFi name for the entire mesh WiFi network. Once my phone is connected to the mesh WiFi network, the system will automatically steer my phone to the best possible network.
As I move around in my house within the coverage area of the Deco mesh WiFi, the Deco X20 is constantly monitoring signal levels. Once the system detects there’s another mesh unit with stronger signal, it will quickly force my phone to roam to the faster network. All this is happening automatically and seamlessly.
Overall, the great roaming performance of TP-Link Deco series provide a really seamless user-experience of their Deco mesh WiFi system. I really do not have to change any settings as the system is just working so well.
Firmware and Features
Managing the Deco X20 can be done entirely via the cloud-linked Deco app. It means the Deco X20 system can be managed with the Deco app everywhere as long as you are connected to the Internet on your phone. The Deco X20 is linked to a secured TP-Link ID.
The app is really simple and very user-friendly to operate. The homepage will display all the devices connected to the mesh WiFi network and what’s the current network speed used by each WiFi devices. TP-Link Deco will also inform you whenever there’s a software update to the Deco mesh WiFi system.
On the detailed Deco page, you’ll be able to see the detail list of devices connected to each unit of the Deco X20 mesh WiFi systems. The mesh toggle will let you to disable the seamless roaming function if you have permanent devices such as an smart home device that are unlikely to move.
HomeCare Security
Security wise, TP-Link Deco X20 comes with the HomeCare security suite. It’s actually an antivirus firewall system powered by TrendMicro database. The system will prevent devices connected to the Deco network from accessing a website containing a virus or malware.
TP-Link Deco X20 also supported the latest WPA3 Wi-Fi security right out of the box. WPA3 is more secure than WPA2 with stronger encryption level for better WiFi security. However, I do not recommend using WPA3 if you have older devices in your network as those devices may not be compatible with WPA3 security.
HomeCare Parental Control
My favorite feature is probably the robust parental control function on the Deco X20. Apart from the usual time usage limit and scheduling function, the system is able to restrict access to certain content for selected devices based on categories.
This is a really handy feature especially with young kids at home as the system can block access to webpages based on categories selected. It will also produce a weekly report to tell you if any users attempted to access restricted websites defined by the parental control rules.
TP-Link database is pretty comprehensive based on our observation. Most of the websites we tested are blocked successfully by the content blocker. However, there’s a manual URL blocking shall there be any websites that you wish to be blocked isn’t included in TP-Link’s default database.
Network Optimization (QoS)
Lastly, there’s a basic application based QoS. Once a scenario selected, the Deco X20 will automatically optimize the network to provide the best performance based on the scenario. Remember to configure the bandwidth based on the Internet plan that you signed up prior to using it.
Closing Thoughts
TP-Link Deco X20 is a great mesh Wi-Fi system. It fulfills the promise of a strong, seamless and reliable Wi-Fi coverage for a huge home. What’s so good about it is the effortless operation where everything just works without need to tinker with the settings. The Deco app is really easy to operate and user-friendly as well.
Being powered by Wi-Fi 6 technology, the Deco X20 is faster than the Deco M5 and comes with a stronger Wi-Fi coverage. I’ll be looking forward to the upcoming Deco X90 with flagship level Wi-Fi 6 performance from TP-Link.
TP-Link Deco X20
8.9
Tubi Rating
pros
- Faster than Deco M5 and a stronger WiFi coverage
- Easy to setup with user-friendly app
- Robust parental control and antivirus feature
cons
- Only 2 ports on each unit
- Can only be configured using the Deco app
Deco x20 vs asus ax53u which better?
The Deco X20 performs better than ASUS RT-AX53U.
And is it true this deco we can’t separate 2,4ghz and 5ghz or all of this deco its same?
All Deco doesn’t allow using a separate name for 2.4GHz and 5GHz network.
Hi sir, I’ve purchased mesh x20 which come with 2 unit for my office last time. But now I only use 1 unit as router and not use the other unit as mesh. Can I use that unused unit at my home and use it as router?
Yes you can use the other unit at your home as router. Just reset it and setup as a new unit when you’re at home.
thank you sir for your reply. another question, how does deco x20 perform compare to Archer ax20? is it worth if I replaced my Archer x20 with this deco x20 as my home router?
I will suggest replacing it with something more powerful like the Deco X50 instead of the Deco X20 if you are looking for a more significant upgrade. The Deco X20 is Wi-Fi 6 AX1800, similar to the Archer AX20.
Quick question, we purchased the x20 and it’s everything you said it is, very happy with it. Our router is from AT&T and it’s about 5 years old, do you recommend maybe upgrading to the deco router i believe they also sell on the web page?
Hi Mike, I don’t think you’ll need to upgrade router as once you use the Deco X20, the router feature is taken over by the Deco X20.
is the Home security need subscription? i saw in the app gt 30days free trial only
The basic tier of HomeShield is free. If you require the HomeShield Pro features then a subscription is neede.
Hi, would like to have your insight, i currently have 2 M4 mesh in a 2 storey house and subscribed to 300mbps. The modem is located on the second floor. So internet connection, in the kitchen is a dead spot. Which mesh would you recommend me to get M9 plus or X20? I would like to still use both of my M4 too
I will suggest getting the Deco M9 Plus instead. It’s actually faster than Deco X20 most of the time.
Hi bro, first of all thanks for all the reviews so far. Really helped lot of us..my new house is 2 1/2 storey and i bringing my previous Deco M4 2 pack to my new house. Just subscribed 100mb Unifi.. should i buy Deco M5 or X20 to replace the current M4. one of my concern to buy new one is to have built in firewall since i’m gonna have lot IOT things in future. New unifi plan comes with wifi 6 router so i pair it with new deco or just replace it also.
Please advice.
While the Deco M4 is still good enough for 100Mbps, you can upgrade to a Wi-Fi 6 capable model for improved capacity. That will result in lower latency and consistency.
Great reviews, thank you! I’m trying to decide on a replacement for my dying Asus RT-AC68U. It covers the house fine with good position. So considering a TPLink AX72 as a single point, or these X20’s with ethernet backhaul. About 35 devices, crap 60/6 WAN. Welcome your thoughts?!
PS I’m eying the X80’s as well, they would smash it, but not sure I can justify the 3x cost?
If the RT-AC68U is able to cover your entire home, the Archer AX72 will be able to cover even better. I do not recommend using a mesh Wi-Fi if a single router is able to provide sufficient Wi-Fi coverage. Unless there’s plan to upgrade the speed, I suggest going with the Archer AX72.
may i ask is this mesh good enough for a double storey 4800 sq ft house? currently using M4 with 500 mbps speed. first floor can only get 140 mbps and inside the room is worst, about 100 mbps. Thanks
If you wish to get 500Mbps for the entire house, I will recommend the Deco XE75. The Deco X20 can give you speed around 200+Mbps on another floor.
Hi, is it possible to connect the satellite deco wired backhaul cable through the gigabit switch?
Yes, you can do so.
Hi. Currently in a 2 and a 1/2 storey house. Modem and router located on the top floor. Should I get the deco X20 (3pack) or deco M9 plus (3 pack)? No wifi 6 devices yet but should I get wifi 6 mesh for futureproof? Thanks
Deco M9 Plus actually performs better than Deco X20 most of the time.
Hi,will this perform better than Asus Lyra Trio for 2 storey terrace house with quite some walls?
The Lyra Trio is an older product so literally every WiFi 6 product in the market will be better. However, I will recommend getting one of the high-end mesh WiFi such as the Deco X90 for better performance.
Hi, I have a pair E4 connected via ethernet on 2 floors (1800 sq m each) . I still have dead zones in the house. Given I have upgraded to 200 Mbps,I want to add either X20 or M5 2 pack. What do you suggest? Since X20 is the latest, I am inclined towards it but not sure how X20 & E4 will work together. Will E4 support wifi6 if X20 is the main node?
I will recommend getting the Deco X20 instead. It is a newer model with better performance.