Tested: Deco XE75 | Tightly Woven Routers

We ask a router to be fast and reliable, and the two units forming the Deco XE75 answered the call well after three weeks of testing. As a bonus, it uses the all-new WiFi 6E, supports over 200 devices, and can send internet over more than 500 square meters through its mesh network.

Karim Benessaieh
The Press

WE love

The router, a crucial device in any connected house, has a thankless job: we appreciate it all the more because it does not remind us of its presence. If the internet is fast with no latency, devices connect immediately, and the signal is strong everywhere, it’s done its job.

On these points, the Deco XE75 has an impeccable record after being tested in a 150 m three-level house.^⁠2, in which 51 devices compete for the internet. With three nice signal bars throughout, connections were smooth, video conferencing flawless, and download speeds consistent.

This last point is important, as the Deco XE75 actually features two routers – or three if you want even more coverage. In our case, the first, main, was connected directly to the modem downstairs, while the second acted as a relay upstairs. Our iPhone connected to the second router was getting our provider’s maximum speed of 112 Mbps with a latency of 17 milliseconds. A Pixel 6 Pro connected to the main router had exactly the same speed, with a latency of 19 milliseconds.

We were able to place our second router at the edge of a window, near the backyard, thus extending the internet signal to the back of the lot. About 30 meters from the router, we got a 32 Mb/s signal, which a single central router could never have given us.

The Deco XE75 is one of the first routers, and one of the most affordable, to broadcast the new WiFi 6E standard. This uses 6 GHz frequencies with wider channels of 160 MHz, avoiding interference and technically allowing better speed and lower latency. The Deco XE75 can transmit up to 2402 Mb/s on this frequency. The router obviously supports the “old” frequencies of 2.4 (574 Mb / s) and 5 GHz (2402 Mb / s), the only ones that almost all devices can use in 2022.

The two units of the Deco XE75 router are cylinder-shaped, white with a black cover, 16.9 cm high with a diameter of 10.9 cm. The device is discreet and silent, and its light-emitting diode can be switched off at selected times.

For the first time with TP-Link, we have three Gigabit ports, and not just two. The addition is appreciated, especially for the main router, one of whose ports is necessarily occupied by the connection to the modem.

The installation seemed to us much simplified. From the Deco app, our first router was instantly identified and added to the network. It was enough to connect the second so that it too was automatically added.

All the management then happens in the Deco application. This is where we see the list of our 51 devices, which unit they are connected to, the security and performance of the network, the configuration of parental controls and the administration settings, for example for the reservation of addresses and port forwarding. It also offers a network protection service for $7.99 per month, HomeShield Pro, which intercepts threats and offers more sophisticated parental controls.

We love less

In our case, we only had one device capable of using WiFi 6E, Google’s Pixel 6 Pro. We did not notice any difference. Further testing will be needed with more devices. In short, WiFi 6E is far from being a must today.

Some more experienced users might want more configuration possibilities from the web interface. This is minimal.

One buys ?

If your internet coverage is incomplete or you need to change routers and want to opt for the most up-to-date technology, the Deco XE75 is a good choice. We couldn’t find fault with it despite a demanding and busy network, with data-hungry users.

Obviously, at this price, it has a little too much capacity for the user who only has a few devices connected to a small area.