The Deco M5 is TP-Link's take on the increasing popular whole home Wi-Fi (mesh) product category. These little discs contain a total of four radios each, that act as a combination of Wi-Fi backhaul and client access.

Mesh routers aren't exactly new, but until now they've tended to command the kind of price points that have kept them out of the reach of the majority. TP-Link hopes to change that with the Deco M5, which offers up a mesh system much cheaper than the competition.

Great value for money; Incredibly easy to configure; Good coverage

Not as fast as some; Lacks fine control

Nice and simple to setup and then just starts working. Bigger range than my previous standard wifi router though still has a bit of trouble getting through my coloursteel cladding.

This is a great product. It creates a strong wifi signal in our house. As you need one unit to sit with existing wifi router, you really only have two units to place in dead zones around your home. Highly reccommended.

It was only a matter of time before TP-Link joined other networking manufacturers such as Linksys, Netgear, and Amped Wireless in releasing a whole-home Wi-Fi system. Its Deco M5 Wi-Fi System ($299.99) is a three-piece unit that employs mesh technology to blanket your home with wireless coverage. It's loaded with features, including malware and virus protection, robust parental controls, and intuitive QoS options, and it is easy to install and manage. Design and Features The three-piece Deco M5 system ($169.99 at Walmart)(Opens in a new window) provides up to 4,500 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage. For larger homes, additional nodes (up to 10 total) can be purchased for $129.99 each. Every circular Deco unit is identical and measures 4.7 inches in diameter and 1.4 inches high. With their low profile and matte white finish you can place them out in the open where they will blend in with any décor. Each unit contains two gigabit Ethernet ports, a USB-C power port, a Reset button, and ...

The TP-Link Deco M5 Wi-Fi System is a stylishly designed Wi-Fi system that delivers solid throughput performance and supports MU-MIMO streaming. It's also a breeze to install and its feature set is robust.

Solid throughput performance; Robust parental controls; Built-in virus and malware protection; Easy to install; Well-designed mobile app

No web interface; Does not support dedicated band control

TP-Link makes a strong entry into the whole-home Wi-Fi game with its Deco M5. This router performs very well and has one uncommon feature: integrated antivirus/antimalware (from Trend Micro) that can protect all the devices on your network. But if you want one, you’ll need to pay for a $300 three-pack, as that’s the only way it’s available right now.

TP-Link’s Deco M5 isn’t the absolute fastest whole-home Wi-Fi system on the market, but it delivers very good performance and a strong set of features.

Very good overall performance; Built-in antivirus and anti-malware protection for the entire network; Unobtrusive industrial design;

No dedicated channel for data backhaul; Must use a smartphone or tablet for setup and configuration; Available in three-packs only;

The TP-Link Deco M5 system is an unobtrusive mesh router that is easy to setup and offers good performance.

Tired of patchy wifi using conventional extender system, so I wanted to try a mesh system. This one came recommended by "Which" as a Best Buy and was on sale at a discount so I took the plunge. Setting up the wired connection to the broadband modem was very straightforward.

Has now had my Deco M5 for over 3 months and it works perfectly in our single-storey house of 180 sqm. Covering the entire house without any problems. Especially like the possibility of being able to control the children's possibility of WiFi both in number of possible hours / day and set specific...

TP-Link's new Deco M5 mesh networking kit targets simplicity, but it's half-baked.

Unique circular design; Support for Ethernet-based Deco-to-Deco communication

Unstable Bluetooth mobile setup process; No web-based backend; Wireless AC devices have a 433Mbps limit; Shallow "advanced" features