2019 marked the arrival of the first of the Wi-Fi 6 routers. These delivered a much needed speed increase and just (if not more) importantly, the ability to manage the demands of modern networks with homes full of smart connected devices all needing Wi-Fi. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Wi-Fi 6 was a common theme. The new crop of PCs and laptops all support the new standard, and it’ll be hard to find a new smartphone this year that doesn’t have Wi-Fi 6 capability. So CES 2020 was perfect timing for TP-Link to launch its new line of Deco Mesh routers with Wi-Fi 6.
These new whole-home networking solutions combine the superior coverage and automatic network management of a mesh system, with all the advantages of Wi-Fi 6.
Deco X90
The most powerful of the new TP-Link mesh systems is the Deco X90—the winner of a CES 2020 Innovation award.
This tri-band mesh system (sold as a two-pack) offers a combined 6600Mbps of data throughput. It delivers lightning fast Wi-Fi 6 performance to up to 6,000 square feet (557 square metres) and it can support up to 200 simultaneous connections. Dynamic backhaul can make use of all three bands if needed to maintain a stable connection between units. A 2.5Gbps WAN port means you can take full advantage of an ultra-high speed fibre connection from your ISP.
Deco X60
The Deco X60 is positioned to be the mesh system that should cover the needs of most users.
The two units provide 5,000 square feet (465 square metres) of dual-band, 3000Mbps Wi-Fi 6 coverage. This system can support as many as 150 devices all connecting to Wi-Fi at the same time.
Deco X20
Historically, mesh Wi-Fi systems have been more expensive than traditional routers so many people have missed out on the mesh benefits. The new Deco X20 (sold in two-packs and three-packs) is designed to eliminate that cost barrier. It’s an affordable, dual-band mesh router system with 1800Mbps data throughput . Buyers get the advantages of Wi-Fi 6 and whole home mesh coverage without having to break the bank.
A focus on security
I don’t need to tell you how important security is. Especially when the internet and internet-connected devices (like security systems, cameras and microphone-equipped smart speakers) are in the picture.
TP-Link looks at its routers as the first line of defence, the gateway that “bad guys” have to get past of they’re going to gain access to any of your devices. So the new Deco Mesh routers will be employing the latest WPA 3 security standard. TP-Link will also be offering a paid subscription service called TP-Link HomeCare Pro (no word on Canadian pricing or availability), that partners with Avira for AI-powered premium antivirus and IOT security.
Keep an eye on the blog for news of availability for those new TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 Deco Mesh systems. In the meantime, don’t miss out on any of the cool reveals at CES 2020. Best Buy Canada’s blog has had contributors at the show in Las Vegas all week, and comprehensive coverage of all the tech-related news that came out of CES.
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