I’m looking to replace my Access Point with one that supports more connections on 2.4GHz. TP-Link Deco E4 or M5 seem ideal - but they look like cloud-controlled devices, and their FAQs are all sufficiently vague. I have dealt with TP-Link support before, and they are quick to respond … but mostly they just repeat what is in the user guide … and so I request guidance from actual users with experience.
I guess I should firstly ask if anyone is using any Deco in Access Point mode ? TP-Link says it is possible, but all the other FAQs assume Router mode.
I prefer not to load up my phone with apps I may use only once per year. The TP-Link website says a web interface to configure the Decos is coming. Does the current firmware for E4 or M5 have it ? I guess I’ll have to wait to find the Hardware version of the unit I am sold, to then check firmware on the support page.
A TP-Link account appears to be required to log into the app to do the initial configuration; which means the device is checking their web server. Is this done once only on initial configuration (which i can accept), or whenever the configuration is entered, or on a more frequent basis ? I have a TP-Link ID - but don’t want a device which is constantly reporting back.
Is the TP-Link ID required by the Deco E4/M5 web interface, or just by the phone app ?
The M5 has features not in the E4, but since I’m planning to run in AP mode, I assume there would be no benefit from them ?
It looks as though the TP-Link Deco integration doesn’t add much to HA. Is there a better integration ?
Running 2xM9 & 3xM5 in AP behind a Synology router. working fine. House bathed in WiFi. Not using Synology WiFi.
M5 & M9 Plus configuration via app. you can run the app on an M1 Mac though.
Think it is constantly reporting back. will push notifications to you etc. Even though not my router I can access the Deco Mesh network from outside home. Not 100% sure here but it does a lot in cloud.
not aware of web interface
Unable to comment. zigbee hub in M9 only for tp-link devices i believe.
why not go with something like a Belkin rt3200, flash OpenWrt and get going. Or even some used access points like Ubiquiti which are actually made for more user aka commercial use etc. both of these can be bought from eBay at cheap rates.
They’ve been saying it for years, don’t hold your breath…
I have an M9, and I really like its range and performance, but the fact I have to use their app to manage it is a total turn off. Not only that, the app is clunky and not intuitive (terrible UI), and I have trouble hunting through the screens to figure out how to use it. I wrote up about it here - Support for TP-Link Deco M9 Router Integration - #17 by mwav3 . I had to rely on IFTTT for awhile (a cloud based connection) to find out if devices are connected locally for presence detection. Someone finally put together a custom HACs integration - GitHub - amosyuen/ha-tplink-deco: Home Assistant TP-Link Deco Custom Component . Its still far from ideal compared to other routers.
When it dies, I would not purchase one again based on the app alone. I don’t mind the idea of being able to use an app to configure it AND the router’s network page, but the network page for this router is a joke and has limited config options. You need the app to do almost anything, and I did not fully realize this going in because I thought I could manage everything through the router’s webpage like every other router I’ve ever had. If TPLink decides to kill this app or discontinue it, I now have 3 overpriced bricks in my house.
I haven’t done a ton of research on it, but I think I would go with the Unifi/Ubiquiti system instead next time. There seems to be a much better Home Assistant integration for it - UniFi Network - Home Assistant
I agree and ANY router you can flash OpenWrt to would be better
I have 3 x Deco M5 in Access Point mode, however I do all DHCP and DNS from pi-hole as it’s much easier to manage. You also get ad-blocking automatically, which can be turned on/off using a fairly simple REST API.