Warning: The Deco BE95 with its two mesh network routers far exceeds the needs and resources of the ordinary user. But since we like squeaking in front of a plush house, we mercilessly tested this set of WiFi 7 routers with a total speed of 33 Gbit/s. Apart from the price there is nothing to complain about.
Posted at 1:28 p.m.
We love
If you haven’t even had time to get used to WiFi 6 and 6E, you have a right to moan: WiFi 7 is the next WiFi standard. Called IEEE 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT), it expands the spectrum available to connected devices to the 6 GHz band and enables transmission of up to 46 Gbit/s, increasing network capacity by five times and theoretically providing a hundred times more less latency than WiFi 6.
As you can imagine, few devices send or receive WiFi 7. The Deco BE95 is one of the first routers on the market to do this, and you have to be a total geek or a hyperactive critic to have three such compatible phones . This is our case.
The two routers in our Deco BE95 set work in a mesh network. The main router, in our case in the living room, is connected directly to the modem and transmits the signal to a second router exclusively via one of the two 6 GHz bands. This system is considered more stable and efficient than adding a network extender. Its MU-MIMO capabilities allow up to 16 beams to be transmitted simultaneously to any number of connected devices.
We tested this extensively for a month without apparently being able to confirm the stratospheric speeds in the double-digit Gbit/s range. First point: Our Deco BE95s never showed any signs of instability and transmitted the WiFi to our sixty (yes) connected devices without any attenuation. No annoying lags when playing video games or conference calls and enough intelligence to route every device to the nearest router. As far as reliability goes, there’s nothing to report, which is excellent news since that’s the first thing we expect from a router.
There is also good news when it comes to the effectiveness of the mesh network, dozens of measurements with Ookla’s Speedtest have shown us this. Under the best conditions, with a cable connection or with the main router in the living room, we achieved the maximum speed allowed by our provider Videotron, that is, 947 Mbit/s for download and 56 Mbit/s for upload.
Our devices connected to the secondary router in the office received slightly less speed, sometimes up to 72 Mbps less. The latency was also slightly higher, a maximum of around ten milliseconds. This is excellent performance for a mesh network.
For the most curious, here are the results of our tests. This was made easier by the fact that in the Deco app we can choose which router and frequency our device should connect to. The results are categorized by router, primarily in the living room and secondarily in the office, as well as by wired Ethernet connections.
Each router has four Ethernet inputs, two at 10Gbps and two at 2.5Gbps, and the whole thing can cover an area of 7,800 square meters for 200 devices. That was obviously more than enough for a residence like ours with 1500 square feet on three levels.
The Deco app is a model of clarity, allowing you to see connected devices, their network usage, and your preferred router at a glance. You have the option to keep the same name or choose a different one for the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz networks. A network optimization tool is available to help you prioritize the least trafficked channels. Some devices may be privileged and the basic features of TP-Link HomeShield are offered free of charge, which scans the network for threats and allows you to configure parental controls. The Total Security plan, which includes antivirus and a secure VPN, costs $179.99 per year.
We like less
The price of $1699.99 is so high it’s embarrassing.
The application contains a tab for controlling home automation devices, but only devices manufactured by TP-Link are displayed there.
The two routers, which are equipped with 12 internal antennas, are large and there is no way to discreetly integrate them into the setup.
You buy ?
The purchase question seems completely out of place here, at this price and in an area that usually concerns devices for the average consumer. It’s up to you to decide whether your WiFi network is worth such a large investment. In our opinion, our task was to evaluate the quality of the BE95 and the result is clear: we are dealing with a range of high-end routers, ready for the next Wi-Fi standard and for demanding users are thought.
Sheet: Deco BE95 (BE33000), set consisting of two units
- Manufacturer: TP-Link
- Price: $1,699.99 (available at Amazon and Best Buy)
Rating: 8.5 out of 10