TP Link Deco M5 vs TP Link Deco M4 – Finding the best Wi-Fi Router for your Needs

Settling for one Wi-Fi router for your home or office space is really crucial to your whole setup regarding your connectivity needs. TP Link Deco M5 and TP Link Deco M4 are two premium quality options in the market- with TP Link Deco M5 boasting of fast speeds.

When choosing a Wi-Fi router, you have a number of elements to keep in mind. Some include the range and speeds you will get from the router no matter how far or near you are to the unit. You also need to consider the software and chipset features. All in all, it can be quite hectic to find the best Wi-Fi router for you.

This guide has narrowed down to TP Link Deco M5 and TP Link Deco M4 that are two quality options for both office and home use. Made by the same manufacturer, they are eerily similar but they have their differences as well. This article shows the subtle differences that exist between these two excellent options, so as to help you choice between them.

What are the differences between TP Link Deco M5 and TP Link Deco M4? 

TP Link Deco M5 vs TP Link Deco M4 – How do they compare?

Range and Capacity 

For TP Link Deco M5, it is a home Wi-Fi mesh system that does exactly that. It offers a reliable coverage of up to 5,500 square feet. This is more than enough for all kinds of home designs ranging from modern ones to ranch houses. Also keep in mind that the TP Link Deco can be synced with a Wi-Fi extender if need be. Nonetheless, this coverage is enough to reach your patios all the way to the attic and to the basement.

To add, this range is available for more than 100 devices connected to the system. This works well if you have a large household or you are looking for a router to fit into your office. Whatever the case, TP Link Deco M5 has a large enough capacity for all kinds of Wi-Fi devices ranging from smart TVs to smartphones.

TP Link Deco M4, on the other hand, it also offers coverage of up to 5,500 square feet so you need not worry about signal drops in certain areas of your home. This coverage is enough for multi-story homes in all kinds of designs ranging from ranch houses to L-shaped homes and 3-5 bedrooms,

Also keep in mind that if you need even more robust coverage, you can get additional units. You can have up to 10 Deco units spread about your home or office space.

As to its capacity, it can handle up to 100 devices connected for Deco M4.

Structure and Design 

In terms of the general design, TP Link Deco M5 and TP Link Deco M4 are eerily similar. For the M5, it weighs 1.02lbs and measures 4.7 x 4.7 x 1.3 inches. It is also white in color and easily blends in with any room it is placed in. The M4, on the flipside weighs 0.16oz with the dimensions 3.6 x 3.6 x 7.5 inches, the outward design of the M4 is not disappointing as well. It comes in white and is compact sized enough to blend in with every room you place the nodes in.

They also both have LED lights that let you know on the status of your network at all times. TP Link Deco M5 has a green LED light at the top of the unit. In case this becomes a bother at night, you can easily turn it off by switching on the Night Mode through the app.

All the three units for each model are identical in size and shape.

Technology

TP Link Deco M5 and TP Link Deco M4 are designed with advanced technology. For example, they are loaded with the Adaptive Routing technology. These routers are intelligent enough to choose for you the fastest signal path for all connected devices. This adds to the seamless roaming you get to experience with a mesh Wi-Fi system.

Performance in speed tests

When put to the test, the Deco M5 can deliver up to 400Mbps when in close proximity to the router. For Deco M4 on the other hand, you can get fast speeds of 342Mbps when you are 30 feet away from the router.

Additional Accessories

For both TP Link Deco M5 and TP Link Deco M4, the installation process is pain-free with the app. Once you download the TP Link Deco app to your smartphone or tablet, you can easily have all your devices synced with the home network up and running. The app also allows you to tweak many settings on your router. For instance, you can easily disable or enable certain antivirus features to better suit you.

Yet another additional feature with TP Link Deco M4 is the guest network. With M4, you can set-up a profile for all your visitors. This makes it easy for them to go online and it also keeps your network safe from unwanted eyes.

The app also allows you to check which devices are connected to your network. This is a safety feature as well.

TP Link Deco M5 vs. TP Link Deco M4 – A Comparison Overview

TP Link Deco M5

TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System(Deco M5) –Up to 5,500 sq. ft. Whole Home Coverage and 100+ Devices,WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Anitivirus, 3-pack

• If you're looking to ditch your traditional router extender setup for a whole Home Wi-Fi system, put the...
• Better coverage than traditional Wi-Fi routers: Deco M5 uses 3 units working seamlessly to create a mesh...

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With up to 5,500 square feet coverage with more than 100 devices connected to it, TP-Link Deco M5 is a mesh Wi-Fi that easily stands out. Beyond its wide coverage and high capacity, it has many other quality features.

First, TP Link Deco M5 is that all the nodes operate under one network name and password. Therefore, as you move around your house or office space, you get to experience seamless internet connection.

It is also highly secure with the Home Care feature. At no additional cost for up to 3 years, TP Link Deco M5 is designed to keep your network secure and safe at all times. It is also loaded with antivirus software to protect you against all kinds of cyber threats. For instance, it blocks all kinds of intrusions and port scans on all connected smart devices like your TV and phones.

To add, TP Link Deco also received the JD Power Award in 2017 and 2019 for ranking the highest in customer satisfaction. Therefore, you can be assured that both these models are custom built to meet and even exceed your needs and requirements.

TP Link Deco M5 also works well because it comes with three units that can offer widespread coverage in all kinds of houses. Whether your home is L-shaped or a ranch house, TP Link Deco M5 ensures that you do not have to suffer through dead zones in certain areas of your house.

Yet another quality feature of the TP Link M5 is it also offers parental control options for its users. For example, you can easily filter the kind of websites that your children can have access to. You can also monitor the usage time on a certain device for closer supervision.

Pros

• Has parental control features
• Comes with an anti-virus
• 2 year warranty and 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Warms up after some time as the vents are located at the bottom of the units
• Does not come with a wall mount option

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TP Link Deco M4

TP-Link Deco Whole Home Mesh WiFi System – Up to 5,500 Sq.ft. Coverage, WiFi Router/Extender Replacement, Gigabit Ports, Seamless Roaming, Parental Controls, Works with Alexa(Deco M4 3-Pack)

• JD Power Award ---Highest in customer satisfaction for wireless routers 2017 and 2019
• Better Coverage than traditional WiFi routers: Deco M4 three units work seamlessly to create a WiFi mesh...

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Sold as a 3-pack, TP Link Deco M4 is a quality whole home mesh Wi-Fi system. It has many quality features that make it well suited for your residence and office area as well.

First, the TP Link Deco M4 offers 5,500 square feet coverage that is not compromised even with many devices connected to the network. This makes the M4 a good replacement for your single Wi-Fi router and any extenders if you had. Its coverage is wide enough to hit all areas from the attic to basement and the outdoors.

Secondly, TP Link Deco M4 comes with all the hardware features you could need. For example, it has Gigabit ports that offer fast wired connections as well.

Another pro feature is the additional accessories it comes with. For instance, if you have children, you can easily monitor and manage their activities online. Through the TP Link app you can easily set online time limits as well as have the internet connection paused on specific devices.

TP Link Deco M4 is also compatible with Alexa for remote-management using voice controls.

TP Link Deco M4 also offers parental control features. Using the app, you can easily set online time limits. You can also block out certain websites from being accessed through your network. This comes in handy to protect your children from accessing inappropriate websites.

Using the app, setting up TP Link Deco M4 has been made really easy for pros and amateurs alike. Once you download the Deco app on your smartphone (Android or IOS) the set-up process is a breeze.

TP Link Deco M4 also has LED lights to keep you up to date on the status of your network. A solid red light, for example means that there are issues with the network. The blue main light, on the other hand, indicates that the router is setting up.

Finally, as is with mesh Wi-Fi systems, TP Link Deco M4 has many benefits. For example, you get to enjoy seamless roaming throughout your home as all the nodes are connected to a single network with a single password.

Like all other products, the TP Link Deco M4 is not without its faults. First, you need to sign up for a TP Link account to access all these added features through the app. This may not be ideal for some. To add, Alexa does not help much with doing mass changes to your system. For example, if you want to change the Wi-Fi password of your network, you need to use Alexa on all the devices.

Finally, if you need more options to manage your interface, the M4 might disappoint on that. The mesh system works by automatically picking the best signal and does not give you any leeway to tweak this.

Pros

• Can easily turn off/on the guest Wi-Fi network
• Comes with a 2 year warranty and 24/7 customer technical support
• Easy to install with the tech support extra helpful
• Offers great coverage and reliable signal strengths
• Comes with parental control options through the app
• Reasonably priced

Cons

• Does not have many options to tweak the interface
• You need to sign into an account to use the app

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Conclusion

More and more, people are ditching the traditional single Wi-Fi router in favor of whole home mesh Wi-Fi systems. When going for mesh Wi-Fi systems, the coverage you get is crucial. After all, people go for extra nodes so as to get their whole home or office area covered. This article has reviewed TP Link Deco M5 and TP Link Deco M4 that are quality mesh systems. TP L

Verdict: So which is better? TP Link Deco M5 or M4

Both these routers are premium quality. In fact, TP Link won the JD Power award for customer satisfaction.

However, when it comes down to it, the TP Link Deco M5 wins out. It has wide coverage, fast speeds and Home Care all for a reasonable price.

FAQ’s

1. What are some of the key specs to look out for in a mesh system such as M5 and M9?

The maximum theoretical Wi-Fi speeds, Ethernet ports, MU-MIMO functions and any other additional features like parental control options and Alexa compatibility.

2. How do the parental control features work on the TP Link Deco M5 and TP Link Deco M4?

For both these mesh-systems, they come with the Deco app that offers parental control options. Using the app, you can easily block out inappropriate websites and also set online time limits for your children.