TP-Link Deco M9 Vs Asus Lyra – Which router best suits your needs?

Choosing the best router from the wide pool of mesh routers can be a difficult process since there are many routers to choose from the wide variety. Among the top routers today, is the TP Link Deco M9 and the Asus Lyra. In the following article, we are going to compare and review the two routers and see which the best one for you is.

The TP Link M9 and Asus Lyra are mesh routers that have done a good job in eliminating dead zones in the house. While the TP Link is more popular, the Asus does a good job as a competitor beating out the M9 in some few functionalities. They both sell at relatively affordable prices. With that, the following table shows how they compare in terms of their hardware components and features.

What are the Differences between the TP Link Deco M9 andAsus Lyra Trio?

Model
TP Link Deco M9
Asus Lyra
Radio Freq. Support
Tri-band radios at 2.4GHz and 5Ghz (x2)
Dual 2.5GHz/5Ghz
Processor
712 MHz Quadcore
750 MHz Quadcore
Speed
2.4 GHz – 400 Mbps

5 GHz – 900 Mbps

2.4 GHz – 400 Mbps

5 GHz – 867 Mbps

Flash Memory
4 GB
32 MB
RAM
512 MB
128 MB
Ports
1 USB 2.0, 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports
1 Gigabit Ethernet WAN port, 1 Gigabit Ethernet LAN port
Availability

The TP Link M9 vs Asus Lyra – How do they compare?

Hardware Capacity

The hardware capacity of any mesh router system is one of the most important things to look at when selecting a mesh system to install. The hardware will tell you the performance of the router without necessarily checking for performance reviews on the internet. The TP Link M9 is an AC2200 processor with a triband 802.11 networking system that uses for independent data lanes. This is powered by a quad core processor of 638 MHz.This CPU processor is powerful and is able to transmit signals for very long range. The TP Link comes with a lot of memory of 512 MB and a flash memory of 4 GB. This is one of the best memory capacity in any router, with the only the Google Wi-Fi beating this number. On the other side, we have the Asus Lyra. The Lyra is an AC1750 mesh router with a 3 x 3 dual band system powered by a powerful 750MHz CPU processor. This CPU processor is powerful and is able to transmit signals for very long range. The Asus Lyra comes with a lot of memory of 128 MB of RAM and a flash memory of 32 MB. The dual band on both of these systems is feature a 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio band system.

Positioning and signal strength

If you’re looking for a mesh router, it means you experience signal dead zones in your house. You should always select the router with the best range and minimal loss of data. When it comes to the two routers here, they margin between them is small. When the TP Link M9 was tested on a real world environment over a service package of 80 Mbps, the following range was recorded. The download speed was 76 Mbps while the upload was 5.12 Mbps when standing 5 feet away from the router with no obstructions. At a distance of 13 feet with an obstruction of three stone walls, the download speed was measured at 75.6 Mbps while the upload speed dropped to 5.0 mbps.

The Asus Lyra was also tested under the same conditions and the following speeds were found. The download speed was 54.6 Mbps while the upload was 5.01 Mbps when standing 5 feet away from the router with no obstructions. At a distance of 13 feet with an obstruction of three stone walls, the download speed was measured at 77.5 Mbps while the upload speed dropped to 4.42 mbps.

Mobile app and other support systems

The Deco M9 features a Deco app that is known to work seamlessly and smoothly through the installation, configuration and management process. The Deco app is one of the best mesh systems apps with robust parental control that protects against harmful and explicit content. On the other side, we have the Asus Lyra trio mesh system. It also features an app that is compatible with both android and iOS devices. The first time setup and installation is done through the app. The Asus Lyra app boasts a user friendly interface that is easy to understand and use even for first time users. All router or node units can be seen and controlled from the app. You can see each router’s IP address, the devices connected.

In addition to this, the Asus Lyra can be accessed through the browser. This unique capability makes this router stand out. However, there are a few features and functionalities that cannot be accessed through the browser. Simple tasks such as turning on/off the LED can be done through the browser.

Performance and range

The performance of a mesh router is basically the speed at which the router accesses the internet at different bands. Both the TP Link M9 and the Asus Lyra come with dual bands that cannot be separated. The band channels are 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. When the TP Link M9 was tested on a real world environment over a service package of 80 Mbps, the following range was recorded. The download speed was 76 Mbps while the upload was 5.12 Mbps when standing 5 feet away from the router with no obstructions. At a distance of 13 feet with an obstruction of three stone walls, the download speed was measured at 75.6 Mbps while the upload speed dropped to 5.0 mbps.

The Asus Lyra was also tested under the same conditions and the following speeds were found. The download speed was 54.6 Mbps while the upload was 5.01 Mbps when standing 5 feet away from the router with no obstructions. At a distance of 13 feet with an obstruction of three stone walls, the download speed was measured at 77.5 Mbps while the upload speed dropped to 4.42 mbps. The Asus Lyra also features beamforming technology which is responsible for sending the WIFI signals to a client device directly instead of an all directional broadcast. It however does not support MU-MIMO.

Design and structure

When it comes to design, the two devices differ quite a lot. The TP Link M9 keeps the simplistic design of its predecessor, the M5, with the major difference being size. The M9 is bigger than the M5 but keeps the cylindrical seashell exterior design. It is shell white in color and has a plastic body. The design is modelled to fit into your home’s interior décor without looking out of place. There’s a single light LED on top of the router that acts as a status indicator. It measures 6.0 inches in diameter with a thickness of 1.5 inches.

Mesh routers tend to have very similar designs, but not the Asus Lyra trio. The Asus look like a spaceship with large LED lights and a triple column design that houses the three antennas in the system.

The Asus Lyra has a wonderful design. As the name suggests, the router has three pillars with an antenna housed inside each pillar. On top of that, the trio has a large LED light that lights up in different colors to indicate different status of the router. A red color means there is no connection while the white light indicates that the system is ready for setup. Each of the router nodes measures 3.1 by 5.5 by 5.1 inches in height width and length respectively. The router also has nodes for physical or wired connections. There are two gigabit Ethernet ports and a power jack at the back. One of the ports is a LAN port while the other is a WAN port. There is also a pairing/sync button at the base of each router.

The TP Link M9 has a whopping eight antennas which is an upgrade from the four in its predecessor the M5. These antennas are omnidirectional and are internal.The Asus Lyra on the other hand features 3 dual band MIMO internal antennas and one Bluetooth antenna. The Asus Lyra’s external design is actually based on the antennas with each of its three edges housing one antenna each.

The TP Link Deco M9 vs Asus Lyra Trio – A comparison review

TP Link Deco M9

TP-Link AC2200 Deco M9 Smart Whole Home WiFi (Renewed)
  • Whole home coverage – cover up to 6, 500 sq. Ft. With seamless, high-performance Wi-Fi and eliminate...
  • Aster tri-band speed for more devices – three Wi-Fi bands with dynamic backhaul by TP-Link one mesh...

The Deco M9 is known for its superior performance over routers in its price range. It is a great improvement from its predecessor, the Deco M5. Unfortunately, if you are on a tight budget, you may find this router too expensive. We think however, that the price is worth it. With the TP Link M9, you only need two units to cover a space of 5500 sq. feet and this is because of the eight internal antennas fitted inside it.

Pros

  • It offers very strong coverage
  • It features a mobile app with key functionalities such as parental control
  • It comes with an inbuilt antivirus software
  • It is easy to setup and manage
  • It supports Zigbee technologies

Cons

  • It is expensive
  • It has no USB ports

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Asus Lyra Trio

ASUS AC1750 Mesh WiFi System (Lyra Trio 3PK) - Whole Home Coverage up to 5,400 sq.ft & 6+ Rooms, Compatible with Alexa, AiMesh, Free Lifetime Internet Security, Parental Control
  • Aiprotection classic Features advanced parental controls powered by Trend Micro with website filters and...
  • The ASUS lyra app enables PC-Free setup, network management and Diagnostics for full network control

The Asus Lyra is mesh system meaning that the three hubs work together to ensure strong coverage through the whole house. Each unit contains an RJ45 Ethernet port for wired connection. It also comes with a mobile app compatible with both android and iOS devices. The app is used for first time installation and configuration and management of the routers. As the ‘trio’ name suggests, it features a triple pillar setup that houses the three main antennas of the system. Compared to the M9, it can be considered to be a bit slower. The Asus Lyra is affordable and great for people on a tight budget. It is also small measuring 3.1 x 5.1 x 5.1 in height, width and diameter respectively. However, due to its triangular design, it is difficult to mount.

Pros

  • The Asus Lyra trio is a very easy router to setup, manage and install
  • It has a very unique and sleek design
  • The router features an inbuilt security system known as Lifetime Security that protects against harmful connection and malware
  • It is a beautiful router that fits into the décor of your house
  • It is powerful and provides a wide range of up to 5400 square feet
  • The asuslyra is a secure system

 Cons

  • It has been reported to be inconsistent in its performance

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Conclusion

The TP Link M9 and the Asus Lyra router are both wonderful routers. If you have a large house, we recommend the Asus Lyra as it provides a wider range of up to 5000 sq. feet. If you’re looking for a more balanced and cheap router, the TP Link Deco M9 is the better choice.

Verdict – So which is better? TP Link Deco M9 or Asus Lyra

There is no denying the TP Link M9 is miles ahead of the Asus Lyra. From its CPU processing abilities to its memory, the M9 is the better choice for anyone looking for a mesh router system.

FAQs

  1. What package is best for the Asus Lyra?

The Lyra comes with a standard base unit of three devices (a main router and two secondary). You can add more units depending on the size of your house

  1. Does the Deco M9 have beamforming technology?

No. The TP Link M9 is already powerful enough and does not need beamforming technology

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