Dong Ngo
4 Min Read
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Today, TP-Link announced the availability of the Deco XE70 Pro AXE4900 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6E System. If the name rings a bell, that's because there have been the Deco XE75 Pro as well as the original Deco XE75.
While the model names can get confusing, it's safe to say this new Deco XE70 Pro is another variant of TP-Link's Dual-stream (2x2) Wi-Fi 6E Deco systems. It will be similar to the rest of the ecosystem in features and settings. This brief preview will highlight where it might be different.
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TP-Link Deco XE70: That familiar sinking feeling of having a single Multi-Gig port
Like the case of the XE75 Pro, the new Deco XE70 Pro gets the "Pro" designation from the fact it has a 2.5Gbps port. While that's a step up from having no Multi-Gig port at all—the case of non-Pro Wi-Fi 6 and 6E Deco variants—the fact that there's only a single 2.5Gbps port per hardware unit means you won't get a true multi-Gig experience.
That's because, as a single router or a mesh system, the Deco XE70 can only use its entry-level Multi-Gig port to do one of these three things at a time:
- host a 2.5Gbps broadband connection, or
- host 2.5Gbps local device, such as a server, or
- handle a multi-Gigabit wired backhauling between a 2-pack mesh.
To deliver a multi-Gigabit wired experience, the hardware must be able to handle at least two of those. On this front, the Deco XE70 is inferior to the older Wi-Fi Deco X55 Pro, which has two 2.5Gbps per hardware unit.
To be fair, there's a chance you can experience faster-than-Gigabit connections with the Deco XE70, albeit only as a single router: use its 2.5Gbps port to connect to a super-fast broadband connection and deliver that to a top-tier Wi-Fi 6 or 6E device. Now, you can connect to the Internet at Gig+ speed.
What is Gig+
Gig+, or Gig Plus, conveys a speed grade faster than 1Gbps but slower than 2Gbps. So, it's 1.5Gbps, give or take, and it's not speedy enough to qualify as Multi-Gig Ethernet or multi-Gigabit. Intel coined the term to call its Wi-Fi 6E client chips—the AX210 and AX211—to describe their real-world speeds.
Gig+ generally applies to the sustained speeds of Wi-Fi 6 or 6E—via a 2x2 at 160MHz connection, which has the 2402Mbps theoretical ceiling speed—or Internet speed. It's generally not used to describe wired network connections.
But those with super-fast Internet might want even faster hardware, such as the Wi-Fi Deco BE85. Additionally, the Wi-Fi specs are where the XE70 Pro gets interesting compared to the Deco XE75 Pro and the non-Pro version. The table below shows the similarities and differences between these three very similar variants.
Deco XE70 Pro vs. Deco XE75/Pro: Hardware specifications
| TP-Link Deco XE70 Pro AXE4900 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6E System | TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro AXE5400 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6E System | TP-Link Deco XE75 AXE5400 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6E System | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Deco XE70 Pro | Deco XE75 Pro | Deco XE75 |
| Availability | Single router, 2-pack, 3-pack | ||
| Pre-Synced Hardware | Yes | ||
| Possible DedicatedBackhaul Band (default) | None (6GHz) | ||
| WiredBackhaul | Yes | ||
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 4.1 × 4.1 × 6.7 in (105 × 105 × 169 mm) | ||
| Weight | 1.43 lbs (650 gram) | ||
| Wi-Fi Designation | Tri-band AXE4900 | Tri-band AXE5400 | |
| 1st Band (2.4GHz) | 2x2 AX Up to 574Mbps (20/40MHz) | ||
| 2nd Band (5GHz) | 2x2 AX Up to 1922 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | 2x2AX Upto2402 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | |
| 3rd Band (6GHz) | 2×2 AXE Up to 2162 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | 2×2AXE Upto2402 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) | |
| BackwardCompatibility | 802.11ac/n/g/a/b | ||
| Guest Network | Yes (One for each band) | ||
| MobileApp | Deco | ||
| WebUserInterface | Simple (No local management) | ||
| APMode | Yes (as a router or a mesh) | ||
| USBPort | None | ||
| Gigabit Port | 2x Auto-Sensing | 3x Auto-Sensing | |
| Multi-Gig Port | 1x 2.5Gbps Auto-Sensing | None | |
| LinkAggregation | No | ||
| Dual-WAN | No | ||
| Firmware Version (at review) | TBD | Not tested | 1.1.2 Build 20220224 Rel. 41924 |
| Release Date | April 16, 2024 | August 2022 | April 2022 |
| Power Specs | Input: 100-240V (50/60Hz 0.8A) Output: 12V, 2.0A | ||
| Real-Word Power Consumption (router unit, per 24 hours) | TBD | Not tested | ˜ 156 Wh (tested at the router unit) |
| US Retail Price (at launch availability) | $149.99 (single unit) $249.99 (2-pack) $349.99 (3-pack) | 399.99 (2-pack) $599.99 (3-pack) | $299.99 (2-pack) |
Deco XE70 Pro: Same, same, but why different?
As shown in the table above, the Deco XE70 shares almost everything with the Deco XE75/Pro. The only difference is that the 5GHz and 6GHz bands have slightly lower theoretical bandwidths despite having the same 2x2 specs.
It's unclear how the theoretical speeds can be lower—TP-Link didn't immediately respond to my questions. My guess is the XE70 might use a different QAM, or it's something in the chipset.
Still, in real-world usage, the Wi-Fi performance of these three variants will likely be the same, and the Pro hardware, when applicable, will benefit from the 2.5Gbps port. Other than that, the Deco XE70 Pro will likely deliver a very similar experience as the Deco XE75, or as any other member of the Deco family, for that matter, as I detailed in this post on the ecosystem.
Pricing and availability
The Deco XE70 Pro AXE4900 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6E system is available now. The 3-pack retails for $350, but there is a $50 launch price discount currently. So, maybe grab one today!
I intend to pick one myself up for some hands-on testing—I didn't test the Deco XE75 Pro. That said, check back to see how this Deco Deco XE70 performs against the original non-Pro Deco XE75.
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