We UPGRADED our PLDT Home Fiber connection with the TP-Link Deco X55 WiFi 6 Mesh, See our review here!

Recently we tried PLDT Home's new WiFi 6 Mesh upgrade to the TP-Link Deco X55 for a low monthly fee.

TP-Link Deco X55 front side

Meet the TP-Link Deco X55 WiFi 6 Mesh - Futureproof your home network?

For years now, we have been subscribed to PLDT Home Fiber for several years which came with a WiFi 5 Mesh network that needed 4 nodes. Recently, we discovered that PLDT Home is offering its customers a chance to upgrade to a WiFi 6 Mesh network as an add-on.

To recap, the main advantages of the WiFi Mesh over WiFi Repeaters are that the mesh allows users to connect to a wider area without compromising quality, removes the need to reconnect to devices to a new network (seamless connection transition between nodes), and has a wider and stronger coverage across multiple floors and walls.

The WiFi 6 Mesh model we decided to get was the TP-Link Deco X55 at PHP 3,799 outright payment per unit. It is also available through staggered payment with monthly rates of PHP 259 for 24 months or PHP 199  for 36 months.

Compared to the previous generations, the new TP-Link Deco X55 offers higher bandwidth Dual-Band AX3000 and has a range of around 7,500 square feet when using 3 nodes. This configuration has a maximum capacity of 150 devices connected simultaneously. These are massive upgrades of the previous generations only offered Dual-Band AC 1300/1200 with a range of only 5,500 square feet for 3 nodes and a capacity of 100 devices running simultaneously.

TP-Link Deco X55 outer packaging

The Deco X55 comes in the familiar white box with the TP-Link branding, a render of the Mesh router, and a list of its key features, certification, and regulatory information.

TP-Link Deco X55 box inclusions

Included inside are the Deco X55 Mesh router, Wall charger with power cord, Ethernet cable, and documentation.

TP-Link Deco X55 front side

The Deco X55 is made of black and white lightweight polycarbonate and is cylindrical in shape with a meager height. It is lightweight measuring 110 x 110 x 114mm.

The white polycarbonate shell has this almost smooth texture that glistens when the light hits it. In front is the 'deco' logo with the top covered in black.

The rear of the Deco X55 Mesh router

At the back are the TP-Link logo, three Ethernet ports, and the power-in port.

TP-Link Deco X55's black top cover

The black round top cover has a unique triangular-shaped indentation giving it a unique look breaking the monotony of a flat surface.

Bottom view of the Deco X55 mesh router

At the bottom are the exhaust ports, four rubber feet, a reset port, regulatory information, and the LED notification light.

Performance

The Deco X55 supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The 2.4GHz offers longer ranges while the 5GHz offers faster speeds at shorter distances.

We installed a total of three nodes into our home which measures 21 meters x 8 meters. 

TP-Link Deco X55 NetSpot's Signal Levels Heat Map

What impressed us was the wider coverage range and the quality of the connection. Our older WiFi 5 Mesh network needed four nodes (instead of 3 with TP-Link Deco X55) and previously only displayed orange to yellow single strengths. With the new Deco, However, we were getting yellow to green which indicates the signal is stronger while covering a larger range with fewer nodes.

NetSpot Inspector and Speedtest results

We also ran speed tests in different areas of the house including areas near the node and areas far from two nodes. 

Fast and stable connection

We were getting the fastest results (210Mbps+) when either near the node or in an area where the mesh router was visible and with little interference (objects between the router and the device). 

When moved to a space where there was a concrete wall near the mesh router we would get a result of 90Mbps. But when we moved to an area far from any of the routers with objects in between we were getting varying speeds with the lowest being 28+Mbps.

TP-Link Deco X55 Specs

CPU: Qualcomm Quad-core processor

Connectivity: WiFi 6 IEEE 802.11ax/ac/n/a 5 GHz, IEEE 802.11ax/n/b/g 2.4 GHz, AX3000 (2,402Mbps + 574Mbps) with MU-MIMO Support (2x2), 3x Gigabit Ethernet Ports,

Security: WPA-Personal, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Personal, VPN Server, VPN Client, Guest Network, Home Shield Security, SPI Firewall and Access Control

Antennas: Two internal

Max Number of simultaneous devices: 150

Range: Coverage of up to 7,500 sq. ft. with three nodes

Others: Beamforming, Single SSID, Home Care anti-virus

Dimensions: 110 × 110 × 114 mm

Price: PHP 3,799 per node

Verdict

PLDT TP-Link Deco X55 single node

In our experience, the WiFi 6 powered by the TP-Link Deco X55 proves to be one of the best add-ons to any PLDT Home Fiber plan as not only do customers get seamless transitions between nodes, but you are also getting more bandwidth resulting in less speed degradation.

What impressed us the most was the savings we benefited from upgrading to the Deco X55. Before we had to use 5 nodes to achieve what only took three 3 Deco X55 nodes. We could instantly perceive the wider range, stronger connection, and faster speed.

We highly recommend installing a WiFi 6 Mesh Network such as the Deco X55 to achieve high bandwidth, fast speed, nearly uninterrupted connections, and fully take advantage of your high-speed Fiber internet.

Do you agree with us?