h1berto wrote

I will use wired backhaul, for sure.

My question is really if the handover between APs is still "intelligent" and if i can keep 1 SSiD.

Gamester17 wrote

That is totally different and your topic is formulated wrong as "mesh" is a network topology term that only applies to a wireless backhaul, not wired backhaul. If you have wired backhaul (TP-Link call it "Ethernet backhaul") for the Decos then all inter-communication between the Docos are done over the wired connection, and wireless connection is done between endpoint-devices and Decos, there is no backhaul data going wirelessly from an end-point device to a Deco and then on wirelessly from that Deco to another Doco which is what happens in a wireless "mesh" is a network topology. When you use a wired backhaul all data goes over the wires once it comes into a Deco.

Read more about Decos in AP mode here => http://forum.tp-link.com/showthread.php?99432-How-to-set-up-Deco-to-work-in-Access-Point-mode and more specifically about wired backhaul here => http://forum.tp-link.com/showthread.php?98898-How-to-set-up-Ethernet-Backhaul-with-Deco-M5

My previous reply was when I thought that you would use a wireless backhaul as an was answer that will not technically be a "mesh network" if you use wireless backhaul which one would think you use then your subject sais "mesh" (which again still is wireless only).

Yes still keep only one SSID across all Decos in AP mode, that is no different if you use a wired or wireless backhaul. However note your use of wrong terminology here as only using once SSID across multiple access points are not technologies directly related to mesh networking. Jumping between access points and having only once SSID between AP is something that have existed long before mesh networking.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesh_networking