wase4711 wrote

  @Bandoul agree, and opinions are fine, after all this is the internet, but, no matter how you sugar coat it, TP Link/Deco has become a inferior company, they dont reply to issues  or fix anything if you contact them, and this thread is over TWO YEARS OLD, and they dont even have the balls to respond to ANY of these posts.

Low end, entry level, no feature junk is fine for some, but most others want more from their investment, and you just dont get it with any of this Deco Sheet

More features would be great but I'd rather have fewer features and reliable performance instead of a ton of features, many of which don't really work, and unreliable performance.  

  @TP-Link 

I launched this thread years ago, its has gained most requests but still no plans to add the feature? The concept of doing everything from your cloud is seriously lacking resilience. it deprives the customers of some basic autonomy. I am wondering why westill vote if don't take into account our requests, this is really disappointing.

  @TP-Link 

I understand that you want configuration to be as simple as possible, but there are cases when being able to manage from a web browser is somewhat critical.  For example, when I first purchased an X-50 kit, got home to set it up, only to discover that I'd have to wait untill after the weekend when I was able to retrieve my phone from my toolbox after forgetting it at work.

I know it's an edge case, but I had to go and purchase yet another device to get online after my old router had failed (It wasnt another TP-Link device, i didnt want to risk another device that couldn't be managed from a computer)

Clearly, there seems to be plenty of demand for this functionality.

  @TP-Link  Here is my short story.

Want to upgrade a distant family member's house - 400 miles away.  I own a TP-Link Archer 2300, purchased six years ago, and have been very, very happy with it.  I am intimately familiar with TP-Link's web interface to this router.  So decided to check out the new mesh equipment.  At first glance, the DECO X55 or XE75 looked perfect.

But then I stumbled across this thread...  Thanks to so many of you for raising many valid points associated with an "app only" approach to network management.  All but the most trivial of networks does require accessing long lists of devices, and potentially dealing with a large number of configuration parameters.  Simply put, this is best done with a large screen and a real keyboard.  I had not considered the other app aspects -- such as lack of future support, and the security/privacy issues associated with needing to deal with TP-Link, the company, each and every time the network is configured or monitored.  Geez!

Sadly this means NO SALE.

honestly, i'm forced to dig into "the app is easier for noobs" claim, because that's not my experience with the Deco series at all

1) extra step: install smartphone app

you can follow a link to the web interface on ANY device, including smartphones, all that they needed to do is improve existing web interface html/css to be adaptive/responsive and make sure it works on Android's Google Chrome (always preinstalled) and iOS's Safari (always preinstalled)... or rather make sure it works using only default HTML5 tech that works across *all* browsers

2) extra step(s): agree to ugly (bunch of) app permission(s)

acessing the web interface via mobile browser requires zero special permissions (neither for the browser nor from the browser to the web page)

meanwhile on android the app requires being allowed to see nearby devices, which requires being allowed to see the device location, then it wants full control over wifi to set one up for you automatically... those all require nagging, user interaction, some exposure to technical language which is confusing even for experts, etc

i won't even go into the privacy issue with this set of permissions...

3) router must be online before having a fully/partially set up router to be online

my ISP brings an optic fiber cable to the roof of the building i live in, where they installed a device that converts this to ethernet cables for each apartment they service in the same building... all i need is to plug a router to it and set up a PPPoE username and password...

...but not on the Deco... it must be on the internet first in order to receive any of the mobile app commands through TP-Link's cloud (after creating a cloud user too), instead of the app talking directly to the router via local network... and to add insult to injury i can't share the smartphone's 4G/5G with the router via wifi tethering, it must receive zero-setup internet access via an ethernet cable, so that's 3 devices on the table for initial setup... i pity the fool that buys this device as their first/only home router

it takes only a moment to realize just how aggravating this can be for knowledgeable users and, even more so, how confusing it can be for a noob... all of it a non-issue on a locally accessible web interface

4) basic (= home), intermediary (= office), advanced (= corporate)

i have a TP-Link Archer C7 at home because it offers a gigabit WAN, 4 gigabit LAN and a mighty strong wireless AC signal for a compelling price... it offers a web interface with clearly signaled sections for basic, intermediary and advanced setup... so i know for a fact that web interfaces made in the past by TP Link have suceeded in catering for all levels of noobity

meanwhile the Deco lineup invents a market segmentation where home users are synonym to basic device setup capabilities *exclusively*, not just as the initial/default experience until you want more... but what about gamers?! what about home offices? what about self-hosting personal clouds or trivial server-client apps like plex, kodi, transmission, nextcloud, moonlight/sunshine, lan-party gaming, etc, etc, etc?

the deco has *much more than enough* cpu power, ram, bandwidth, even local firmware storage to rival classic archer series routers... and it has this cool new feature that works really well on it, where a device can move around the house without switching between several SSIDs to keep connected to the best available wifi signal source... unfortunately TP-Link decided it's a drastic maiming either/or choice, not a new generation of devices that has it all and they can sell like hotcakes despite the obviously steep price premium for the new feature

congrats on murdering your best product lineup ever in the cradle

  @TP-Link

Are we are pleading with deaf ears? No they are not deaf ears at all. TP-Link is purposeful, deliberate and their devices are designed for the gullible. TP-Link by design wants to invade our privacy, wants to map our devices to a physical address, wants to have God rights to our networks. Do you really have to ask why? Please consider where these devices are manufactured. This invasive technology is in our utilities, infrastructure and hospitals and now in our homes. No I am not a crazy conspiracy nut job! All what I am saying is true. Look it up. People, do yourselves a favor and evict this malware from your homes. Do it now, sooner than later, I already have.

  @TP-Link Deco AXE-5300  Regretfully I will have to return units.  System was purchased before discovered that installation was only via cellphone App.  Security and due to NOT HAVING CELLPHONE, this does not work for me.  Regret as specs and Consumer Review pointed me to LinkSys AXE-5300 as meeting my use needs.