@Kaneco 

 

With Deco running in AP mode IP addresses are managed by your Router TP-Link TL-R605. Check if it perhaps runs out of IP addresses. That could happen if you have many devices using randomized MAC address feature. I would suggest to turn it off on every device you have at your house that supports it (iPhone, Android 9 and above, Windows 11).

 

To verify that your Deco mesh is properly set and uses Ethernet backhaul, please make screenshot from Deco app Show List screen and add it to your reply. Example:

 

  @Alexandre. 

 

Great thank you for your Replay, I don't have any of the devices using randomized MAC address feature.

And yes I have a lot of devices in my network this is on the Router side  

 

And this is on the DECO side as your request 


Thank you 

  @Kaneco 

 

Thanks for sharing screenshot. Your Satellite Deco do use Ethernet backhaul and also total number of clients is not very high, if it is reasonably evenly distributed between Deco nodes.

Also, I am assuming you have your Deco nodes connected like this:

 

 

and not like this:

 

 

With Deco running in Access Point mode it makes sense not to pass all Deco Ethernet traffic through Main Deco.

 

Other than that, it would make sense for you to focus your investigation on router. As I said, it is router that distributes IP addresses with Deco in AP mode, so when device complains it can't acquire IP address that points at router, not at Deco.

Also, 160+ clients is quite large number for the router, are you sure it can handle the load?

 

Finally, you said "I don't have any of the devices using randomized MAC address feature" - do you mean you turned it off on each device, or you don't have such devices? Because, that feature comes with every Android smartphone sold in last 2-3 years, same for iPhones and other Apple devices, as well as Windows 11.

 

If you do have such devices, just few could make your Router run out of IP addresses, if it has about 200-250 to allocate and 160 are taken already. What you can do is expand your Router DHCP server IP range to more than 255 - and see if IP address allocation problems go away.

  @Kaneco 

 

One more thing: check DHCP Lease Time value in your Router. If it is set to more than 1 hour, or to forever - change it to 1 hour.

  @Alexandre. 

 

Thank you once more time for your reply and support 

 

Right now I have the connections like this don't have more cables to use all the connections going to the Switch that is closer the router, I can try use a Switch to distribute the network for the other Decos Satellite ones + the Outdoor unit also

 

Regarding the randomized MAC address feature, I have disable this in all of the devices for a long time ago when I start facing this issues.

 

Regarding the router and your question about "are you sure it can handle the load?"
I don't find any information about this for this router model ... Sorry 

Also regarding the configurations of the DHCP on this router I don't find either the info how to configure these features
Can you please help me in oder to try configure this? 

Thank you for your support and best regards 
 

  @Kaneco 

 

What does your Router show under Network->LAN->DHCP Server? Here is sample screen, please share same one from your Router:

 

  @Alexandre. 

 

As your request, please my router screen configuration 

 

 

 

Thank you for your support 

  @Kaneco 

 

Looks OK. Still, please change Lease Time to 60 and if that does not help - to 30. No need to go below 30. If devices still can't acquire IP addresses reliably after that, I'll share other suggestions.

 

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Mind you, we are only talking Router IP configuration settings currently. That will not solve issue with poor WiFi coverage. You may be hitting X50 hardware limitations, or there is a lot of WiFi interference at your place. I would suggest installing WiFi analyzer app on smartphone to map WiFi signal at different places and decide if perhaps you need to add more X50 units. If you want. I'll give you more info on that topic.

  @Alexandre. 

 

Thank you for your support I chaged the DHCP lease time as you sugested. And I will go checking with the time...

 

Regarding the wi-fi coverage I will try your sugest please let me know what I have to do in order to test it, Thank you 

 

Regarding the conncetions do you thing that If I change the connections to the Statellites units of deco to a switch it's better?

 

Thank you and best regards 

  @Kaneco 

 

>If I change the connections to the Statellites units of deco to a switch it's better?

 

If Ethernet traffic through Satellite Deco connected to switch exceeds 300-500Mbps, it makes sense to split that chain and connect each of Satellite Deco directly to the switch. That will offload Deco unit resources it can use to provide better WiFi services.

 

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In regard to WiFi coverage. When they sell WiFi mesh, and that is not just Deco brand, they imply it'll all work like a magic. Sometimes it does, but in most cases WiFi mesh needs tuning. That takes time, patience and occasionally money (more hardware to buy).

 

Here are steps. Start with installing WiFi analyzer app on your smartphone that you will use to map WiFi coverage. I prefer WiFiman from Ubiquiti - it has simple interface and is not clogged with ads. It is free.

 

To take WiFi signal readings, walk to place, turn off/on WiFi on smartphone to make it rescan networks and provide fresh info, and check WiFi signal in that place with WiFi analyzer app. It should report you WiFi 2.4GHz signal, WiFi5 and/or WiFi6 signal - for each Deco node it can see where you standing.

 

For start, select places where you think you don't have good WiFi coverage and you need good WiFi coverage there. Walk to these places and take readings. I'll share handy picture of what signal levels mean, at the bottom of my reply.

You may find that in some place you may have very weak WiFi5/6 signal but more than adequate WiFi 2.4GHz signal. You will have to decide: do you need to add WiFi coverage there, or you can just force devices in that place to run on slower WiFi 2.4GHz. Which you can do with Connection Preference feature in X50, Part 2 of this FAQ: How to select a preferred signal source on the Deco App

An example of such device would be Smart Thermostat that can run on both WiFi5 and 2.4GHz. If that Thermostat tries WiFi5 and frequently disconnects because signal fluctiates, just force it to run on 2.4 GHz only, through Deco app, and connectivity problem for that device could be solved.

 

If you decided there is a place where you need to improve WiFi5/WiFi6 coverage, you will have to add X50 there. There are two options to choose from:

 

1. If that place has Ethernet link to the rest of your network - put additional X50 right in that place and connect it to Ethernet cable.

 

2. If there is no Ethernet link nearby, your additional X50 will be connected wirelessly to the rest of your Deco mesh. In that case, you must place that X50 somewhere between that place and wired Satellite X50 you'll connect it to. Not in that place, but approximately halfway between it and wired X50. It is important!

You can choose which wired Satellite Deco to connect this new X50 to, using same Connection preference feature, same document, Part 1.

An ideal placement will be where this new X50 has Fair or Good signal to wired X50 it is connected to, and also every device in the place where you want to improve coverage has Fair or Good signal to this new X50. You can check that in Deco app,and also verify signal level you are getting with new X50, using WiFi analyzer.

 

 

You do not need to buy additional Deco hardware right away, you can use one of Satellite Decos you have to test how much WiFi signal will improve if you add new one. Unplug Satellite Deco from Ethernet cable, bring it to place where you plan to have new X50, conigure it to connect it to remaining wired Satellite Deco and check signal improvements in place where you want bettern WiFi coverage. Then, walk with that X50 to a different place and repeat.

That may help you to figure how many X50s you'll need, before ordering them. It could come handly if TP-Link does not sell single X50 units.

 

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It was a long post, if you'll have follow up questions, feel free to ask. Don't get dissapointed with all efforts you have to put into tuning Deco mesh, even if you go with different WiFi mesh brand you will have to repeat this.

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