@Dissing 

there is a long thread on asking for this feature. We've been asking for it for well over a year.

at this stage I do not think such an extremely basic feature will added. It is best to return your Deco and pick up a different product.

@TP-Link_Deco 

TP-Link_Deco wrote

"However, it's a long journey to launch a new firmware with new features cause lots of tests needs to be done to ensure its performance, so there is no ETA about when this feature will be added."

Would you be so kind to explain why "manual channel selection" needs to go through "lots of tests" to "ensure its performance".

How are you going to ensure performance if I would manually set the channel to a very busy frequency?

This feels a bit like "Let's tell those DUMB users we need to thoroughly test something so they stay of our skin a while longer".

Seriously, more then a f*ck*ng year to go through lots of test to ensure performance of a manual channel selection feature is absolute b*llsh*t!

I still don't understand why you don't want to provide manual channel settings.

Most of the users who use manual settings know what they are doing. The average user will not adjust it anyway.

It reminds me of apple products, they also want to tell you what is best for you.

I was stupid enough to buy 2 sets of this Deco X60.

Stay away, find other brands who have basic settings.

@TP-Link_Deco 

Conventional 2.4 has 3 channels that do not overlap. 
 

When working with mesh systems we generally like to keep our AP's on 1, 6 or 11 as to not overlap or split channels with other networks and seperate channels for AP's that are connected to a network switch or router that can see each other to avoid looping.

wifistandards have the limited ability to play nice when other networks are on the same channel. The major problem is when two different wireless networks are splitting channels this will appear as noise and will deminish both networks signals.

right now my network is using channel 5 and even though it may be less congested with other networks (and is intact not in this case) the level of signal to noise is causing my 2.4 devices to drop out occasionally. 
 

my question is why do I not have the ability to set this channel my self when I can clearly see my $700 x60 deco x2 system is choosing the wrong channel? 
 

why would the deco not use channel 1 in this instance?

clearly something has not been taken into account. 

Following, because I want this feature also. Lol, what do I see, feature. I want this basic functionality which should be implemented from the beginning. 

Hey, all:

Just to note: the Deco's (probably as decided by the "Main" unit) may choose different channels after a reboot.

I just observed that.

Yes, it would be nice to have a selected set of channels for it to "initially choose from" for those cases where one has devices with restricted channels.  If the "signal environment" has changed significantly, one could try rebooting the mesh to see if it finds 'better' channels.

@TP-Link_Deco 

I don't understand why I have to pay for an expensive product that does not have a necessary option for changing the channels, whereas other brands have this option in the primary setting.

If I am looking to change the channel, I know what I want and need to do and don't need the manufacturer to put handcuffs on me force its option.

I think I have to change my mind and look for another brand. 

My system clearly is not choosing the least congested channel.  it is choosing the most congested one.  When will the firmware be updated to fix this?

TP-Link_Deco wrote

Hello all,

 

We have already noted all of your requests about choosing the wireless channels manually on the Deco system and they have been forwarded to the developers, they will publish new official firmware in the near future, not too long to wait, which will optimize the current channeling picking mechanism, it is suggested to wait for the new updates and confirm if that will help address any of your concerns.

 

I will try to explain why we don't give the Deco administrator the permission to manually choose a channel on the current Deco system, which may not precise but I will try my best:

 

Firstly, we need to clarify that the wireless channels on the current Deco firmware are not manually configurable as Deco automatically selects a 2.4GHz channel to use based on what it sees around it, selecting the channel that has the least interference. The 5GHz channel appears to be configured based on the region the device was manufactured for use in and they are apparently not auto-selected and are definitely not manually configurable.

 

Secondly, we need to reiterate what is the point of having a whole mesh Wi-Fi system in your network. The whole point of mesh networks is to give a seamless, unfettered, and performant experience for wireless networking, and thus a mesh network is "self-configuring" and "self-healing", the network automatically incorporates a new node into the existing structure without needing any adjustments manually by a network administrator and it automatically finds the fastest and most reliable paths to send data. If you change the wireless channel on the Deco nodes manually, it may give you the risk of losing the other Deco nodes and thus ruin your Deco system, you may need to start over again to reconfigure them.

 

What's more, it is not always easy to choose a clear wireless channel in your networks, you may need to test with all of them in order to find one that may be usable. Most importantly, crowded isn’t the same as busy, even though some channel scanning apps tell you one specific channel is busy, they don’t always measure other sources of congestion and interference. Non-Wi-Fi signals (like those from microwaves, Bluetooth devices, cordless phones, garage door openers, baby monitors, etc.) can all congest a channel but may not show up in a scan. So it’s possible that a channel can appear empty, while it is, in fact, saturated with other kinds of interference. 

 

Last but not least, other mesh systems such as Google Wi-Fi mesh (update here that Netgear Orbi is not the same mesh as Deco, Orbi is more like a router + an RE, so if we misunderstood it previously, we are sorry for that), don't allow users to change the channel manually either, which means when developing a mesh system, our developers have already taken all factors into serious consideration and choose the current one, the current Deco mesh system may not be perfect or even good, but we don't think it's just that awful or nonusable as some of you thought. If we need or we must do this change to allow you to change the channel, it will require a lot of research in the market and it is not that easy just like you said "just open the option", I think most users like you guys should understand it.

 

Hopefully, that answers your question but let us know if you need more details.

@TP-Link_Deco