TP-Link Deco BE25 BE5000 review

To start this review, a riddle: When is a Wi-Fi 7 network device not really a Wi-Fi 7 network device? The answer is: TP-Link Deco BE25. It may seem very arduous to start things in such a negative way, but it is best to get the most critical point about this home grid system out of the way first.

Basically, unlike most Wi-Fi 7 routers and mesh networks, the Deco BE25 does not support the 6 GHz band or the 320 MHz channel. You only get 2.4 and 5 GHz and a maximum channel of 240 MHz, which makes it no better than the average Wi-Fi 6 system. At least on paper, because compact wireless hubs have a few tricks to compensate for all this.

If you’re not familiar with the term “home mesh system,” it’s basically a group of synchronized Wi-Fi routers that work together to create a wider and seamless wireless network. Do you have needy Wi-Fi in your basement or attic bedroom? Then the grid setup is perfect for you. However, most systems tend to be extremely costly, and this is certainly true of the high-end models.

On the other end of the spectrum is TP-Link’s Deco BE25, which has an MSRP of $300 but typically costs $209 Down $230. This is for a three-node package, which means each unit costs just $70. That’s a great price for any Wi-Fi 6/7 router packed with state-of-the-art features, and significantly cheaper than most gaming routers, so if you’ve been putting off upgrading to mesh, the BE25 might just change your mind.

Of course, you need to be sure that it will suit your needs, so let’s first consider the coverage. This is an estimate of the floor area that the mesh system can ideally cover, and TP-Link suggests that a three-pack of BE25 will cover 613 square meters. This is more than enough for most homes, but if you have a vast property with outlying buildings, you may be better off getting something with a longer reach, such as the Deco BE68.

Each BE25 router (well, router, switch, and wireless access point) in the mesh network communicates with routers via a backhauling link, and Deco can do this wirelessly, via its 2.5Gbps LAN ports, or both. Unfortunately, each device only has two LAN ports, and one will be used as a WAN port to connect to the Internet. If you plan to embed mesh into an existing and complicated wired network, you may need to rethink your plans.

While overall performance won’t be critical in the average digitally connected home, it does when there are multiple players in the mix. Deco BE25 is a four-stream, dual-band transmitter, achieving a theoretical maximum of 688 Mb/s in the 2.4 GHz band and 4324 Mb/s in the 5 GHz band. However, it also supports Wi-Fi 7 multi-link operation (MLO), where the device streams data on both bands, providing a peak throughput of 5,000 Mbps (hence the name BE5000).

This may sound really good and much better than what many internet connections support, but the reality of Wi-Fi is far from peak. Interference from other devices, building materials and structure shapes as well as the distance between transmitters and receivers affect the data transfer speed.

The above performance charts show the maximum data throughput between two Intel Core Ultra 200S gaming PCs using Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750x adapters. “Almost” results are when computers are directly in line with the Deco BE25 unit, within 1.8 meters (6 feet); “far” results refer to when computers are just over 6 meters (20 feet) away and there are several walls and other devices in the way.

As you can see, compared to the much more costly Deco BE68 mesh device, the BE25 is slower in both bands, even though it has the same theoretical bandwidths. Why this happens is almost certainly due to the fact that the BE68 has twice as many antennas as the BE25 (8 vs 4), as well as twice the number of streams.

But while the numbers look disappointing, if you have an internet connection of 1Gbps or slower, the Deco BE25 will be more than brisk enough. And don’t worry about long-term results, because that’s the whole point of mesh networking – just add the node where your Wi-Fi network is slowest and you’ll get a useful boost. However, not to the maximum, because even with wired and wireless backhauling you will be confined by the performance of the 5 GHz band.

It’s worth noting that MLO is an exclusive Wi-Fi 7 feature, so if you don’t have any wireless devices that support the standard, you won’t be able to take advantage of it.

Picture 1 With 3

Since the best performance is achieved in the BE25’s MLO mode, one of the useful features of TP-Link mesh devices is the ability to configure separate networks to keep the relevant devices far apart. For example, you could have a 2.4 GHz network dedicated only to IoT/sharp devices, along with a dedicated MLO network, as well as a 5 GHz guest network. Of course, everyone uses the same bandwidth, but they will never see each other because the networks are isolated.

This is all done through a straightforward setup process, but if you’re used to configuring your router via a browser on your computer, you may be disappointed to learn that TP-Link requires you to apply a phone app to do all this. It’s a very nice program – clear and straightforward to apply – but finger-tapping settings seems a bit childish compared to how it’s usually done.

Some aspects of the software suite are hidden behind a firewall, such as advanced parental controls, customizable VPNs, and other security features. While I found this rather unacceptable in the case of the $700 Deco BE68, I can forgive it in the case of the much cheaper BE25. I’d venture to say that a good number of potential buyers of a compact mesh system won’t really care about the extras and will just be ecstatic with the control they get.

However, they may care about the lack of USB ports altogether, the addition of external storage to the network, the fact that the BE25 looks unusually like a smoke detector, or the fact that adding additional nodes to an existing network may sometimes result in failure or glitches. But when all the caboodle is this low-cost, you can’t complain too much.

Admittedly, the relatively modest price is the main reason to consider the TP-Link Deco BE25 over anything else, because why else would you choose a Wi-Fi 7 mesh system that doesn’t provide the best Wi-Fi 7 features? If you just think of it as an inexpensive home Wi-Fi 6 mesh system, albeit with somewhat confusing specs, you’ll be fine.

Best Gaming Routers 2025