TP-Link Deco BE68 BE14000 review

Home mesh systems may seem like a whole novel world of wireless technology, but they’re actually just two or more “routers” that can transmit data between each other, providing greater wireless coverage in your home. I say “routers” because that’s just one part of what’s inside: you also have a WAP (wireless access point) and a network switch.

Regardless of what you call TP-Link Deco BE68 BE14000, you will get a very competent device that will provide a super-fast Wi-Fi 7 network in every corner of your home. You can buy the system in a set of two or three, or even exploit just one unit (or node to exploit the correct term), but here we’re reviewing the triple node deal for $700.

TP-Link provides coverage of up to 8,100 square feet (753 square meters) with three nodes (6,000 for two and 3,100 for one), which far exceeds the dimensions of a typical home, whether in the UK or the US. However, if you have a vast property with widely separated buildings, covering 8,100 square feet can be very useful.

The Deco BE68 falls roughly in the middle of the TP-Link Home Wi-Fi 7 Mesh range due to its BE14000 maximum speed rating. This number refers to the peak data transfer rate in Mbps of the combined three bands in which the mesh operates (2.4, 5.0 and 6.0 GHz). Faster systems support more bands (e.g. BE95 has two 6 GHz bands) to improve transmission speeds, but of course they are also much more pricey.

The Deco BE68 is also pricey, but considering you get three nodes for $700 (equivalent to the price of a single unit at $233), it’s actually relatively inexpensive for a high-end Wi-Fi 7 router. Still pricey, of course, but the Netgear Nighthawk RS600 costs $400 for just one unit, though that’s not unusual for top-end gaming routers.

Fortunately, what you get for this large expense is very good. As I mentioned, it’s not the fastest thing you can buy, but unless you have an Internet connection with a bandwidth of much over 1Gbps and need that kind of massive wireless speed, it will certainly be rapid enough for you. To test the speed of performance, I used two Intel Core Ultra 200S desktop computers, both with Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750x adapters and iPerf3 to check data transfer rates on each band.

It’s worth noting that my results are not comparable to those from our other networking hardware reviews because the testing environment and devices used are completely different. The “near” results are both computers directly in line with the Deco BE68 at a distance of 1.8 meters (6 feet), while the “far” results are both computers at just over 6 meters (20 feet) away, with a few walls and other devices in the way.

TP-Link sent us another mesh system, the Deco BE25 and the Archer BE9700, to compare and review, so at least you’re not looking at the BE68’s performance in isolation. The transfer speed on the 2.4 GHz band may seem significantly lower than the theoretical maximum of 688 Mbps for the device, but it is actually quite rapid. Moreover, long-distance results hold very well considering the range and bandwidth.

Of course, speeds in the 5 GHz band are even better, although the drop-off with further testing is more noticeable. This is to be expected, especially with the 6 GHz band, which offers blazing transfer speeds when you’re close, but when you move away or put a wall between your device and the mesh node, the speed drops dramatically.

But that’s the essence of the mesh system, and I hasten to point out that only one node was used in these tests. Adding a second node approximately 4 meters away from the test computers improved the far 5 and 6 GHz results by 60% and 120%, respectively.

Oddly enough, the Deco BE68’s 6 GHz results are slower than the Archer BE9700’s, despite its much higher theoretical maximum (8647 vs 5765 Mbps). I suspect the latter’s external and highly directional antennas support significantly, as the Deco BE68 has the same number of antennas (eight in total), all internal and fixed.

Things get more captivating when you enable the MLO (Multi-Link Operation) network. This allows the Deco BE68 to exploit all bands together to transmit data, although it does so somewhat intelligently, switching packets from band to band depending on what is happening. In this mode, the BE68 outperforms the Archer BE9700, especially in the “far” results.

Not all wireless devices support MLO, but if your gaming PC or laptop does, I highly recommend enabling this network on the Deco BE68 and using it exclusively on your hardware. Speaking of configuration, TP-Link has dropped web browser support for accessing everything on the nodes. Instead, you have to exploit the phone app.

It’s very good, has clear instructions and everything is well laid out, but I dare say many networking enthusiasts will be immediately put off by the lack of access to node settings via PC. The app also includes a number of subscription services like HomeShield, but at least you’re not bombarded with ads for this app.

It’s nice to see the ability to quickly and easily launch additional networks, including those dedicated to IoT or home astute devices. However, having to pay extra for advanced parental controls or a VPN isn’t entirely pleasant, especially when you’ve already spent $700 on the entire system.

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And while I’m in complaint mode, I’m a little disappointed with the LAN ports. There are only three per node, and while they all support WAN autodiscovery (i.e. you can exploit any of them as a WAN port), only one of them has 10Gbps bandwidth. If you are using this for an internet connection, then any wired backhaul to this node will be narrow to 2.5 or 1 Gbps as these are the only other LAN ports available.

I also experienced quite a few problems when trying to add a second node to the network. Theoretically it’s a matter of clicking a single button in the app to connect additional Deco units to any network, but on the first attempt the additional node refused to play ball. Restarting the entire setup solved the problem, but it’s not a perfect solution.

Finally, there is the issue of market availability. As things currently stand, it appears that the Deco BE68 is only sold in the US. If you live in the UK, the closest options are the slower BE65 (£550 on Amazon) or faster BE95 (£935 at Amazon) and a similar story applies to other countries. This may be due to the fact that internet speeds higher than 1Gbps are quite sporadic in the UK, but it would be nice to have the option to purchase a more future-proof mesh system.

However, compared to the Deco BE68’s wealth of positives, these are minor complaints. I should imagine that most users will simply want something that they can plug in, spend a minute or two setting up, and then enjoy unmatched Wi-Fi speeds anywhere in their home, across dozens of devices… and never have to touch it again.

That’s exactly what the TP-Link Deco BE68 offers, and if you’re not into the alien mothership vibe of most high-end Wi-Fi routers, the BE68’s sleek design will also be greatly appreciated.

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