TP-Link Deco S4 issues

[Plank27]

Hi,

I'm using a TP-Link Deco S4 mesh system and while it works fine for coverage and seamless transition, it seems to be slow to update. Using the guest SSID takes forever to update when a device is connected. Showing a wireless device connected to the network in general takes forever to update on the app.

After turning the guest SSID off the "guest" devices still show connected for up to an hour afterward and even when my wife leaves home for work her phone will still show as connected and what node its connected to.

It just seems slow with anything admin related in general. At the moment the app shows 2 of the nodes offline, yet all 3 are active, and I know this for sure since my PC is physically connected to one of the "offline" nodes downloading a game via Steam.

Would changing the main node to a "better" deco model help in this scenario or would replacing it with a different mesh system be better in this case?

No option for Unifi or anything like that right now unless a Unifi Dream Router can be powered by a mini UPS for loadshedding (although then I’d need to add an AP at the front of the house and a switch to cover a small JellyFin server and 2 PCs in a room on their own, so suddenly that’s very expensive) since the mesh systems are able to run with Gizzu UPS so that helps with loadshedding.

Maybe Asus ZenWifi, Cudy Mesh, Xiaomi AX3000 Mesh or 3 Huawei AX3 in mesh?

 

[soulie]

TP Link sucks ,get an Asus ,problem solved .

 

[Plank27]

Looking into Asus Zenwifi at the moment. Deco app shows the guest wifi as "off" but I can still connect to it and browse. I have a RB3011 that I could maybe use as the router and run the decos as AP only...maybe that'll free up whatever processing power they have to just work nstead of getting locked up with admin data

 

[Tim_vb]

I also have this on the deco app - one app says its offline and the other says online for the same network

 

[Plank27]

Yesterday all nodes had a red LED, app kept showing "no internet connection" and nodes offline, yet I was working and connected. Even Steam downloaded a game without issue. It then just randomly went all white LED and everything was back to working as it should on the app.

It's annoying, but atleast it the mesh works fine. Although I brought them over from when I moved from my parents larger property, and it seems a centrally placed deco would cover atleast the entire home, maybe not the pool. So I'm looking at a Unifi UDR as soon as I can get something to keep it powered during loadshedding and putting the Decos at my parents place since they're stuck with the router Vox gave and coverage isn't great.


Decos seem ok if you never need to check anything or change anything once they're working.

 

[Ma’bad]

If the internet speeds and coverage are good, why is the router's slow update in recognizing connected devices causing inconvenience? After the initial setup, I rarely need to log in to my router.

One helpful tip is to use a star topology for your mesh network instead of a daisy chain connection And ethernet connection between router and satellites.

 

[Plank27]

We don't leave the guest SSID active. So ideally when turning it on, it should reflect without waiting 10 minutes for an update or checking to see whats hogging the bandwidth, the app is too slow to update, often showing high bandwidth usage on a device that's been shutdown already.

Like I said, if you never need to check it or look at the app for anything after the setup then they're ideal, I'm just realizing now they're not ideal for me.

 

[Ma’bad]

We don't leave the guest SSID active. So ideally when turning it on, it should reflect without waiting 10 minutes for an update or checking to see whats hogging the bandwidth, the app is too slow to update, often showing high bandwidth usage on a device that's been shutdown already.

Like I said, if you never need to check it or look at the app for anything after the setup then they're ideal, I'm just realizing now they're not ideal for me.

that makes sense. If unifi is not an option then asus would be my choice. You can also buy their regular routers and if you need better coverage by more routers and use them as a mesh using ai mesh.

if you go the asus route i recommend browsing through dongknows tech website that has a guide on the best combos

 

[Anthro]

Had similar issues with the S7 system, until latest firmware was installed and Beamforming turned on.. check that and see