40

TP-Link Deco X20 Review

True Score

72
72
9

Experts

77
12.8k

Consumers

Product Awards

GR Certified

Expert Rankings

With decent dual-band Wi-Fi 6 performance, a handy mobile app, and pleasing aesthetics, the TP-Link Deco X2 11ax router is a good choice for home use. However, it has limited connectivity options.

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Product Snapshot

Overview

The TP-Link Deco X2 is TP-Link’s mid-range 2021-model Wi-Fi 6 mesh system for homes. Featuring a simple, antenna-less compact design with pleasing aesthetics, this model was designed to provide whole-home coverage. Find out how it compares with the top-rated routers in our detailed guide.

This three-piece antenna-less kit includes two satellites in addition to the main router, eliminating the need for Wi-Fi repeaters. The dual-band 802.11ax router has parental controls and a user-friendly app for simple installation. However, this MU-MIMO-enabled router lacks USB ports and is limited in terms of connectivity options. It runs on a 1GHz quad-core CPU with 512 MB of RAM and 128 MB of flash memory.

Consensus

our Verdict

Thanks to decent speeds that reach 274 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, the TP-Link Deco X20 AX1800 mesh Wi-Fi 6 system is an excellent solution for home Wi-Fi. Its combination of pleasing aesthetics, great Wi-Fi range reaching 100 feet (The Netgear RAX20 AX1800 does slightly better), and two satellites make it a popular home choice.

A user-friendly companion mobile app allows simple installation, and this 802.11ax router supports WPA3 encryption and boasts a free lifetime malware tool that takes care of network security. However, the absence of USB ports and the lack of wide 168MHz bands limits its performance and makes it unsuitable for most professional gamers and streamers. This low-latency model also lacks a third band, although users can create a backhaul via Ethernet. For a router with more connectivity options, see our TP-Link Archer C7 review.

Reason to Buy

  • Decent Wi-Fi connectivity speeds
    • The TP-Link Deco X20 is a great option for home Wi-Fi. Featuring 2.5GHz download speeds of 129 Mbps and 5GHz download speeds of 274 Mbps, which rank in the top half of the category, the TP-Link Deco X20 provides fast connectivity.

  • Decent router range
    • With a range of 30.5m, the TP-Link Deco X20 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 router provides good Wi-Fi range and ranks in the top half of its category.

  • User-friendly interface
    • Equipped with a handy mobile app that enables customizing parental controls and malware protection, this smart Wi-Fi mesh system is easy to install and operate.

Reason to Avoid

  • Limited bandwidth
    • It doesn’t have the ultra-wide 160MHz bands, which potentially limits the number of devices that can be connected simultaneously.

    • Unlike some Wi-Fi 6E routers, the TP-Link Deco X20 dual-band router doesn’t have a third band.

  • Limited connectivity options
    • Although this device is equipped with two LAN ports, it lacks multi-gig LAN and USB ports.

TP-Link Deco X20 Specs

# of LAN Ports# of LAN Ports2
# of Phone Ports# of Phone Portsn/a
# of WAN Ports# of WAN Ports1
App CompatibleApp CompatibleYes
Available StorageAvailable Storage128 MB
Band TechnologyBand TechnologyDual
Data Encryption TypeData Encryption TypeWPA3
Energy Star CertifiedEnergy Star CertifiedNo
Frequency BandsFrequency Bands2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz
Integrated ModemIntegrated ModemNo
LAN PortsLAN Ports2 Gb Ethernet
MU-MIMO SupportMU-MIMO SupportYes
Mesh SystemMesh SystemYes
Number of AntennasNumber of Antennas4
Parental ControlsParental ControlsYes
Processor CoresProcessor CoresQuad
Processor SpeedProcessor Speed1Ghz
Quality of Service PrioritizationQuality of Service PrioritizationYes
WiFi RangeWiFi Range
WiFi SpeedWiFi Speed1.8 Gb
Wired SpeedWired Speed
Wireless StandardWireless StandardAX

All Specs

Test Results

2.4 GHz Download speed (Mbits/s)129.36
2.4 GHz Upload speed (Mbits/s)133.98
5 GHz Download speed (Mbits/s)273.6675
5 GHz Upload speed (Mbits/s)246.08
Router Range (ft)100
Latency (ms)0
6 Ghz Download speed (Mbits/s)0
6 Ghz Upload speed (Mbits/s)0

All Tests

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Product Comparison

TP-Link Deco X20 Review

True Score

72
82
84
87

Ranking

#

40

/

37

#

16

/

37

#

8

/

37

#

2

/

37

Market Context

The TP-Link Deco X2 is TP-Link’s mid-range 2021-model Wi-Fi 6 mesh system for homes. Featuring a simple, antenna-less compact design with pleasing aesthetics, this model…

The TP-Link Deco X2 is TP-Link’s mid-range 2021-model Wi-Fi 6 mesh system for homes. Featuring a simple, antenna-less compact design with pleasing aesthetics, this model was designed to provide whole-home coverage. Find out how it compares with the top-rated routers in our detailed guide.

This three-piece antenna-less kit includes two satellites in addition to the main router, eliminating the need for Wi-Fi repeaters. The dual-band 802.11ax router has parental controls and a user-friendly app for simple installation. However, this MU-MIMO-enabled router lacks USB ports and is limited in terms of connectivity options. It runs on a 1GHz quad-core CPU with 512 MB of RAM and 128 MB of flash memory.

The TP-Link Deco X20 Wi-Fi 6 routers have a much better range of 30.5 m, which beats the 12.2 m of the TP-Link Archer GX-90….

The TP-Link Deco X20 Wi-Fi 6 routers have a much better range of 30.5 m, which beats the 12.2 m of the TP-Link Archer GX-90. The Deco X20 is also faster. (With 2.4GHz download speeds of 129 Mbps and 5GHz download speeds of 274Mbps, the TP-Link Deco X20 performs better overall than the TP-Link Archer GX-90, which averages 75.4 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 280 Mbps on the 5GHz band.) Be sure to check out our TP-Link Archer GX-90 review to learn more about the GX90 router. 

Featuring 5GHz download speeds of up to 644 Mbps, the TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro provides faster Wi-Fi than the TP-Link Deco X20, which reaches download…

Featuring 5GHz download speeds of up to 644 Mbps, the TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro provides faster Wi-Fi than the TP-Link Deco X20, which reaches download speeds of 274 Mbps in the same test. Our TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro review discusses the pros and cons of the faster router.

Clocking in at 120 Mbps in 2.4 GHz download throughput tests and 640 Mbps in 5 GHz download speeds, the Synology WRX560 delivers faster Wi-Fi…

Clocking in at 120 Mbps in 2.4 GHz download throughput tests and 640 Mbps in 5 GHz download speeds, the Synology WRX560 delivers faster Wi-Fi than the TP-Link Deco X20, which reaches 2.4GHz download speeds of 129 Mbps and 5GHz download speeds of 274 Mbps. Learn about the Synology WRX560 router in our Synology WRX560 review.

# of LAN Ports

2

3

2

3

# of Phone Ports

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

# of WAN Ports

1

2

1

1

App Compatible

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Available Storage

128 MB

n/a

4000MB

n/a

Band Technology

Dual

Tri

Dual

Dual

Data Encryption Type

WPA3

WPA3

WPA-Personal, WPA2-Personal, WPA3-Personal

WPA3

Energy Star Certified

No

n/a

No

n/a

Dig Deeper

TP-Link Archer GX-90 Review →

TP-Link Deco X4300 Pro Review →

Synology WRX560 Review →

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Score Card

E

Expert Score

72

*.75

We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores

C

Customer Score

77

*.25

We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores

True Score

72

Expert Score Breakdown

  • Techgear Lab
    87.29

    Category Trust Score

    79
    Finishing around the top of our list, the TP-Link Deco X20 delivers exceptional coverage and… read more

    By:

    Matt Spencer
  • PC Mag
    85.3

    Category Trust Score

    70
    The TP-Link Deco X20 is an affordable dual-band mesh Wi-Fi 6 system that’s easy to… read more

    By:

    John R. Delaney
  • Tom’s Guide
    86.71

    Category Trust Score

    80
    Inexpensive, small and easy to set up, TP-Link’s Deco X20 mesh networking kit is a… read more

    By:

    Brian Nadel
  • Trusted Reviews
    67.87

    Category Trust Score

    80
    If you want a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system for less, the feature-packed TP-Link Deco X20… read more

    By:

    David Ludlow
  • Which?
    57.06

    Category Trust Score

    NR

    By:

    Unknown
  • Techradar
    74.71

    Category Trust Score

    70
    The Deco’s router/speaker combo works well, and the Deco app is easy to use, but… read more

    By:

    Cliff Joseph

Customer Score Breakdown

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