While working on the world premiere review of the upcoming Deco M4 mesh WiFi system, we discovered that TP-Link is preparing through firmware updates, cross-mesh WiFi compatibility between all their Deco models, both existing and upcoming. As a result, users are going to be able to create their unique network topology using TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, Deco P7, Deco M5, and the upcoming Deco M4. Learn more from this news article:

Users are going to be able to create mesh networks using different TP-Link Deco models

If you looked carefully through the release notes of firmware updates for Deco M9 Plus and Deco M5, you might have noticed that TP-Link started testing its cross-model compatibility for the Deco family in July 2018.

This feature was silently introduced and tested, and most users did not notice it. While reviewing the upcoming TP-Link Deco M4 (released first in Romania and Malaysia), we noticed that TP-Link is starting to promote this cross-model compatibility, as a distinctive feature.

You can see this for yourself on this product page: Deco M4 at TP-Link Malaysia. On the same page, you also notice that they are mentioning an yet not launched product named Deco M3W.

This information is also confirmed by this help article on TP-Link's site, which was last updated on November 29th, 2018: What should I do if I have more than one Deco model.

That article clearly states that you can mix and match the following Deco models to create your unique network topology: TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, Deco P7, Deco M5, and the upcoming Deco M4. According to the screenshot above, the company is also going to add an upcoming Deco M3W model to the list.

Good news for TP-Link Deco users

This approach from TP-Link is smart and useful for their customers. For example, if you purchased a TP-Link Deco M5 kit with two stations, and you discover that you need one more node added, for optimal coverage and performance. You can buy a cheaper Deco M4, and add it to the system. Alternatively, if you want more performance and advanced features, you can buy the more expensive TP-Link Deco M9 Plus, and set it as the primary node in your mesh, and the existing ones as secondary. The great part about this cross-compatibility is that you lower the cost of the changes that you make to your existing Deco mesh WiFi system.

What do you think of TP-Link's approach to their Deco family?

We like the fact that TP-Link is going to offer complete interoperability between all their Deco models. It makes it easier for customers to upgrade their existing mesh WiFi systems, at a lower cost, and get access to new features, as they become available with newer models. Before closing this article, tell us your opinion about TP-Link's approach. Do you consider it a good idea? Also, if you already own a Deco mesh WiFi system, what is your experience with it?