Deco X50 Review: A Perfectly Balanced Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router with 3 LAN Ports

Hello, I’m Itsuki (@saigalog), and there’s not a single day I don’t use Wi-Fi.

Recently, more people have started working from home, and when it comes to internet connections, they have become one of the essential infrastructures, just like electricity, gas, and water.

Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) in particular is indispensable for modern life, and we all want to make our home environment as comfortable as possible.

The “Deco X50” from TP-Link, which I’m reviewing this time, is a Wi-Fi 6 router that lets you build a mesh Wi-Fi environment with easy setup.

Simply connect it to your ONU and follow the on-screen instructions in the dedicated smartphone app.

If you want to expand your Wi-Fi coverage, just add another “Deco X50” unit and register it through the app to easily set up your mesh Wi-Fi environment.

Positioned right between the company’s “Deco X20” and “Deco X60” in terms of specs, one of the biggest strengths of the “Deco X50” is that the previously limited number of LAN ports has been increased to three.

In this article, I’ll thoroughly review the convenient and comfortable Wi-Fi 6 router “Deco X50,” including speed tests and comparisons with previous models!

This article was created with a product provided by the manufacturer.

What’s Included with the Deco X50

The outer box of the “Deco X50” features a simple design with a white and blue color scheme.

The back side also features product graphics and descriptions of its functions, making it very easy to understand.

The following items are included in the box.

The included LAN cable is approximately 170 cm long.

The power adapter cable is approximately 150 cm long.

The power adapter has its specifications listed on it.

Since it bears the PSE mark, you can use it with confidence.

Deco X50 Specifications

The “Deco X50” from TP-Link supports dual-band connectivity and is a Wi-Fi 6 router equipped with a mesh Wi-Fi system.

The main features are the following six.

The main unit specifications are as follows.

Product Name	Deco X50
Dimensions	Diameter 110 mm, Height 113 mm ※Actual measurement
Weight	484 g ※Actual measurement
Standard	Wi-Fi 6 IEEE 802.11ax/ac/n/a (5GHz) IEEE 802.11ax/n/b/g (2.4GHz)
Wi-Fi Speed	AX3000 5GHz: 2402Mbps (802.11ax, HE160) 2.4GHz: 574Mbps (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi Range	TP-Link Mesh Technology AI Mesh Built-in antennas ×2 Beamforming
Wi-Fi Performance	Dual-band 2×2 MU-MIMO OFDMA 4 streams
Operating Modes	Router Mode Bridge Mode
Processor	1GHz Dual-Core CPU
Wired Ports	Gigabit ports ×3 *Each Deco unit (WAN/LAN auto-sensing)
Wi-Fi Encryption	WPA-Personal WPA2-Personal WPA3-Personal
Network Security	SPI Firewall Access Control HomeShield Security
Guest Network	5 GHz Guest Network ×1 2.4 GHz Guest Network ×1
Parental Controls	Create profiles Professional content filter library Family Time Bedtime Off Time Time limits Family online time ranking Pause the Internet Weekly and monthly reports
WAN Type	Dynamic IP Static IP PPPoE PPTP L2TP
QoS	QoS by device
Cloud Services	OTA firmware upgrade TP-Link ID DDNS
NAT Forwarding	Port Forwarding UPnP
IPTV	IGMP Proxy IGMP Snooping Bridge Tag VLAN
DHCP	Address Reservation DHCP Client List Server

Design

The “Deco X50” features an all-white exterior with no unnecessary decorations, showcasing a simple cylindrical design.

There is an LED indicator on the front side of the bottom.

The meaning of each LED color is described on the outer box.

The bottom looks like this, with ventilation openings running along the circumference.

In the center, you’ll find the SSID and basic product specifications listed, with a RESET button located above them.

On the back, there are three WAN/LAN ports and a power port.

Size and Weight

The “Deco X50” has a diameter of 110 mm.

The height is 113 mm.

Here’s how it compares in size to a smartphone (iPhone 13 Pro).

The weight came in at 484 g.

Features

The “Deco X50” is a Wi-Fi 6 mesh router designed to deliver wider coverage, higher speeds, and stable connections for multiple devices at once.

By combining BSS Color and beamforming, it enables seamless Wi-Fi across a broader area.

The continuously learning and optimizing AI Mesh system delivers a mesh Wi-Fi setup tailored to each home.

Multiple “Deco X50” units work together to create a large, unified Wi-Fi network. Within that network, each device (such as smartphones and tablets) automatically connects to the fastest available unit.

It supports up to an impressive 150 devices, ensuring smooth performance even in busy environments.

With built-in TP-Link HomeShield, you can enhance the security of your home network.

You can conveniently set up and manage the router using the dedicated TP-Link Deco app.

In addition, the “Deco X50” includes a variety of features designed to make Wi-Fi usage simple and intuitive.

Its minimal design blends easily with any interior.

The Dedicated App for Deco X50: “TP-Link Deco”

To get the most out of the “Deco X50,” you can use the convenient TP-Link Deco app.

A list of connected “Deco X50” units is displayed.

You can check information such as the name, firmware version, and connected clients (devices) of the “Deco X50”.

You can view the connected clients (devices).

You can change the 2.4GHz and 5GHz network names and passwords, as well as turn the guest network on or off.

In “HomeShield,” you can use various features to manage your network.

In “Router Settings,” you can access various other settings and tools.

Deco X50 Speed Test

When choosing a router, the most important concern is communication speed, right?

I measured the actual speeds you can get with the “Deco X50”.

The above illustration is borrowed and does not match the actual layout of my home, but it is used here for reference.

First, the “router (Deco X50)” is installed roughly in the middle between the dining and living areas on the first floor.

The other “router (Deco X50)” is installed in the office room on the second floor.

I measured speeds at two locations.

The “1st-floor dining area” close to the router, and the “2nd-floor office” that I mainly use as my workspace.

The layout is a two-story wooden house with 4LDK.

Please note that this is the result of a single test conducted in a typical household, and results may vary significantly depending on the environment and other conditions.

For this test, I used “Deco X20” and “Deco X60” from the same TP-Link series as comparison models.

Measurement by PC in the 1st-Floor Dining Area

Measurement by Smartphone (iPhone 13 Pro) in the 1st-Floor Dining Area

Measurement by PC in the 2nd-Floor Office

Measurement by Smartphone (iPhone 13 Pro) in the 2nd-Floor Office

Summary of Measurement Results Under Each Condition

And with that, the measurement results under each condition are now complete.

First, looking at the PC results, although there is some variation, we were able to achieve stable speeds of around 300 Mbps in nearly every room.

In particular, the “Deco X50” demonstrated overwhelming speeds of 360–460 Mbps when two units were installed.

Next, for the smartphone results, you can see that overall the “Deco X60” tends to be faster.

Of course, this does not mean the “Deco X50” is slow. It consistently delivers an average of over 100 Mbps, so there were absolutely no issues when watching videos or playing games.

Comparison of Deco X50 with X20 / X60

Within the same series from TP-Link, there are also the “Deco X20” and “Deco X60” models.

Both the diameter and height are unified across the models.

On the lower front, the “Deco X50” features the “deco” logo, while the “Deco X20” and “Deco X60” display the “tp-link” logo.

There is actually a significant difference in weight. The “Deco X20” and “Deco X60” differed by only about 2 g, but the “Deco X50” is around 100 g lighter than those two.

Another major hardware difference is the number of WAN/LAN ports.

I’ve summarized the key differences between them in the table below.

	Deco X50	Deco X20	Deco X60
Price (2-pack)	24,800 yen	20,800 yen	30,800 yen
Weight	484 g	583 g	581 g
Wi-Fi Speed	5 GHz: 2402 Mbps	5 GHz: 1201 Mbps	5 GHz: 2402 Mbps
Wi-Fi Performance	4 streams	4 streams	6 streams
Processor	1 GHz dual-core CPU	1 GHz quad-core CPU	V1: 1 GHz quad-core CPU V3: 1 GHz dual-core CPU
Power	12 V ⎓ 1.5 A	12 V ⎓ 1.2 A	12 V ⎓ 2 A
Wired Ports	Gigabit ports × 3	Gigabit ports × 2	Gigabit ports × 2

As you can see from the table, the “Deco X50” is, as its name suggests, a model positioned right between the X20 and X60.

Like the “Deco X20,” it is reasonably priced at under 30,000 yen.

At the same time, its Wi-Fi speed delivers performance equivalent to the “Deco X60.”

And once again, what truly deserves special mention is the number of wired ports.

In previous Deco series models, the pursuit of a simple and compact design came at the cost of a weakness: having only two wired ports, which is quite limited compared to other routers.

With the “Deco X50” increasing the number to three, it has become easier to connect multiple devices via wired LAN without the need to prepare a separate hub.

Deco X50 Review Summary

In this article, I wrote about “【Deco X50 Review】It Hits the Sweet Spot! A Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Router with Mid-Range Specs Between the X20 and X60 and Now Three LAN Ports.”

Priced in the mid-20,000-yen range for a 2-pack, this product is affordable and offers excellent cost performance compared to its specifications.

If you are looking to build a mesh Wi-Fi environment at home or are unsure which TP-Link Deco series model to choose, why not check out the well-balanced “Deco X50”?