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TP-Link Omada Mesh VS Deco Mesh VS OneMesh™: What's the Difference?

By jesse.chen 12-01-2021

Omada Mesh, Deco Mesh, and OneMesh™ are three different mesh Wi-Fi solutions provided by TP-Link. Though all kinds of mesh networks
have some features in common, they are used by different products and are not compatible. Since mixing them up is easy, this article will
show you how TP-Link Omada Mesh, Deco Mesh, and OneMesh™ work differently while providing some tips for using them. Pick the perfect
one to enjoy the best possible Wi-Fi experience.

Omada Mesh
Omada Mesh enables wireless connectivity between TP-Link Omada EAP products (Full List supporting Omada Mesh) for extended range
without additional cables, making wireless deployments more flexible and convenient.

Traditionally, if you want Wi-Fi to cover your home indoors and outdoors, you have to connect all the APs to the main router or PoE Switch via
Ethernet cables, which is time-consuming. In some hard-to-wire areas, maintaining a cable connection is even impractical.
Now you can connect APs effortlessly via a wireless connection, regardless of where they are relative to the main router or PoE switch. In the
typical Omada Mesh scenario, a root AP is deployed and connected via a cable. Once the other APs are powered on, they act as Mesh APs
and wirelessly connect to the root AP. All the APs work as an integrated system to provide seamless Wi-Fi service for the users.

The most potent AI technology ensures the optimized network performance and reliability of Omada Mesh.

Intelligent self-organization optimizes the best path between APs. When adding a new AP to the network, the system automatically
determines the nearest AP to create a link.

Self-healing ensures you stay online even when one AP is disrupted. When the system detects a link failure, it calculates and rebuilds a new
possible path automatically.

To learn how to configure Omada Mesh with an example, have a look at How to Build a Mesh Network via Omada EAP in Your Home.
Deco Mesh
Deco Mesh is technology only used in TP-Link Deco products (Full List) for Mesh networking. Deco replaces a collection of routers and
range extenders with an intelligent Wi-Fi system of multiple units working together seamlessly. It adapts as your Wi-Fi needs change and
uses complex algorithms behind the scenes to automatically and efficiently route data along the fastest path. For more about Deco Mesh,
refer to How Deco works.

All TP-Link Deco models work together. Just choose one as a main Deco (follow the priority order when selecting the main Deco: Deco M9
Plus/Deco P7 > Deco P9 > Deco M5 > Deco M4R > Deco E4R). Then follow the Deco app instructions to set it up. After configuring the main
Deco, add the other Deco units one by one into the mesh network via your Deco app.

After setting up, you can manage your mesh network on any of the Deco units, and the modifications will be synchronized to others on the
mesh network instantly. You can also swap out the main Deco and quickly replace it with any of the Deco units on your Deco app.

Deco units support Ethernet backhaul connections. It means every two Deco units—even different models—can be wired with an Ethernet
cable. They will transmit data between the two units through the Ethernet connection, which is more stable and faster than wireless
connections.

Don't forget, though, Ethernet backhauls and wireless backhauls can't work at the same time. Once an Ethernet backhaul is established, the
wireless backhaul will disconnect automatically. So to use an Ethernet backhaul connection, you don't need to wire every Deco unit. Instead,
you can set up one for Ethernet backhaul and the others for wireless backhaul at the same time if you want.

For example, suppose you have three Deco units and want to create Wi-Fi in your living room and bedroom and in the office a little far away
from the other rooms, where there is no Wi-Fi coverage. In that case, you can put the main Deco and slave Deco 1 in your living room and
bedroom (wireless backhaul). As for slave Deco 2, you can place it in the office with a long Ethernet cable connected to the main Deco or
slave Deco 1 unit. In this case, the slave Deco 2 unit will work through an Ethernet backhaul, while the main and slave 1 will work through
wireless backhaul.
OneMesh™
OneMesh™ is a trademark for various TP-Link SOHO products which support mesh networking, including Wi-Fi routers, DSL modem
routers, 3G/4G routers, range extenders, and Powerline adapters. You can check whether your devices support OneMesh™ with the
Compatibility List. For more about TP-Link OneMesh™, refer to the following:

How OneMesh™ Works

OneMesh™-Create a Whole-Home Wi-Fi Network with Your TP-Link Devices

To set up a OneMesh™ network, you can use a OneMesh™ wireless router, modem router, or 3G/4G router with several sets of range
extenders or powerline adapters. One thing to note, however, is that two OneMesh™ routers cannot create a mesh network. A OneMesh™
router can only be combined with OneMesh™ range extenders or OneMesh™ powerline adapters to build mesh networks. You can add a
bunch of OneMesh™ wireless range extenders or powerline adapters, but only one OneMesh™ router is needed on the same mesh network.
Wireless routers only support OneMesh™ while in Router mode, whereas modem routers support OneMesh™ on any operation mode. To
fully use two routers, you can set them up separately and create two OneMesh™ networks with network expansion devices.

To add more extenders onto a OneMesh™ network, we suggest connecting all the extenders to the router for better performance. You can
also join one extender to another one already connected to the router. But we don't recommend adding more than two extenders to one
single link chain considering Wi-Fi quality.

Unlike a Deco Mesh network, a OneMesh™ router acts as the management center on a OneMesh™ network. You can set and modify the
wireless settings such as network name, password, and advanced features like Access Control and QoS on the router. The router will then
synchronize to your extension devices. You should note that you would no longer be able to modify these items on any of the extenders on
the OneMesh™ network separately.
 Another difference is that OneMesh™ products do not support Ethernet backhaul now. Wireless backhaul, however, is still available. If you
want to enjoy a seamless connection between dual-band networks, you must manually enable Smart Connect on your host router. Then
your host router's 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands will share the same SSID and password.

Conclusion
In summary, though Omada Mesh, Deco Mesh, and OneMesh™ all support Mesh networking, they are different technologies used by
different TP-Link products, so they cannot build a mesh network together or with other brands. Please choose one of them based on your
actual needs and start building a seamless network for your office or home today.

Contact: pr@tp-link.com

jesse.chen
TP-Link Editorial Group

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