Wi-Fi is convenient, but it’s not always consistent. Your home’s layout, materials, and/or size can cause signals to weaken or drop. Fortunately, mesh routers help fix that problem, and during the final day of Amazon Prime Day, you can pick up the TP-Link Deco S4 AC1200 three-pack system for just $100. That’s $50 off the normal price, bringing it to an all-time low.
Like all other mesh routers, this dual-band, Wi-Fi 5 budget system offers more stable Wi-Fi by repeating the signal across all its active nodes. It also forms one unified network—you can roam freely in your home without worry about network switching and its related headaches. (A traditional router paired with extenders establishes multiple Wi-Fi networks your devices must connect and disconnect from as you move around.) And the TP-Link Deco S4 supports wired Ethernet backhaul, too, for even more stable Wi-Fi. That is, you can link the nodes with a Ethernet cable to ensure interference won’t interrupt their communication.
With three nodes included in this deal, you can spread Wi-Fi coverage across a pretty wide space (up to 5,500 square feet or roughly a three-to-five bedroom home), or create a more dense, strategic configuration. (Maybe you’ve got that one wall separating the kitchen and living room that weakens Wi-Fi signals from the central router.) The Deco S4 can also handle up to 100 devices at once, so you should be able to run all of your gear easily, as well as integrating Alexa support for select voice commands (e.g., parental controls).
Of course, for some folks, the TP-Link Deco S4’s older Wi-F 5 protocol will be a drawback. But if you don’t have a gigabit internet plan nor run tons of devices at once on the network, this affordable system should work just fine. Otherwise, you can opt instead for the TP-Link X55, a Wi-Fi 6 mesh router system also available in a 3-pack at an all-time low price ($180).
But the Deco S4 is a great way to get into mesh networking cheaply, especially since each node can function as either a router or an extender. Yep: You can split up the pack among different households, if you want. Likewise, you can expand by buying more nodes later on. That’s the beauty of mesh routers.
Author: Alaina Yee, Senior Editor
Alaina Yee is PCWorld's resident bargain hunter—when she's not covering software, PC building, and more, she's scouring for the best tech deals. Previously her work has appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine. You can find her on Twitter at @morphingball.