TP-Link just cut Wi-Fi 7 routers to $98.99 and a Deco mesh 3-pack to $149.96 — worth upgrading before the holidays?
PopSci checked 48 TP-Link deals on Amazon on Oct 20: the Archer BE260 Wi-Fi 7 router is $98.99 (was $124.99), the Deco X55 AX3000 mesh 3-pack is $149.96 (was $195.29), and a Wi-Fi 7 travel router is $89.98. Several are at the lowest prices their price tracker has on record. My setup is an old router in a closet plus a dead zone in the room where we stream, and family arrives for the holidays with a phone, tablet, and console each. Question: is Wi-Fi 7 itself the upgrade, or is this really a mesh-and-placement problem? And do I get any benefit if most of my devices are still Wi-Fi 6?
1 answer
- Mesh first, Wi-Fi 7 second
Your problem is not the Wi-Fi version, it is a router in a closet. No radio spec fixes a dead zone caused by walls and distance. The Deco 3-pack at $149.96 is the actual fix here: one node in the streaming room, one in the closet spot, one where guests sleep. Then check speeds in that room before and after — if the dead zone is gone on Wi-Fi 6 gear, you just saved yourself from buying a $99 router that would not have moved the needle. Buy mesh for coverage, upgrade the router only when you own Wi-Fi 7 devices.