Tenda Nova MW6 vs TP-Link Deco M5

Tenda Nova MW6 vs TP-Link Deco M5 – can you work from home?

By / / Mesh WiFi system

Tenda Nova MW6 vs TP-Link Deco M5 – can you work from home? If you’re looking to ditch Your traditional router extender setup for a whole Home WiFi system, put the TP-Link Deco M5 WiFi system on your short list PC mag said. Protect your network and connected devices with a free lifetime subscription to TP-Link HomeCare­ featuring Next-level Antivirus, Robust Parental Controls, and QoS. The MW6 features an advanced dual band AC1200 MESH Wi-Fi system that eliminates Dead-Zones and delivers your high-speed internet coverage throughout your home (6000 Sq. ft). Tenda’s Mesh Wi-Fi system works with Alexa, the Google assistant, streaming devices and advanced appliances, so you get the full SMARTHOME experience.

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Tenda Nova MW6 vs TP-Link Deco M5
Tenda Nova MW6 vs TP-Link Deco M5

Tenda Nova MW6

  • Brand Tenda
  • Series MW6 3-pack 3-5 bedroom
  • Item model number MW6 3PK
  • Hardware Platform PC
  • Operating System Android 4.0+ or iOS 8+
  • Item Weight 3.9 pounds
  • Product Dimensions 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches
  • Item Dimensions LxWxH 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches
  • Color Table Top
  • Manufacturer Tenda Technology Inc.
  • Brand TP-Link
  • Series AC1300 Gigabyte Ethernet
  • Item model number Deco M5(3-pack)
  • Item Weight 1.02 pounds
  • Product Dimensions 4.72 x 4.72 x 1.34 inches
  • Item Dimensions LxWxH 4.72 x 4.72 x 1.34 inches
  • Color White
  • Voltage 100240 Volts
  • Manufacturer TP-Link

Tenda Nova MW6

Pros

  • There is no loss of speed from the mesh forwarding system used
  • The base and satellites work together smoothly
  • There is no need for an account when installing and setting up

Cons

  • It is huge
  • Since it does not come in pairs, getting a second satellite is quite expensive

Pros

TP-Link Deco M5 has the following strengths:

  • Excellent speed on the 2.4 GHz wireless band
  • Competitive pricing
  • Well thought out design that combines simplicity and elegance
  • Easy to set up through the TP-Link Deco mobile app
  • Excellent antivirus protection
  • Useful parental controls that are easy to use
  • It is integrated with Amazon Alexa and IFTTT (If This Then That)

There are also some weak spots to consider:

  • After three years of use, you have to pay for the built-in antivirus
  • It is not able to fully utilize 1 Gbps internet connections
  • It does not offer a web-based interface for administration
ModelTP Link Deco M5 Tenda Nova MW6
Radio Freq. SupportTri-band radios at 2.4GHz and 5Ghz (x2)Dual 2.4GHz/5Ghz
ProcessorQuad core CPU1 GHz Quad core CPU
Speed (Throughput)2.4 GHz – 400 Mbps5 GHz – 867 Mbps2.4 GHz – 300 Mbps5 GHz – 867 Mbps
Flash Memory4 GB8 MB
RAM512 MB128 MB
Ports 2 Gigabit ports per Deco M5 unit, and one USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 4.22 Gigabit Ethernet ports per unit (1 WAN and 1 LAN port each)

You can buy a Deco unit individually for £100, although they’re so new in the UK that they’re hard to find at the moment.

In the US, you can buy both the single- and triple-packs from B&H for $129 and $299 respectively.

Only larger homes that need wider and more reliable coverage will need three units, which will cost £250 when they go on sale in the UK. That’s a more expensive than the three routers included in BT’s Whole Home Wi-Fi mesh networking kit (£195), but still far less expensive than state-of-the-art, tri-band rivals such as the Linksys Velop, which costs £350 for two routers, and a whopping £500 for three routers.

Design and structure

The Tenda Nova MW6 is a cube with white sharp straight edges. This means that it can only be placed vertically and makes it difficult to mount. Thanks to the smooth and lovely crystal white finish, the router feels great to the touch and generally looks quite tidy. However, its unique design is hard to miss. The Tenda Nova MW6 measures 100 x 100 x100 mm and has two Gigabit Ethernet ports per unit; 1 WAN and 1 LAN port each,and a power jack. The top of the router features an LED status indicator light. 

The exterior design of these two routers are quite different. The TP Link M5 keeps the usual minimalist simplistic design. The newer M9 is bigger than the M5 but keeps the cylindrical seashell exterior design. It is shell white in color and has a plastic body. The design is modelled to fit into your home’s interior décor without looking out of place. There’s a single light LED on top of the router that acts as a status indicator. It measures 6.0 inches in diameter with a thickness of 1.5 inches. The cylindrical design also allows mobility in that, this router can be mounted onto walls or furniture to transmit the signal further and better.

Hardware and memory

The Nova is a mesh router with a 2 x 2 dual band system powered by a powerful 716 MHz CPU processor. This CPU processor is powerful and is able to transmit signals for very long range. The Tenda Nova MW6 also comes with a lot of memory of 512 MB of RAM and a flash memory of 4 GB. The dual band on both of these systems is feature a 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radio band system.

The TP Link comes with a lot of memory of 512 MB RAM and a flash memory of 4 GB. This is one of the best memory capacity in any router, with the only the Google Wi-Fi beating this number. The TP Link M5 is an AC1300 processor with a dual band 802.11 networking system that uses for independent data lanes. This is powered by a quad core processor CPU. This CPU processor is powerful and is able to transmit signals for very long range.

Data transfer and distance for signal

The Tenda Nova MW6  was also tested over a service package of 80 Mbps and the following speeds were found. A single node/unit measured a download speed of 117.5 Mbps with the upload speed at 11.40 Mbps. When the same node was measured at a far distance with stone wall obstructions, the speed was recorded at 7.6 Mbps of download speed with an upload speed of 1.3 Mbps. Two nodes at far range were recorded at 74 Mbps of download speed and an upload reading of 9.4 Mbps. Both these readings were recorded over the 5 MHz band channel.

The TP Link M5 was tested in a real world environment over a service package of 80 Mbps and the following range was recorded. The download speed was 76.7 Mbps while the upload was 5.16 Mbps when standing 1.52 meters away from the router with zero obstructions. When the distance was increased to 13 feet and a three stone wall obstruction added, the download speed was measured at 74.6 Mbps while the upload speed was measured at 5.13 Mbps.

App and features

Both TP-Link and Tenda mesh system only support setup via the app. They do not come with an individual web interface. We will compare the app for both brands especially on how user friendly they are.

TP-Link Deco app

Deco M4-app-3

We think TP-Link Deco WiFi app is one of the best around now. It only supports TP-Link Deco series and it is very well designed. We found the app to be really responsive and well integrated with the product. Changes are reflected almost immediately and there is a built-in firmware update tool.

The setup process is really simple. Unlike TP-Link more expensive mesh WiFi system, TP-Link Deco M4 doesn’t support Bluetooth quick setup so you have to manually connect to the WiFi of the mesh system and the app will guide you through the entire process. Once the main unit is configured, the app will prompt you to add the second unit to the mesh system.

All TP-Link Deco mesh WiFi system are cloud connected and it is tied to a TP-Link ID. The beauty of such system is it lets you to manage your WiFi even when you are not at home. You can see who is connected and change some settings quickly. 

Tenda WiFi app

Nova-MW6-UI-1

Tenda WiFi is the app Tenda makes for all their wireless router products and it works on their Nova mesh lineup as well. The app is not as polished as TP-Link Deco as the respond is slower when performing some configurations. But, we think the app is fine in overall. 

Setup and Configuration – Tenda Nova MW6 vs TP-Link Deco M5

Tenda Nova MW6

Tenda has done their homework, It’s very easy to set up. You won’t need any technician or any extra skill to deploy the router at your home. The mesh WiFi app is available for Android and IOS both the platforms. All you need to do is scan the QR code on the base of the device, to connect the new Nova wave device to the internet. You will be asked to setup the network name and password to configure the mesh WiFi network.

After the configuration and installation of the mesh WiFi router. Now, it’s time to configure the other satellite devices. Each device has an LED, which tells the status of the connection and helps in the placement of the satellite devices. The app has the ability to show all the mesh points and connected devices, it also monitors the speed of the internet.

There is also an option for setting up quest network, and parental controls, to help you out to restrict access of sites. It’s quite good if you want to restrict your kids from certain sites. Overall this mesh WiFi network device is very easy to setup and very great option to carry home.

Installing and configuring the Deco M5 mesh network is super easy and doesn’t require any special skills or technician. To install you will need to download the accompanying application from the app store, which is available for both Android and Apple products. The app is easy and simple, guide you through simple steps to set up the network.

The Deco M5 mesh WiFi doesn’t require any email account. It uses a Bluetooth connection to connect the smartphone with the devices. After a successful connection, it will ask you for a network name and password. All three units use the same network and password. After setting up the router, its time to add the other mesh points, which is a similar process takes 5 to 6 minutes. In around 15 you will have your device configured and ready to use.

TP-Link also provides Trend Antivirus subscription for three years for the security purpose, which makes it stand out of the crowd. There is also feature for parental controls, and keep one’s out of the No-Go territory.

Unboxing The Deco M5 Mesh Router

Model: Mesh WiFi with HomeCare, 3-pack

All in all, I am very happy with the system. It comes in decent packaging but nice product. Set up wasn’t too hard if you have general knowledge it is a breeze. I did have an issue with one of my units being recognized. I reached out to tech-support and they were a joke. I ended up figuring out the issue on my own. The phone in tech-support is my only negative experience with these units. They cover my entire home and probably three doors down from me and still getting a strong signal. The built-in security suite works great for parental controls, content blocking, and even specific device usage time. The built-in virus protection and firewall is a nice added feature as it blocks port scans and other intrusions on all of the smart devices in your homes like TVs, Amazon Alexas, thermostat, and any other smart home devices that doesn’t have a built-in firewall or virus protection to protect your network.

PROS:
Built-In Security Suite
Parental Controls
Easy To Us App
AMAZING Coverage
Small Footprint
Access point or Router Mode

CONS:
Phone In / Chat Tech Support
Heat Vents On Bottom Of Unit So They Get Warm
No Wall Mount Option
No Parental Controls or Content Control Setting On Guest Network
Limited Number of Device allowed to group to a single person

If you are looking for a mesh network that will give you full speed wired and wireless that is fairly easy to set up and isn’t big and bulky I highly suggest buying these units. I have now purchased 2 more kits for family members for the upcoming holiday season.

By Amazon Reviewer on TP-Link Deco M5

BETTER THAN ANY WIFI RANGE EXTENDERS & EASIEST Mesh to setup WHEN IT WORKS

Please don’t laugh at me when I divulge that I currently 48 WiFi devices in my home. As I added more Echo Dots, thermostats, smart plugs, smart bulbs, cameras, door locks, garage door opener, TVs, smartphones, laptops, printers and tablets it became a major challenge to keep them ALL linked to one TP-Link CR1900 Modem Router.

Logic told me to try WiFi range extenders. I tried Netgear, D-Link, Linksys, TP-Link but no matter what they cost or where I placed up to 4 of them in my 2 story 2100sf home, several WiFi devices would disconnect nearly ever day. Then I started researching mesh WiFi systems. Before spending $200 to $500 for one of the advertised brands sold by brick & mortar stores, I decided to try the Tenda NOVA MW3 based on other amazon reviews.

Setup of the NOVA system was the EASIEST thing I’ve ever installed in years!
1. Turn off the WiFi of my TP-Link Modem Router (log in to browser 192.168.1.1 and uncheck Enable boxes).
2. Reboot Modem
3. Using Tenda supplied Ethernet cable, connect a LAN port on modem to WLAN post on any one of the NOVA modules.
4. Plug the Tenda module into a power outlet.
5. Using the Tenda app I installed on my smartphone, follow the simple handful of steps until module GREEN light is solid.
6. Plug the other 2 Tenda modules in other parts of the house but preferably no more than about 30 feet from the main module. DONE!
Within seconds of having done this, the app screen said it found and linked 48 devices to my WiFi. I tested each and every device. I checked the signal strength all around my home and it never said less than “average” but says “Good” in 75% including back yard and front yard.

My Cox internet service delivers 120Mbps. Now the Tenda MW3 is delivering a 45Mbps to 77Mbps WiFi signal no matter where I am inside the home and up to 25 feet outside.
This may be the BEST $95 I’ve spent on any gadget in years and costs much less than any of the advertised brands at brick & mortar stores.

12/06/2018 UPDATE: Tenda MW3 worked flawlessly UNTIL TODAY. Suddenly, 42 of the 48 WiFi devices in 2story 2100sf home were getting any signal. I rebooted (unplugged power to main cube) for 10 seconds. Some devices came back online. Tested the signal strength with my smartphone at various locations using speedtest app. Signal varied from 16Mbps to 21Mbps which is MUCH lower than what it was until today.

BOTTOM LINE: Was great but in less than 2 weeks has proven to be UNRELIABLE (erratic) and will be replaced with another brand at a higher price. It’s a shame because setup was so easy.

LINKSYS VELOP was system I tried next. The Tenda is MUCH faster to setup, performs much better than the Linksys and is up to $200 less expensive than the Linksys Velop. linksys failed to find 7 of my WiFi devices that were found even by my TP-Link modem router WiFi signal. I will wait to see what new mesh systems I find at the 2019 CES Show in Vegas which will hopefully be much better.

By Amazon Reviewer on Tenda Nova MW6

Google Nest Wifi – Mesh with built-in smart speaker

The latest version of Google’s mesh Wi-Fi system has evolved quite considerably. The main unit is also a smart speaker with the Google Assistant, making this more than simply a mesh network.

It doesn’t support the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard, which you might expect from a new device at this price, but Nest Wifi is plenty fast enough for the average home and will improve signal around even smaller house vs a regular router.

Of course, the extra money also buys you great Google software which makes the whole process simple and easy to use. Not only it is a breeze to get set up, but the features are accessible and helpful including a guest network, priority devices and parental controls. You can even pause the network with your voice via the Google Assistant.

TP-Link Deco P9

It’s easy to set up, has a well-designed and feature-packed app and offers great performance, so it’s tough to fault TP-Link’s Deco P9 mesh Wi-Fi system. While it was originally available in a set of three with a 6000 square foot range, TP-Link has since launched a twin set ideal for smaller homes.

Unlike other systems here, the Deco P9 uses hybrid connectivity: a combination of mesh Wi-Fi and powerline networking which helps to provide a reliable connection even through thick walls.

If you want a no-fuss mesh Wi-Fi system that works well, the Deco P9 system won’t disappoint.

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