TP-Link Deco BE26 (3-pack) vs TP-Link Deco E4 (3-pack)

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against Wi-Fi routers and mesh systems at a similar price

The TP-Link Deco BE26 (3-pack) scores 6.6/10 overall, ahead of the TP-Link Deco E4 (3-pack) at 4.6/10.

The TP-Link Deco BE26 (3-pack) leads on wi-Fi standard and bands, software and security and wired ports.

They score the same on coverage and value.

The biggest difference is wired ports, where the TP-Link Deco BE26 (3-pack) scores 7/10 to the TP-Link Deco E4 (3-pack)'s 2/10.

TP-Link Deco BE26 (3-pack)

6.6/10verdict: buy

The TP-Link Deco BE26 3-pack is for households that want Wi-Fi 7 mesh across a larger home. It suits people with a multi-gig internet connection or a few wired devices who want 2.5 Gbps ports on every unit. It is a better fit for home users who want built-in parental controls and security tools than for admins who need advanced network segmentation.

Typically about £299.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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TP-Link Deco E4 (3-pack)

4.6/10verdict: skip

The Deco E4 3-pack is for households that want Wi-Fi spread across a large home from three units on a broadband line of modest speed. It suits people who mostly connect over Wi-Fi and have few wired devices. It is a poor fit for anyone who wants gigabit wired ports, Wi-Fi 6 or a built-in VPN server.

Typically about £109 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	TP-Link Deco BE26 (3-pack)	TP-Link Deco E4 (3-pack)
Wi-Fi standard and bands	25%	7/10	4/10
Software and security	25%	6/10	5/10
Wired ports	20%	7/10	2/10
Coverage	15%	7/10	7/10
Value	15%	6/10	6/10
Overall		6.6/10	4.6/10

Specifications

Spec	TP-Link Deco BE26 (3-pack)	TP-Link Deco E4 (3-pack)
Wi-Fi standard	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), speeds up to 5000 Mbps	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac/n/a on 5 GHz, 802.11b/g/n on 2.4 GHz)
Bands and speed class	Dual-band: 4324 Mbps on 5 GHz and 688 Mbps on 2.4 GHz	Dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz; signal rates 867 Mbps (5 GHz) and 300 Mbps (2.4 GHz)
WAN port	Two 2.5 Gbps auto-sensing WAN/LAN ports per unit	2 x 10/100 Mbps WAN/LAN ports per unit, auto-sensing
LAN ports	No dedicated LAN port; the two auto-sensing WAN/LAN ports per unit can act as LAN ports	No dedicated LAN port; the two 10/100 Mbps ports on each unit serve as WAN or LAN
Mesh nodes in the box	3	3
Rated coverage	not listed	Up to 4,000 sq ft for the 3-pack (test-based, not guaranteed)
Security and VPN features	HomeShield network protection, parental controls, IoT security, guest network, WPA/WPA2/WPA3 encryption, firewall and device blocklist	SPI firewall, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK (no WPA3 listed), guest networks on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, parental controls, QoS, port forwarding, VLAN, IPv6; no VPN server listed

Strengths and weaknesses

TP-Link Deco BE26 (3-pack)

+ Wi-Fi 7 with three nodes included
+ Two 2.5 Gbps ports on every unit
+ EU V1 firmware adds DoT/DoH and internet backup
− Dual-band only, with 688 Mbps on 2.4 GHz
− No dedicated LAN port on any unit
− Listed features centre on home controls, not advanced networking

Skip it if:

Buyers who want a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh system
Admins who need VLANs or a VPN server on the router
Anyone wiring many devices to each node

Read the full TP-Link Deco BE26 (3-pack) review ›

TP-Link Deco E4 (3-pack)

+ Three units rated for up to 4,000 sq ft
+ Guest networks on both bands, plus VLAN and QoS
+ High retailer ratings from owners
− Ethernet ports are 10/100 Mbps only
− Wi-Fi 5 dual-band, with no WPA3 listed
− No VPN server listed

Skip it if:

Buyers with wired NAS, servers or desktops who need gigabit Ethernet
Anyone who wants Wi-Fi 6 or newer for a fast broadband line
Users who need WPA3 or a built-in VPN server

Read the full TP-Link Deco E4 (3-pack) review ›

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