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Among popular networking vendors, TP-Link is known to offer affordability. And that goes across the board among the company's lineups, including its Archer standalone routers, Deco home mesh, and Omada business access points.
In April 2019, the networking vendor unveiled OneMesh as an additional and practical do-it-yourself home (DIY) mesh option for the budget-minded who already had an Archer router.
You'll learn all about OneMesh in this post, but to cut to the chase: If you're looking to quickly blanket those far corners of your home with reliable Wi-Fiโat best fast enough to deliver sub-Gigabit broadband, for nowโa OneMesh combo is an excellent option.
On the other hand, if you want a robust mesh system with better flexibility and more options in hardware and features, I'd recommend Asus's AiMesh or Synology Mesh instead.
Dong's note: I first published this review on April 29, 2019, with Wi-Fi 5 hardware, and I updated it on October 6, 2022, using the latest hardware to reflect the latest state of OneMesh and confirm the lack of the wired backhauling option.
What is TP-Link OneMesh?
TP-Link first announced the OneMesh initiative during CES 2019. The new feature soon became available via firmware updates to many existing routers and new hardware releases.
Now, more than two years later, OneMesh has proven to be a lasting feature with virtually all Archer Wi-Fi 6 (and 6E) routers and about a dozen range extenders supporting it.
Here's TP-Link's current, though incomplete, list of OneMesh-enabled hardware.
In fact, it's about to get even better.
TP-Link recently told me that it would release more OneMesh options, including Wi-Fi 6E hardware, in late 2022, of which some will also support Wi-Fi EasyMesh.
It seems the company wants to replace OneMesh with EasyMesh, at least in the naming.
Wi-Fi EasyMesh in a nutshell
Wi-Fi EasyMesh is Wi-Fi Alliance's certification program, first announced in early 2020, that aims to simplify the building of mesh systems by creating universal mesh protocols. The idea is any Wi-Fi EasyMesh-certified hardware from any vendor will work with one another to form a seamless Wi-Fi mesh system. Per the organization, here are the highlights of EasyMesh:
- Increased network capacity: Supports more simultaneous services and higher realized throughput when operating in Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E
- Flexible design: Allows for best placement of multiple APs to provide extended coverage
- Easy setup: Delivers seamless, secure device onboarding and configuration using QR codes through Wi-Fi Easy Connect technology
- Network intelligence: Advanced diagnostics for Wi-Fi 6 capabilities through Wi-Fi Data Elements facilitate service provider support and respond to network conditions to maximize performance
- Effective service prioritization and Quality of Service (QoS) support: Capability to prioritize low latency applications when needed and guide devices to roam to the best connection and avoid interference
- Scalability: Enables the addition of Wi-Fi EasyMesh APs from multiple vendors
The new program's adoption has proven slow. By late mid-2023, only Netgear and TP-Link had joined the movement. The former uses it in its Nighthawk purpose-built mesh family, first represented by the MK63 and MK83โnone is a standalone router. TP-Link, on the other hand, started to transition its OneMeshโavailable in standalone routersโinto TP-Link EasyMesh in August 2022. (In real-world trials, the EasyMesh hardware of TP-Link and Netgear has never worked with each other, and chances are they never will.)
Understandably, both TP-Link and Netgear recommend their hardware, EasyMesh or not.
Generally, we need the hardware of at least two vendors working together to know Wi-Fi EasyMesh is universal. But then, things can get complicated in terms of liability or tech support. If a mixed Wi-Fi EasyMesh system is not working as expected, it's hard to know which hardware vendor is at fault, and consumers might be stuck between two networking companies that point fingers at each other.
The way OneMesh works, you pair the router with one or more supported extenders or access points to form a seamless mesh Wi-Fi system.
Consequently, like other DIY mesh approaches, including Asus's AiMesh or Synology Mesh, TP-Link's OneMesh leverages multiple Wi-Fi broadcasters, old and new, to build a scalable system.
Specifically, you can start with a single router and add more broadcasters as satellite units to increase the Wi-Fi coverage later. Among other things, you get flexibility in Wi-Fi coverage while still enjoying the features of the primary router.
But there are nuances. Let's find out in detail what TP-Link OneMesh has and has not.
What TP-Link OneMesh offers
- Centralized management: You only need to manage the Wi-Fi settings on the router, and the changes will be synced across all OneMesh broadcasters. You can do this via the web interface or TP-Link's Tether mobile app.
- Easy client monitoring: You can easily find out via the mobile app or the web interface to which hardware unitโthe router or the extenderโa client connects in real-time.
- Easy setup: Adding a OneMesh extender to an existing OneMesh router takes just a few minutes - more below.
- All features of the router: A OneMesh has all the features and settings of the router in the setupโthe router you pick will determine what features your network will get.
- Seamless hand-off: Wi-Fi devices will automatically roam from one broadcast to another as you move around within the system.
- Access point mode: A OneMesh system can work in Access Point mode, meaning you can use it with an existing router or gateway as part of a single network. In this mode, besides the seamless hand-off, you'll get no other features of the OneMesh system.
- Flexible hardware combos: You can start with one OneMesh routerโmost TP-Link Archers routers support OneMeshโand add up to nine OneMesh range extenders of the same or different hardware units. Ideally, in a wireless configuration, you should use no more than three extenders and place them around the routerโthe star topology. OneMesh works in a daisy-chain setup, but the performance will be slow due to severe signal loss.
- Affordability: Most OneMesh add-on extenders/access points are relatively inexpensive.
- Here to stay: TP-Link says OneMesh will be available in all product categories, including routers, extenders, access points, and Powerline adapters.
- True MAC address: Typically, extenders use virtual MAC addresses for connected clients. However, in a OneMesh setup, clients connected to the extender unit use their true physical addresses in my testing. Consequently, MAC-based features, such as access control, IP reservation, or web filtering, will work as intended. (This might vary from one extender to another.)
The main takeaway you can expect from a OneMesh system is that you keep all that you have from the current router, plus extra Wi-Fi coverage when adding a wireless extender on top, and both work as seamless Wi-Fi mesh.
What OneMesh doesn’t offer
OneMesh also has a few notable shortcomings compared to Asus's AiMesh or Synology Mesh. The following are some of them:
- No router-to-router setup: You can't turn a OneMesh router into a satellite unitโyou need a specific extender or access point for this role. As a result, when upgrading to a new TP-Link router, you can't use the old one as part of the system. (You can use most TP-Link routers as standard access points, but that's a different story.)
- No wired backhauling: For now, with the latest hardware and firmware, you can't use a network cable to link the router and a OneMesh extender.
- No dedicated wireless backhaul: This requires the satellite unit to be Tri-band, which has an additional 5GHz band. So far, there have been only dual-band OneMesh satellites.
- Few(er) features: TP-Link Archer routers share a similar standard feature set. And most, if not all, don't include Parental Controls, QoS, and online protection for free. You must pay subscription fees and log in via a TP-Link account.
OneMesh and wired backhauling
The issue with wired backhaulingโwhere a network cable is used to link the hardware unitsโhas been ambiguous with OneMesh. At one point, wired backhauling worked on extenders with a network port.
However, wired backhauling is now explicitly not supported with the latest hardware and firmware. On this front, in late September 2022, TP-Link confirmed that wiring was not an option in OneMesh "for now," and the company might consider adding it "in the future."
So generally, OneMesh has fewer hardware options in performance and features than other DIY mesh approaches. And the potential use of a login account can incur privacy risks.
TP-Link and your privacy
Having to sign in with an account generally means your hardware connects to the vendor at all times, which translates into inherent privacy risks.
On this matter, the China-origin networking company, among other things, insists that it's a "global multinational group" and offers this assurance:
"TP-Link takes privacy seriously and complies with U.S. policies to protect consumers."
TP-Link's Privacy Policy page.
Managing your home network via a third party is never a good idea. Privacy is a matter of degree. Data collection and handling vary vendor by vendor.
How to pick OneMesh hardware
There are two parts of a OneMesh setup, the router and the satellite(s).
Virtually all TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E routers in the Archer family support OneMeshโfuture ones will, too. So pick a router with the performance grade that suits your needs.
On the satellite end, most RExxx extenders support OneMesh, and TP-Link will release more in the near future.
For now, all of these extenders are entry-level with mediocre to mid-tier Wi-Fi specs. Consequently, it's best to pick the one with the highest specs if you have fast broadband (300Mbps or faster). If you have slow internet, any extender will do.
Still, make sure you pick one of the same Wi-Fi standards as the routerโWi-Fi 5 vs. Wi-Fi 6. If you have a wired home, get one with a network port.
Mixing Wi-Fi standards is generally not a good idea in building a mesh system unless you can use wired backhauling, which is impossible in hardware with no network port. All TP-Link Wi-Fi 5 and most Wi-Fi 6 extenders have no network port.
Of existing OneMesh satellite hardware, the RE700X AX3000 extender is the best in hardware specs. Yet, it's pretty modest, with up to 574Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 2402Mbps on the 5GHz, theoretically.
The extender also has a Gigabit network port to work as a standard access point (AP mode.)
TP-Link OneMesh setup: It’s easy
I initially tested TP-Link OneMesh in April 2019 using an Archer A7 v5 router and the RE300 extender. Both are Wi-Fi 5 hardware. At the time, the Archer A7 was relatively high-end, and the RE300 was the only OneMesh extender.
For this July 2022 update, I used an Archer AXE75 AXE5400 routerโTP-Link's first standalone Wi-Fi 6E routerโand a RE700X.
In any case, setting up a OneMesh Wi-Fi system is simple and can be summed up in one sentence for those only needing the general direction:
Set up the router, turn on its OneMesh feature, and connect a OneMesh-ready satellite extender unit to it.
If that's enough, you can close the box below to skip extra details and screenshots.
Setting up OneMesh router and satellite(s)
OneMesh router setup
Setting up a TP-Link router is like any router with a web interface. From a connected computer, launch a web browser to open the router's default IP address which is 192.168.0.1 (or http://tplinklogin.net).
You'll then find a wizard that walks you through creating an admin account and a Wi-Fi network. After that, you can use the web interface to customize the network's settings further.
By the way, apart from the web interface, you can also use the TP-Link Tether mobile app for the setup and ongoing management of the router.
Once the router is up and running, migrate the OneMesh section and turn it on. And that's it. The router is now ready to host OneMesh satellites.
TP-Link OneMesh satellite setup
Once the router is ready, you can add OneMesh satellite(s) to it however you'd like, using the satellite's web user interface, via the Tether mobile app, or via the WPS feature when available.
If you use the mobile app or web interface for the setup process, the router's SSID will appear with the word "OneMesh" attached to it.
Generally, the setup process will ask you to connect the extender to the router using all of its available bandsโ2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz (when available.)
And that's it. Now, find the right spot to place the extender, and your OneMesh system is ready (*).
(*) Since most, if not all, current OneMesh-ready extenders come in the plug-in design, finding a good spot to place them away from the router in a fully wireless mesh setup can be challenging. More often than not, there's no wall socket at the best spot where you'd want to place the extender.
Once the system is up and running, you can still access the extender (now mesh satellite's) web user interface for common tasks, such as firmware updates. However, you can't change its Wi-Fi settings that wayโyou do that at the router.
TP-Link OneMesh: Slow but reliable performance
In the past couple of years, I've tried many OneMesh combos, and the general experience is that they are reliable but slow. And that was the case even with the latest hardware, namely the Archer AXE75 and RE700X extender as mentioned above.
In terms of Wi-Fi range, each extender will add between 1000 ft2 (93 m2) to 1500 ft2 (139 m2) of coverage depending on how you arrange itโmore in this post about using multiple Wi-FI broadcasters.
For the charts above, I placed the extenders some 40 feet (12 m) from the routers within a line of sightโI generally only report mesh satellites' performance in a wireless setup.
Generally, all OneMesh extenders have relatively short ranges, and the performance degrades significantly as the distance increases. And that's understandable since all of them, including the best-of-the-breed RE700X, are compact low-end broadcasters.
The signal hand-off generally worked well in my extended real-world usage, but clients might take a bit longerโup to a few secondsโto get connected to the network via a satellite unit.
Overall, all OneMesh extenders perform well in my book, considering their costs.
TP-Link OneMesh's Rating
Pros
Affordable and easy to set up
Reliable performance; responsive web interface, useful mobile app
Available in most, if not all, TP-Link's Wi-Fi 6 (and later) routers
Cons
Modest Wi-Fi speeds due to signal loss; no wired backhauling
Routers can't work as satellite units; even the best satellite has entry-level Wi-Fi specs
TP-Link Archer routers' QoS, Parental Controls, and online protection features require subscriptions and a vendor login account
Conclusion
TP-Link's OneMesh is not intended to be the replacement for the company's Deco product line. Instead, it's an easy way to turn a full-featured standalone Archer router into a mesh network when need be.
While the mesh's performance so far doesn't have anything to brag about, its convenience and reliability will make those needing extra coverage appreciate the possibility.
And the low cost never hurts.
So, if you're to blanket a larger-than-expected homeโone that a single Archer router is just a bit shy of covering it allโOneMesh is more than worth the investment.
Hopefully, TP-Link will release more powerful extendersโbetter Wi-FI specs with Multi-Gig portsโdown the road that have the performance to match Gigabit or even faster broadband.
Hi Dong, love your detail reviews.
For OneMesh range extender like RE700X you review may I know if we’ve the option to extend 5Ghz only?
Or OneMesh is auto-sync so both will enabled as router?
Regards
ChingAik
Yes, you can choose to extend whichever band you want, Ching, as you can see in the screenshot of this part.
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Doug,
I am incredibly confused by your article, you state in the “What does One Mesh have” part, that it is wired backhaul, you then state in the comments that you stated many places that it does NOT have wired backhaul, your article is incredibly confusing. I purchased a new TP-Link router, because you stated it HAS wired backhaul. Can you please reconcile your article with the truth?
Todd
Likely you didn’t read the post carefully, Todd. Give it another try, don’t skim it.
Also, the name is Dong. Again, paying attention is the key when using this website.
Je suis dรฉรงu qu’il y a pas le branchement Eternet 10 Gbit/s. Le 2,5 commence ร รชtre dรฉpassรฉ ici en Suisse.
Desole, Dubi. Mais 2.5Gbps est deja presque trop rapid pour tous. ๐
Hi Dong,
I read many of your articles regarding routers. I used Verizon Fios 300M plan, it is very enough for me.
I upgrade my router to Netgear RAX50 and Linksys MR9600 as bridge mode, and so far so good.
But I have some questions, my switch is 11 years old, I didn’t find anything wrong up to this moment, Do you think I need to upgrade the switch?
No, Marco. If it’s a Gigabit switch, I’d recommend keeping it.
Hi Dong, I’m using an Archer AX90 and a RE505X, which is not a very high end device, to extend the network in my flat. I’m actually using it primarily as a wireless bridge using the ethernet port on the RE505 to supply a wired connection to an oldish all in one PC I have in that area. I wasn’t very hopeful of success for this arrangement but I’m getting around 240Mbps up and down to the PC which I am fairly happy with. By way of contrast I get around 450 Mbps to/from a WiFi 6 laptop near the router. My internet connection is a nominal 1Gbps, about 930Mbps over a wired connection to the router.
I want to use TP-link range extender RE200 v4 to form mesh wifi network by connecting it to Tplink Archer A6 v3 router. Will it produce same strength of wifi signals in mesh network as that of secondary router? Router is in first floor, RE200 will be in 2nd floor.
No, Anand. Assuming you have read this post carefully, check out this post for more.
Yeah, I read post carefully. Post is reviewing RE300 but I think it also gives an idea about RE200.
Actually, I have two options:
Option-1: Simply buy a DSL router and use it as a secondary router by connecting it to main router with lan cable.
Option-2: Buy RE200 to form mesh wifi n/w by connecting it to Tp-link Archer A6 router.
With which option sud I go with concerning strength of wifi signals? If u have other better option, plz suggest
#1 will not work. That’s not how to set things up at the basic level. More in this post about networking in general.
#2: The post I linked in the previous reply applies.
In any case, I don’t have a specific answer for you, Anand — you need a local personal tech advisor who can come to your house and check things out. More in this post. Or you need to figure that out by yourself. Check out the posts I linked. You’re getting close.
Excellent and detailed article! Cheers from Argentina!
Thanks, Esteban. And happy to have you! ๐
Hi,
Was just wondering, if I set my router to AP mode, will it still support OneMesh?
No, Soap. It must work as a router.
Hi Dong,
I am Ted from TP-Link. Thanks for writing this article to introduce OneMesh. Need to point out that OneMesh currently does not support wire backhaul so the claim of the Access point mode is incorrect. Please fix that part to help avoid misleading your viewers, thank you~ more information: https://www.tp-link.com/en/onemesh/
Thanks for reaching out, Ted. You misread, though. I mean OneMesh itself can work in the AP mode on top of an existing router to void double NAT. I mentioned specifically in multiple places that OneMesh doesn’t support wired backhaul.
A user discovered that it IS possible to have OneMesh nodes with ethernet backhaul by using one of the OneMesh capable powerline adapters and simply not using the powerline features.
The point of the review, at the time of the review, PTG, is that there was no hardware capable of wired backhaul. Maybe you should read the entire thing?
No offense intended but I did read the entire article. I never implied that the article was inaccurate. My purpose in sharing the comment was only to let other owners of OneMesh routers know that there is an ethernet backhaul option available although TP-Link seems to be deliberately suppressing or withholding this information. I included a link to the original source from TP-Link’s own forums in my comment but it appears to have been removed. I thought you would possibly have also taken interest in investigating further as well, but I guess I was mistaken. Not sure what warranted your curt reply. Oh well. Good day to you Dong.
I just replied in kind, Ptg. No offense taken. Have a good day yourself.
Hi Dong,
I am confused by these 2 statements below.
Currently I have a generic Huawei Router from my ISP provider and a TP-Link RE605X extender as an AP. The extender is wired connected to the router (via a switch). All works well. However I am looking to upgrade the router to the TP-Link AXE73 to use the OneMesh system.
So to use the OneMesh system, can I connect the AXE73 router to the RE605X extender via the existing wired connection? Or have to be wireless?
“Wired backhaul: When using an extender with a network port, you can use a network cable to link it to the router. Wired backhauling is the best way to build any mesh system. In this case, you can be more flexible with the hardware arrangement.”
“Need to point out that OneMesh currently does not support wire backhaul so the claim of the Access point mode is incorrect.”
Thanks and great article.
JK
The second statement you mentioned is NOT in the post, JK. Not sure you got that from.
Sorry Dong, let me clarify. The 2nd statement is from a comment above (Ted from TP-Link).
From your review, “If you want to use wired backhauling, connect the extenderโs network port to the router using a network cable โ itโs OK to do that with a switch in between them.”
Can you confirm that you tested this setup?
Regards JK
No worries, JK. I view comments on the backend — they are like email messages — so it can be confusing. In any case, I can only address what I’ve said: If you use an extender than can work as an AP (among other things it must have a network port,) then wired backhauling is possible — all you have to do is connect the extender to the route with a network cable AFTER having set it up. And yes, I did test it in this mode using the extended mentioned above. It worked.
I’m still confused by this backhaul info.
Under things OneMesh offers:
“Wired backhaul” “Wired backhauling is the best way to build any mesh system.”
“TP-Link RE700X is currently the most โpowerfulโ OneMesh extender. Most importantly, it has a network port to necessitate wired backhauling.”
“Mixing Wi-Fi standards is generally not a good idea in building a mesh system unless you can use wired backhauling”
This is the one place that makes it sound like OneMesh cant use wired backhauling?
“The extender also has a Gigabit network port to support wired backhauling (AP mode.)”
Then Ted from TP-Link says:
“OneMesh currently does not support wire backhaul”
So Ted was right and you can not use a OneMesh with wired backhauling?
Ted left his statement in mid-2021. There was probably no OneMesh extender with a network port at the time. It’s essential, though, that you should read this post (or any post on this website, for that matter) in its entirety. If so, you’d note that this particular port was first published in 2019 and recently updated with the latest information. Things change over time with firmware updates and new hardware etc. What was true yesterday might not be true today, which is why I updated this article in the first place.
Sorry, I don’t see where this info is changed and I quoted from the current article. Why not just answer the questions and update the list if it’s not correct. Just add a note in the section that sates it can work, if it can and why folks where confused.
I listed why I’m unsure but then you just say to read it again.
This was a year ago but you still don’t not say what the deal is.
TP-Link has a long thread that makes it sound like they still do not support Wired backhaul.
Just give this post a read from beginning to end, Tanquen — don’t skip anything — and you will have a different view/understanding. Note the dates, too.
“until youโve actually read”
Not nice.
It’s nice that you take the time to reply but why mess with people?
You have a few post here where others asked but you don’t answer and just say to read.
I did read but I’m missing something that is why I’m asking for help. I even searched for OneMesh and backhaul.
I posted where I thought the info should be.
I don’t see where is says the OneMesh can (for sure) work in a wired backhaul.
Just add something here about wired backhaul & OneMesh :
“Dongโs note: “
You’re passing judgment, but I’m just going to state the facts here:
1. Skimping over a detailed post and asking the author to digest the information for you is not nice. In fact, it’s lazy, unappreciative, and disrespectful. It also violates the comment rules above, which you probably didn’t read.
2. It’s ridiculous, to put it mildly, looking for the exact wording.
3. There’s nothing black and white. A car designed to run on four wheels might run on two or not run at all. There’s nothing “for sure” in life other than death (and maybe taxes.)
Please keep in mind that this is a no-nonsense website and that goes both ways.
Not trying to upset anyone or mess with you but I did read it and I asked a question with info from the article regarding it. Not sure how my OP or the last shows I did not read it? I did not just skim it. I’m not lazy or unappreciative.
I like that you are responding here and thanks for softening your post but it just seems like you are avoiding some of questions. If you don’t know what TP is going to do that is fine but the info in the article makes it unsure,
Like I said, I see it says under “things OneMesh offers” that OneMesh can use wired backhaul if the extender has a port, like it’s a sure thing? As sure as feature list in tech can be. The RE715X manual talks about using the port as an AP, that sounds like no OneMesh support? Just seems like it needs more that an “*” and more detail about the issue.
Things can change over time and if there is no port on the extender then sure, no wired backhaul but it sounds like there are some TP extenders with a port and still no wired OneMesh backhaul support. I tried to find more info and there is a thread on the TP site says you can not use OneMesh with a wired backhaul and they are not happy about it. So maybe the RE815X (that is still not available) can but you don’t (for sure) know? Again, I’m not seeing that info in the article. Any TP WiFI 6 extender with a ethernet port like the RE715X can or just the RE815X? If so TP should let folks know.
Got it. You’re looking to have your black-and-white outlook validated. I can’t do that for you. Nobody can. The stuff I write here is generally based on my experience, limited to the hardware I use at the time I use it. It’s generally case by case. If non-definitive language is used that’s because it is applicable. And ultimately it’s on you how you process the information you consume and how you consume it. Check out the site’s About page for more on what you can expect here.
Hello
40feet is not 33m ๐
It was a typo. Fixed. Thanks.
Hi Dong, just a quick note… I think “Seamless hand-off: Wi-Fid” should be “Wi-Fi”? Thanks.
You’re correct, Jonathan! Thanks again! ๐
Hi Dong,
After reading a lot about Mesh systems, I think this would be the best combination for my parents house (we’re based in France). Especially in those times of isolation due to Covid
Right now they have a (slow) VDSL2 internet connection. Our theoretical speed is on our box is around 20mb/s.
House is a stories house with an extension on the main floor (think of it as L, the extension being on the the top of the L and the 2nd floor on the base of the L). Right now, I use BPL to bring Internet to the extension as our Box wifi’s is too weak.
With our speed, I understand, that with no cost limit, Orbi would be an excellent choice, but as our speed is quite slow, I think that combining a OneMesh network with C7 router (for the two stories) and one RE305/RE300 (in the extension) can be enough and four times less expensive. What do you think?
Yes, the OneMesh will do, Bonakor.
Normally I don’t read article on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up
very compelled me to take a look at and do it! Your writing style has been amazed me.
Thanks, quite nice article.
Nice write up. Provided pertinent information and was one of the more useful reviews I’ve seen lately. Seems like a great choice for a low-cost set up. Will be purchasing and testing out. Thanks.