TP-Link's guest steps: open the Deco app, tap More, Guest Network, Turn On Guest Network, create a password and tap Done. In Router mode the guest network is automatically isolated from the main network, so visitors reach the internet but not your devices. You can customize the network name, security type (WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA3 or none), working band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz or 6 GHz on models that have it), optional bandwidth limits and a duration of 1 hour, 4 hours, 24 hours or always on. In Access Point mode an Isolated From Main Network toggle appears once the guest network is enabled.
TP-Link also has an article for extending the guest network when a switch sits between Deco units, because guest traffic needs the switch to pass tagged traffic. A guest network is a useful test:
The checks in more detail
TP-Link's wifi troubleshooting suggests a 5 GHz-only guest network to see whether problem devices stay stable. Parental controls on the Deco are profile based, so a device on the guest network can be added to a profile. If a guest device cannot reach a printer or speaker on the main network, that is the isolation working as designed. A guest network is also a tidy home for smart gadgets and visitors' phones that you do not want on the main network.
Give it a schedule if you like and turn it off when it is not needed, and share the password only with people who need it. Smart home devices often cannot talk to your phone if they sit on the guest network, so put them on the main network unless you have a reason to isolate them, and keep guests off the main network.
Differential
Likely causes of “TP-Link Deco mesh wifi guest network cannot reach devices, cast or print”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The guest network is off
What separates it There is nothing to join because the guest network is switched off
How to confirm Turn the guest network on in the Deco app, and set a password for it
- 2
Isolation
What separates it Guests cannot reach the main devices because the guest network is isolated on purpose
How to confirm Put the devices that guests need to reach on the main network, or on the guest network
- 3
A switch between units
What separates it The guest network fails on the satellites because a switch sits between the units
How to confirm Follow TP-Link's article about switches, which explains how to make it work
- 4
A short duration
What separates it The guest network stops because its duration is set to a short time
How to confirm Choose the always on option for the duration, so that the network does not switch off
- 5
The wrong band
What separates it Old devices cannot join because they cannot use the band that the guest network is on
How to confirm Use the 2.4 GHz band for the guest network, which older devices can see and join
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether it is on and its duration
- Which band and which security type the guest network uses
- The device that cannot reach something
- Whether a switch sits between units
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedOpen Guest Network
ReversibleOpen Guest Network in the app, by tapping More and then choosing Guest Network, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Turn it on
ReversibleTurn it on and create a password, which your guests will need to type in.
Set the band
ReversibleSet the band for the guest network, choosing 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz or 6 GHz if available.
Set a duration
ReversibleSet a duration for the guest network, from one hour to always on, as you prefer.
Share it
ReversibleShare the network with your guests by giving them the name and the password, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Test
ReversibleTest the guest network by joining a phone to it, and checking that the internet works.
Turn off when finished
ReversibleTurn the guest network off when your guests have left, if you like to keep it off.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- 6 GHz
- The BE85, BE63 and XE75 support a 6 GHz guest band.
- Models
- Options vary by model.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Deco BE63 mesh, Deco XE75 mesh, Deco X55 mesh, Deco M5 mesh.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If guests cannot get online while main devices can, contact TP-Link support
- !If a smart device needs both networks, keep it on the main one
- !If it drops after the timer, extend or set always on
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Turning on and customizing the guest network.
Guest networks across switches.
Main, satellite, client and random reboot fixes.
Router versus Access Point features.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Is it isolated?+
Yes, in Router mode the guest network is isolated from the main network.
Can I set a duration?+
1 hour, 4 hours, 24 hours or always on.
Can I limit bandwidth?+
Yes, you can limit the bandwidth for the guest network, as an optional setting.
Which security types?+
The options are WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WPA3 or none, so choose one that your guests' devices support.
Can it use 6 GHz?+
Yes, it can use 6 GHz on the models that have a 6 GHz band.
Does a switch matter?+
A switch can matter, so see TP-Link's article about switches for what to check.
Does it work in AP mode?+
In AP mode there is an isolation toggle, which you can use to keep guests apart.
Can I use it for testing?+
Yes, a 5 GHz-only guest network.