TP-Link says to read the LED when the internet drops, because it names the problem. A solid red main Deco means the main unit lost the modem. A solid green or white main Deco with a flashing or solid red satellite means the satellite lost the main. All Decos solid green or white with devices dropping means an unstable client. LED cycling off, then solid yellow, then solid red, then solid white or green means the Deco is rebooting on its own.
The checks in more detail
Before anything else, make sure every Deco runs the latest firmware. For a satellite, swap it with a working one: if the fault follows the unit, contact TP-Link, and if it stays at the original spot, adjust placement. If several satellites are red and connected by wifi, move them closer; by Ethernet, unplug the cables and remove switches, wait a few minutes and see whether it improves.
For dropping clients, swap the cable and port for wired devices, and for wireless devices enable a guest network on 5 GHz only, join a few of the problem devices and see if they stay stable. For smart home gadgets that drop, TP-Link has separate settings. Place satellites at the same height as the source Deco, 1 to 1.5 ft off the floor, in the open, away from metal, microwaves, Bluetooth and USB 3.0 devices, within 50 feet of each other when wireless. Log the times the drops occur for a few days.
Drops at the same time every evening point to interference or heavy use, while drops that follow a unit point to that unit. Changing one thing at a time, and waiting a day between changes, makes the result readable, and reverting anything that made no difference keeps the setup simple. If drops only happen with one phone or laptop, take it to a friend's network and see whether it drops there too. A device that drops everywhere needs a driver or system update, not a change to your mesh.
Differential
Likely causes of “TP-Link Deco mesh wifi Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A satellite too far from the main Deco
What separates it A satellite flashes red because it is too far from the main Deco to keep its link
How to confirm Move it closer to the main Deco, keeping it within fifty feet of the unit that feeds it
- 2
Interference near a Deco
What separates it The wifi drops when a microwave or a USB 3.0 device is running near a Deco
How to confirm Move the Deco away from the microwave and from USB 3.0 devices, which cause interference
- 3
Old firmware
What separates it The wifi drops at random because one of the Decos is running old firmware
How to confirm Update every Deco in the network, and wait for each one to restart after the update
- 4
A weak client
What separates it Only one device drops because that device is a weak client with poor wifi
How to confirm Test the device on a 5 GHz guest network, to see whether it stays connected there
- 5
A power fault
What separates it A Deco reboots itself, which drops the wifi, because of a fault in its power supply
How to confirm Swap the adapter or the unit, to find out which of the two is at fault
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The LED colors of the main Deco and each satellite
- When drops happen and how often
- Whether wired or wireless links are used
- The firmware version that each Deco is running
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedRead the LED
ReversibleRead the light on each Deco, to work out which unit is red or is rebooting.
Update firmware
ReversibleUpdate the firmware on every Deco in the network, and let each unit restart after the update.
Swap the satellite
ReversibleSwap the satellite with another unit, to see whether the fault follows the unit or stays.
Fix placement
ReversibleFix the placement, so that the Decos are at the same height, in open space, within fifty feet.
Check backhaul
ReversibleCheck the backhaul, removing switches between units or moving the units closer together, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Test clients
ReversibleTest the clients by joining a problem device to a 5 GHz guest network, to see if it holds.
Send details to TP-Link
ReversibleSend details to TP-Link, including the light color, the steps you tried and how often it happens.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Bands
- The Deco XE75 and BE series add 6 GHz, and the BE85 is tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with 10G ports.
- M5
- The Deco M5 is an older AC1300 model with fewer wired options.
- 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 the problem follows a satellite to a new spot, contact TP-Link support
- !If the main Deco keeps losing the modem, follow the no-internet steps
- !If only one device drops, check its driver and the guest network test
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Main, satellite, client and random reboot fixes.
Height, interference and signal bars.
Every LED color and pattern by model.
Fast Roaming and 2.4 GHz devices.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
How far apart can Decos be?+
No more than 50 feet when wireless.
How high should a satellite sit?+
At the same height as the source Deco, 1 to 1.5 ft off the floor.
What if the Deco reboots by itself?+
Swap the adapter and the unit.
Why does one satellite go red?+
It lost its link to the main Deco.
Does Ethernet backhaul help?+
It is more stable than wireless.
What is the 5 GHz guest test?+
Join a problem device to a 5 GHz-only guest network to see if it stays stable.
Do switches cause trouble?+
TP-Link says to remove them while testing.
Where do I see signal?+
In the app, Network, then the satellite.
How do I reset one Deco?+
Press its reset button for one second, or remove it in the app, and set it up again.
What is the Deco web page?+
Some models support tplinkdeco.net for management, though the Deco app is the main way to manage it.
How do I update the Deco's firmware?+
In the Deco app go to More, then System, and choose Update Deco to install the newest version.
What is Router mode on a Deco?+
In Router mode the main Deco is the gateway for the home and provides the routing features.