OVERALL
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Scored using Routers Methodology v3.0
Routers Methodology v3.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Routers Methodology v3.0: the technical score from the specifications is the base, and independent expert and video reviews (up to ±0.5 points), owner opinions (up to ±0.3) and best-of lists (up to +0.3) move it up or down.
Explore Routers Methodology v3.0

TP-Link Deco S7 review: 77 specs compared

Avg. price:~£60Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)Wi-Fi speed:1900 MbpsLAN port speeds:1 GbpsMesh Wi-Fi:yes

TP-Link Deco S7 Review: Compare 77 technical specifications and 5 expert and video reviews to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

TP-Link Deco S7
7.7/10

Overall score

Score
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
Our main score for this model, 1–10. It combines specs, expert reviews, best-of lists and owners.
How we count it
Parts: Technical score 40%, Reviews score 25%, List score 25%, Sentiment score 10%
Marks: Each part gets a mark out of 10. For reviews, lists and owners, a typical model in this category gets about 8 and the best one gets 10.
No data yet: A part with no data shows "?". It counts as the mark of a weaker model in this category (4 in 5 models with data score higher). This way, models with reviews, lists and owners usually come out ahead.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 65% of models
Score components

40%

7.4

Technical score

25%

8.4

Reviews score

25%

?

List scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.5, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

7.4

Sentiment score

â–²Better than 65% of routers
8.4

Value for money

Value for money
8.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 74% of models
Score components

70%

7.7

Overall score

30%

10

Price

â–²Better than 74%
7.4

Technical score

Technical score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 61% of models
Score components

26%

6.5

Wireless

20%

6.0

Ports

18%

8.7

Networking

14%

8.8

Security

12%

7.8

Hardware

10%

7.6

Management

â–²Better than 61%
8.4

Reviews score

Reviews score
8.4/ 10
✕
What it is
Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
How we count it
Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.7 for now.
Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 68% of models

80%

8.6

Average grade

20%

8.0

Popularity

Grades by review (5)
1 review, with a printed score. 4 video reviews, each counting half as much as a written test. Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
â–²Better than 68%
?

List score

List score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How often independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers put this model in their best-of lists for this category.
How we count it
Points: The model in the most lists of this category gets 10; the others get 8 to 10 in proportion. In no list yet: 7.5. Lists count 25% of the overall score.
Enough data: Every list counts, even a single one. With fewer than 5 best-of lists in the category, this part is left out.
Lists with this model (0)
Not in any best-of list yet, so this part counts as 7.5. Models in a list get 8 to 10.
Not in any best-of list yet
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.

What reviewers say about the TP-Link Deco S7

Based on 1 · 4

Reviewers agree it moves you smoothly between units without dropouts, with solid coverage and a straightforward app.
Praised
Pick a topic to see who said what

What owners say about the TP-Link Deco S7

Based on 30 owners sharing their experience in online comments

33%positive10%mixed57%negative

Owners praise broad coverage and strong speeds, but many report unstable connections, weak reach, and disappointing performance.

What owners dislike

  • Owners say speeds drop well below their plan, often to 100–150 Mbps on wired links, and the unit in the router's floor can slow down too.11
  • Owners say connections drop often, devices disconnect from Wi-Fi and the internet cuts out, even with units close to the router.7
  • Owners find the signal weak through thick walls and outdoors, and say the units need about 10 metres between them to hold a usable signal.3
  • Owners using one unit as a wireless repeater say it loses internet when unplugged from the modem and moved to another room.3
  • Owners report the Deco app cannot detect or connect to new units, and the unit's light may not stay steady after the phone disconnects.3

Points mentioned by at least 3 owners, most mentioned first.

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Routers model ranking

Ranked #142 of 524 models in Routers (Overall score)

Technical Specifications of router TP-Link Deco S7

Technical score
Technical score
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 61% of models
Score components:

26%

6.5

Wireless

20%

6.0

Ports

18%

8.7

Networking

14%

8.8

Security

12%

7.8

Hardware

10%

7.6

Management

7.4
Reviews score
8.4
List score
?
Value for money
Value for money
8.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 74% of models
Score components:

70%

7.7

Overall score

30%

10

Price

8.4
Brand name
TP-Link
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
This router uses Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), which is more advanced than 35.2% of routers and equal to 23.1% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
This router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are more versatile than 24.2% of routers and equal to 65.6% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
1900 Mbps
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 1900 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is higher than 58.1% of routers and equal to 1.7% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz channel width options, which is more than 36.5% of routers and the same as 29.9% of routers.
Show more
What reviewers say
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA
This router supports WPA2, WPA Wi-Fi security protocols, which are less advanced than 80.3% of routers and equal to 8% of routers.
DoS protection
yes
This router includes DoS protection. 9.8% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 4.7% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
This router supports MAC address filtering. 1.7% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
This router supports URL filtering. 2.6% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
yes
This router supports IPv6. 8.8% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
no
This router does not support dynamic routing. 46.2% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
?
VLAN tagging
yes
This router supports VLAN tagging. 33.6% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
This router includes QoS controls. 2.4% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
3
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 3 LAN ports, which is fewer than 66% of routers and the same as 18.2% of routers.
LAN port speeds
1 Gbps
This router offers 1 Gbps on its LAN ports, which is faster than 25.7% of routers and on par with 56.1% of routers.
N. of WAN ports
?
N. of USB ports
?
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 1.7% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
Show more
Management interface
App
This router uses App for management, which is less advanced than 73% of routers and equal to 5.3% of routers.
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI, App, Automatic
This router supports Web UI, App, Automatic firmware update methods, which are more convenient than 71.9% of routers and equal to 27.2% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
yes
This router includes traffic monitoring. 13.9% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 7.3% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
This router does not offer captive portal features. 22.4% of routers offer captive portal features.
Show more
CPU clock speed
?
RAM capacity
?
Internal storage
?
Hardware acceleration
yes
This router offers hardware acceleration. 24.9% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
0
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 0 external antennas, which is fewer than 62.7% of routers and the same as 37.3% of routers.
Show more

TP-Link Deco S7 vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • Supports mesh Wi-Fi
    This router supports mesh Wi-Fi, while the average router does not. 45.2% of routers support mesh Wi-Fi.
  • 3 more internal antennas
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (3 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    3 vs 0
  • 9.1% higher review score
    Reviews score
    8.4/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
    How we count it
    Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
    Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
    Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.7 for now.
    Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    â–² Better than 68% of models

    80%

    8.6

    Average grade

    20%

    8.0

    Popularity

    Grades by review (5)
    1 review, with a printed score. 4 video reviews, each counting half as much as a written test. Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
    User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
    8.4 vs 7.7
  • 102 mm narrower width
    This router is narrower than the average router (91 mm vs 193 mm). The average router is 193 mm wide.
    91 mm vs 193 mm
  • 8.6% faster Wi-Fi speed
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (1900 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1,750 Mbps.
    1,900 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps
  • 9.1% higher review score
    Reviews score
    8.4/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
    How we count it
    Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
    Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
    Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.7 for now.
    Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
    Score distribution
    â–¼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    â–² Better than 68% of models

    80%

    8.6

    Average grade

    20%

    8.0

    Popularity

    Grades by review (5)
    1 review, with a printed score. 4 video reviews, each counting half as much as a written test. Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
    User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
    8.4 vs 7.7
  • Supports mesh Wi-Fi
    This router supports mesh Wi-Fi, while the average router does not. 45.2% of routers support mesh Wi-Fi.
  • 8.6% faster Wi-Fi speed
    This router has a higher Wi-Fi speed than the average router (1900 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1,750 Mbps.
    1,900 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps
  • 3 more internal antennas
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (3 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    3 vs 0
  • 102 mm narrower width
    This router is narrower than the average router (91 mm vs 193 mm). The average router is 193 mm wide.
    91 mm vs 193 mm
  • 1 fewer LAN ports
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (3 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    3 vs 4
  • Weaker management tools
    This router uses the management interface App, while the average router uses Web UI, App.
    App vs Web UI, App
  • 2 fewer external antennas
    This router has fewer external antennas than the average router (0 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    0 vs 2
  • 111.6 mm higher height
    This router is taller than the average router (163 mm vs 51.4 mm). The average router is 51.4 mm tall.
    163 mm vs 51.4 mm
  • Narrower DFS range
    This router has fewer supported DFS channels than the average router (52-64 + 100-140 vs 52-64 + 100-144). The average router supports 52-64 + 100-144 DFS channels.
    52-64 + 100-140 vs 52-64 + 100-144
  • 37 mm thicker design
    This router is thicker than the average router (91 mm vs 54 mm). The average router is 54 mm thick.
    91 mm vs 54 mm
  • Narrower DFS range
    This router has fewer supported DFS channels than the average router (52-64 + 100-140 vs 52-64 + 100-144). The average router supports 52-64 + 100-144 DFS channels.
    52-64 + 100-140 vs 52-64 + 100-144
  • 1 fewer LAN ports
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (3 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    3 vs 4
  • Weaker management tools
    This router uses the management interface App, while the average router uses Web UI, App.
    App vs Web UI, App
  • 2 fewer external antennas
    This router has fewer external antennas than the average router (0 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    0 vs 2
  • 111.6 mm higher height
    This router is taller than the average router (163 mm vs 51.4 mm). The average router is 51.4 mm tall.
    163 mm vs 51.4 mm
  • 37 mm thicker design
    This router is thicker than the average router (91 mm vs 54 mm). The average router is 54 mm thick.
    91 mm vs 54 mm

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

9.0
Welshmanshots
≈ estimated
06/09/2023
Hands-on review · dead zones and speed tests in a long house
Verdict
TP-Link Deco S7 suits long homes with dead spots, though it is worth comparing alternatives first.
Not graded

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

8.4
thereviewguy.co.uk
✓ explicit
18/09/2024
Long-term use · Whole-home mesh
Verdict
The TP-Link Deco S7 gives reliable coverage through a thick-walled house and garden where the provider's own router failed, though it sometimes needs rebooting.

Third-party reviews

What customers like about TP-Link Deco S7

  • Mesh units share one network name for up to 100 devices
  • Three gigabit WAN/LAN ports
  • AC1900 with 1300 Mbps on 5 GHz and 3x3 MU-MIMO
  • Parental controls, QoS and guest network
  • Compact unit weighing 360 g with internal antennas

What customers don't like about TP-Link Deco S7

  • Wi-Fi 5 only, no Wi-Fi 6 or 7
  • No 6 GHz band
  • WPA2 security without WPA3
  • App-only management

Verdict

Entry-level mesh is the job of the Deco S7, a Wi-Fi 5 unit rated AC1900. It delivers up to 600 Mbps on 2.4 GHz and 1300 Mbps on 5 GHz with 3x3 MU-MIMO. Three gigabit WAN/LAN ports handle the wired side. The units form one network with a single name and support up to 100 devices. Three internal antennas mean nothing sticks out of the housing. Parental controls, QoS and a guest network are included, and the app handles setup. Security stops at WPA2, and the system has no Wi-Fi 6, no 6 GHz band and no 2.5 Gbps port. At a budget price, it suits small and mid-size homes that want simple, stable Wi-Fi roaming from room to room without extras.

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