Mobile internet for everyone and everything
5G Router Test: The TP-Link Deco X50-5G
5G is also becoming increasingly mainstream as home internet access. The manufacturers of 5G routers are therefore ensuring easy access to mobile communications for your home with increasingly smart and easy-to-use devices. The Deco X50-5G from TP-Link makes setting up your Wi-Fi super easy. The router offers advanced features and application flexibility that leaves nothing to be desired. Whether as a stand-alone device for Wi-Fi in an apartment or together with other Deco devices as a mesh network in a multi-storey family home, the router delivers what it promises.
Hardware: Rather Large, but Comprehensive
At 21.05 × 13 × 12.3 cm, the X50-5G router is relatively large and its design is somewhat reminiscent of a flower vase. The device certainly doesn’t make a bad visual impression, but it does catch the eye quite quickly, especially in small rooms.
The size is not least due to the range of features that the X50-5G has to offer. The chassis houses a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 6(!) LTE/5G antennas and 2 WiFi antennas. The hardware is also complemented by a 2.5 Gigabit, two 1 Gigabit Ethernet and two RP-SMA-F connections for external antennas on the back and a nano-SIM slot on the bottom of the router.
This equipment allows the router to be operated either via mobile network or one of the Ethernet ports. The cellular connection can also be used as an additional failover connection if the wired Internet connection fails. However, the TP-Link X50-5G does not have a battery. The router must therefore be connected to a power socket for operation.
Setup: Easier Than Many Smartphones
TP-Link prints a quick start guide on the inside of the packaging, which promises setup in just a few steps. In our test, it took around 10 minutes from unpacking the router to surfing the new WLAN for the first time (the SIM card used was already activated).
After you have unpacked the router, insert your nano SIM into the SIM slot until you hear a soft click. Then connect the router to the power supply and download the Deco app to your smartphone. As soon as you have set up the app, it automatically recognizes the router and guides you through the network setup in just a few steps. Once you have completed these steps, you can connect up to 150 devices to the network and start surfing.
Once set up, you can also use the app to add further devices from the Deco line and set up a mesh network. Radio gaps in your own four walls should then be a thing of the past, even in multi-storey houses.
Additional Functions for Any Eventuality
TP-Link provides additional security functions with the X50-5G and the associated app, which can be used either as a free or premium version with a subscription. These include, for example, the TP-Link Home Shield, which monitors your network and protects it against malware or unauthorized intrusion, or a parental control feature that allows you to restrict Wi-Fi for certain devices and/or times of day.
Regardless of add-ons that can be switched on, the X50-5G offers an integrated firewall, WPA3 encryption and a freely configurable block list that you can use to block certain devices from your network. This means you always have control over who can and cannot use your Wi-Fi. You can conveniently control all these features via the Deco app, which you also use to set up the router. You can even control your SmartHome devices via the app, provided they are supported by the Deco ecosystem.
You can use a Quality of Service (QoS) feature to prioritize certain devices in your network. If you do this for your projector or smart TV, for example, the TV’s internet connection is automatically prioritized if there is heavy network usage from different users so that your stream continues to run smoothly, even if someone in the next room is downloading a 40GB PS5 update.
As you can see, the X50-5G is a versatile all-rounder that fulfills all network requirements that might arise in private use. This makes the list price of CHF 369 almost a bargain.
Talking About Bargains…
Because we love versatile devices and want to make the 5G home internet setup even more attractive, the TP-Link X50-5G is available as a bundle in our store with a whopping 30% discount. You’ll also get a year of unlimited 5G Internet in Switzerland at half price.
So if you’re looking for a ready-to-go solution for your new apartment, the TP-Link X50-5G bundle will set you up for a whole year and save you a total of CHF 289 compared to buying the router and SIM card separately!
Of course, the reception quality at your location should be right so that you get the most out of the router. That’s why, as a new customer, you can simply order a free test SIM and use a smartphone at your location to check what speeds are possible via 5G.
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