If I put “TP-Link” and “mesh” in a sentence, you’d likely think of the popular Deco family. And you’re not wrong. That’s the networking vendor’s most recognizable brand name in the realm of home Wi-Fi systems.
However, unbeknownst to most, for years, the company had another lesser-known do-it-yourself alternative called “TP-Link OneMesh” available to its Archer standalone router lineup. The irony is that, without having enough time to make a mark, this feature was replaced by “TP-Link EasyMesh” starting in late 2023.
The whole thing is a bit of a mess, and this post will explain the latter. (I already covered OneMesh in great detail.) From the users’ perspective, EasyMesh is essentially the same as OneMesh. But as a latecomer, it has more with a couple of significant improvements.
While some existing devices will stay with OneMesh, virtually all TP-Link’s Wi-Fi 7 Archer routers (and home-grade extenders/access points) feature EasyMesh. With a correct combo, TP-Link EasyMesh has the potential to be a robust, do-it-yourself approach to building a Wi-Fi system.
Let’s find out more!
Dong’s note: I first published this piece on November 6, 2023, and last updated it with the latest information on April 2, 2025.
(TP-Link) EasyMesh: What’s the deal?
As the name suggests, TP-Link EasyMesh is part of the Wi-Fi EasyMesh movement, which was started by the Wi-Fi Alliance to streamline how Wi-Fi works across vendors.
To understand TP-Link EasyMesh, we need to know Wi-Fi EasyMesh. However, TP-Link is the only hardware vendor, so far, that has a significant representation of Wi-Fi EasyMesh. So, TP-Link EasyMesh vs. Wi-Fi EasyMesh is a bit of a chicken vs. egg situation with a catch-22. As they currently stand, you can call one for the other.
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 that 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 the 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 adoption of the new program 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 MK83—none are standalone routers. TP-Link, on the other hand, started transitioning its OneMesh—available in standalone routers—into TP-Link EasyMesh in August 2022.
Generally, we need the hardware of at least two vendors working together to know that 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.
But simplification is the key here. Generally, here’s how Wi-Fi EasyMesh works:
- You pick an EasyMesh-compatible router and set it up as a single router. This router will decide the features and flavor of your network—it’s the primary unit of the system, a.k.a. primary router or primary node.
- When you want to extend its coverage, pick another EasyMesh-compatible broadcaster (router, access point, or extender) and link them up via WPS or otherwise. And that’s it. The two now work together as a system, with the second unit being the satellite and the first router working as the primary unit of the mesh.
- Repeat #2 if you want to extend the network even more.
Other than that, in my real-world experience with TP-Link hardware, EasyMesh proved to be generally less robust than other canned mesh or DIY mesh approaches in terms of features and settings.
For example, the router unit has little or no control over the satellite’s features, settings, or ports, and you can’t use an EasyMesh system in the AP mode, either—more below. In return, you can still manage a satellite unit’s non-Wi-Fi settings and features, such as USB-related functions or network ports, and that can be a good thing for those wanting more control.
Overall, with EasyMesh, simplicity comes with a price in performance, features, or settings. Most importantly, for the time being, you should expect to build a system using hardware from the same vendor, TP-Link.
With that, let’s continue with a bit more details of TP-Link’s rendition of EasyMesh, which is based on its OneMesh.
EasyMesh vs. OneMesh: Similarities and differences
TP-Link EasyMesh and OneMesh are add-on mesh features of its Archer family, a brand of primarily standalone routers.
To build either, you must start with a supported Archer router—not all Archer routers are mesh-capable, but most are. (The Archer AX50 is an example; it doesn’t support OneMesh or EasyMesh.) After that, you can add more supported broadcasters to form a system.
The table below summarizes the differences and similarities of the two mesh approaches.
| (TP-Link) EasyMesh | TP-Link OneMesh | |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
| Availability | 2023 | 2019 |
| Wi-Fi Standard Support | Most Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, All Wi-Fi 7 |
Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 5 |
| Compatible Devices | Select TP-Link Archer routers, Select TP-Link Range Extenders, Third-party EasyMesh-enabled hardware (maybe) |
Select TP-Link Archer routers and Range Extenders |
| Not Supported TP-Link Hardware | Deco, Business Hardware (Omada, etc.) |
|
| Mesh Protocol | Wi-Fi Alliance’s EasyMesh Certification | TP-Link proprietary |
| Mesh Composition (primary unit + satellite) |
Router + Router or Extender | Router + Extender |
| Maximum Mesh Points (hardware units) |
10 (the primary router included) |
|
| Backhaul | Wireless or wired | Wireless |
| Dedicated Wireless Backhaul | No (each band of the satellite will work both as back- and front-haul by default) |
|
| AP Mode (as a mesh system) |
No | |
| Current Hardware | TP-Link’s EasyMesh Hardware list | TP-Link’s OneMesh Hardware list |
| Status (by late early-2025) |
current | phased out |
The hardware list of the former generally encompasses that of the latter.
According to TP-Link, OneMesh will remain on existing hardware as a distinctive feature, existing alongside EasyMesh. Eventually, EasyMesh will take over when OneMesh-enabled hardware is no longer relevant.
Specifically:
- Existing legacy OneMesh routers (mainly Wi-Fi 5 and older) will remain that way, while newer routers (most Wi-Fi 6 and later) will transition to EasyMesh via firmware updates. (It’s worth noting that by early 2025, the flagship Archer AXE300 Wi-Fi 6E router and the Wi-Fi 6 Archer GX90 still didn’t get the EasyMesh upgrade.)
- All existing OneMesh extenders can work as satellite units of an EasyMesh system. When updated, their OneMesh labels (in the web interface) will be changed to EasyMesh, but even then, they can still work with OneMesh routers.
- New Archer hardware (and extender) will support EasyMesh and no longer carry the OneMesh notion. (Or they don’t have mesh capability at all.)
In terms of mesh functionality, TP-Link’s EasyMesh encompasses what its OneMesh can do. If you’re unfamiliar with OneMesh, the cabinet below will give you a quick rundown.
What you can expect from TP-Link OneMesh
OneMesh has the benefits of a canned (purpose-built) mesh system, such as TP-Link’s Deco family, plus some extras from a DIY one, minus the fact that it doesn’t support wired backhauling. Here’s what you can currently expect from this new mesh:
- Centralized Wi-Fi 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 unit—the router or the extender—a 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 setup—the 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 router—most TP-Link Archer routers support OneMesh—and 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 router—the 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.
And then, in 2024, TP-Link Easymesh has two new noteworthy items:
- It can turn a router into a satellite unit—similar to the case of Asus’s AiMesh or Synology Mesh.
- The support for wired backhauling.
It’s important to note that wired backhaul support applies only when you use a router as a satellite. When you use an extender, even one with a network port such as the RE715X, you cannot use its network port as the uplink unless you use it as a standard access point, in which case it doesn’t form a Wi-Fi system.
So, if you use an Archer router and an extender to build a TP-Link mesh system, it doesn’t matter which you use, OneMesh or EasyMesh. Things remain the same. But if you intend to have wired backhauling via multiple Archer router units or want to turn an old Archer router into a satellite of a new one, TP-Link’s EasyMesh is the answer.
More on TP-Link EasyMesh: All you need to know
In the past couple of years, I’ve tried many different TP-Link EasyMesh hardware combos, and my experience has proved that they are more of a situational solution than a planned one.
In other words, EasyMesh is helpful in case you unexpectedly need to extend the coverage. There are only a few situations where you’d want to build a TP-Link EasyMesh, and if so, a wired backhaul is a must, which is generally the case for all Wi-Fi systems.
Backhauling in a mesh system
When you use multiple Wi-Fi broadcasters—in a mesh network or a combo of a router and an extender—there are two types of connections: fronthaul and backhaul.
Fronthaul is the Wi-Fi signals broadcast outward for clients or the local area network (LAN) ports for wired devices. It’s what we generally expect from a Wi-Fi broadcaster.
Backhaul (a.k.a backbone), on the other hand, is the link between one satellite Wi-Fi broadcaster and another, which can be the network’s primary router, a switch, or another satellite unit.
This link works behind the scenes to keep the hardware units together as a system. It also determines the ceiling bandwidth (and speed) of all devices connected to the particular broadcaster. It’s the backbone of the system.
When a Wi-Fi band handles backhaul and fronthaul simultaneously, only half its bandwidth is available to either end. From the perspective of a connected client, if there are any, that phenomenon is called signal loss.
When a Wi-Fi band functions solely for backhauling, or when there’s no client connected to it other than the satellite, it’s called the dedicated backhaul. Often, that means no other band will do this job, though that depends on the hardware.
In a mesh system, only traditional Tri-band hardware—those with an additional 5GHz band—can have a dedicated backhaul band without ostracizing clients of the same band.
Generally, it’s best to use network cables for backhauling—wired backhauling, which is an advantage of mesh hardware with network ports. In this case, a satellite broadcaster can use its entire Wi-Fi bandwidth for front-hauling.
In networking, network cables are always much better than wireless in speed and reliability.
Simple and standard setup process
In any case, EasyMesh is simple to set up. To have a system, you first set up the primary EasyMesh-ready TP-Link Archer router to your liking—this is a standard process for any router with a web user interface.
After that, within its interface, go to the EasyMesh menu item and click on Add Satellite Devices. You’ll be presented with three options:
- If you have another EasyMesh-ready Archer router as a satellite:
- Place it, factory reset, near the primary router or connect its WAN port to a LAN of the primary router—it’s OK to have an unmanaged switch between the two
- Connect it to power and turn it on. It’ll take a minute or two to boot up fully.
- Follow the first “TP-Link Router” option, as shown in the screenshot above. After a few minutes, it’ll become part of the system.
- If you have a OneMesh or EasyMesh-ready extender:
- Place it, factory reset, within a few feet of the primary router.
- Connect it to power and turn it on. It’ll take a minute or so to boot up fully.
- Use the WPS function of the two to sync them up, which will take less than a minute.
- Place the extender where it delivers the best coverage.
- This third option is for using non-TP-Link hardware as a satellite. There’s none on the market.
Signal loss is the norm in a wireless setup
TP-Link’s EasyMesh has changed quite a lot in the past couple of years. Now, in early 2025, there are a few things to note when building a system via wireless backhaul.
First, if you use a router and an extender combo, each band of the extender will work both for backhaul and fronthaul. As a result, only 50% of each band’s bandwidth is available to the client.
Second, if you use a combo of a router and another router, you can use one of the satellite’s bands, preferably the 5GHz or the 6GHz, as the backhaul. In this case, the satellite’s bandwidth is limited to 50% of that band’s bandwidth. For example, in my latest trial with the Archer GE800 (router) and Archer BE230 (satellite) in a wireless setup, the fastest sustained connection I got from the latter maxed out at around 700Mbps.
Finally, does MLO work as TP-Link EasyMesh backhaul? TP-Link didn’t get back to me on this front, but it sure is complicated. (It’s been complicated with other hardware brands, too.)
For one, you can’t expect MLO when you mix hardware, Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 6 satellites don’t support this feature. But even if you use Wi-Fi 7 hardware throughout, things can still be complicated if you use hardware of different grades or numbers of bands.
That said, the only way MLO would work is when you use the same Wi-Fi 7 router throughout. (I haven’t had a chance to try this scenario, as I only have multiple TP-Link routers of different models.) Still, generally, I’d say not to count on MLO, get your place wired, and use that for the backhaul instead.
Little control of the satellite’s hardware, no AP mode
As mentioned, like the case of OneMesh, in a TP-Link EasyMesh setup, the primary router has little control over a satellite unit. In fact, the only thing it can control is the Wi-Fi network, where the settings, such as SSID(s) names and passwords, will automatically apply to the rest of the mesh’s members.
In some cases, there’s also the option to manage the entire system’s LED lights, which is helpful enough but still problematic if you want the lights to be on at one unit and off at the other.
For the rest of a satellite’s settings, you’ll need to use its web user interface.
As mentioned above, there’s no access point (AP) mode for an EasyMesh system. Specifically:
- When working as an access point, the router no longer has the option to build a mesh. And
- If you change the operating mode of a TP-Link router working as the primary unit of an EasyMesh system from “Router Mode” to “Access Point Mode,” you’ll break the mesh. The router will now work as a standalone access point, and the EasyMesh satellite will no longer be connected to it.
This lack of the AP mode as a system means you can’t use EasyMesh as an extension of an existing router without having to deal with a double NAT. Most other purpose-built and DIY mesh approaches—except for the Google Nest and Ubiquiti’s UniFi—support this useful AP mode. Clearly, this can be changed via future firmware updates, though that remains to be seen.
TP-Link EasyMesh: Typical performance, mediocre hand-off
If you use EasyMesh in the router + extender combo, the performance is likely the same as that of OneMesh. However, if you use the router + router combo, things can be quite different.
I tested a few combos over a long period, and here were my observations:
- As mentioned, in a wireless setup, the performance at the satellite unit was generally half of what it could do as a router. To put it in a number, I got around 700Mbps of sustained speed at best out of the Archer BE3600 working as the wireless satellite of the Archer GE800.
- In a wired backhauling setup, the satellite can deliver the same speed as when it works as a single broadcaster.
- No matter what setup I used, the seamless hand-off was always a hit or miss. Specifically, clients would more often than not not automatically move from one router to the satellite or vice versa. I generally needed to manually disconnect and reconnect the device to make sure it used the closest broadcaster.
In 2024, most of the EasyMesh combo didn’t pass my 3-day stress test, and clients got disconnected a few times during this period. By early 2025, however, with the latest firmware, the system had proven more reliable in most cases.
It’s worth noting that, like all DIY mesh systems, the experience changes depending on the hardware combo. Generally, things work better if you use the same hardware throughout. However, it’s safe to say that in a wireless mixed hardware setup, TP-Link EasyMesh is a lot less reliable than other canned or DIY mesh systems.
That said, if you decide to use TP-Link EasyMesh, count on it only when you need to extend the coverage just a bit more via a single extender or if you can link the hardware units (namely supported Archer routers) using network cables.
Pros
Relatively easy to set up and use
Flexible wireless and wired backhaul (with applicable hardware)
Responsive web interface with optional Tether mobile app
Cons
Minimum control of the satellite; no wired backhauling for extenders with a network port
Wireless backhaul can be complicated, especially with Wi-Fi 7
Seamless hand-off reliability could be better
Conclusion
TP-Link EasyMesh can be a handy option if you want to quickly extend your router’s coverage just a bit more. This situation applies to when you have one Archer router that can almost cover the entire home. Now, get an EasyMesh extender, and it’ll finish the job. If you need more than one extender, chances are things will get significantly worse and less reliable.
Additionally, if you can get a couple of Archer routers at low prices and have a wired home, EasyMesh can also be a worthy method to build a Wi-Fi system from the ground up. However, in most cases, you’d be better off going with more established DIY options, such as Ubiquiti’s UniFi or Asus’s AiMesh. Or stay with TP-Link’s Deco family.
