Official How to set up Ethernet Backhaul with your Deco devices

Ethernet Backhaul is a feature that makes it possible to wire the Deco units together.
Thanks to this feature, every two Deco units can be wired with an Ethernet cable. And Deco will transmit data between the two units through the Ethernet connection, which is more stable and faster than Wi-Fi. Once Ethernet backhaul is established, the Wi-Fi backhaul connection will disconnect automatically.
Here are two typical connection structures for Ethernet Backhaul:
Notes:
1. Please note that the main Deco unit will act as a NAT router by default.
2. Please add the Deco units on the same network at first through the Deco app before you wire them together.
3. Please make sure there aren't any other DHCP servers behind the main Deco. Otherwise, it will cause the second and third Deco units to obtain an invalid IP address that doesn't have internet access.
4. If you have switches on the network and find Ethernet Backhaul not working, please check the management IP address of your switches. It's possible that some switches adopt 192.168.0.1 (which is the same as the LAN IP address of the main Deco) as the management IP, which may cause some conflicts on the network. In this case, it's recommended to change the management IP address of switches to another subnet.
Frequently Ask Questions
Q1: Can I connect all the Deco units directly to my home modem/router?
* In Router mode
Only the main Deco could be connected to your home modem/router. Other slave Deco units should be connected behind the main one, just as the Star Network shows. If not, they may be in a network loop and cause unexpected dropout issues.
* In Access Point mode
You can connect all the Deco units directly to your home modem/router/switch as you want. The system will work as expected.
Q2: How to turn on the Ethernet Backhaul feature?
No need to switch on this feature manually.
Just add your Deco units in the same Deco network and wire them together as per the above network structure. Then Ethernet Backhaul will take effect automatically.
Q3: How do I know if Ethernet Backhaul takes effect?
Launch the Deco app, tap on "Internet". Then tap on the slave Deco unit which is wired to other Decos and you can see its backhaul status.
Q4: To use the Ethernet Backhaul feature, do I need to wire all my Deco units?
Nope. You can set up one for wireless backhaul, and the other one for Ethernet backhaul as what you want.
For example, if you have three Deco units and want to create Wi-Fi not only in your house but also in the garage, which is a little far from the house and without Wi-Fi coverage. Then you can put the main Deco and slave Deco 1 in your house (wireless backhaul). As for slave Deco 2, you can place it in the garage with a long Ethernet cable connected to the main or slave 1 unit. In this case, the slave 2 unit will work through Ethernet backhaul, while the main and slave 1 will work through wireless backhaul.
Q5: Why my Decos become unstable once they're connected via a switch?
It's probably that you're using a D-Link switch.
The Deco Ethernet backhaul feature is based on the standard IEEE 1905.1 protocol. However, we find that some D-Link switches will not forward packets based on IEEE 1905.1 protocol, causing all Deco units in a loop and become quite unstable. If you have a D-Link switch and encounter unstable issue with Ethernet backhaul, we recommend to change another brand of a switch or contact D-Link support directly for a fix.
If you're not sure which switch to use, TP-Link switches may be a good choice.
Q6: Can I set up Ethernet Backhaul through a powerline connection?
That's okay if the powerline connection doesn't block any data flow.
Typical topology is, modem ---- main Deco ---- Powerline unit~~~Powerline unit ---- slave Deco
Q7: Can I set up different Deco models such as M5 and M9 Plus together through Ethernet backhaul?
Yes, just configure and add different Deco models in the same Deco network. After that, you can wire them to set up the Ethernet backhaul connection.
You could refer to the link below for how to add different Deco models in the same network.
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Sander2506 wrote
@TP-Link Deco Is this a good setup?
i will wire all the deco devices.
@Sander2506 That's fine.
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Hi,
I am new to mesh wifi and have just ordered a M9 Plus set. As I need to pull some cables from basement to 1. floor where I would like the AP to be installed, I would appriciate if someone with experience could confirm that the following will work. In my basement my Internet connection terminates. Here I also have a Netgear GS316 Gigabit switch with cable connections to a couple of smart devices (eg. my Philips Hue bridge). Here is what I plan to do:
Cable (new) from Internet modem in basement to M9/1 AP port1 on 1. floor
Cable (new) return from M9/1 AP port2 to switch in basement
Cable from switch to M9/2 (long distance, cable already in place)
Wireless connction from M9/1 AP to M9/3 (short distance)
Thanks in advance!
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kaja69 wrote
Hi,
I am new to mesh wifi and have just ordered a M9 Plus set. As I need to pull some cables from basement to 1. floor where I would like the AP to be installed, I would appriciate if someone with experience could confirm that the following will work. In my basement my Internet connection terminates. Here I also have a Netgear GS316 Gigabit switch with cable connections to a couple of smart devices (eg. my Philips Hue bridge). Here is what I plan to do:
Cable (new) from Internet modem in basement to M9/1 AP port1 on 1. floor
Cable (new) return from M9/1 AP port2 to switch in basement
Cable from switch to M9/2 (long distance, cable already in place)
Wireless connction from M9/1 AP to M9/3 (short distance)
Thanks in advance!
Here is what's i believe is the easiest if you planning to run M9s in AP mode :
Cable from Internet modem to Switch (Internet Modem acting as DHCP and M9s run AP mode)
Cable from M9/1 to Switch
Cable from M9/2 to Switch
Wifi from M9/3 to M9/1 if you say distance is close (I suggest to run cable from M9/3 to switch as well for best performance but upto you)
HTH
Samy
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@SamyKn Thanks Samy, I thought the internet modem had to be connected to the first M9 before switch (ref the illustration in post #1). What you are writing is easier: basically "all I have" into the switch including all three M9's as I understand you. Running DHCP from internet modem is no problem and I guess there is no down side to your suggested setup?
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kaja69 wrote
@SamyKn Thanks Samy, I thought the internet modem had to be connected to the first M9 before switch (ref the illustration in post #1). What you are writing is easier: basically "all I have" into the switch including all three M9's as I understand you. Running DHCP from internet modem is no problem and I guess there is no down side to your suggested setup?
Hi Mate,
I highlighted that assuming you use the M9 as AP mode , not router mode.
AP mode means it's just acting as Wireless Access point and you leave all the internet NAT...etc to your current modem.
If you wanna use as Router mode , then connect the modem to M9/1 and from M9/1 second port to switch.
I personally don't like the M5/M9 as router mode , limited administartion feature set and some stuff not tweakable.
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@SamyKn I read that when in AP mode I loose the gateway features including Antivirus, Parental Controls, QoS, IPv4 etc. Obviously also DHCP server but there is no problem in letting my internet modem do that (does already). I suppose the mesh wifi will run exactly as good in AP mode? Does people find those gateway features valuable on the M9 Plus set?
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kaja69 wrote
@SamyKn I read that when in AP mode I loose the gateway features including Antivirus, Parental Controls, QoS, IPv4 etc. Obviously also DHCP server but there is no problem in letting my internet modem do that (does already). I suppose the mesh wifi will run exactly as good in AP mode? Does people find those gateway features valuable on the M9 Plus set?
I read that when in AP mode I loose the gateway features including Antivirus, Parental Controls, QoS, IPv4 etc.
\_Correct, if you use AP mode , you'll lose those feature.
Obviously also DHCP server but there is no problem in letting my internet modem do that (does already). I suppose the mesh wifi will run exactly as good in AP mode? Does people find those gateway features valuable on the M9 Plus set?
\_Wifi mesh functionality is irrespective of mode you run your M9s and is fine either mode.
Depends if you have a capable modem for advanced features or not , if you don't use it as Router mode.( i have a good one , so i don't need those features from my M5s and just want Wifi functionality)
HTH
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@TP-Link Deco
Hey guys,
Just got a set of 3 M4 units and installed them, Installation was very easy and I already had cables laying (CAT6 100% copper), so it was easy for me to connect them in a wireless backhaul setup:
Modem > Deco 1 (router mode) > Switch 1 > **splits in 2 switches**
> Switch 2 > Deco 2 (And other devices connected by wire)
> Switch 3 > Deco 3 (And other devices connected by wire)
However it seems that one of the nodes is still connected wirelessly even though the cable is (correctly, i've checked) plugged in. When I check the app I see one device named "DECO_lots-o-numbers" and connection is set to "Wireless". Whats strange is that I do not see the other Deco's in this app with a connection set to "Wireless" or "Wired" this makes me wonder if that device is actually stand for one of the Deco units, or is it something else? Maybe some kind of controller that's always wirelessly connected?
I hope someone understands my question and can give me an answer. Thanks!
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Hey folks,
I'm looking for recommendations for a TP-LINK switch to work in the star network model with my M5 Deco.
Could you please tell me which ones work seamlessly? Should it matter if fast ethernet or gigabit?
Thanks in advance.
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