TP-Link Deco M3 User Manual

Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System

Seamless Roaming | Parental Controls | Easy Setup

User Guide

AC1200 Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System

1910013031 REV3.0.0 ©2021 TP-Link

Contents

About This Guide····················································· 1

Appearance································································ 2

Set Up Your Deco···················································· 3

Add More Decos······················································ 7

Dashboard··································································· 8

Check Deco Status················································ 9

Set Main Deco························································10

Manage Connected Devices··························11

Remove/Reboot Deco········································12

Create A New Network·······································13

Delete A Network··················································15

Wi-Fi Settings··························································16

Guest Network························································17

Network Optimization·········································18

Blacklist·······································································19

Upgrade Your Deco··············································20

WPS··············································································21

Parental Controls···················································22

QoS···············································································23

Advanced Features··············································24

Monthly Report·······················································29

Managers···································································30

Authentication·························································31

About This Guide

This guide provides a brief introduction to Deco Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System and the Deco app, as well as regulatory information.

Features available in Deco may vary by model and software version. Deco availability may also vary by region or ISP. All images, steps, and descriptions in this guide are only examples and may not reflect your actual Deco experience.

Conventions

In this guide, the following conventions are used:

	Convention					Description
	Deco					Stands for Deco Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System/Unit.
	Underline					Hyperlinks are in teal and underlined. You can click to
						redirect to a website or a specific section.
	Teal					Key information appears in teal, including management
						page text such as menus, items, buttons and so on.
				Note:		Ignoring this type of note might result in a malfunction
						or damage to the device.
					Tips:	Indicates important information that helps you make
						better use of your device.

More Info

•Specific product information can be found on the product page at https://www.tp-link.com.

•A Technical Community is provided for you to discuss our products at https://community.tp-link.com.

•Our Technical Support contact information can be found at the Help center of the Deco app and the Contact Technical Support page at https://www.tp-link.com/support.

Speed/Coverage/Device Quantity Disclaimer

Maximum wireless transmission rates are the physical rates derived from

IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Range, coverage, and maximum quantity of connected devices are based on test results under normal usage conditions. Actual wireless data throughput. wireless coverage, and quantity of connected devices are not guaranteed and will vary as a result of 1) environmental factors, including building materials, physical objects, and obstacles, 2) network conditions, including local interference, volume and density of traffic, product location, network complexity, and network overhead, and 3) client limitations, including rated performance, location, connection quality, and client condition.

MU-MIMO Disclaimer

Use of MU-MIMO requires clients to also support MU-MIMO.

Seamless Roaming Disclaimer

Clients need to support 802.11k/v/r and may require additional set up. Performance may vary depending on the client device.

1

Appearance

Each Deco has an LED that changes color according to its status, two RJ-45 Ethernet ports, a power slot, and a Reset button. See the explanation below:

Tip: The product label can be found at the bottom of the product.

Yellow pulse:

Deco is resetting.

Yellow solid:

Deco is starting up.

Blue pulse:

Deco is ready for setup.

Blue solid:

Deco is setting up.

White pulse:

Deco is upgrading firmware.

White solid:

Deco is registered and all is well.

Red pulse:

Deco is disconnected from main Deco.

Red solid:

Deco has an issue.

Ethernet Ports:
For connecting Deco to your modem, the
Ethernet outlet or other internet devices.
Power Slot:
For connecting Deco to the power socket via
the provided power adapter.
Reset Button:
Press for 1 second and release to reset Deco
to factory default settings. The light changing
from pulsing yellow to solid yellow indicates a
successful reset.	2

Set Up Your Deco

The intuitive Deco app guides you through an easy setup process that gets each unit up and running and all your devices connected and online. Follow the steps below to set up your Deco Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System.

1. Download and install the Deco app

Scan the QR code below or go to Google Play or the App Store to download the Deco app. Install the app on your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet.

2. Log in with TP-Link ID	3. Identify your Deco
Open the app. Use your TP-Link ID to log in. If	Choose your Deco model.
you don’t have a TP-Link ID, sign up first.

Note: If you forgot your login password, tap Forgot Password?.

The Deco app will guide you through the rest.

or

3

4. Plug in and power on Deco

Power off your modem. Connect your Deco to the modem and power them both on.

If you don't have a modem, connect the Ethernet outlet directly to your Deco.

5. Connect to the Deco's Wi-Fi

Wait until the Wi-Fi Signal LED pulses blue, then connect to the Deco's Wi-Fi using the default SSID printed on the product label.

6. Select a location

Select a location for this Deco. If its location is not listed, you can create a new one by choosing Custom. This will be the name of your Deco.

4

7. Set up internet connection

Select the internet connection type and enter the information. If you are not sure, contact your internet service provider.

8. Create your Wi-Fi network

Set a network name and a password. These will be the name and password you use to connect your devices to Wi-Fi.

9. Connect to your Wi-Fi network

Connect your phone/tablet to the Deco's new Wi-Fi.

5

10. Setup complete

Your Deco network is now up. Connect all devices to the Deco network. You can also add more Deco units to expand the Wi-Fi coverage.

6

Add More Decos

After created a Deco network, you can add more Deco units to the network to expand the Wi-Fi coverage and manage them easily on your Deco app.

In Overview, tap . Select the Deco model you want to add, and follow				After the setup, you can find the added Deco units by tapping in
app instructions to complete the setup.				Overview.

7

Dashboard

After you successfully set up your Deco network, you will see the dashboard of the Deco app. Here you can get an overview of the network status, check the connected clients, and configure more advanced features.

Tap to get an overview of the network		Tap for more features
status and online clients

8

Check Deco Status

In Overview, you can check the working status of all the Decos, check the details of each Deco unit, change the Deco's location/name, and more.

1. Tap	to check all Decos' status. 2. Tap a Deco unit to check the details. 3. Change or customize the location/name of the Deco.

9

Set Main Deco

After setup, you can replace the main Deco with any satellite Deco without resetting and reconfigure the whole network.

1. In Overview, tap .		2. Tap > Set Main Deco.		3. Choose a satellite Deco and follow app
				instructions to complete the settings.

10

Manage Connected Devices

In Overview, you can check the working status of all the connected devices, view the device details, and change the device settings.

1. Tap a client to check the details.	2. Tap to manage the device		3. Tap Belongs to to add a unique profile for the device and manage its
	settings.		online activities.

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