Image: TP-Link
Tons of routers are on sale right now as part of Amazon’s October Prime Day, with some going dirt cheap. And that means it’s time to stop using (or worse, renting) a modem/router combo device from your internet provider—you can get a much better experience with an inexpensive upgrade. Especially if that step up is to a mesh router like the TP-Link Deco X20, down to $55 for a single unit.
This is actually the mesh router that I purchased for a close family member just this past summer. I liked it better than the eero, which was a similar price—the Deco X20 offers faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds (up to 1.2Gbps over the 5GHz band, and up to 574Mbps over the 2.4GHz band), as well as more coverage (2,200 square feet). The X20 also supports Ethernet backhaul, unlike a few other rivals. You can guarantee a stronger (and thus speedier) signal if you run a line between multiple nodes, should you later expand the mesh network to cover a bigger residence or eliminate a dead spot.
Speaking of, right now you can get the multi-packs of the Deco X20 for close to their lowest prices ever, too. The two-pack is just $110 (or $55 per unit) and the three-pack is $150 (or $50 per unit). One neat thing about mesh: Because each node can function as its own router, you can split a multi-pack among separate households if that’s more cost-efficient.
If the Deco X20 isn’t to your taste, other TP-Link models are on sale right now, too. On the cheaper end, you can get the Wi-Fi 5 Deco S4 as a two-pack for $80 or a three-pack for $100, while more powerful Wi-Fi 6 models like the Deco X55 is available at an all-time low of $180 for a three-pack. A nice perk of the TP-Link ecosystem is how simple the app is to use. I prefer complex web-based controls, but for my family, a simple mobile app is a gigantic plus.
Amazon’s October Prime Day sales are drawing to a close, though, so don’t wait to long to act on any of these deals. That goes for any other top discounts that catch your eye, too—you’ve got until 11:59pm Pacific on Wednesday to shop.
Author: Alaina Yee, Senior Editor
Alaina Yee is PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter—when she’s not covering software, PC building, and more, she’s scouring for the best tech deals. Previously her work has appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine. You can find her on Twitter at @morphingball.
