Buying guide for Best eero WiFi systems
Mesh WiFi systems are popular today, and for good reason. Mesh networks use upgraded technology as compared to the traditional WiFi router setup and allows for the successful connection of dozens of devices at once. What’s more, a mesh network handles these simultaneous connections far better than a traditional WiFi router.
For your home or business, a mesh network can create a stronger overall WiFi network than you might otherwise have. The mesh technology boosts signal strength among each of the pieces of hardware in the network, eliminating the dead spots that often plague WiFi networks. Mesh can reduce the problem of dropped connections, too.
One of the originators of mesh networks is eero. This company has been making mesh network hardware and software for several years, and it has multiple models available to match your WiFi needs, including hardware that uses the recently released WiFi 6 standard. In this guide, we discuss the key features you need to understand when shopping for the best eero WiFi system.
Key considerations
Let’s discuss how mesh networks work and how eero systems work. You then can determine whether one of these systems would suit your needs.
How mesh networks work
Before mesh networks, there were traditional routers. If you have a home where the bedrooms and media rooms are spread far apart, the signal from a traditional router may not reach every room with useful signal strength.
In this case, you could add extenders to your traditional WiFi router network. A WiFi extender captures the signal from the router and boosts it to create a greater coverage area. However, extenders can be tricky to set up and use, and they don’t carry as much power as the original router. Because an extender can be a weak link in a network, in many circumstances, mesh is preferable.
A mesh network uses more than one piece of hardware to push the wireless signal throughout the home, much like a traditional router and extender. Each piece of the mesh network has the same level of power and connectivity, which simplifies setup and guarantees a smoother signal strength everywhere.
How eero mesh networks work
An eero network uses patented TrueMesh technology to deliver the benefits of mesh. You place the eero devices in different locations in your home, allowing the signals from each device to overlap slightly, guaranteeing full coverage.
As part of TrueMesh, eero uses software to manage the network, meaning it happens automatically. The software measures the data usage on the network and the types of devices that make connections. It also places devices on the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band automatically, depending on the needs of the device.
After running the data through algorithms, TrueMesh adjusts its performance to deliver higher data speeds to the areas of the home that see the most traffic. Should TrueMesh measure a problem in a certain portion of the network, it adjusts the performance of the hardware devices to ensure an uninterrupted signal.
We appreciate Eero WiFi systems that work with the newest devices because this allows consumers to take full advantage of the hardware in those devices.
We value Eero WiFi systems that are aesthetically pleasing without the traditional boxy, angular look.
We pay close attention to which Eero Wifi systems use freestanding access points and which can be plugged directly into the wall to minimize clutter.
Many of our favorite Eero WiFi systems include a base station and a pair of extenders, enabling whole-home coverage with minimal setup.
Bandwidth is a desired feature in a quality WiFi system. Our research shows that the most recent Eero WiFi systems offer impressive bandwidth.
We research Eero WiFi systems that utilize the newest WiFi 6 standards. This helps minimize latency and battery drain while promoting the highest speeds possible for all devices.
We look at Eero WiFi systems in two-piece and three-piece sets, thinking about which consumers would benefit from each. Consumer need tends to hinge upon how many square feet of coverage are needed.
When exploring Eero WiFi systems, we note the learning curve involved with configuring each new system. Fortunately, Eero has a good reputation for user-friendliness.
We appreciate Eero WiFi systems because they use relatively small access points that are surprisingly easy to hide within the décor of a home.
We look for Eero WiFi systems that gamers would appreciate. These top-notch systems provide consistent connections to many devices at once without noticeable slowdowns.
Features
Let’s take a look at the eero kits available and some of the features they offer.
eero Pro 6: With three devices in this product, the Pro 6 provides up to 6,000 square feet of coverage. It supports the WiFi 6 standard, delivering performance to match ISPs that offer speeds up to 1 Gbps (or 1,000 Mbps). It has tri-band technology, meaning it carries one antenna for the 2.4 GHz band and two antennas for the 5 GHz band.
eero 6: The eero 6 with three devices is able to cover up to 5,000 square feet. It supports WiFi 6 standards using dual-band technology (one 2.4 GHz and one 5 GHz band). It works well with ISP speeds of up to 500 Mbps.
eero: With the eero, you receive dual-band technology. This three-pack of devices supports WiFi 5 standards and covers up to 5,000 square feet. It works best with ISPs that support up to 350 Mbps of data transmission speeds.
You may find some older eero products for sale, but these will have significantly slower performance than its current models.
If you were to purchase one of the three eero systems we’ve discussed with one device instead of three in a kit, note that you’d receive about 1,500 square feet of coverage with the eero 6 and the eero and about 2,000 square feet of coverage with the eero Pro 6.
Did You Know?
Mesh WiFi systems provide a replacement for the traditional setup of router and WiFi extender in the home.
Staff
BestReviews
Add-ons
You have the option of adding single devices to your existing eero network to provide a bit more coverage. These extender single devices have the same features as the original eero devices in the kits.
eero 6 Extender: With the eero 6 Extender, you can add about 1,500 square feet of coverage to an existing WiFi 6 mesh network.
eero Beacon: The Beacon works with WiFi 5 networks, adding about 1,500 square feet of coverage.
One alluring benefit of a mesh WiFi system is ease of setup.
Staff
BestReviews
eero WiFi system prices
When purchasing eero gear, you can expect to pay $75 to $125 for a single piece of hardware for older technologies (WiFi 5 and older) and $100 to $225 for newer technologies (WiFi 6).
Many times, eero mesh systems appear in kits with two or three pieces of hardware. You may pay $125 to $350 for a kit with older technology and $200 to $600 for a kit with newer technology.
Did You Know?
You can control your eero WiFi system through a mobile app, which further simplifies the process of installation and system monitoring.
Staff
BestReviews
Tips
Here are some troubleshooting techniques to help you set up and run your eero network.
- Forcing a 2.4 GHz connection: If you have a 2.4 GHz-only device, you can temporarily hide your 5 GHz band through the eero app to force the device to connect to the 2.4 GHz band.
- Forcing a connection to a particular eero device: If you have a multi-eero device network, you may find that some of your computers or mobile devices connect to a piece of eero hardware that is farther away. The best way to fix this issue is to turn the mobile device or computer off, wait a few seconds, and turn it on again. It will then connect to the eero device that can give it the best speed (which, depending on how the network software is managing the network, still could be one that is farther away).
- Resetting an eero device: To reset one of the pieces of eero hardware, unplug the unit from its power cord for about 30 seconds. Then plug it back in. The hardware should undergo a reset. Newer eero devices also may have a reset button on the back of the device.
- Moving an eero device to a new location: If you want to move one of your eero devices to a new room in your home, just pick it up and carry it to the new spot. After plugging it back in, use the eero app to determine its signal strength. If the signal is weak, it may need a new location.
- Setting up a new eero network: When you are creating an eero network with multiple devices in the setup, you should plug the gateway eero device to the modem first and set it up. Then set up your additional eeros one device at a time rather than turning them all all at the same time.
- Using an Ethernet connection: eero devices have Ethernet ports on the back. If desired, you can connect one of your devices directly to any piece of eero hardware with an Ethernet cable. This can be helpful for a device that has significant bandwidth needs, such as a streaming video device.
FAQ
Q. Are there physical differences between a traditional router and a mesh system?
A. A WiFi router often has large antennas that extend away from the hardware; these antennas are used to create a directional signal. However, eero hardware doesn’t need antennas because mesh networks have the signal strength and quality to negate the need for directional signals. The eero hardware resembles a simple box, roughly the size of a deck of playing cards, which is a bit smaller than a traditional router.
Q. Do I need WiFi 6 in my eero mesh network?
A. The benefits of WiFi 6 technology include significantly faster transmission speeds as compared to older versions of WiFi. Further, it gives you the ability to support dozens of simultaneous device connections without a drop-off in performance. Mobile devices also require less battery power to use the WiFi 6 network than they do older WiFi technologies.
Q. Does the eero WiFi system have security features?
A. Yes. The hardware automatically receives regular upgrades and security patches. You don’t have to install the patches yourself. Additionally, the eero app provides statistics and warnings about threats to the network.
