The 5 Best Eero WiFi systems
If you’re dealing with slow or spotty Wi-Fi connectivity in your home, it’s time to upgrade to a mesh network. Mesh routers use multiple satellites to cover every corner of your home, giving you the Wi-Fi your family deserves. The eero 6+ dual-band mesh Wi-Fi 6 system is an affordable mesh system that can cover almost any size home, providing fast, reliable Wi-Fi that’s perfect for most of us. This is our summary of the best eero systems to help you determine the best system for your needs.
Amazon eero Beacon mesh WiFi range extender
Ring Alarm Pro Base Station with built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router
Amazon eero Pro 6 tri-band mesh Wi-Fi 6 system
Amazon eero 6+ dual-band mesh Wi-Fi 6 router
Amazon eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi system
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Let’s discuss how mesh networks work and how eero systems work. You can then determine if one of these systems is right for your needs.
How mesh networks work
Before mesh networks, there were traditional routers. If your bedrooms and media rooms are far apart, the signal from a traditional router may not reach each room with useful signal strength.
In this case, you can add an extender to your traditional WiFi router network. WiFi extenders capture the signal from the router and boost it to create a larger coverage area. However, extenders can be tricky to set up and use, and they don’t have as much power as the original router. Because extenders can be the weak link in a network, a mesh network is preferable in many cases.
A mesh network uses multiple pieces of hardware to push wireless signals throughout the home, much like a traditional router and extender. Each part of the mesh network has the same level of power and connectivity, which simplifies setup and ensures smoother signal strength everywhere.
How eero mesh networks work
The eero network uses patented TrueMesh technology to deliver the benefits of a mesh network. You place eero devices in different locations around your home, allowing the signals from each device to overlap slightly, ensuring complete coverage.
As part of TrueMesh, eero uses software to manage the network, which means it happens automatically. The software measures the data usage on the network and the types of devices that establish connections. It also automatically places devices in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band, depending on their needs.
After running the data through the algorithm, TrueMesh adjusts its performance to deliver higher data speeds to the home areas with the most traffic. If TrueMesh measures a problem in a part of the network, it adjusts the performance of the hardware device to ensure an uninterrupted signal.
FEATURES
Let’s take a look at the available eero packages and some of the features they offer.
eero Pro 6: The Pro 6 comes with three devices and provides up to 6,000 square feet of coverage. It supports the WiFi 6 standard, providing performance that matches ISPs that offer speeds up to 1 Gbps (or 1,000 Mbps). It has tri-band technology, which means it comes with one antenna for the 2.4 GHz band and two antennas for the 5 GHz band.
eero 6: The eero 6 with three devices can cover up to 5,000 square feet. It supports the WiFi 6 standard using dual-band technology (one 2.4 GHz and one 5 GHz band). It is suitable for ISP speeds of up to 500 Mbps.
eero: With eero, you get dual-band technology. This three-piece device supports the WiFi 5 standard and covers an area of up to 5,000 square feet. It is best suited for ISPs that support data transfer speeds up to 350 Mbps.
Add-ons
You can choose to add individual devices to your existing eero network to provide additional coverage. These expander individual devices have the same functionality as the original eero devices in the kit.
eero 6 Extender: With the eero 6 Extender, you can add approximately 1,500 square feet of coverage to an existing WiFi 6 mesh network.
eero Beacon: Beacon adds approximately 1,500 square feet of coverage when used in conjunction with a WiFi 5 network.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are there physical differences between traditional routers and mesh systems?
WiFi routers typically have large antennas located away from the hardware; these antennas are used to generate directional signals. However, eero hardware does not require antennas because the signal strength and quality of the mesh network eliminates the need for directional signals. The eero hardware resembles a simple box, about the size of a deck of playing cards, a little smaller than a traditional router.
Do I need WiFi 6 for my eero mesh network?
The advantages of WiFi 6 technology over older WiFi versions include significantly faster transmission speeds. In addition, it allows you to support dozens of simultaneous device connections without compromising performance. Mobile devices also require less battery power to use WiFi 6 networks than with older WiFi technologies.
Does the eero WiFi system have security features?
Yes. The hardware automatically receives regular updates and security patches. You do not have to install the patches yourself. In addition, the eero app provides statistics and warnings about cyber threats.