Eero is an Amazon company and its routers come with Alexa support. Enable the Eero skill and you’ll be able to pause the internet with a voice command through your Echo device, which is useful when your child doesn’t want to get up from the computer to eat dinner. The Eero 6 router supports Affair and Thread and can do double duty as a ZigBee smart home hub in the same way that Echo devices do, allowing you to directly connect some smart lights, smart locks, and other ZigBee devices.
There are two other tricks that make the Eero 6 systems attractive. If you have an Echo (4th generation), Echo Dot (4th or 5th generation) or Echo Dot with clock (4th or 5th generation) smart speaker , can act as Wi-Fi extenderoffering an additional 1,000 square feet of coverage at speeds up to 100 Mbps for up to 10 devices. Eero also offers a Internet Backup option, so you can add multiple backup networks (Wi-Fi or hotspot) to stay online if your main wired network fails.
Eero’s simplicity will appeal to anyone who hates delving into settings, but it comes at a cost. You won’t find any Service quality characteristics to prioritize activities, and bands cannot be separated. A final downside to the entry-level Eero system I tested was the comparatively slow transfer speeds, although this wasn’t a problem for the higher-end systems.
There are currently four Eero systems on the market worth considering that offer a very similar experience. The first two are dual-band systems (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). People with internet connections of up to 500 Mbps can opt for the regular Eero 6. If you have a faster connection, up to 1 Gbps, and your home is less than 4,500 square feet, then the Eero 6+ ($300) It is the system to choose. People with larger properties or higher than average demands (many devices and people using the Internet simultaneously) should consider the Eero Pro 6E ($550) (7/10, WIRED recommends), a tri-band system that supports the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands. The Eero Pro 6 has been discontinued.
He Try the Max 7 ($1,700) (7/10, Wired Review) is your top-of-the-line Wi-Fi 7 option, featuring four Ethernet ports, two 10Gbps and two 2.5Gbps, but it’ll be overkill for most people right now. You can delve deeper into the differences in our Eero Buying Guide. But whatever model you choose, keep an eye out for frequent discounts. All Eero systems are compatible with each other, making it easy to expand your network.
Best value
Affordable and compact, the ZenWiFi XD5 is a solid alternative to our top pick for more limited needs or budgets. What’s refreshing is that you don’t need to create an account to set up and use this mesh network. Each of the three units features two Gigabit Ethernet ports and can be wall-mounted. Basic security (AiProtection Classic) and parental controls come at no extra cost, and there’s support for AiMesh, so you can mix and match other Asus routers.
Performance was smooth and reliable during my testing, with some impressively fast results for the price. I downloaded a 30GB game in less than eight minutes. While this is a dual-band system, 160 MHz channels are supported on the 5 GHz band. Asus says a 3-pack can cover up to 5,000 square feet, but speeds slow down as you move away from the router. To get the best performance from the XD5 or any mesh system, connect the main router and nodes with ethernet for cable return.
