Amazon Eero 6 Mesh Wi-Fi review: Fast and friendly

Price When Reviewed

From $129

Best Prices Today: Amazon Eero 6

$199.99

$199.99

$209

$223.62

The Eero 6 is a whole-home mesh Wi-Fi system from the Amazon-owned house networking firm.

The original Eero made waves when it arrived, because it provided clients combating wi-fi not-spots of their house a easy and efficient answer — a number of hubs offering blanket protection whereas utilizing the identical community identify. 

While a number of different networking gadgets have provided this very same service in recent times, Eero’s proprietary TrueMesh expertise, which goals to redirect connections to gadgets as and when required, and the clear and user-friendly interfaces, to not point out engaging costs, made the primary technology of Eero stand out.

One factor that was lacking was help for Wi-Fi 6, which is quicker and affords extra dependable Wi-Fi connections than the Eero’s Wi-Fi 5. As its identify suggests, the Eero 6 addresses this. 

Another good addition is an built-in Zigbee hub, which makes it simpler to make use of Alexa to attach with appropriate good house gadgets — beforehand, should you needed to do that with an Eero, you’d want to purchase a separate hub. 

Is the Eero 6 nonetheless price shopping for?

With a variety of different Wi-Fi 6 mesh methods in the stores now, the Eero 6 has some stiff competitors. However, nothing adjustments the truth that any Eero mesh system continues to be amazingly straightforward to put in and handle utilizing the Eero app.

The incontrovertible fact that some options are locked away behind a subscription is a frustration that can virtually definitely by no means go away, and it’s one purpose to look elsewhere as loads of rivals don’t have any sort of subscription: You purchase your mesh equipment and it’s yours to maintain and use.

That doesn’t actually reply the query right here, after all. So, to maintain it easy, sure, Eero 6 continues to be a terrific purchase. In truth, on the time of scripting this, it was ranked third in our UK sister website TechAdvisor’s best mesh Wi-Fi systems.

The different potential purpose you’re right here studying it is because you’ve noticed the Eero 6 in certainly one of Amazon’s common gross sales and are questioning whether or not it’s a greater purchase at a lower-than-usual value. Again, the reply is straightforward: Yes, and particularly sure should you’re shopping for the three-pack since you’re saving on all three models.

The solely wrench within the works is that you simply would possibly take into account choosing the Eero 6 Pro as an alternative whether it is equally discounted in a Prime Day or Black Friday sale. After all, should you had been contemplating shopping for the Eero 6 at full value, the tri-band Eero 6 Pro is a greater all-round system that could be on sale for across the identical type of value you had been going to pay anyway.

Eero 6 design and construct

The Eero 6 models don’t seem like your typical house networking gear. Instead of blocky, angular shapes with massive antennae poking in all places, these gadgets are stout little cuboids with mild curves and glossy white plastic jackets. 

Measuring a mere 3.9 x 3.8 x 2.4 inches (99.4 x 97 x 61.4mm) every, they’re dinky little issues that hardly take up house in your desk. They look extra like good plugs with out the pins.

Like all mesh Wi-Fi options, the Eero 6 {hardware} consists of a principal unit — the Eero 6 router system — and several other satellites, or extenders. The solely bodily distinction between the router and the extenders is that the router has two Ethernet ports, whereas the extenders have none. 

As the identify implies, the router is the system you’ll hook up with your present modem with an Ethernet cable, and for all intents and functions, can act as a standalone router. The extenders are those you’ll dot round your private home after you’ve completed establishing the router, permitting you to increase protection to these components of your private home the place higher Wi-Fi protection is required.  

The evaluation unit I used to be despatched was a three-pack, consisting of 1 router, and two extenders. 

Eero guarantees us that this setup is highly effective sufficient to offer strong Wi-Fi protection throughout roughly 4950 sq. ft (or 460 sq. meters) of house house, whereas a single unit will cowl round 1500 sq. ft (140 sq. meters). Interestingly, this is identical stage of protection that the unique Eero system provides you as properly. 

The system is about up with the intention to add extra routers to your private home community in lieu of extenders, must you want extra Ethernet connections, that means they act like wi-fi powerline adapters.

If you wish to use a wired connection on your TV set-top packing containers, video games consoles, desktop PCs, NAS drives, and the like, you’ll want to contemplate getting an Ethernet bridge too — or decide up a mesh Wi-Fi system that offers you extra ports.

Check out TechAdvisor’s roundups of the best mesh Wi-Fi kits and the best routers to see how the Eero 6 compares.

Eero 6 setup and options

The Eero 6 makes use of the identical easy setup course of that the unique Eero does. This is nice information, particularly should you’ve by no means put in any house networking tools earlier than. 

You’ll have to obtain the Eero app (iOS, Android) to get began. This guides you thru each step of the method, with clear directions and useful animations. 

Setting up a house community isn’t precisely what I’d name “fun” however Eero has completed a superb job of creating it sort of fulfilling — a cartoon canine will assist you to “sniff out” good spots for Wi-Fi protection, and the app will cheerily let you know should you’ve picked good places for the whole lot.

You’ll be requested to pair every Eero system together with your telephone by way of Bluetooth throughout setup, but when that doesn’t work for no matter purpose, you may manually enter the serial variety of every unit. 

Once the Eero router is up and operating, you’ll be capable to give the community a reputation, in addition to create a password for the community (so individuals can hook up with it) and the admin password (so you may log in from a desktop system to configure settings sooner or later). 

You’ll additionally want to inform the software program which room in your home you’re establishing the Eero router in, i.e. your front room. When it’s time to arrange the satellites, you’ll do the identical factor — kitchen, research, bed room, and so on. 

This helps you see at a look, which gadgets are related to the web all through your home whenever you’re utilizing the app. 

From right here, you may faucet on a selected system, like “Tom’s MacBook,” see which entry level and radio frequency it’s utilizing, and if wanted, assign every system to a private profile. This helps you to apply content material filters to particular gadgets, and schedule pauses, if you wish to do issues like implement homework hours (assuming no web is required). 

Setting up a visitor community for when you will have guests can also be a breeze, as is doing staple items like altering the community identify and password. 

Features embody a utilization dashboard that allows you to see which gadgets in your community are probably the most data-hungry — useful should you’re eager to know which of your roommates has been caning your reference to Steam downloads. 

The previous Eero Secure and Secure Plus subscriptions have been dumped in favor of a single one known as Eero Plus. This offers options you’d see in parental management software program or different apps, similar to content material filters and advert blockers.

The costlier Plus possibility used to throw in extras like an account for password supervisor service 1Password, the Encrypt.me VPN, and Malwarebytes anti-spyware software program. But that is all now included within the single Eero Plus subscription. 

If you’ve acquired any Alexa-compatible gadgets, you too can handle them by the Eero app too, due to the Eero 6’s built-in Zigbee hub. I wasn’t in a position to take a look at out this specific function in my evaluation, as I don’t have any voice-activated {hardware}, Alexa or in any other case, at house. 

Finally, you may play about with additional options within the Eero Labs part of the app.

How does the Eero 6 carry out? 

Here’s the place you’ll see the principle distinction between the Eero 6 and the Wi-Fi 5-only Eero {hardware}. 

I carried out a number of pace exams all through my house with two gadgets, a Huawei Mate 10 Pro, and a RealMe X50 Pro — telephones with Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 antennas, respectively. The outcomes beneath are imply averages, rounded up. I’m utilizing a Virgin Media Super Hub 3 (which I’ve set to modem mode when utilizing the Eero 6) for comparability.

While it’s not an apples-to-apples comparability — the Super Hub 3 is only one dual-band router versus a mesh Wi-Fi product — the numbers reveal the advantages of utilizing a multi-hub system as an alternative of a standalone system:

As increasingly more gadgets hitting cabinets now function Wi-Fi 6 radios, your greatest guess is to take a look at the Wi-Fi 6 set of scores – something new you purchase this 12 months telephone or laptop-wise will possible be Wi-Fi 6-compliant. All your older gadgets with Wi-Fi 5 radios will nonetheless be capable to hook up with the Internet by way of the Eero 6, they’ll simply achieve this at slower speeds, so seek advice from the Wi-Fi 5 desk. 

It’s price noting that the primary two pace exams right here had been taken whereas I used to be related to the principle Eero 6 router, which I’d arrange in the lounge. The drop in speeds may be attributed to the truth that there’s a brick wall between the router and the take a look at gadgets, and the truth that I used to be, in each instances, switched to the two.4GHz radio band.

The third take a look at end result was recorded whereas related to the Eero arrange within the workplace, in direction of the again of the home related to the 5GHz band, whereas the backyard take a look at, taken whereas standing 10 ft away from the closest entry level within the kitchen, noticed me default to the two.4GHz band once more. 

I actually like that the Eero 6 in a short time strikes you to whichever radio frequency is probably the most applicable, relying on the place you’re in relation to an entry level — the 5GHz radio frequency is notoriously not nice at reaching by partitions, whereas the decrease 2.4GHz frequency is. 

It’s slower, nevertheless, at handing over between the person factors themselves. For instance, when strolling into the kitchen from the lounge — in different phrases, strolling from one room with an Eero into one other — I’d discover that wi-fi speeds would drop and I’d nonetheless be caught on the lounge entry level, regardless of standing actually inches away from the kitchen entry level.

The switchover would occur naturally after a minute or so, however should you’re somewhat impatient like I’m, you’ll discover it’s quicker to easily disengage Wi-Fi in your telephone, and switch it again on — your system will then hook up with the closest entry level.

Eero 6 value and availability

Buyers within the U.S. can get a single router straight from Eero for $89.99, or $199.99 for one router and two extenders. Alternatively, in order for you extra Ethernet ports, you will get three routers for $249.99. You may also get it from Amazon US and Best Buy. 

You should buy single Eero 6 routers from Amazon within the UK, for £109.99, in addition to single extenders for £64.99.  

The Eero 6 three-pack costs £299.99 from Amazon (initially £279.99 at launch).

On Amazon’s Australian site, a single Eero 6 router prices $199.99, whereas individual Eero 6 extenders are $179.99 apiece. A pack with one router and two extenders costs $499 — once more, less expensive than shopping for the whole lot individually.

Should you purchase the Eero 6?

The Eero 6 affords quick Wi-Fi speeds, offers wonderful whole-home protection, works proper out of the field, and is competitively priced. 

It’s a easy and efficient answer, aimed toward individuals who don’t wish to spend ceaselessly tinkering with Wi-Fi extenders and community names. Extra options, like Eero Secure safety software program, are there and prepared must you wish to use them, including worth to patrons who need to have the ability to safe their house community with minimal fuss. 

You can get cheaper standalone Wi-Fi 6 routers however that’s unlikely to provide you whole-home protection in something however a small flat or residence. The lack of Ethernet ports on the extenders means this isn’t appropriate for everybody, and should you do want these, take a look on the Linksys Atlas 6 system. 

This evaluation initially appeared on techadvisor.com.