Eero (2nd Generation) - Review 2022

Eero, 1 of the first companies to utilize mesh network technology in a whole-home Wi-Fi system, has released its 2nd generation Eero Habitation WiFi Organization ($399 as tested). In addition to a smaller footprint, the new system adds more powerful hardware, support for Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) data streaming, and a 3rd radio band. Information technology too offers premium protection against malware and phishing attacks, simply you lot'll take to pay a monthly fee for this characteristic. For $fifty less, the 2-Pack version of the Linksys Velop, our Editors' Option, offers a wider range of coverage, better throughput performance, and device prioritization.

Why Get a Wi-Fi Network?

If you lot have a large home, Wi-Fi systems provide an easy manner to install a far-reaching wireless network without using range extenders, access points, or additional wiring. Nearly systems, including the Linksys Velop and Eero, apply satellites and utilise mesh technology that allows those satellites (which are actually individual routers) to communicate with one some other and with wireless clients throughout your home (the Netgear Orbi, another elevation pick, is slightly dissimilar; it uses a dedicated 5GHz Wi-Fi radio band to communicate with its satellites). The principal do good of a Wi-Fi system is roaming connectivity; each satellite is part of the aforementioned network and provides seamless Wi-Fi from ane point to another. That means you don't have to worry about logging in to a range extender or an admission signal as you movement from room to room. And unlike a router/range extender or router/access point combination, a Wi-Fi system doesn't require much management or configuring.

Design and Features

The latest Eero organisation comes in 3 packages: the $399 Home arrangement we're reviewing here comes with an Eero box (which is the principal gateway) and 2 beacons (nodes, or satellites). Each component can provide up to i,000 foursquare anxiety of coverage. The $299 Habitation system comes with an Eero box and one beacon, while the $499 Eero Pro organization comes with three beacons and is designed for homes that crave tri-band connectivity and multiple LAN ports throughout the house.

The newest Eero gateway looks exactly like the ane used in the original version. It's a glossy-white square that measures 1.3 past 4.7 past 4.7 inches (HWD), has soft, rounded edges and a subtle curve, and is clearly meant to be placed out in the open up. A lone LED indicator is embedded in the elevation, and the rear panel holds two auto-sensing Gigabit LAN ports for WAN and LAN connectivity, a USB–C power port, and a reset button. Missing are USB ports that you get with the Portal Smart Gigabit WiFi Router, which allow you to connect to external peripherals.

The original Eero uses a 1GHz dual-cadre CPU, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of flash storage, just the latest version gets an upgrade in the class of a 700MHz quad-core CPU (the RAM and flash storage are the aforementioned). Other improvements include the additional of a second 5GHz band and back up for MU-MIMO data streaming and beamforming. The Eero is an 802.11ac router capable of throughput speeds of upward to 240Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and up to 600Mbps on each of the 5GHz bands. It also supports the emerging Thread protocol, which will allow information technology to work with Thread-enabled dwelling-automation devices, such as door locks and sensors, when they become available. As with the original version, the new Eero supports Amazon Alexa integration, allowing you to practice things like interruption internet admission, turn off LED lights, and even find your phone, using vocalization commands.

Each beacon is as well glossy white, but at 2.ix past 4.seven by i.1 inches (HWD), they take a much smaller footprint than the original 4.seven-inch square node. The beacons plug directly into a wall outlet and have a neat nightlight at their bottom edge and an LED indicator on their forepart panel. The nightlight can be scheduled to plough on at specific times, or you can use each beacon'southward ambient lite sensor to have it plough on and off co-ordinate the electric current lighting conditions. Each beacon contains 2 radio bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and supports MU-MIMO streaming and beamforming.

The system is installed and controlled via the convenient Eero mobile app for iOS or Android. It opens to a Dashboard screen that lets you know if the system is experiencing whatever issues, and displays a network map containing all connected devices and beacons. Tap any device icon to see details, such as which beacon information technology is connected to, bespeak forcefulness, IP address, and profile proper noun.

You lot can create a profile for each fellow member of your family and add as many devices to that profile as you like, but each device tin can only vest to ane profile at a time. Once a contour is created, you lot can pause access to the net and fix an access schedule for all devices assigned to the profile. You tin can also create a rubber network for family members that blocks admission to sites with violence, developed content, and illegal or criminal content, but to practice so yous'll have to pony up $ix.99 per calendar month ($99 per twelvemonth) for the Eero Plus service.

In addition to content filtering, Eero Plus offers protection confronting malware, phishing, and viruses, besides as top-tier technical support. By fashion of comparison, the TP-Link Deco M5 Wi-Fi Arrangement offers similar malware- and family-profile-filtering features, but it comes with a free three-year subscription. Every bit with the original Eero, this version does not offer any device prioritization (Quality of Service) settings and lacks dedicated band command.

At the lesser of the Dashboard are results from your latest internet speed test. To run a test, but press the globe icon. The top-left corner of the dashboard has a three-bar icon that takes yous to the main card, where you can configure guest networks, view and create Family Profiles, configure network settings, including DHCP, DNS, and Port Forwarding settings, and add new Eero and beacon components. If you already own the showtime-generation Eero, y'all tin link up the 2nd-generation components if y'all want to expand your coverage.

Installation and Performance

Every bit with the original, the latest Eero system is easy to install and manage. I started past downloading the mobile app and signing in (if you lot don't already take an business relationship, you accept to create i using your email accost and mobile number). I selected Create a New Network and followed the on-screen instructions to connect the Eero gateway to my router. When the LED inverse from blinking white to solid blue (around 25 seconds), the gateway was connected to the cyberspace. I picked a location (Part), named the network, and assigned a countersign. After another 15 seconds, my network was created, and I was ready to add together the beacons.

In the app, I selected the layout diagram that about closely resembles my habitation's layout (square, two floors) and was ready for buoy placement. The app offers several tips on where to place the beacons for optimal operation, such as placing it out in the open, as well as things to avoid, such as placing it too close to a TV fix or other big electronics. I placed the kickoff beacon in the same location that I used for every other Wi-Fi system I've tested: my living room. One time plugged in, I waited around 30 seconds for the LED to plough solid blue, which indicates a connection to the gateway. I pressed the Placement Test push button, and inside 10 seconds received a message that the beacon was successfully installed. I gear up the location (living room) in the app and repeated the process with the second beacon, placing it in my basement.

Since the Eero arrangement uses automated band steering, my throughput test results are based on the organisation'south ability to select the best radio ring for optimal performance, which in this case was always the 5GHz band. In our Unmarried-User Multiple Input, Multiple Output (SU-MIMO) tests, the main Eero (gateway) scored 466Mbps at close proximity (same room). That was merely a tad slower than the original Eero (469Mbps) and the Portal router (490Mbps). It edged out the TP-Link M5 Deco router (444Mbps), but couldn't proceed pace with the Linksys Velop (556Mbps). The beacons' throughput of 188Mbps (living room) and 158Mbps (basement) showed significant improvement over the offset-generation nodes (139Mbps and 93.8Mbps, respectively), but trailed the Linksys Velop (257Mbps and 328Mbps) and the TP-Link M5 Deco (234Mbps and211Mbps). The Portal arrangement's living room node scored 233Mbps in this test.

At a distance of xxx feet, the second-generation Eero gateway managed 78.5Mbps, just the beacons showed much better range, with scores of 146Mbps and 137Mbps. The original Eero gateway scored 233Mbps, and its nodes garnered 151Mbps and 84.6Mbps. In one case again, the Linksys Velop led with scores of 236Mbps for the main router and 238Mbps and 248Mbps for the nodes, while the TP-Link M5 Deco turned in scores of 249Mbps (main), 48.3Mbps (living room node), and 248Mbps (basement node). The Portal system showed throughputs of 232Mbps (principal) and177Mbps (node).

We employ three identical Acer Aspire E15 laptops equipped with Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 wireless 802.11ac network adapters to test MU-MIMO performance. In the close-proximity test, the Eero gateway provided an average throughput of 157Mbps, and the beacons managed 76.6Mbps and 70.3Mbps. The TP-Link M5 Deco scored 108Mbps, 81Mbps, and 73.6Mbps, respectively, and the Portal gained 134Mbps (main) and 115Mbps (node). The Linksys Velop's main router led the pack by a wide margin with a score of 264Mbps, while its nodes scored threescore.1Mbps and 70.1Mbps. In the 30-foot test, the Eero gateway scored 99.1Mbps, and the beacons garnered 64.1Mbps and 63Mbps. The Linksys Velop router was the leader with 116Mbps, and its nodes managed 50.8Mbps and 57.8Mbps. The TP-Link Deco M5's main router scored 86.8Mbps, and the nodes had throughputs of 32.9Mbps and l.5Mbps, while the Portal system scored 103Mbps (primary) and 65.2Mbps (node).

Alexa vox control worked as advertised. I created a contour for all of my son'southward devices (iPhone, chromebook, gaming consoles) and added dinnertime and bedtime access schedules. I was able to pause his network admission by maxim "Alexa, tell Eero information technology's bedtime." I also asked Alexa to have Eero find my phone, and it responded by telling me which node the phone was closest to.

Decision

The Eero Home WiFi System (2^nd Generation) offers some significant improvements over the original organisation. Information technology adds a second 5GHz radio band and a more than powerful CPU, and it now supports the latest 802.11ac technologies, including MU-MIMO data streaming and beamforming. Information technology's a snap to install and manage using the thoughtfully designed mobile app, but yous'll take to subscribe to the Eero Plus service to take advantage of certain parental command and malware-protection features. For $50 less than what you'll pay for the 3-piece Eero system, y'all can buy the 2-Pack version of the Linksys Velop organization nosotros reviewed; information technology provides 4,000 square feet of coverage, amend overall functioning, and back up for device prioritization (QoS), which it why it remains our Editors' Choice for home Wi-Fi systems.

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/review/16675/eero-2nd-generation

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