Eero is an Amazon company and its routers come with Alexa support. Enable the Eero skill and you can pause the Internet with a voice command through your Echo device, which comes in handy when your kids won't leave the computer for dinner. Eero 6 routers support Problem and Thread and can do double duty as a ZigBee smart home hub the same way Echo devices can, allowing you to directly connect several smart lights, smart locks, and ZigBee devices other.
There are two other tricks that make the Eero 6 system so appealing. If you have an Echo (4th generation), Echo Dot (4th or 5th generation), or Echo Dot with clock (4th or 5th generation) smart speaker, it can Works as a Wi-Fi extenderprovides coverage of more than 1,000 square feet with speeds of up to 100 Mbps for up to 10 devices. Eero also offers one Internet Backup optional, so you can add multiple backup networks (Wi-Fi or hotspot) to keep you online if your primary wired network goes down.
Eero's simplicity will appeal to anyone who hates digging into settings for a fee. You won't find any Service quality features to prioritize activities and you cannot separate groups. The final downside to the basic Eero system I tested was its relatively slow transfer speeds, although this wasn't an issue with higher-end systems.
Currently, there are four Eero systems on the market worth considering, offering similar experiences. The first two systems are dual-band systems (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). People with an Internet connection up to 500 Mbps can use 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 Eero 6+ ($300) is the system to choose. People with larger assets or above-average needs (multiple devices and multiple people using the Internet at the same time) should consider Eero Pro 6E ($550) (7/10, WIRED recommended), a tri-band system that supports the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands. Eero Pro 6 has been discontinued.
the Try the Max 7 ($1,700) (7/10, WIRED Review) is the top Wi-Fi 7 option, with four Ethernet ports, two rated at 10 Gbps and two at 2.5 Gbps, but for now, it would be overkill for most people. You can dig deeper into the differences in Eero Buying Guide. But no matter which model you choose, keep an eye out for regular 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. The cool thing is that you don't need to create an account to set up and use this network. Each of the three devices has two gigabit Ethernet ports and can be wall-mounted. Basic security (AiProtection Classic) and parental controls come at no additional cost, and there's AiMesh support so you can combine 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. Although this is a dual-band system, there is support for 160 MHz channels on the 5 GHz band. Asus says a 3-pack can cover up to 5,000 square feet, but speeds will drop 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 to Ethernet for wired backhaul.