For many of us, our wireless router has been the weak link in our Internet universe. How many times have you had to stop what you were doing to reset your router? How many times have you had to move your laptop or wait for your movie to buffer? Forget about it. Eero is more than a router, it’s a wireless system that uses a newer technology to get you Internet anywhere in your home without dead zones, and without (much) downtime.
For starters, Eero is intended to be sold as a system of three units. One functions as a traditional router that connects to your ISP. It only has two Ethernet ports, so if you have a bunch of devices (like a VOIP phone, Sonos, etc), you will probably need an Ethernet hub to wire in a bunch of additional devices. The device itself doesn’t look like most of the routers you’ve seen before. It’s attractive, with no ugly antennas sticking up. It’s so attractive that you won’t mind putting it on top of a cabinet or piece of furniture. And that’s part of the plan. Having it visible means it’s easier to generate a stronger signal.
Eero’s standard setup includes two other units that you can put elsewhere in your house to give you thorough end to end signal coverage. These additional wireless access points go beyond the function of traditional range extenders. They form what’s called a “mesh network” that allows superior coverage, much higher throughput, and fewer delays.
Smartphone Required
Earlier routers have generally required you to set them up with your computer, often by using a CD for the software setup (remember CD’s?). Not the Eero. You set it up by downloading either an iOS or Android app. You pair the base Eero unit to the phone, then set up the other two access points. It’s easy to name your rooms, name your network, and get the whole system up and running in just a few minutes. The term “extremely user friendly” is more than applicable.
Best of all, the system is really fast, giving you download speeds of up to 90 megabytes per second. In practical terms, that means that your Netflix movies won’t need any buffering and even your most graphics-intensive websites will probably load in a fraction of the time you’re used to.
I have a home that’s about 3,000 square feet, but really spread out. Before Eero we had problems with coverage in the far end of the house, in the basement apartment, and in the upstairs bedroom. No more. No problems – anywhere. And great speed. What a pleasure. Yes, the system still goes down, but now I can almost always point to my ISP as the cause of the problem, not my router.
The Eero system is designed with the expectation that there will be periodic upgrades that can be delivered over the air (OTA). There is one drawback, and that’s the price. The three unit system costs $499. You could buy just one unit for $199, but then you really won’t get the benefits of the whole house mesh network system. Is it worth the money? Given the lack of frustration in my entire household since we put it in, you bet. There are competitive systems out there including the Amplifi from Ubiquiti and the Luma, which we’ll be reviewing in coming weeks.
This fun video from Eero painfully recreates the problem and joyfully explains the solution:
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