eero - eero PoE 6

Sure. The Deco does not have nearly as much engineering put into it as the Eero does. Eero has a bunch of unique (patented) technologies that make it work better in certain environments.

This won't work. If your modem is also a router and you have the eeros in bypass it will work, but not well. Modem -> Eero -> Switch -> Eero is the correct way. If your concern is the lack of multi gig ports on the Eero or the need to home run to a place where there is no need for an Eero, pick up a POE gateway.

The biggest driver of newer Eero products being released is the approval of new WiFi standards, which support faster speeds, lower latency, and make meshing system like Eero perform significantly better. In 2016 when the OG Eero was introduced, the average internet speed in the US (according to ooma) was 39 Mbps. It has continued a steady increase in speed since then with more and more fiber being deployed and cable companies moving to newer standards like DOCSIS 3.1 or 4.0. In 2025, ooma reports a 214Mb/s average, which is greater than a 5x speed gain (on average) nationwide in less than 10 years. Verizon FIOS, for example, was advertising 100Mb symmetrical residential connections in 2016, and today they are deploying multi-gigabit symmetrical residential connections. There is no technical reason to expect that this rate of increase won't continue (it will slow down for sure), and this expected continued increase is taken in account with the following recommendations. Eero advertises a number of square feet that an individual Eero can cover, and while these numbers can help you compare the relative strength and capabilities of one Eero verses another, these numbers are not absolute facts that will apply in your home. A number of conditions affect the actual range of an individual Eero, including wall construction, gaps under doors, carpet vs hardwood, glass surfaces, proximity to other electronics and more. \*\* The following eeros are not recommended to buy in 2025: \-OG Eero (2016) \-All 2nd Generation Eeros (aka Eero 5, Introduced 2019) - this includes Eero Beacon, Eero 5, Eero 5 Pro - While all of these products had a reason for existing at one time, the slow processors, limited RF capabilities, and limited throughput make these not a good buy in 2025. \-Some 3rd Generation Eero (Eero 6, Eero 6+, Eero 6 Extender ) - Limited RAM, slow processors, mismatched Phy speeds, limited MIMO, and poor performance with modern software make these poor choices for new implementations and ideal candidates to be upgraded in existing networks. \-Eero 7 - The promise of Wifi 7 and low price make this a tempting choice, but the unit doesn't support TrueMesh 2.0, which is Eero's latest topology-management technology. These units are mostly usable in 2025, but they will not age well, which makes them a poor choice for long term value as homes are moving to symmetrical high speed connections. The Eero 7 is also the only indoor 7 series product that doesn't support 6Ghz connectivity. \*\* Recommended to buy in 2025, in order of performance (best to worse): Eero Max 7 - Tri Band, lots of RAM, lots of horsepower, 2 10 gig Ethernet ports, and 2 2.5 gig Ethernet Ports. 4x4 MIMO on 5Ghz and 6Ghz. This is an ideal gateway Eero and the best "mesh" product currently made by Eero. Eero POE Gateway - Eero has notoriously been picky about network switches and many Eeros have a seemingly 'sluggish' fabric inside them that you can't quite put your finger on. The engineers at Eero delivered the best switch they could design, and it has incredible throughput, POE for powering access points, cameras, phones (etc), and and has the smarts inside it to be the network gateway. When it was introduced, this was the highest horsepower product Eero made, although the Max 7 now gives it a run for it's money (but without POE). If you're considering an Outdoor Eero 7, Eero 6 POEs, or if your "wiring closet" is in a place where it's really stupid to put a wireless access point, this should be the center of your network. Eero Pro 7 - Limited by 2x2 MIMO, but has 6Ghz capability and a fast processor. This is a popular choice to use as a mesh node, or even as a gateway in smaller installations. It's quite a bit cheaper than the Max 7, but you get what you pay for. Eero Pro 6 - This is no longer manufactured, but can be found in the used market or sitting on pro installers shelves when they were bought up at the EOL sales. While these aren't great gateways, they have more RAM and faster processors than their other 6 series counterparts. These are still solid choices for mesh units, especially in lower traffic areas. Eero Outdoor 7 - Eeros first approved outdoor unit, this works surprisingly well. While it is capable of meshing, because of its 2x2 MIMO it works best when wired back to a gateway. Because it needs to be wired anyway to be powered via POE, it's not a far stretch to assume that most of these will be installed by professionals and hardwired to a POE gateway or a POE switch. Even powered via a POE injector, they will mesh like any other Eero. Eero 6e - This Eero isn't going to win any awards for raw speeds, but it is Eeros first entry into the 6Ghz spectrum. When it was announced, all the installers were 'encouraged' to take webinars where the Eero sales people talked endlessly about the empty spectrum and the incredible potential. Unfortunately, it's sort of worthless if you live near an airport, and its range is a bit more limited than anyone would like. But, like the Pro 6, these are really solid choices for mesh units. Eero POE 6 - Another Eero that isn't going to win any awards for raw speeds, but it is very rare for it to be used as a gateway. Because of this, the performance is considered acceptable in today's environment (and, well, there isn't a Wifi 7 POE Eero yet). It's worth pointing out that this product does not need to receive POE from the "WAN" connection, so it can function as the gateway and be powered by the LAN POE switch. This can be helpful in temporary setups, homes under construction/renovation, etc. If you are reading this text, my home network (outside the lab) are all POE 6s hardwired back to a POE gateway and the spouse has no complaints.

This is a good recommendation. Eero for simple, plug and play with probably one of the best mesh networks in market today. Ubiquiti if you want more configuration capabilities and have more network know-how.

I'd recycle your existing cable modem and get a newer Arris Surfboard modem that is a) approved by your ISP, b) handles the bandwidth you're contracted for and c) is just a modem. Not wifi, router, etc. Then get a separate router/ wifi system. If you're looking at plug and play and need mesh, then Eero is a great solution. If you want more configurability and control to manual change settings in your network, then Ubiquiti is a great option. I use both.

You have broadband coax, not fiber. I'd recommend replacing the Xfinity device with a simple Arris cable modem that is approved by Xfinity. Use your own device. Then use your own router/ wifi system. If you want easy, set it and forget it, then Eero is a great solution. If you want more sophistication, then look at Ubiquiti.

Single Eero devices are typically pretty good for smaller spaces like an apartment. You might check the placement of the Eero. Also make sure that the Frontier device is just an ONT and not a router or wifi access point. If so, you need to remove it or put it in bypass mode. Alternatively, you could add a second Eero to extend the network. It would likely be placed somewhere between your PC and the first Eero.

I think a bigger question is: What you want to do with it? And how sophisticated you want to configure your network. If you just want plug and play, there is one path. If you want to setup different VLANs, firewall rules, select different wifi channels, etc, then Ubiquiti. Mesh is just a technology for when you can't physically cable APs to the central router/ AP. Mesh is essentially just different APs connecting via wireless vs wired connections. So, the decision depends on a few things: 1. How much sophistication do you want/ need? 2. How much network experience do you have? You can get a sophisticated solution like Ubiquiti. But if you're not familiar with networking, it could be overwhelming and you have a likelihood of misconfiguring the network. 2. Do you want plug and play or be able to highly tweak the network? 3. How much $$ do you want to spend? On the plug and play side, I'd look at Eero. Easy and it just works. If you want the ultimate in configurability, then Ubiquiti. I use both and have had great results with both.

The best mesh system on the market today is Eero.

I have AT&T Fiber (1Gbps up/ down) and use Eero. I use the Eero PoE Gateway along with Eero PoE 6 APs. Rock solid performance and strong wifi coverage.

Yep. This is what I do. I have AT&T Fiber and run Eero. On the AT&T router: 1. Put in 'passthrough' mode and select DHCPS-Dynamic 2. Turn off both wifi radios (2.4 & 5GHz) 3. Turn off all firewall and filtering options on all of the other pages 4. Restart the AT&T router In the Eero app: 1. Make sure that Settings, Advanced Networking, DHCP & NAT, you are in 'automatic' mode...not 'bridged' mode. 2. You can turn on all other options (IPv6, SQM, Client Steering, etc) except for UPnP. UPnP should be off. 3. Restart the Eero network. Your network topology should be: AT&T router <> Eero (gateway) <> Unmanaged switch(s)/ additional Eero APs

Agreed. I've found that the Eero mesh solution is one of the best on the market.

I think Eero is worth a look! If you don’t want to fiddle with a ton of things and let it manage itself it’s a great option. The Amazon stuff is all optional too. Plus they have thread routers in them which help tremendously with smart home stuff. I’ve got the 6 PoEs and they’re great.

The folks suggesting Omada and Unifi aren't wrong. Those are *great* systems, but they're pretty "pro". If you don't need advanced networking features (e.g., VLANs beyond isolated guest networks, traffic rules)/want something that's more plug-and-play, a mesh system that supports wired backhaul might be a better fit. Asus ZenWiFi performs well, supports wired backhaul, and offers some useful advanced settings. It's not as configurable as Omada or Unifi or MikroTik, but it's simpler to manage and "good enough" (multiple isolated guest networks, band-specific networks, QoS) for lots of home users. Eero also performs well but doesn't support as many advanced features as Asus.

Eero (Amazon), tp link Deco, and Asus ZenWifi are all well-reviewed and perform well. If you've got to go mesh, look for a tri-band system with a dedicated backhaul channel (Eero, Deco, and ZenWifi all have models). Eero and Deco are a little more "plug and play". ZenWifi is also easy to set up, and some models give a few more config options/control than Eero or deco. The tricky part is that you don't know how well mesh will perform until you set it up in your place. Two nodes might be enough, but you might need three (or four). A 6 ghz backhaul channel might work, but, if the walls and floors in your place cause a lot of interference, you might see better perf with a 5 ghz backhaul. So buy from a place you can return it, maybe start with three nodes, test how coverage and speeds look, go from there. All three have 2.5 Gbps ports. 3 gig is a *lot* of bandwidth for a residential setup. Unless you're regularly downloading gigantic files (video, game updates), you probably won't exceed ~300-500 Mbps, and WiFi will de facto limit the perf on any device to ~200-600 Mbps. For most homes, 200 Mbps is plenty. If the 3 gig price isn't much different than ~300 Mbps (if you're in the US, it's hard to find service under ~300 Mbps), go for it, but if you're paying a premium for 3 gig, you can save some coin and you almost certainly won't notice a difference in performance. If you're in Europe, you rule!, fiber away because you're prob only paying like €40 for 3 gig.

The best case is to get the Max 7s and then run Ethernet between them where you can, but that is optional and you can use mesh. The only thing the PoE stuff adds is a different way to power it and form factor. Technically you could run only power over PoE and it would just mesh, but that would be a waste of ethernet. The only PoE ones I use are the outdoor ones because I don’t have an issue placing eeros around and I like the flexibility of not requiring PoE. Another use case is you can have an eero that connects to the network over mesh, but you can Ethernet devices to them and the devices will use the eero as a wifi bridge. This means any device connected to a Eero 7 Max via Ethernet and using the mesh does get the full benefit of the extra radios. I like this option because the less devices you have connected to WiFi the more free the airwaves are for devices that must use WiFi.

Agreed the SQM in the eero 2nd gen (cupcake) has better SQM than the 6 series.

Ideally you would want one on each side of the house on separate floors but in this situation I'd go with what you've got and see how it works before doing anything drastic. I'm betting you'll be fine. I've heard really good things about the Eero systems, I've installed alot of them and everyone seems happy with their service. I don't think you could go wrong with either tho. The Eero 6 mesh system seems like a pretty good deal on Amazon at the moment and will be a significant upgrade from what you've got now. https://a.co/d/iG40Rwr

Eero systems are so easy to get up and running.... That's what i use at my house.

I have used EERO since 2020 in two houses. I had WiFi 5 and 6 units and now 7 eero pro 7’s (not EERO pro max). All have been excellent. There was a period of time, about six months ago, that the firmware would not connect to my Tesla wall connector and one or two Samsung TVs after a firmware upgrade. I could manually reboot and reconfigure and all was well. That issue has disappeared, no more problems. I have been on 1 GIG and now 2 GIG Cox internet service using a cable Modem Arris S33 and now Arris S34 (Both Docsis 3.1). I really like the way the system maintains itself by installing new updates and distributing the updates automatically to all EERO mesh routers wired and wireless. All products have their nuances and occasional problems but, by and large, EERO routers are outstanding and I highly recommend them!

I use and can recommend eero mesh for "non-techie" parents and grandparents. Very easy to setup, and you can administer it remotely if you have to, which isn't very often. Your parents might actually enjoy the setup process, as the phone App walks you through it completely. Eero mesh goes on sale often too. Black Friday while be here in a blink, and they are guaranteed to be on sale then. If your parents aren't gamers and aren't moving huge files regularly, even the dual band eero mesh gives good coverage at a fair price. If you can wire them in, you'll only need dual band as long as each mesh node has Ethernet ports (do not buy the "Extenders" that lack Ethernet ports if you ever envision wiring them up). If they want maximum performance using *wireless* backhaul between mesh nodes, then Tri-band eeros are what you are looking for, but they are pricey. Using mesh wirelessly is all about placement of the mesh nodes. Just keep in mind that strong 5 GHz connections between nodes is necessary for best performance. This means the nodes should be closer together than most people think. Putting units directly above or below each other is good, as well as on the same floor, but directly above or below the "dead spots" too.

It highly depends on the layout of your new apartment and the building materials used, but, generally, one unit can cover 1400 sq ft. If possible, try to find out the location where the router will be. Unless it's in the very corner, you are *probably* good with one router. If it's in the center of the home (like the center of the second floor), your chances are very good. What you can do is buy a single mesh unit, and use it as your only router and see if it's enough. If not, then you buy the second mesh unit of the same model and mesh them together. So you can do it in two stages, and stop at one if it's enough. I would advise against buying anything less than WiFi 6 (AX) if you're buying brand new. It's not really a savings with WiFi 5 if support for that unit ends years earlier than a WiFi 6, 6E, or 7 device. 6E and 7 routers are still expensive, so the value buy is WiFi 6 (AX) for now. If you want something simple to setup and manage, look into eero mesh. Just buy one unit, and then all of their other models can mesh together with it.

Since you have cable Internet and it runs into the basement, you hopefully have coaxial cables available to you throughout the house, and usually in key locations. Just look at the area where all the coax ends should meet, likely in the basement where your modem/router is at and plugged into. If you do find this bunch of coax, you can use it with MoCA Adapters to build a wired Ethernet network inside your home. If you can achieve that, then getting good WiFi everywhere will be easy, as well as providing wired capabilities for other devices in needed locations. MoCA Adapters can be a bit expensive, but worth the cost. If you can build this MoCA network, then whatever you choose as the router and Access Points will work very well, including a 3 pack of a reputable mesh brand. For mesh, I use and can recommend eero. But ASUS Zen mesh is also praised a lot, and has more configurability. If you want to go higher end, you can get an Ubiquiti Cloud Gateway router, a Ubiquiti PoE switch, and some Ubiquiti Access Points. It's more expensive, but very capable of advanced setups, and is very stable. I use Ubiquiti at another home and in my office location, and I can recommend them personally as well.

My Eeros have been rock solid. They aren’t the newer 7’s but they do what I need. Ubiquity users are usually much more likely to be trying weird setups and trying to do anything to squeeze maximum performance out of their network. The have to be committed to learn the software well enough to customize things to meet their expectations. Eeros are good for pulling it out of the box and having something good enough setup and running in short time.