eero (Amazon) - eero Pro (Wi-Fi 5)

We went the overkill route for our 2200 sq ft 4 bedroom 2-1/2 bath house. We have a Eero Pro 7 downstairs in the living room serving as the gateway Eero. Upstairs we have two Eero Pro 7, and one Eero Pro (5?) in 3 of our 4 bedrooms. The two Eero Pro 7's are in our sons' rooms, so they can connect their computers to the Eero via ethernet. Downstairs at the back of the house, there is another Eero Pro that is hooked up in the family room predominantly to allow the wireless control of our swim spa in the backyard to connect to it. The Eero Pro 7 in the living room replaced an Eero Pro 6 that used to be used as our gateway Eero. FWIW, when we are driving to/from our house, the WiFi can connect when you are about 500 feet away from our house. Also, when we were using the Eero Pro 6 as our gateway, our top download speeds on the gateway connection to our cable modem hovered around 850 Mbps. Since switching to the Eero 7 Pro, our top download speeds are now around 1.26 Gbps.

A secondhand eero Pro that you specifically ask the seller if it’s a generic, Amazon-sourced unit. The ones that are handed out by various ISPs are not what you’re looking for. I recently got an eero Pro Second Gen for 😁$30 delivered and it supports the latest eero software and gets you into the world of mesh networking. Hard to argue with that.

Eero pro from second generation up. All are fantastic and cheap, but secondhand. Just ask the seller straight up if they’re generic eero devices from Amazon or if they’re white label from some ISP. Just don’t buy the white label ones.

Put in the eero system for mesh WiFi

Eero has consistently been the fastest and easiest to set up WiFi system I’ve used. However it does sadly require a monthly subscription to access more “advanced” features which is quite annoying. Edit: It also allows for HomeKit firewalling which is nice too https://support.eero.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036319531-How-to-use-HomeKit-with-your-eero-Network

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.

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.

I would buy a single Eero max and centrally locate it in the home, and see what that does. You have an extremely demanding application, and you are very sensitive to performance issues with games, and you really want to buy the very best Wi-Fi router you can afford. The max 7 will last a long time, and I would highly recommend sticking to that model. The pro will do OK, but the max will really do what you want.

1 bedroom apartment is a small footprint. A single / affordable option is to use Eero 5pro (these are older and affordable, can even by them used), or a newer version. I’ve had good experience with Eero’s.

I have had the eero pro 2s and now have the eero pro 7s. Overall I’ve been pleased with their performance supporting HK devices. It’s much better nowadays because the 7s support thread so I don’t typically have to worry about dropping down to 2.4ghz channel to get stuff added to my home.

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

I’ve had my Eero 5 for 9 years now, it’s been bulletproof. I want to upgrade it and looked into using my T Mobile service’s mesh system but read it doesn’t work nearly as well as other mesh systems so I’ll be sticking with Eero, I’ve got no good reason to change.

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!

Go buy some Eero 5s off eBay or something. I got 4 for $50 a while back. Granted that was a particularly good deal, still a lot out there. I’d stay away from tplink if possible for security concerns: https://www.wired.com/story/tp-link-router-ban-investigation/