Amazon-owned Eero jumped into the Wi-Fi 6E battle today by announcing the first mesh Wi-Fi system that supports Wi-Fi 6E. Tri-Band Eero Pro 6E The router adds access to the new 6GHz Wi-Fi range, supports wireless speeds of up to 1.3 Gbps, and claims to cover more than 100 devices simultaneously. The 6GHz band is touted as a new, broad Wi-Fi “passage” that should enable faster speeds and less congestion across your home network.
The Eero Pro 6E starts at $299 for a single router and goes up to $699 for a complete three-module network system. The new model brings with it a change in the entire Eero line – there is also new Eero 6 Plus Dual Band A system that offers gigabit speeds at a lower price (starting at $139), lowering the price to the entry level Wi-Fi 6 Eero 6 (starting at $89) for speeds of up to 500Mbps.
The Eero Pro 6E supports multi-gigabit internet, with each Eero device running on a single 2.5GbE and 1.0GbE port. So, if you are one of the lucky few who have faster than gigabit internet speeds, you can access them now. “In our testing, we were able to propagate in excess of 2.3 Gbps of traffic at once,” said Nick Weaver, CEO and co-founder of Eero. the edge. “It makes sure that entering WAN will not be a bottleneck. You can deploy the full scope of your WAN connection from the Eero portal.”
The Eero Pro 6E costs $299 for a single package that covers up to 2,000 square feet, $499 for a package that covers 4,000 square feet, and $699 for a triple pack that covers 6,000 square feet. Current Eero Pro 6 mesh systems, which support Wi-Fi 6, but not 6E. The Pro 6, which is also tri-band but uses one 2.4GHz and two 5GHz bands, remains available.
Eero 6 Plus It is a dual-band gigabit system that supports more than 75 devices connected simultaneously. It starts at $139 for one router covering up to 1,500 square feet, $239 for two devices for managing 3,000 square feet, and $299 for three devices per 4,500 square feet. Additionally, the current Eero 6 has been slashed to $89. $129 for the single router, $139 (previously $199) for the bundle, and $199 (previously $279) for the triple bundle. Everything is available to order now, except for one Eero Pro 6E bundle and one Eero 6 Plus one bundle, which can be pre-ordered for shipping in May.
Even with a higher price tag than the Pro 6, the Pro 6E is one of the most affordable 6E networking systems currently available, with other popular consumer options such as Asus’ ZenWifi Pro ET8 starts at $530 for both units and ascend to a A staggering $1,500 for a high-end Netgear model. But there’s clearly a 6E tax on these new routers, with the Eero charging 15% more than the previous model for the super-highway Wi-Fi franchise.
Weaver says this squad is Aero’s focus going forward. While the current Eero Pro 6 and the entry-level Eero still exist, this new 6 series is the company’s future. “We started shipping the first generation of the Eero grid system about six years ago,” he says. “Back then, the 20-40Mbps connection was really fast. Fast forward to today, and gigabit is the stakes for the table.” When you consider the changes that have occurred since the pandemic, “calling home is now a must, not a good thing,” he said.
The moniker Wi-Fi 6E indicates that the networked system can use the new Wi-Fi 6 GHz frequency. This adds a third frequency to your home network on top of the familiar 2.5GHz and 5GHz bands. The Pro 6E is a tri-band router with one of each device. The 6E’s selling point is more about space than speed: it can provide more bandwidth to more devices to reduce congestion on your network, as well as help avoid interference from other networks.
Wi-Fi 6E operates in the 160MHz, which is the widest channel, and while 5GHz can also use 160MHz, on the 6GHz band, only customers who can use 6E can use it — turning it into a vast and private highway for your fastest devices.
But you need to have a Wi-Fi 6E capable device to get the most out of it – and there aren’t many of them yet. 6E support is currently limited to high-end Windows PCs and Android phones, along with routers. The Google Pixel 6 and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra are among the phones that support it, along with many modern gaming laptops – such as Razer Blade 17.
Weaver says they expect that to change dramatically this year and that anyone considering buying a new router today should buy one capable of 6E. “You are managing the future,” he says. “You get ultra-clear bandwidth, with plenty of bandwidth available to the higher-performing devices on your 6GHz network.”
For those devices that don’t support the 6E, Eero has updated the radio in the Pro 6E and 6 Plus to support the 160MHz channel on the 5GHz band, which “will provide an immediate speed boost to any customer that supports 160 today,” Weaver says.
However, the other downside to the 6GHz band is that, like its 5GHz companion, the 6GHz band is short-range, potentially even shorter than 5GHz. This makes it a poor choice for the wireless link that many mesh networks use to communicate between nodes. However, Eero’s patented True Mesh system does not use a standard wireless adapter. Weaver says the system can decide on a packet-by-band frequency which frequency to use, now including 6GHz and 160MHz channels, which should allow faster wireless network connections between Eero devices, while maintaining reliability over distances.
All new Eeros devices are backward compatible with the previous generation of Eeros, and include a built-in Zigbee smart home center to connect compatible smart home devices to your network with Amazon’s Alexa. All Eero 6 devices can also act as a thread limit router to support Matter certified devices when a file The new smart home interoperability standard Reach Later this year.
While Threads can operate on today’s Eero Thread network, Weaver says the Eeros won’t be able to integrate with other Thread Border routers — such as Apple’s HomePod Mini speakers or Nanoleaf shape lighting panels — into a single threaded network until Matter arrives.
We’re currently testing the new Eero Pro 6E, so look for a full review soon.
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