Eero Pro 6E review: faster Wi-Fi but flakier performance

If you buy something from a link, it may earn you a commission. Our ethics statement can be found here.

The Eero Pro 6E is the company's latest top-of-the-line mesh wi-fi router and is $299 to $699. The Pro 6E definitely delivers. The previous generation Eero Pro 6 was not as fast as I saw in my tests. Eero has committed to support the coming smart home standard Matter, but he also saw some network drop-offs, which he says is an issue around the Thread implementation. The new 6 GHz band and extra 160MHz channels on the 5 GHz band have increased the speed. Many devices can take advantage of the 160MHz channels, and I saw speed increases on all devices, not just those that could use the new band.

If you have a multi-gigabit connection, you can actually use it, because this is the first Eero to support faster than gigabit speeds. The Eero Pro 6E isn't a pro-level router because it doesn't support wired speeds up to 2.5Gbps and its wireless speeds top out at 1.3Gbps. If you have a multi-gigabit connection, you may want to consider a more powerful router.

The Eero 6 Plus is a new dual-band (without 6 GHz) gigabit system that is cheaper than the previous one. If you are running under 500mbps, the Eero 6 may be more your speed. The Pro 6E has a slim target audience of people who have or might have 6 GHz capable devices in the future.

If you are looking for an advanced plug-and-play setup for gigabit internet service, you won't be disappointed. As with all Eero devices, the Pro 6E offers a super simple setup, an easy-to-use app interface, and useful features like parental controls and historical network data usage.

You won't get pro setup or management options. It's fine for most people, but not for true networking nerds. If you need more, you'll have to use a network switch. Eero's system is cloud-based, which can make it difficult to self-trouble shoot. Privacy implications for the Amazon-owned company are raised by this.

Why we need 6Ghz

Six years ago, Eero launched its first mesh wi-fi system with the promise of fixing home wi-fi. Eero was one of the first consumer mesh routers to offer a simple solution to the problem of home networking. You could make video calls from the comfort of your bed with mesh, instead of having to camp out in front of your modem to get a strong enough signal.

The Eero Pro 6E looks to tackle the next home wi-fi problem; congestion. We have loaded up our networks with gadgets and gizmos in every corner of the house because of the proliferation of smart homes. Most of us have at least one device in our homes that is dependent on the internet. With so many devices competing for coverage, it is easy to make a mesh wi-fi system sweat some megabits, dragging down your network and causing real pain.

The Eero Pro 6E aims to fix this by using the new 6 GHz band. It adds a new band to the existing 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Not to be confused with wi-fi 6 which was more of an upgrade, wi-fi 6E adds a whole new band. Traffic can drive along your network at its top speeds with the 6 GHz band's ability to support 160MHz of bandwidth. Only a few high-end phones and gaming laptops can use 6 GHz yet.

If you're not satisfied with the speeds you're getting with your current device, you can upgrade to a 6E routers. The Eero Pro 6E supports 160MHz wide channels on both the 5 and 6 GHz bands, which helps reduce congestion on your network and significantly improves speeds.

The Pro 6E is slightly more affordable than other tri- or quad-band 6E mesh routers, starting at $299 for a single routers to cover up to 2,000 square feet, and going up to $699 for a three-pack. The Orbi quad-band is an eye-watering $1,500 for a three-pack, and the ZenWifi Pro is $530 for two. TP-Link jumped into the lower end market last month with a $300 option.

Eero Pro 6E: Specs and design

The Eero Pro 6E has the same small attractive design as the Pro 6. This is a big selling point of Eeros, as they are easy to fit into your home without having to hide them in a cupboard. I like the lack of a dead black spider aesthetic, but I still like the design of the internet.

• AX5400 Wi-Fi 6E Tri-band concurrent 2:2:2 (802.11ax) with support for 160MHz channels in 5GHz and 6GHz
• 2.4GHz: 2x2 (600Mbps)
• 5GHz: 2x2 (2400Mbps)
• 6GHz: 2x2 (2400Mbps)
• 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB flash storage
• One auto-sensing 2.5 GbE port
• One auto-sensing 1.0 GbE port
• 802.15.4 radio (Zigbee, Thread)
• Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0
• Security and network services: WPA3 WPA2, TLS v1.2+, VPN passthrough, IPv6, NAT, UPnP, port forwarding, DHCP, static IP, and cloud connectivity
• Dimensions: 5.50 x 5.50 x 2.20 inches

The Pro 6E has a few key upgrades over the Pro 6, including the addition of a 6 GHz channel and support for 2.5Gbps wired and 1.3Gbps wireless. The Pro 6E is rated as an AX5400 system, which is not as high as the other 6E routers on the market, which might have quad-band systems (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) or more advanced antenna array. The rating doesn't indicate what speeds you'll actually see when you use it, but it does show the features and theoretical maximums of the wireless speeds.

The Pro 6 supports over 100 devices at the same time. The Pro 6E has a 2.5GbE and a 1.0GbE port to support multi-Gig internet, whereas the Pro 6 has two 1.0 GbE ports. The power comes from a wall accessory. Since the 6E doesn't have two 2.5GbE ports, the speeds that it can send to your wired devices are capped at a gigabit.

Unlike the Pro 6 before it, the Pro 6E doesn't have a dedicated backhaul channel. Eero's software chooses which band to use at any given time. The Pro 6E Eeros can connect the nodes to the internet at 1Gbps.

The Pro 6E is a smart home hub that can act as a Thread border router, and you can turn this on or off. It can connect your lights, locks, and sensors to your network with the help of Amazon.

You can use this integration to turn off the internet to individual devices, set up routines to manage multiple actions, and use voice control to manage your network. This feature is easy to use. The first time I tried to pause the internet to my daughter's iPad, I was told it wasn't set up for wi-fi control. Do you want me to set it up for you and then stop the internet? You need to use the app to unpause the internet. HomeKit is not supported on the Pro 6E.

Eero Pro 6E: Performance and speed

The Eero Pro 6E download speeds were six times faster than my previous setup. I tested the Eeros with a three-pack, even though my home is much smaller than the set is claimed to cover.

A 2,400-square-foot home was the test environment for this review. There are three stories with brick walls. As a smart home reviewer, I have a large number of devices on my network, which average around 105 at any one time. There are three computers, two smart TVs, multiple smart displays, and several gadgets, which are always connected but not always consuming data.

I have a 1.2-gigabit cable internet connection and an X1 modem with upload speeds of 35Mbps. I conducted speed tests with a MacBook and an Apple device. The three devices all had speed bumps. Despite the Apple devices not being able to take advantage of the 6 GHz band or the 160 MHz channels, the average speed of the Pixel 6 went from 172Mbps to 713Mbps and the average speed of the iPhone 13 went from 233Mbps to 233Mbps. At each of my four testing locations, the Pixel 6 was faster than the iPhone.

The most significant difference was when testing the furthest point from the router; the Pixel 6 saw over six times the speed compared to testing on the Pro 6. The Eero Pro 6 will give a greater boost to 6 GHz and 160 MHz capable devices, but all devices should benefit.

It's not possible to wire the Pro 6E directly in my home, so I tested it with a wireless back up. This results in a significant drop in speeds. When my Macbook was wired into the main mode, I got half the speeds when I was next to a gateway.

Concerns about how the data they collect is protected are brought about by bringing connected devices into your home. The company whose smart home products we review has safeguards in place to protect the data it collects.

The Eero Pro 6E is a cloud-based system. Data from your network is used to operate, maintain and improve it. Privacy and the amount of personal data needed to operate its devices are prioritized by Eero.

Data Eero gathers your network status, devices that are connected to your Eeros, signal strength, and data usage. Eero uses limited personal information to improve the products. Eero uses account setup information to provide customer support. It collects and uses data to improve its devices and network performance.

The company says it has no plans to make it possible to track where you go on the internet. The devices don't collect the content of your network traffic.

Customer data is stored using industry-standard security techniques.

You should be able to walk through your house with a device and keep the same connection as if it were a switch. In testing, I was able to conduct a call on my laptop in every corner of the house, even when I moved from room to room. I got some signal degradation with the MacBook, as it hung on to one node too long.

It doesn't matter how fast your internet connection is if it isn't working. The Eero Pro 6Es struggled with connection drops that would sometimes last a few seconds and other times result in having to restart the system.

Eero identified an issue with the Thread implementation during my two-month testing period. The devices were restarting because of a memory leak. It wasn't clear if this was related to a Thread device on my network or not, but I did see similar reports of dropouts in some user reviews. Eero released a software update this week to address the issue after turning off the Thread radio in the app. My network dropped briefly and reconnected three times in five days, which is three times more than I would like to have seen, since the update and Thread radio turned on.

When the internet went down, I only had to restart my devices because Eero's network management is all cloud-based. An option in the app that helps you diagnose network issues requires an internet connection. In my testing, this wasn't helpful because I have very spotty cellular service in my home.

There are six options that cover common issues, such as slow internet, offline, and red light on the Eero. The Health Check page scans the network for issues. Doing this gave me a direct line to call Eero support, but it didn't resolve any problems for me.

Eero Pro 6E: Set up and features

If you upgrade an existing Eero device, getting set up with an Eero network is very easy. It requires a phone with an internet connection.

Once set up, you use the Eero app to manage connected devices, add a guest network, and get notifications when a new device joins your network, which is useful if you have a data cap.

You can see all the devices connected to your network with the app. It tries to give them identifiable names, such as iPhone, and is successful about 80 percent of the time. It struggled with Amazon devices. You have to manually assign a device type, such as laptop, phone, game console, digital assistant, or oven, when the app pulls in the name. If you have an up-to-date smart home, you might have to use a substitute type for some devices, such as a connected kitchen faucet.

You can assign devices to profiles, which will allow you to group them into functions or family members, as well as see the type of network activity and pause or resume wi-fi to specific devices. There is a suggested Bedtime one that you can set up to automatically shut off and re-enable wi-fi at set times. If you want actual parental controls, there is no fee for this feature.

My devices were grouped into categories such as gaming and appliances. I can easily see how much data my dishwasher has been using by using this method.

Unlike with more advanced management, you can't separate out the three networks on Eero's routers. This can cause problems for smart home users when trying to connect devices that only work on 2.4 GHz. If you are trying to connect a 2.4 GHz device, Eero has a feature that will let you turn off the 5 GHz network temporarily.

There is an option to maximize bandwidth for gaming and conferencing in the Eero, which would let you prioritize bandwidth to your work computer. There is also support for WPA3 in the Beta section.

There are a number of free features on other routers that Eero puts behind its Eero Secure paywall. Content filters, ad blocking, access to historical network data usage, and parental controls are included. There are age-specific content filters in those controls. From blocking social media and messaging apps to shopping and streaming alongside mature websites, it's a helpful selection. As your child gets older, you can let them explore more of the internet if you choose which are on and which are off. A list of popular apps in all categories makes it easy to block them in your profile.

Eero Secure Plus adds PureVPN, 1Password, and DDNS remote network access and threat blocking. The weekly report shows you which devices it blocked threats on and what type they were.

Eero Pro 6E: Should you buy it?

The Eero Pro 6E is an excellent mesh system that continues Eero's reputation of being a simple, easy-to-use consumer routers. If you don't have any 6E devices, or plan to upgrade your phone or laptop for a couple of years, there is no reason to upgrade to this router.

If you're looking for a new mesh system, it might be a good idea to use a 6E routers. By that time, 6 GHz devices will be more widespread and you will have faster home internet than you currently have.

Going beyond what the Pro 6E can offer requires both spending more money and being willing to deal with a heavier management overhead. The Eero is the only consumer-level routers that offers more management and control options, but they aren't as easy to set up and maintain. It's not ideal for someone looking for a plug-and-play option if your network admin brother-in-law swears by Ubiquiti equipment.

Eero has been able to carve out a niche for itself for those looking for easy-to-use, reliable wi-fi coverage in every corner of their home and are willing to pay a premium for it. The Eero Pro 6E isn't perfect, but it continues to fulfill the ideal for the next generation of wi-fi.

The photos were taken by Tuohy.

Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it. It is impossible for us to read and analyze all of these agreements. We started counting how many times you have to agree to use devices when we review them.

The company's mobile app is required to set up the Eero Pro 6E system. To use the app, you must create an Eero account or use your Amazon account.

• Eero’s Terms of Service
• Eero’s Privacy Policy

You need to agree to a separate privacy policy for Eero's Secure service.

It is possible to link Eero to Amazon's smart home features, but only if you agree to the privacy policy.

There are two mandatory agreements and up to two optional agreements.