Wi-Fi 7 has its advantages, certain, however at $600 per unit, which every overlaying over 200m², you continue to should be completely certain the spectacular Amazon Eero Max 7 is the router for you. It is a mesh system, too, so likelihood is you may need two or three to dot round your nation property, and the associated fee quickly mounts up. Add to that the month-to-month charge for the form of multi-gig fibre connection you may wish to profit from all this wi-fi surprise, and networking can all of a sudden be as costly as some other a part of PC gaming.
Mesh methods work by having a couple of router, or node, scattered round your property. All of them broadcast the identical SSIDs, and talk with each other over Ethernet, if your own home is wired for it, or utilizing a high-capacity wi-fi community separate from the same old ones you may use for streaming and that Wi-Fi kettle you got on a whim. That may actually be extra handy so long as you get a superb connection. Inserting mesh nodes, nevertheless, particularly if you happen to’re making an attempt to remove Wi-Fi lifeless spots brought on by quirks of structure or distance, is an artform in itself.
The factor in regards to the Eero Max 7, although, is that one might be sufficient. There’s undoubtedly a case for mesh if you happen to’re connecting an workplace atmosphere, a home break up over a number of flooring, a thick-walled basement or a farm, however Wi-Fi 7 itself, with its additional pace and talent to chop via interference, is fairly good by itself. That stated, although, put it in a mesh system and you have just about acquired one thing that may make itself heard anyplace.
The Eero Max 7 node comes as a easy and glossy white rectangle that would not be misplaced as an Ikea wall gentle or Apple product from the time of the Anglepoise iMac. The Eero emblem is picked out in silver, with a single colored LED to inform you the router’s standing, and it is a minimal, elegant design you will not thoughts having on show.
Max 7 specs
Wi-fi normal: Wi-Fi 7
Max speeds: 574Mbps (2.4GHz) 8,677Mbps (5GHz) 11,529Mbps (6GHz)
Ethernet ports: 2x 2.5Gb, 2x 10Gb
WAN: Any Ethernet port
Processor: Quad-core A73
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 4GB
Bluetooth: BLE 5
USB: None
Dimensions: 184 x 222 x 90mm
Weight: 1.45kg
Value: $600 | £600
There aren’t any seen antennas or a number of blinking lights, it simply sits there being utterly silent and unobtrusive—which is what you need if you happen to’re planning on dotting a number of of them round your monumental property. It’s form of massive although, which is one thing Wi-Fi 7 routers all appear to have in frequent. If area is a priority Eero has a lot smaller Wi-Fi 6 mesh nodes obtainable.
The again is extra fascinating, though there’s nonetheless plenty of easy white plastic on present with cooling vents on the prime and backside. It is the place the Ethernet ports are and Ethernet ports are fascinating, dammit, particularly once they’re as quick as these. Eero has gone for some particular future-proofing right here (although with Wi-Fi 7 we surprise what number of cables these sockets will really see, past the one which hooks as much as the web in residence use) with a pair of two.5Gb ports subsequent to 2 extra 10Gb connections. That is plenty of networkingness, and you will want to verify any cables and hubs you are utilizing are rated for a similar speeds to get probably the most out of it.
However you do not purchase a Wi-Fi 7 router simply to make use of Ethernet cables, and the Wi-Fi choices listed below are complete. Setup is easy, however assumes you are tech savvy sufficient to seek out and obtain the telephone app your self—there is not any printed information within the field or QR code on the node itself.
As soon as you have acquired it connected there aren’t plenty of fine-grained controls on provide, which is usually effective as you possibly can simply depart it to get on with the job of working itself and transferring your knowledge. The Max 7 comes with a trial subscription to the Eero Plus safety bundle, which provides a VPN, MalwareBytes safety, content material filters, advert blocking and enhanced assist to the bundle. It prices $100 a yr, although, and offers many issues you would do your self. Nonetheless, with the Eero’s dedication to simplicity and its hands-off method to router administration, I can see it being widespread.
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Wi-fi speeds are, after all, promised to be spectacular. The Max 7 can theoretically deal with as much as 574 Mbps on the two.4 GHz band, as much as 8,677 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, and as much as 11,529 Mbps on the 6 GHz band. That is a grand whole of simply over 20,000 Mbps if you happen to take your footwear and socks off and add all of them collectively. Although it is clearly one thing you may by no means obtain in actuality, it is nonetheless a beautiful large quantity.
This, after all, assumes excellent situations and no inconvenient partitions, however whereas even the two.4GHz band, which is often the longer-ranged of the trio because of the way in which it penetrates stable objects higher, can outpace the common web connection it does not provide the identical (claimed) excessive speeds because the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S.
In our testing, which entails transferring a gig of knowledge at various distances over the Wi-Fi and understanding the switch charge utilizing our fingers and toes, the Eero Max 7 put up a superb battle, giving a median switch charge over Wi-Fi 7 of round 570 Mbits/s whether or not it was in the identical room or had a ground and some partitions in the way in which. This charge wandered, nevertheless, being as excessive as 624 Mbits in a single check and as little as 499 Mbits in one other. Its quickest charge was decrease than that of the Netgear RS700S, however its slowest charge was higher. It is the networking equal of a rating draw.
Such is its dedication to simplicity that the Max 7 combines all its SSIDs into one, and does not help you separate them, counting on the gadgets to barter the perfect connection they’ll. There is a visitor community, nevertheless, so you possibly can hive some customers off that means.
There’s nothing else on the Max 7 past a USB-C energy connection and a WPS button, however what’s noticeable by its absence is the in any other case ubiquitous USB port, which lets you arrange easy file sharing via a flash drive (or USB exhausting drive for a multi-device backup answer), or share a USB printer, simply by plugging it in. It is a function that in all probability does not get plenty of use, particularly as community storage and Wi-Fi printers are actually commonplace, however having had USB ports on routers because the days earlier than Wi-Fi 4, it appears improper to not see one.
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Purchase if…
✅ You want a easy setup: The Eero does not fiddle with little-used extras, akin to USB ports or segregating which model of Wi-Fi protocol you are working on, all within the identify of simplicity.
✅ Mesh excites you: If you wish to unfold the web love round your property, and you have got plenty of property to unfold it round, the Max 7 is a superb selection.
Do not buy if…
❌ You wish to lower your expenses: That is some huge cash to spend on a router except you are very critical about networking.
❌ You do not want this a lot community tech: Except you have acquired a gigabit connection you are arguably not going to get probably the most out of this costly little bit of package.
Being an Amazon machine—the well-known on-line grocer is Eero’s father or mother firm—there’s plentiful IoT assist within the Max 7. It can pair along with your Echo and incorporates the required radios to manage Zigbee and Matter gadgets, sidestepping the necessity for an additional hub.
The query that arises with these high-speed, high-capacity routers, nevertheless, is simply who’re they for? These sorts of community speeds, particularly over wired connections, are solely actually helpful if you happen to’re transferring plenty of knowledge to and from a server. Maybe in the future after we’re all streaming 8K and have AI edge servers working our properties it’s going to be completely different, however a PC gamer desirous to share a sub-gigabit web connection between their rig, telephone, laptop computer and pill goes to get the identical form of outcomes from a less expensive router, and may get a USB port too.
With its pace, capability, future-proofing and the power so as to add additional nodes if your own home all of a sudden will get larger, the Eero Max 7 is among the greatest Wi-Fi routers it is at the moment attainable to purchase, however you may must pay for the privilege.