Amazon's Eero 6 mesh routers refreshed with Wi-Fi 6 support

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited September 2020
Amazon has unveiled new versions of its Eero router hardware with support for Wi-Fi 6 and Zigbee home automation -- but support for HomeKit Router features remains unclear

Credit: Amazon
Credit: Amazon


The new products include the Eero 6 and the Eero Pro 6 mesh Wi-Fi routers, as well as new Eero 6 Wi-Fi extenders. All devices support the Wi-Fi 6 standard, bringing faster speeds and support for more simultaneous connections.

Eero's new routers feature a slightly different design than predecessors, but remain backwards compatible with the company's past networking gear.

The Eero Pro 6 is also a tri-band router, offering two 5GHz bands and a single band for technology that connects via 2.4GHz. The standard Eero 6 offers one of each of the two bands.

Both the Eero 6 and Eero Pro 6 feature two Ethernet ports and a USB-C port, while the Eero 6 extenders only contain a single USB-C port.

Back in February, some Eero router hardware received an update to provide HomeKit compatibility. At the time, it was the first mesh router system to support the Apple smart home platform but it isn't clear yet if the Eero 6 will be HomeKit routers. Apple also sells several Eero products directly on its online storefront.

Apple's iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro devices, as well as new models of the iPad Pro, all support Wi-Fi 6. As of writing, no Macs include support for the faster connectivity standard.

The Eero 6 system starts at $129.99, while Eero Pro 6 starts at $229.99. The Eero 6 extended retails for $89.99 each. All three devices are available to preorder from Amazon starting today, and will ship on Nov. 2.

Update September 24 3:56 P.M. - removed explicit HomeKit support reference after conflicting information provided by Amazon

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,573member
    If it works as a Zigbee hub, does that mean it could replace my Hue Bridge? I'm still having reliability issues with my Hue Bridge even when I change its Zigbee channels.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 4
    Steve HumistonSteve Humiston Posts: 18unconfirmed, member
    Yes, you will still need a bridge, I have over 100 bulbs and 3 bridges without any issues, also have lots of third party things too (like lutron dimmer switches)

    eero support is horrid, always scripted responses by people who know how to restart wireless devices and that's it. I have over 100 smart devices in my home and in the last few months i get lots of broadcast storms and they can't really help. I did have a cisco ccnp come over and he says the main eero is over loaded but eero denies it. Always saying things like, well you need to remove your managed switch or managed firewall and let eero control. First, I did remove the managed switch and it got worse. I can't let the eero control dhcp because i use a lot reservations to organize the network. It used to only do the storm on reboots with lots of arp traffic asking who has the gateway.. now they happen all the time with them all asking who has this IP.. it's crazy I can't get decent help from them except remove enterprise equipment (that means you shouldn't use these at work)... which just means I do have to cable my house and go to ubiquiti.. it'll make a better mesh.

    what eero does well is blanketing short distances with very good wifi.. when you have lots of zigbee 2.4ghz traffic due to hue lights, that's good! 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 4
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,884member
    I would be shocked if the new generation drops HomeKit support, which they just added. What it does is allow you to wall off your HK IoT devices so they can't talk to other devices or dial outside the home (or limit it to the manufacturer's domain).
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 4
    InspiredCodeInspiredCode Posts: 403member
    I would be shocked if the new generation drops HomeKit support, which they just added. What it does is allow you to wall off your HK IoT devices so they can't talk to other devices or dial outside the home (or limit it to the manufacturer's domain).
    I would be too. Particularly since Apple would probably stop selling it. EERO said twice on Twitter that HomeKit Secure Router would be supported, but it sounds like it might not be quite ready at launch.  Maybe Apple needs to certify the new hardware?
    edited September 2020 watto_cobra
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