A strong signal: Eero mesh router – power network for everyone?

Poor WiFi in your own four walls is a disaster. Many providers are on the way to solve this problem. One of them is Amazon with its Eero Mesh router. But is the offer of the online mail order company also useful?

There is hardly anything worse than having bad internet in different places within your own four walls. In other words, the bandwidth, which according to the provider is up to 50 megabits per second (Mbits / s), is hanging miserably on the ropes at one end of the apartment. In other words, the stream or even the use of the Playstation is at risk in the children's or youth room. Images jerky, down and uploads become real long-running favorites.

The management of Amazon must have thought this or something similar when it took over the US company Eero a good year ago. The tech company is considered a pioneer of so-called mesh technology. The spans a WLAN network with a uniform SSID (name) via access points that communicate with each other. Ideally, end devices are passed on from one station to another with almost no delay and never lose the connection. Ntv.de has tested how well this works with the Eero Mash WLAN system.

140 square meters covered?

The stations transmit at 2.4 and 5 gigahertz (GHz). The Eero router alone is said to be able to distribute the signal over an area of ​​up to 140 square meters. That sounds good, because the somewhat twisted old building apartment has only 87 square meters and just under 109 euros should be well invested in getting the annoying jerking of the stream out of the picture.

In any case, the installation is child's play. Before you start, download the Eero app and view the scope of delivery. In addition to the router itself, there is a power supply unit for the power supply, which disappears via a USB-C connection in the box and of course in the socket. A connection to the modem is then established via the Ethernet cable also supplied. Don't worry: If the slot is already occupied by another device such as a Sonos box, it can be connected directly to the Eero router. In any case, there are two gigabit ports with automatic detection of the WLAN / LAN network.

If the modem is also temporarily disconnected from the power and the app is loaded, the installation can start. To do this, register an Eero account, connect the router to your smartphone via Bluetooth and simply follow the instructions on the app, observe the LED flashing in different colors on the router and the paint is ready. Sounds easy? It is. Quickly arm the Sonos – this can also be done via the app – and the music can play again.

It gets better with the three-sentence

But now to the most important point. The Playstation is also located where the signal was the thinnest due to the aforementioned angles and the thick masonry. It should now connect to the new network, i.e. the Eero router. In the meantime, it has set up its own network and has been given a name by the user. This is also easy. At the end of the setup, the Playstation will perform a system check. But what is that? The signal is only slightly better than before. That makes the face long and quickly doubt the meaningfulness of the whole.

In fact, where the Eero can shine freely, the signal is much better than before. Where it is hindered, it loses its radiance. It's a good thing that the Eero triple pack started for the ntv.de test. In addition to a main router, there are two others that can amplify the signal at the critical points. Incidentally, the set of three costs an impressive 278 euros, but promises network coverage in an area of ​​up to 460 square meters. This seems really exaggerated for the three-room apartment, but it pays off in the end.

In order to integrate the other Eero radio operators into the network, they are linked to the first router via an app. However, one can confidently consider the recommendations of the app for the best position. In the end, the mash points, each with its own name, must be set up so that the router is placed as centrally as possible, undisguised and freely accessible, with a good distance from large electrical devices. This additional task is also completed in just under ten minutes.

WLAN key via QR code

And now? You actually have an excellent network in the whole apartment. Instead of the 18 Mbit / s previously measured at the critical points, the Eero app now measures 52.71 Mbits / s in the download and 10.16 Mbits / s in the upload. If you want, you can now combine several devices in groups or remove individual components from the Internet.

And something else can be controlled via the app: guest access. This prevents confidential data from the private network from falling into the wrong hands. The owner can send the WiFi key for the guest network by email or generate a QR code, which the guest can then simply scan. If you are now technically savvy, you can also configure NAT, DHCP, DNS, UPnP and the firewall in the app's expert mode. But this is really something for professionals and should be rather uninteresting for private users.

Conclusion: The Eero Mash router as a one-off piece at 109 euros is not a bargain. In addition, as a single part, it is hardly able to provide better WiFi in an angled apartment. Those who choose the three-pack for 278 euros have more success. Since the Eeros are also very attractive in terms of design, you don't have to hide them, but can leave them visible as a fashion accessory for everyone.