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I keep an eye out for reviews on wifi mesh systems since I've been looking for an excuse to upgrade for like three years now! :laugh:

@Ronald Epstein I think you'll find Ars' latest mesh review informative. It basically makes the case that it's still too early to upgrade to WiFi 6 systems. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/mesh-muscle-we-go-hands-on-with-plumes-new-wi-fi-6-superpod-redesign/

More on WiFi 6E and why maybe we still don’t care Wi-Fi 6E routers are here, and we're not ready for them - CNET https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/wi-fi-6e-routers-are-here-and-were-not-ready-for-them/

I think you know all this, and maybe you just hate the Eero as a router per se for some unknown reason. But if not, I do exactly this: FIOS Ethernet->My router->my switch->my home network...

Why would you need a new router? You have an Eero. Connect your switch to that, just like you’ve connected it to your current router. Done. It may not be worth the effort to you. I did it to (1) have control over my network and (2) use the router and management software of my choice (Apple’s...

FYI, on the off chance you didn't know and do care: You can get FIOS brought in direct off of ethernet, ditch their modem/router, and use whatever router you want for the house. I did this two years ago. My Apple base station is my router. No FIOS actiontec junk in in the chain. And FIOS tech...

@Sam Posten gotcha. I use WiFi base station as house router, with switches subsequent. If Eero requires that, I think it would fit my approach.

AFAIK the major ISPs don’t care. Verizon FIOS will help you do it.

Why have a router before the Eero, vs use Eero (or Orbi) as router?

That’s helpful to see. I’ve got AEBS router and Airport Express as wired, bridged extender. I routinely get 100-something Mbps wifi and have seen much more in the right conditions. Going Eero (or whatever with WiFi 6), I’d have wired backhaul so should reasonably expect 500+ Mbps throughout the...

Was the initial comparison Orbi (wired backhaul) vs Eero (WiFi backhaul)?

You should check wired LAN speeds to make sure you’re not seeing ISP slowdowns independent of your WiFi

I still want to upgrade at some point. I want a 3-router setup due to the size and shape of my home, and the location of the “home run” where my main router is located. But I get ~100Mbps WiFi pretty normally, so it’s not pressing. I may continue to postpone and let WiFi 6 mature. Maybe mid or...

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-wi-fi-mesh-networking-kits/ Big change in Wirecutter recommendation for mesh kits!

DaveF’s First Law of Computers: The best time to buy is always tomorrow. :)

@Sam Posten Eero 6 Pro three pack for under $500

On sale

You’re an early adopter, these products are all new, and full comparative testing with mature firmware remains to be done. You can get new tech early, based on initial info, or wait a while to get more robust reviews. This is made explicit in the unfortunately buried paragraph deep into CNET’s...

Agreed that the actual best, highest-tech solution is wired ethernet with wifi mesh/AP/extenders connected there. I quibble with the recommendation to "then install cheap Ethernet switches and AP's where needed." from the non-expert side of: When I shopping for mesh in 2019, a new "cheap AP"...

None of these products from major networking hardware makers are terrible, I expect. I'm sure that Amplifi system you want will work well enough. But if you're researching looking for the best product for your needs, Amplifi has not lately far been a top pick by competent reviewers that I've seen.

Again, check out the Wirecutter reviews. Orbi was my wishlist until 2019. Wirecutter responded to recurring complaints about poor and buggy firmware updates and IIRC performance lagging behind competition, and they degraded Orbi in their rankings. Orbi is no longer a top pick last I researched...

Lacking good reviews and comparisons, I’d buy Eero. It’s a red flag to me that Amplifi isn’t reviewed by the experts who do real WiFi testing, but they are sending review units to people who don’t know anything about networking but to say “easy to turn on, works fine with my Android phone”.

If you’re connecting the satellite units to ethernet, you’re using wired backhaul. They won’t be using the radios to relay data back and forth to the primary, wired router. They’re using ethernet to relay info back and forth.

If you’re using wired backhaul, the wifi backhaul radios are much less important. I asked and got some insight from Jim Salter at Ars last year about this. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/12/amazons-inexpensive-eero-mesh-wi-fi-kit-is-shockingly-good/?comments=1&post=38364817

Migh be great. But prior Amplifi performed so poorly, Wirecutter stopped testing them. Best Wi-Fi Mesh-Networking Kits 2020 | Reviews by Wirecutter https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-wi-fi-mesh-networking-kits/

I’ll only buy a mesh system that’s reviewed and recommended by Wirecutter and/or ArsTechmica (which is sometimes Jim Salter writing for both). They’ve done the best networking gear reviews the past few years I’ve seen, accessible to regular people. They cut through the sales puffery and get to...

Yep. iPhone 11, SE, and forward support WiFi 6. The new iPad Air does too.

Last year, I called Verizon and upgraded from 50 to 1000 and cut my monthly cost by 30%. I’d been ratcheting up every two years and new customer pricing for gig was way lower than what I was paying for 5% of that speed. I got a great, senior customer service rep on the phone and she got me a...

Here, just checking, it’s $40/mo for 200 and $80 for 1000. New customer tv and gig for two years can be around $90/mo.

There's a noticeable difference from 50Mbps to 1Gbps. And I have seen multiple times speeds >500Mbps for those big macOS and ios updates. More practically, gig is bascially the same price as 100M, so even if 100M is all a person needs in 2020, might as well get gig (where I'm at). But I agree...