Hardware Review Eero 2nd Generation Review: Now Twice As Powerful! On Top Of The Connectivity Revolution (1 Viewer)

[ManW_TheUncool]

What the heck will you be doing w/ 2Gb service from ISP, LOL? Host HTF from your own maxed-out MBP (probably need more than just 1, LOL) at home *plus* run your own streaming multiplex offering daily simultaneous screenings of a dozen well curated films from your own batch of NAS?

_Man_

 

[Ronald Epstein]

What the heck will you be doing w/ 2Gb service from ISP, LOL? Host HTF from your own maxed-out MBP (probably need more than just 1, LOL) at home *plus* run your own streaming multiplex offering daily simultaneous screenings of a dozen well curated films from your own batch of NAS?

_Man_

Wow. Lots of great ideas there. Let me get working on these...

 

[Clinton McClure]

What the heck will you be doing w/ 2Gb service from ISP, LOL? Host HTF from your own maxed-out MBP (probably need more than just 1, LOL) at home *plus* run your own streaming multiplex offering daily simultaneous screenings of a dozen well curated films from your own batch of NAS?

_Man_

Get the new owners on the horn. I think we’ve figured out how to solve the lag issue we’ve been seeing.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I expect that bandwidth is most useful to a multi-generational family home with WFH adults.

Yeah, even then - at one point in the pandemic we had four adults in a single home all doing WFH at the same time, two of those users doing HD and 4K quality video on remote editing systems, teleconferencing, plus HD/4K streaming for entertainment for the kids, and we never came close to maxing out the 500mpbs plan we had.

 

[DaveF]

Yeah, even then - at one point in the pandemic we had four adults in a single home all doing WFH at the same time, two of those users doing HD and 4K quality video on remote editing systems, teleconferencing, plus HD/4K streaming for entertainment for the kids, and we never came close to maxing out the 500mpbs plan we had.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

My ISP (Sparklight) keeps sending me emails about upgrading from 600 M to 1 G for only another $15/month. Presently I'm paying $65. My gear will handle that but I see no reason to upgrade. My modem and router are in my office which is in the far corner of my house. My primary desktop and OOMA box are connected via wired ethernet.

I bought a TP-Link AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 router in 2022 for $122. Present price down to $86 at Amazon. I can take one of my laptops, with internal Wi-Fi 5 module, anywhere in the house and get at least 200 M down. No mesh required. I did notice a slight improvement when I replaced my older Wi-Fi 5 router with the AX3000, but I don't have any hard numbers for you.

Test result on my primary wired desktop.

Test result from a laptop on Wi-Fi at the extreme far end of the house.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I have settled on the mesh unit I wish to purchase

TP-LINK DECO BE95 (BE3300)

A 3-pack is currently $1,199 on Amazon. Hoping for a price drop for Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

If it drops to $1k, I would consider that to be a great value for the company's most powerful WiFi 7 mesh system. The chances of a $200 drop are slim, but I gotta give those deal holidays a chance.

 

[DaveF]

Let us know how the system works when you upgrade!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

47% off for Prime Day. Would have rather gotten the BE95, but reviews say both are similar. Ordered

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-BE85-AI-Roaming-HomeShield/dp/B0C4W31L4N/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CZVET8E96J2C&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tdwTcV0wV623Cl76WGEVyq_CnWEBynv-mS6R8IChn9j-UBjOHIY9WPAOYU597QnAF10dzZSiwXbRFoPrGMWNv2qCh30b1qn5VUcxcDYup1LEvVh8IKf59NNyTZjUOAdC37k7TXM6nAqJQV42055NV8KAOknimSGwy5_KDGMHrD9vOJ9tlTTEo909WPrGwVZ56QQZtkiZDn7jvam7hPR_hkKiOWcQwZKoyxLcBtxwZtY.9fqPDCmHv2NdGFXlnTSRG0W0QFyoj8O7LThTNS0ml6Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=tp-link%2Bbe85&qid=1728380406&sprefix=tp-link%2Bbe85%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-1&ufe=INHOUSE_INSTALLMENTS%3AUS_IHI_5M_HARDLINES&th=1

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I will be interested in hearing about your experience with this purchase, Ron.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I will be interested in hearing about your experience with this purchase, Ron.

Honestly, I expect to return it

I have a feeling that I won't get noticeably better wireless speeds than I already get with the Eeros.

This is something all of you warned me about, and as I read more reviews, they confirm those warnings (though some reviews show significant gains).

I walked around my home, did some speed tests in several rooms earlier this morning, and will compare and post them here tomorrow when I switch and connect to the TP-LINK BE85 3-pack.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Honestly, I expect to return it

I have a feeling that I won't get noticeably better wireless speeds than I already get with the Eeros.

This is something all of you warned me about, and as I read more reviews, they confirm those warnings (though some reviews show significant gains).

I walked around my home, did some speed tests in several rooms earlier this morning, and will compare and post them here tomorrow when I switch and connect to the TP-LINK BE85 3-pack.

Good luck!

 

[DaveF]

Interested in what you learn in your testing.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Why I returned my TP-LINK DECO BE85 Mesh System​

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Have a question for all of you who are far better versed in WiFi technology than I am

Take a look at these two photos....


(Click on photo above to enlarge)

Presently, my 2nd generation Eero is sitting near and between 3 Sonos speakers, 2 Homepod Minis and a Nest Video Hub.

I am guessing that this is a horrible spot to situate my Eero node?

The only reason it sits there is that the backhaul ethernet cable is coming in from the wall behind the TV. There is no way I can put that Eero node anywhere else...except...



(Click on photo to enlarge)

If and when I get an Eero Pro or Max 7, I am going to purchase a mount to place it on the wall above and behind the TV. I don't know how much that will improve the situation.

Essentially, my question to my tech friends is how bad is either placement for optimal distribution signal?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Ron,

Placing the router higher should, in theory, help your wifi coverage. Moving it off the outer wall and more towards the center of the house would probably help, too. To accomplish the latter, you could always add an inexpensive ethernet switch to plug your back haul cable into, then run another cable from there to a more central location. That would give you the added benefit of additional ethernet ports in that room for devices (if you have any).

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron,

Placing the router higher should, in theory, help your wifi coverage. Moving it off the outer wall and more towards the center of the house would probably help, too. To accomplish the latter, you could always add an inexpensive ethernet switch to plug your back haul cable into, then run another cable from there to a more central location. That would give you the added benefit of additional ethernet ports in that room for devices (if you have any).

Scott,

This is potentially great advice. I have more questions.

My backhaul cable that I spoke of is buried beneath the ground running from one end of the house to the other.

I believe it runs under 300 feet. The research I did at the time said that signal starts to decrease at 295 feet.

Now, suppose I take that incoming cat 6 cable and plug it into a powered switch then run an extension...

What are my chances of signal deterioration running that extension another, say, 50 feet?

Does the Ethernet switch provide power to boost that signal or is there such a device that acts as a booster?

And getting back to my original question...

How bad is my current location given all the speakers and TV?

 

[DaveF]

That location is basically in the open. It’s fine.

It’s inside a cabinet. It’s not literally surrounded by electronics. It looks like the TV is a couple feet away from it, and the space to the right is wide open.

As Scott said, if you put it up higher, it might work a little better in some cases.

But also, part of the reason you go mesh is to have multiple beacons throughput the home so individual placement quirks don’t matter as much, especially.

 

[DaveF]

Caveat, if the TV is directly in front of the router when you’re watching it, that’s not ideal for that specific case. If that might be a limiter, you can easily test by moving the router off to the side and see if it matters for when you’re watching TV.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Wonder if this will work

Amazon.com