Thoughts on the Eero 7 Max (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

UPDATED THOUGHTS HERE

Many of you who have been following my numerous posts over the years are aware that I am constantly striving to achieve perfect Wi-Fi throughout my entire home.

With a Verizon Fios 1GB incoming connection, I’ve been searching for a mesh system that can deliver WiFi speeds as close to my incoming speed as possible.

Late last year, I purchased the TP-LINK Deco BE85 (3-pack) in anticipation of achieving my goal. However, it turned out to be a poor device that failed to maintain a connection. Consequently, I returned it to the store the following day.

Eager to achieve the ultimate WiFi experience, I visited Best Buy today and purchased the expensive Eero 7 Max 3-pack. This upgrade replaces my current 2nd-generation Eero system with four nodes, which I’ve had in place since 2017. While it has provided a reliable connection, the WiFi speeds have fallen short of my expectations.

My decision to opt for the Eero Max instead of the newly released Eero Pro 3-pack is rooted in the belief that the former boasts superior radios, which should translate into more effective coverage, even through solid walls.

Now, with the 3-pack in place, I still find myself mostly disappointed and at odds about what to do next.

Using my iPhone 16 Pro with WiFi 7, I noticed an increase in speed, but it was only moderate. In all locations, I gained only 100mb.

Some Examples (Download/Upload):

Next to gateway/backhaul Node: 378/169 -> 438/160

10 feet from gateway/backhaul Node: 253/101 -> 430/116

Further from Node: 332/118 -> 334/148

Max 7 Node completely wireless furthest end of home: 220/81.4 -> 270/76.7


When I tested on WiFi 6 devices, there was no increase in speeds over the prior 2nd generation Eero

This is disappointing, especially after seeing dozens of YouTube videos from users with a 1GB incoming connection being able to achieve download speeds above 800mbps.

The Eero costs a lot of money. Improvements were marginal and certainly nowhere near the gig speed I was hoping it could achieve.

On the one hand this purchase seems like a complete waste of money. On the other hand, I am future-proofed for the next few years with one of the most powerful units on the market. The connection has been solid, all my Nest devices immediately connected, and I am getting marginally better speeds than I did before. Quite frankly, for a mesh system, I don't think it will get better than this.

I will play with it more over the weekend and then decide if it's going back to Best Buy.




UPDATED THOUGHTS HERE

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[Ronald Epstein]

Note: The Feedback I am getting on the Eero user forums is that it can take 48-72 hours for the mesh unit to adjust automatically to its new environment and change its channels for maximum efficiency.

In other words, I may be having a knee reaction to results that take time to improve. I will continue to report back.

 

[DaveF]

What’s your speed over Ethernet? Just to make sure you're not actually limited by the speed test system in the moment?

 

[DaveF]

But also, wasn’t your prior system WiFi 6? I didn’t think anyone expected to see appreciable improvements for a home user upgrading from wifi 6 to wifi 7.

 

[John Dirk]

Ron,

Looking at these results, I can say with near certainty, your problem lies with either configuration/placement, or more likely, the environment. Even the best systems cannot overcome certain physical challenges.

I think what you really need at this point is a heatmap. This is a tool I found for creating one. I haven't personally used it but, hopefully, the free version will be all you need. A good heatmap will show you where your issues are and allow for optimal node placement, or you might even be able to rearrange some things such as furniture or interfering appliances. Without this, you're sort of flying blind.

I also couldn't help but notice the extreme asymmetry in your up vs down speeds. This is not the fault of the Eero, but more likely, the incoming FIOS connection. Is AT&T or Google Wifi available in your area?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

What’s your speed over Ethernet? Just to make sure you're not actually limited by the speed test system in the moment?

But also, wasn’t your prior system WiFi 6? I didn’t think anyone expected to see appreciable improvements for a home user upgrading from wifi 6 to wifi 7.

No. The prior system was WiFi 5. It was the standard in 2017 when the Eero second-generation system was released.

Ron,

Looking at these results, I can say with near certainty, your problem lies with either configuration/placement, or more likely, the environment. Even the best systems cannot overcome certain physical challenges.

I think what you really need at this point is a heatmap. This is a tool I found for creating one. I haven't personally used it but, hopefully, the free version will be all you need. A good heatmap will show you where your issues are and allow for optimal node placement, or you might even be able to rearrange some things such as furniture or interfering appliances. Without this, you're sort of flying blind.

I also couldn't help but notice the extreme asymmetry in your up vs down speeds. This is not the fault of the Eero, but more likely, the incoming FIOS connection. Is AT&T or Google Wifi available in your area?

I will look at the heat map and see if I can figure out how to use it.

I don't have AT&T nor Google WiFi in my area, and I don't think I would switch as I have discounts in place with Verizon.

Again, I am finding it hard to fathom with the exceptional 1GB speeds coming into my household (see screenshot above) and two Eeros connected via backhaul (and getting wired speeds of 1GB from each node), that the WiFi output is so bad. I can take a wireless reading a few inches from the Eero satellite with the phone touching it and I can't break 500 Mbps.

 

[John Dirk]

I will look at the heat map and see if I can figure out how to use it.

I don't have AT&T nor Google WiFi in my area, and I don't think I would switch as I have discounts in place with Verizon.

Again, I am finding it hard to fathom with the exceptional 1GB speeds coming into my household (see screenshot above) and two Eeros connected via backhaul (and getting wired speeds of 1GB from each node), that the WiFi output is so bad. I can take a wireless reading a few inches from the Eero satellite with the phone touching it and I can't break 500 Mbps.

Ignore what I said about AT&T & Google, as your wired speeds do appear fairly symmetrical.

Sorry if this has already been covered in previous comments, but are the nodes connected via Ethernet or wireless backhaul?
I know it's frustrating but even WiFi 5 should have delivered better speeds than what you're reporting. Once we get the environmental issues worked out, I'm confident you'll have the optimal performance you seek and it will have been worth the effort.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ignore what I said about AT&T & Google, as your wired speeds do appear fairly symmetrical.

Sorry if this has already been covered in previous comments, but are the nodes connected via Ethernet or wireless backhaul?
I know it's frustrating but even WiFi 5 should have delivered better speeds than what you're reporting. Once we get the environmental issues worked out, I'm confident you'll have the optimal performance you seek and it will have been worth the effort.

I'll repeat any information as many times as you need it. I appreciate the help from you and Dave.

Two of the three nodes are connected via Ethernet backhaul. The Eero app is in bridge mode for that reason.

Going to look at the WiFi heat map and see if I can figure that out.

 

[John Dirk]

I'll repeat any information as many times as you need it. I appreciate the help from you and Dave.

Two of the three nodes are connected via Ethernet backhaul. The Eero app is in bridge mode for that reason.

Going to look at the WiFi heat map and see if I can figure that out.

Are you able to run a temporary wired connection to the 3rd node for test purposes?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Are you able to run a temporary wired connection to the 3rd node for test purposes?

Unfortunately, No. There is no run to the basement where my Home Theater is located. It's all wireless with the third Eero node.

The heat map, I believe, will not work in free mode. It only analyzes your network, but I don't believe it allows you to draw a map.

 

[DaveF]

Turn off all beacons except the main router with direct connection to your fios. Then test locally.

You want to eliminate confounding factors. Based on that, add a second wired beacon, and test it. But make sure your iPhone is connected to the new beacon. And so on.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Turn off all beacons except the main router with direct connection to your fios. Then test locally.

You want to eliminate confounding factors. Based on that, add a second wired beacon, and test it. But make sure your iPhone is connected to the new beacon. And so on.

Tried that with Eero support within the past two hours and even with one node (the Gateway) active, speeds were not improved.

Had multiple calls with Eero support who have been great and I believe we have come to a resolution as to what my issue is with these Eeros not providing maximum WiFi speed coverage.

Eero support was able to see my network. They could immediately see a lot of signal noise in all the rooms where my Eero nodes are placed.

This makes sense. In every room, there are computer screens, TVs, Sonos and HomePod speakers and smart video hubs. It's unavoidable.

I can't place the Eeros anywhere else as the incoming Ethernet lines are in those rooms. To extend them to place the device in another room would mean running extension Ethernet and drilling holes through walls. And, perhaps you can relate, but every room in my home essentially has speakers and televisions in them.

I was also reminded that I have between 40-50 devices connected to my network. That eats into bandwidth.

All of you know I was complaining about WiFi speeds with my former 2nd Generation Eero units. It was the same issue that is now affecting my Eero 7 Max.

I'm still probably going to keep the Eero 7 Max. I am seeing improvements of 100Mbps in all areas. It's also a future-proofed device if and when I move to another home in the next few years.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Ron,

Does the Eero management app have any type of network optimization function for the wireless network? Such a function would analyze your environment and attempt to switch to unused wifi channels to reduce interference. The Deco app has such a feature, but the Netgear Nighthawk app for the router I just installed at our SC condo does not (at least, I haven't found it yet) .

 

[John Dirk]

Eero support was able to see my network. They could immediately see a lot of signal noise in all the rooms where my Eero nodes are placed.

While it might be a purely academic pursuit, you could systematically power off potential interfering devices, conducting speed tests as you go, until things improve. It is possible a single device [due to frequency interference or placement] is causing the bulk of the degradation. I'm the curious type and would simply have to know, even if I wasn't planning address it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

While it might be a purely academic pursuit, you could systematically power off potential interfering devices, conducting speed tests as you go, until things improve. It is possible a single device [due to frequency interference or placement] is causing the bulk of the degradation. I'm the curious type and would simply have to know, even if I wasn't planning address it.

Yeah, wow, that’s a great idea in theory.

I would have to unplug every device in that room from Sonos speakers to cordless phone to perhaps even a printer.

That would be a project. However, I do have my Sunday free so perhaps I will do it.

I measured the WiFi signal in the room with the backhauled Eero and its showing 84% signal and 14% noise. Don’t know what that means, but that is what it is reporting.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron,

Does the Eero management app have any type of network optimization function for the wireless network? Such a function would analyze your environment and attempt to switch to unused wifi channels to reduce interference. The Deco app has such a feature, but the Netgear Nighthawk app for the router I just installed at our SC condo does not (at least, I haven't found it yet) .

Hi Scott!

No, it does not. What Eero does and has been recommending is to let the mesh system sit for a few days to a week.

The system has some sort of proprietary feature where it adjusts and optimizes its signal according to the environment. There are people on Reddit who told me that in a few days I could see an improvement.

However, I am not expecting a huge improvement. I think the problem is that I have too many electronic devices surrounding these Eeros. That, coupled with 6 Nest cameras and 40 other connected devices I am eating a lot of bandwidth. However, the problem could be something else entirely.

The one thing I have found through hours of reading Reddit posts from Eero users is that I am not alone. There are many owners who have 1GB incoming Internet an are only getting 300-400Mbps wireless.

And, a final note, it was the same issue with the TP-LINK Deco I owned for 5 minutes. When I had that turned on, I wasn’t exceeding 400Mbps either with the same type of connection.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Ron,

I have been playing with the Netgear Nighthawk router I just installed today, changing settings to see if I can optimize the WiFi network at our SC condo. Bare with me if these things do not apply to Eero, but I've found a few things with Netgear that needed changed that I didn't have to do with Deco at our Michigan home.

I was getting an Internet speed of 495Mbps from the Nighthawk router, but was getting no more than 150Mbps from wifi devices. I poked around in the wireless settings, and found that when I enabled OFDMA in the wireless settings, my wifi all of a sudden went to 350Mbps doing a speed test. That's something I did not need to do on my Deco (it's not even an optional setting). I also enabled Quality of Service (QoS), but that didn't seem to do anything (it actually hurt my performance on my Deco).

What is OFDMA: Your Ultimate Guide

OFDMA orthogonal frequency-division multiple access in Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 enabling access points to serve multiple clients simultaneously improving wireless performance.

www.ruckusnetworks.com

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Ron,

I have been playing with the Netgear Nighthawk router I just installed today, changing settings to see if I can optimize the WiFi network at our SC condo. Bare with me if these things do not apply to Eero, but I've found a few things with Netgear that needed changed that I didn't have to do with Deco at our Michigan home.

I was getting an Internet speed of 495Mbps from the Nighthawk router, but was getting no more than 150Mbps from wifi devices. I poked around in the wireless settings, and found that when I enabled OFDMA in the wireless settings, my wifi all of a sudden went to 350Mbps doing a speed test. That's something I did not need to do on my Deco (it's not even an optional setting). I also enabled Quality of Service (QoS), but that didn't seem to do anything (it actually hurt my performance on my Deco).

What is OFDMA: Your Ultimate Guide

OFDMA orthogonal frequency-division multiple access in Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 enabling access points to serve multiple clients simultaneously improving wireless performance.

www.ruckusnetworks.com

That's amazing with the tinkering you did that you were able to more than double your WiFi speed. Kudos on that.

The tinkering you are doing is within your router's settings.

That kind of tinkering doesn't happen with Eero. As I explained above, they have some sort of proprietary software that automatically optimizes the signal after a few days/week.

And my Verizon Fios router, which the Gatewary Eero is attached to, it basically turned off wirelessly so that none of its signals interfere.

 

[John Dirk]

Happy Tuesday, Ron!

Any diagnostic updates? Your situation is really intriguing. If I lived closer I'd probably be knocking on your door.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

That's amazing with the tinkering you did that you were able to more than double your WiFi speed. Kudos on that.

The tinkering you are doing is within your router's settings.

That kind of tinkering doesn't happen with Eero. As I explained above, they have some sort of proprietary software that automatically optimizes the signal after a few days/week.

And my Verizon Fios router, which the Gatewary Eero is attached to, it basically turned off wirelessly so that none of its signals interfere.

Well, I ended up sending the Netgear router back to Amazon. I started experiencing several "network hangs" that forced me to reboot the router, and I was not getting very good throughput with WiFi 5 devices, although WiFi 6 devices were working fine.

I may try a comparable router from Asus to see how that works.