When I recently reviewed a security camera from Ring, a brand owned by Amazon, I was impressed by how easy it was to set up. My brother-in-law, who always gets my help with tech stuff, then tells me he just set up an Eero Wi-Fi router, and it was easy. When Amazon’s Eero Pro 7 became available, I had to test it for myself to see if it was as simple to use as all the other devices.
Table of contents
- Why do you need a Wi-Fi 7 router?
- Features
- Specifications and price
- Using the Eero Pro 7
- Who is the Eero Pro 7 for?
Why do you need a Wi-Fi 7 router?
Over the years, the Wi-Fi standard has evolved with new versions becoming available every few years, offering improvements that surpass those of previous versions. Each new version has always been backward compatible. In other words, any phone, PC, or other internet-connected gadget still works, even if it doesn’t have the latest Wi-Fi standard.
At the moment, the latest standard is Wi-Fi 7. To make the most of a Wi-Fi 7 router, you need devices that support Wi-Fi 7. Only the latest phones and PCs support this, so think of it as future-proofing yourself for your next purchases.
Wi-Fi 7 can deliver transfer speeds far beyond what is available through an NBN connection. Its main advantages are its ability to reduce latency (good for gamers and virtual reality) and improve the reliability of the connection, which ultimately improves Wi-Fi coverage. Wi-Fi 7 also supports more devices at the same time. That’s a handy one because, let’s face it, every year we introduce more connected devices into our homes.
Eero Pro 7 features
While using Wi-Fi 7 technology, the Eero Pro 7 functions as a tri-band mesh router that supports up to 560m² coverage when set up as a three-unit system. When connected via Ethernet, an Eero Pro 7 unit supports speeds of up to 4.7Gbps, while reaching 3.9Gbps via wireless.
The Eero is available in either a single pack (up to 190m²) or a three-pack (up to 560m²), suiting anything from a unit to a large house. Any one of the three-pack hubs can be connected to your home’s NBN connection box, which makes installation simpler.
In the box, you will find your router mesh hubs and power supplies, as well as an Ethernet cable. The mesh hubs are identical and have a glossy plastic finish without any protruding antennas. Unless you have a dark-themed house, they don’t look out of place. To work correctly, no router should be hidden away in a cupboard if you don’t want to affect its performance.
Tri-band refers to 2.4GHz (slower speed, longer range), 5GHz, and 6GHz (fastest speed, shortest range) radio frequencies. The 7 Pro enables the combining of channels to give you the best result. Put simply, the latest technology works really well, and the kids are less likely to complain.
The router has only two Ethernet ports, both 5Gbps, and either can be connected to your NBN modem. Some brands force you to use a specific port, complicating the setup process.
Once upon a time, I would have recommended Ethernet for the best connection. Now, assuming you have coverage, Wi-Fi is so good. Almost every device uses Wi-Fi, meaning Ethernet cables are all but obsolete except for a select few devices. If you do need more ports, you can usually find a five-port 1Gbps switch for around $30 online.
The Pro 7 is also a Matter, Thread and Zigbee smart home hub, meaning that your mesh hubs double as extra connection points for controlling internet-connected devices, such as lights and speakers.
Each mesh hub supports up to 200 connected devices, which increases to upwards of 600 devices with three hubs.
The Eero seems to be all about how the average user operates a router, making usage simple and excluding features that most people don’t need. One such exclusion is a USB port; many routers let you directly plug in storage drives to operate as a home media server.
Most routers come with parental controls to limit children’s internet usage. If you want this feature (something many Australians don’t use), you will need to pay $160 per year for Eero+. For this subscription, you also receive VIP support, a VPN, enhanced security to block threats, the ability to use your smartphone’s data in the event of an NBN outage, ad blocking, and a range of additional analytics tools.
Eero Pro 7 specifications and price
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 7 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz network bands |
| Coverage | Covers up to 190 square metres (single unit) Up to 560 square metres (three units) |
| Dimensions | 18 x 15 x 8 cm 154g |
| Networking | Wired: Up to 4.7Gbps Wireless: Up to 3.9Gbps Two 5Gbps Ethernet ports One USB-C port (power supply) |
| Price (RRP) | $529.99 (one unit) $1,199.99 (three units) |
| Warranty | Three years |
| Official website | Eero Australia |
Using the Eero Pro 7
The setup of the Pro 7 is impressive. Amazon has done its homework and made networking simple to get started, which, for most people, is some form of black magic.
Setup is done exclusively through the Eero smartphone app, which once installed and an Amazon password added, will automatically find your hub connected to your NBN modem by the supplied Ethernet cable.
The next step is clever and one I have never seen before. It asks you to name your Wi-Fi network and enter a password. Every other brand’s router I’ve used has a preset name that you can change. By forcing you to set up your Wi-Fi name, it allows you to enter your old Wi-Fi name and password, meaning all your existing connected devices automatically connect to your Pro 7.
Adding additional hubs is as easy as turning them on, but the Eero app also gives you some handy hints, as well as testing the placement of the hub. That’s it; your devices are connected to the internet, and like most people, you will never touch it again until it fails or technology advancements demand its replacement.
If you do wish to touch it, you can set up a guest network to prevent visitors from accessing your printer or shared drives. Through the app, you can also test network speed, check on connected devices and see data usage.
The Eero has one small LED light that can be turned off, but in normal operation, it will glow white when everything is okay and red when there is no internet access.
Wireless backhaul between the mesh hubs is significantly faster than traditional methods, resulting in far better reliability of connections for devices further away from the hub connected to the NBN modem. The speed of data transfer is also better at the extremes of the range than in previous models. Note speeds on any router will reduce the further you are away from a mesh hub.
Each Pro 7 hub has internal antennas positioned to maximise coverage, including sending a signal across multi-storey houses. The Pro 7 hub can also be used with older Eero mesh systems to expand existing networks.
To be honest, the Eero Pro 7 is overkill in my house as we survive very happily using a 50Mbps NBN plan. To really start to take advantage of this router, you need the highest available 1Gbps NBN connection (NBN will soon support up to 2Gbps). In summary, the geek in me wants it not because of customisation but rather its simplicity and performance, but I could save some money by purchasing a lower-end model.
Who is the Eero Pro 7 for?
If you want a simple setup with amazing performance, then Amazon’s Eero Pro 7 is a best-in-class router. If you want to be able to tinker with the settings, then this router is limited, and you will need to pay more for the Eero+ extra features.
To get the most out of this router, you will need an NBN plan of 1Gbps, which will cost around $1,500 per year. Therefore, paying $1,200 for a fully fledged mesh system to maximise that speed is likely within power users’ budgets.
Now, having set up an Eero mesh router, I can see how my so untechnical brother-in-law managed to do it, and I look forward to taking advantage of more Wi-Fi 7-supported devices as they become available.
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