In this Amazon Eero 6 review, we are going to discuss about detail of this WiFi device. It’s been years since Apple stopped selling its own access point and network drive solutions for home connectivity, so we’ve been looking at what some third-party manufacturers are proposing for some time. Today, after testing Apple’s own recommended solution for Linksys Velop routers, we’ll take a look at Amazon’s latest solution: the Eero 6.
Amazon Eero 6: Technical Specifications
| PROCESSOR | 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage |
|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS | 99.4 × 97 × 61.4 mm |
| STANDARDS | 2: 2 dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
| SIGNAL RATE | Up to 500 Mbps in ideal conditions |
| SAFETY | WPA2 and WPA3 encryption. Protocols: IPV4 and IPV6 |
| INTERFACE | USB-C for power, two Gigabit Ethernet ports on the head node |
| ADVANCED FEATURES | Connected device management, Alexa integration, ad blocking |
| PRICE | 299 dollars on Amazon |
At the design level, the Eero nodes will like them: they are more discreet than other solutions such as the Velop and their rounded shapes will not spoil the furniture in the house in which we place them. In our case we have tested the model with a main node (which has two Ethernet ports) and two extender nodes that we can distribute throughout the house. I really appreciate that a gigabit Ethernet cable is included with the nodes.
Simple, powerful and recommended if you use more Alexa than Siri
The installation of the nodes is very simple: you download their application on your iPhone, follow the instructions to connect them to the power and to the router of your operator and that’s it. Five minutes or less. You don’t even need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network that we generate with the nodes, thanks to a built-in Bluetooth connection. Gone are those times when the simple project of setting up a wireless network caused cold sweats in our body. In addition, we can integrate our Amazon account so that we do not need to create a separate credential to be able to manage the nodes.
It is for this reason that the speed tests that I can do using my devices will be weaker, since the environment in which I deploy my Wi-Fi networks is one of the most demanding you can find. I have used my 2020 iPad Pro and the Fast web test while moving around the house and have achieved speeds that fluctuate between 70 and 180 Mbps download, with a faster upload speed between 20 and 250 Mbps. In the case of my Mac mini M1, the download speed also increases to 250 Mbps (my fiber connection is symmetric and has 600 Mbps).
I insist: the Eero achieve this in an environment where it is tremendously difficult to achieve a stable signal, and I have no doubt that it will manage to get closer to the top of 500 Mbps in larger homes and less saturated with the neighbors’ networks. I was also surprised by the stability of the network: the speed does not drop even if I try to do the speed tests in the most hidden corners of my apartment.
Managing traffic and devices on your network, child’s play
The Eero application works well: it has a simple and friendly interface for the general user, but at the same time it offers data so that the most amateurs or experts can measure the performance of the network well. We can even check the amount of data that has been uploaded and downloaded from each connected device, cut the connection of one of them (ideal for minors who resist leaving Fortnite when it comes to dinner) or even see the traffic of each node independently.
The integration with Alexa also has its what, making these Eero a good companion to any Echo speaker that we have at home. Combining all these devices and installing the Alexa application on the family’s iPhone or iPad, we can block the connection with a simple voice command that we say to the speakers: ” Alexa, pause the Wi-Fi on Pedro’s iPad.” If we want to manage these connections in a more serious way, we will have to resort to the Eero application on iOS and its section to create usage profiles for each device.
Regarding the integration with HomeKit, in the case of these Eero 6 we are still waiting for the certifications to make it possible. At the moment we can enjoy it in the standard Eero, which we analyzed in June of last year and which lack Wi-Fi 6.
The price for the 3-node pack, 299 dollars, is quite attractive considering that many solutions like this can cost about double the money. If you do not have the problems of excessive interference as I do and you live in a small apartment, perhaps you will have enough with the main node that is sold individually for 149 dollars. An individual extender can also be purchased separately for 109 dollars. It may seem expensive, but for this price we get the possibility of deploying a high-performance, meshed Wi-fi network. Not so long ago this cost a lot more.
In short, this set of Eero 6 nodes from Amazon are an efficient and very simple solution to use for those who want a more powerful, meshed and manageable home network from a mobile application (something that operator routers cannot do, at the same time less in Spain). And if you also have Amazon devices such as an Echo speaker at home, the advantages increase due to the integration with that ecosystem.
