We previously tested the eero mesh web wi-fi system (read Part 1 of our review here).
On November 17, 2016, eero inc., creator of the first whole-home WiFi system, introduces TrueMesh™, the next generation of wireless mesh technology bringing increased speed, performance, and reliability. The company is also announcing Amazon Alexa skills for eero as well as new app features that give eero customers a better view of what’s happening on their networks.
TrueMesh
TrueMesh is the next generation of mesh technology, designed to work perfectly with eero hardware and significantly improve eero’s mesh routing algorithms. While eero mesh technology has always automatically switched between the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio bands to find the clearest channel, TrueMesh understands and navigates a network’s topology in real-time. This means eero will dynamically find the best route to pass data through a network and quickly switch paths to avoid any interference.
- Local Area Network (LAN) speed improvement — Overnight, eero customers may see up to two times the LAN speed (speed between eeros) within their networks, with initial testing showing over 40 percent speed improvement on the average network.
- Intelligent WiFi that adapts to the home — With dynamic rerouting, TrueMesh makes it possible for eero to intelligently use the fastest, most reliable path for customers’ WiFi, so their networks automatically adapt no matter the network demand or the complexity of their home layout.
- Add as many eeros as needed — TrueMesh makes eero systems even more expandable, so customers can add as many eeros as needed to cover even the largest homes or the most complicated layouts.
Alexa skills
The eero Home WiFi System works with nearly every connected device customers have in their homes. While voice-controlled devices like Amazon Echo are relatively new, one out of five eero households already has at least one Amazon Echo — a similar number have either a Sonos or Nest product. Working with the Alexa team at Amazon, eero has reimagined how a customer can control and use WiFi throughout the home by using just their voice.
- Find a misplaced device in the home — If a device (such as a phone or laptop) is still in the home and connected to WiFi, customers can ask Alexa which eero their device is connected to so they know where to look.
- Pause the internet — Using Family Profiles, pause the internet for dinner or other family moments. Nothing vital — eg, security cameras — should go offline. Simply use the eero app to unpause and get everything back online.
- Turn off the LED — Customers can ask Alexa to turn off the LED light on eero for bedtime, which has been a top-requested feature from current customers. This feature is also now available through the eero app.
New App Features
With an app update and suite of new features, eero customers will soon have a clearer and more useful view of what’s happening on their networks. As always, customers can use the app to manage their networks remotely, from anywhere in the world.
- More info about connected devices — See which devices have good connections, which use the most data, and which eero each device is connected to in the home.
- Placement suggestions — By better understanding the strength of eero-to-eero connections, the app, if necessary, can offer tips on how to improve performance through better placement.
- ISP connectivity status — If the internet is slow or goes down, the eero app will automatically detect it and recommend steps for how to determine if the issue is with the customer’s Internet Service Provider (ISP) (such as an outage) or with their own network.
Pricing and Availability
The eero Home WiFi System is available today in the U.S. online at eero.com, Amazon.com, Lowes.com, Staples.com,bandhphoto.com, and newegg.com. The eero system is also available in store at Best Buy Stores, Abt Electronics, Fry’s Electronics, and B8ta. Customers can purchase the 3-pack, recommended for the average home, for a suggested retail price of $499, a 2-pack for a suggested retail price of $349, or a single eero for a suggested retail price of $199. The eero app features and Alexa Skills will be slowly rolled out to all customers over the next few weeks. The free eero app is available for download through the iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
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