The best mesh Wi-Fi routers tested and reviewed for 2024

Eero is an Amazon company, and its routers come with Alexa support. Activate the Eero skill and you can pause the internet with a voice command through your Echo device, which is useful when your child doesn’t want to get off the computer for dinner. The router supports Eero 6 topic and Thread and can pull double duty as a ZigBee smart home hub in the same way that Echo devices can, allowing you to connect directly to some smart lighting, smart locks, and other ZigBee devices.

There are two other tricks that make the Eero 6 systems attractive. If you have an Echo smart speaker (4th gen), Echo Dot (4th or 5th gen), or Echo Dot with watch (4th or 5th gen), it can Acts as a WiFi extenderproviding an additional 1,000 square feet of coverage at speeds of up to 100 Mbps for up to 10 devices. Eero also offers Internet backup option, so you can add multiple backup networks (Wi-Fi or hotspot) to keep you connected to the Internet if your main wired network goes down.

Eero’s simplicity will appeal to anyone who hates digging through settings, but there is a cost. You won’t find any Quality of service features To prioritize activities, you cannot separate scopes. One final negative of the basic Eero system I tested was the relatively slow transfer speeds, although this wasn’t an issue for high-end systems.

Currently, there are four Eero systems on the market worth considering, offering a broadly similar experience. The first two are dual-band systems (2.4GHz and 5GHz). People with internet connections of up to 500Mbps can use the regular Eero 6. If you have a faster connection of up to 1 Gbps, and your home is smaller than 4,500 square feet,… Aero 6+ ($300) It is the system of choice. People with larger properties or higher than average requirements (lots of devices and people using the Internet at the same time) should take this into consideration. Aero Pro 6E ($550) (7/10, WIRED recommends), which is a tri-band system that supports the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands. The Eero Pro 6 has been discontinued.

the Aero Max 7 ($1,700) (7/10, Wired review) is the best-in-class Wi-Fi 7 option, with four Ethernet ports, two at 10Gbps and two at 2.5Gbps, but it will be overkill for most people right now. You can delve into the differences between us Aero Buying Guide. But whichever model you choose, keep an eye out for frequent discounts. All Eero systems are compatible with each other, making it easy to expand your network.

Best value

The affordable and compact ZenWiFi XD5 is a solid alternative to our top pick for limited needs or budgets. Refreshingly, you don’t have to create an account to set up and use this mesh network. Each of the three units features two Gigabit Ethernet ports and can be wall-mounted. Basic security (AiProtection Classic) and parental controls come at no extra cost, and there’s support for AiMesh, so you can mix and match other Asus routers.

Performance was smooth and reliable during testing, with some surprisingly fast results for the price. I downloaded a 30GB game in less than eight minutes. Although this is a dual-band system, there is support for 160MHz channels on the 5GHz band. Asus says the 3-pack can cover up to 5,000 square feet, but speeds decrease the further you get from the router. To get the best performance from the XD5, or any mesh system, connect the main router and nodes to it Ethernet For wired connection.