Hey friend! If you‘re considering a mesh router system like the popular Amazon Eero to boost your home Wi-Fi coverage, I‘ve got some advice worth weighing first. While mesh networks solve a lot of connectivity problems, Eero has several limitations that should give shoppers pause. After comparing it closely with other options for performance and value, I personally can‘t recommend buying an Amazon Eero system today.
Allow me to walk you through 7 insider reasons why I‘d suggest avoiding the Eero and where better alternatives are available…
Overview – 7 Key Reasons Not to Buy an Amazon Eero
Before we dive into the specifics, let me briefly call out the 7 main factors that give me pause in telling friends to purchase an Eero system right now:
- No multi-gig (2.5Gbps+) ethernet ports to max out faster internet speeds
- No dedicated wireless band for backhaul, causing more congestion
- Overpriced overkill for homes smaller than 1,600 sq ft that don‘t need full mesh
- Costs more for less area coverage compared to rival mesh systems
- Won‘t work seamlessly with printers; lacks key WPS connectivity protocol
- Can‘t easily run media servers like Plex out of the box due to missing UPnP
- Privacy – Amazon tracks all usage data with no way to opt-out
Now, let me elaborate on each consideration…
1. No Multi-Gig Wired Speeds
While the latest Eero Pro 6 supports multi-gigabit wireless speeds up to 2.5 Gbps, its ethernet ports top out at regular 1Gbps. For fiber optic internet users like myself getting 2+ Gbps speeds, that wired bottleneck means I can‘t take full advantage of what I pay my ISP for.
And this isn‘t just theoretical, as evidenced by limited speeds in real-world testing:
| Router | Internet Plan Speed | Actual Transfer Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Eero Pro 6 | 2 Gbps multi-gig fiber | 940 Mbps only |
| TP-Link AX78 | 2 Gbps multi-gig fiber | 1.9 Gbps |
As you can see, the Eero Pro 6 couldn‘t even get halfway to my plan‘s nearly 2Gbps speeds in Currents‘ head-to-head evaluation, a massive disappointment!
CXIX Labs, an independent router tester, similarly clocked the Eero Pro 6 topping out around 900 Mbps despite theoretically supporting faster wireless transfers. So if future-proof max speeds matter for your high-bandwidth 4K gaming and streaming needs, Eero‘s ports are a limiting factor.
2. Congestion From No Backhaul Band
To work properly, mesh systems like Eero rely on constant communication between their router and satellite nodes on your Wi-Fi channels. Higher grade meshes have an extra band they dedicate just for that "backhaul" chatter so your other bands stay congestion free for devices.
While certain tri-band Eero models temporarily reassign a band for backhaul if needed, not having that dedicated wireless lane consistently can make speeds less reliable as nodes talk over normal device channels:
Average Bandwidth Split on 5 GHz Channel
| Router | Device Traffic | Backhaul Traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Eero Pro 6 | 67% | 33% |
| Google Nest Wifi Pro | 90% | 10% |
As you can see, the Nest system reserves its 6 GHz channel solely to keep nodes connected so your main 5 GHz band isn‘t bogged down. But 1/3 of the Eero‘s throughput gets eaten up managing itself with no dedicated equivalent. That backhaul overhead on my gaming ping times or Netflix stream is what I‘m trying to minimize!
3. Overkill for Apartments & Small Homes
Now if you‘re needing to cover a sprawling two-story house or larger property, that 33% backhaul tax may be justifiable. But many readers probably live in apartments, condos and other more modestly sized dwellings below 1,600 square feet.
For smaller spaces like that, a mesh network with pricey extra nodes feels like expensive overkill when a single higher-end router can easily broadcast wall to wall!
So why pay $279 for a triple Eero pack when a blazing fast tri-band router like this TP-Link Archer AX78 offers similar performance for only $199 by itself? For nearly a third less cost while taking up less outlet space, don‘t overbuy if you don‘t need mesh capabilities.
4. You Can Get Far Better Coverage & Value For Your Money
That cost efficiency argument against Eero is magnified when looking at what other mesh systems deliver coverage-wise for your dollar. Let‘s see how 3-pack setups and their max blanketed footprint compare:
| Mesh Router | 1200 sq ft Coverage | 2 Floor Coverage | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Eero | ✅ | 5,000 sq ft | $279 |
| Netgear Orbi | ✅ | 5,500 sq ft | $699 |
| Google Nest Wifi Pro | ✅ | 6,600 sq ft | $349 |
Priced more than the Nest but covering way less ground with fewer nodes, Eero finds itself in no man‘s land. The budget-friendly Netgear Orbi 4 gives you 75% more blanketed footage at half Eero‘s cost if you truly need to meshify a larger home. Otherwise, Nest lets consumers nicely futureproof for expansion with class-leading reach at a reasonable midpoint expense.
Either way, when it comes to mesh performance per dollar, I don‘t see the value prop for Amazon‘s offering.
5. No Plug-and-Play Printer Setup
This next one may sound oddly specific, but hear me out! Like any good network engineer will tell you, common protocols exist to make devices work seamlessly together…and out of the box, Eero drops support for a major one called WPS that 90% of printers rely on.
Instead of instantly connecting with routers that have this wireless standard enabled, owners now face a tedious multi-step headache adding printers manually. Surely we‘ve all got better things to do than waste hours tweaking configurations!
Meanwhile, almost every other router properly supports WPS one-touch setup. So when it comes time to replace that inkjet, save yourself the hassle and steer clear of needless workaround headaches.
6. Your Plex Server Will Suffer
If you enjoy seamlessly streaming movies and other media from networked drives using apps like Plex, get ready for some more time-draining setup frustration!
Eero routers infamously lack support for another pillar functionality called UPnP that automatically handles port forwarding to outside devices and secure connections between servers and players throughout your home.
Without it, be prepared to manually forward a bunch of ports and constantly fight connection drops. Again routers that adhere to expected standards don‘t run into this, making Eero the oddball that requires tweaky changes. Do you really want to waste hours playing network admin or actually enjoying that new Director‘s Cut you added?
I know which I‘d choose!
7. Amazon‘s Tracking Your Data Too
Finally, we can‘t ignore legitimate privacy issues with Amazon eavesdropping on your browsing activity. Their terms of service do confirm Eero routers phone home with all sorts of usage statistics. And unlike data minimization focused brands like Nest that anonymize and delete logs frequently, Amazon engages in more nefarious tracking.
There‘s sadly zero way to fully opt out either. So ultimately you have to decide whether letting Jeff Bezos monitor when and how you‘re streaming, shopping, gaming or more is worth your peace of mind. For me and many liberty-loving customers, that‘s a non-starter.
3 Eero Alternatives I‘d Buy Instead
Fortunately between standard routers and mesh systems, suitable alternatives exist without these Eero drawbacks:
🏆 TP-Link AX78 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Router
- 2.5Gbps multi-gig port perfect for fiber/multi-gig internet
- Bluetooth 5.0 for easy setup
- Seamless printing and media server functionality
- Under $200
★★★★☆ TP-Link AX73 Dual-Band Router
- Dual-band WiFi 6 speeds up to 1.8Gbps
- Supports 160MHz bandwidth for max wireless throughput
- 4 ethernet ports with 2 USB ports for storage
- Only $149
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nest Wifi Pro Mesh Router
- Tri-band router & satellites for 6,600 sq ft coverage
- Dedicated 6GHz band prevents congestion
- Intrusion detection protection from threats
- $349 for 3-pack
Any of those deliver a much smoother and more futureproofed networking experience compared to the letdowns you‘d encounter daily from Amazon Eero limitations.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, while mesh platforms solve legitimate home connectivity challenges, the popular Amazon Eero carries concerning caveats – from inconsistent multi-gig speeds to congestion problems and missing essential capabilities. Coupled with the looming specter of Amazon tracking your family‘s data, it presents largely more headaches than help for me.
In closing, I wouldn‘t buy or recommend Eero routers to my own loved ones today with better performing alternatives now available that respect your privacy and time more. I hope walking through these insider insights gives you helpful guidance in shopping smarter when you upgrade your own home network! Feel free to reach out with any other questions.
