In depth
At a glance
The eero Pro 6E remains a useful choice for bringing Wi-Fi to several rooms without making network management a hobby. Its small units combine familiar app control with a 6 GHz radio for compatible devices.
The important limit is on the back: each unit has only two Ethernet ports, and just one is faster than Gigabit. That is a workable arrangement for many homes, but it deserves more attention than the combined network-speed claims.
The low enclosure is easy to accommodate on an open shelf or side table. It is less conspicuous than the taller Max 7, which can help when the best wireless position is in a room you use every day. Keep it clear of large electronics and enclosed cabinets.
The verified packages contain one, two or three identical Pro 6E units. There is no separate satellite model to keep track of: any unit can become the main router during setup or extend a compatible eero network. A single unit also gives an existing owner a way to add another location.
The extra 6 GHz band gives compatible devices another place to connect, away from older clients using 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. It can be particularly useful for a laptop making large local transfers near a node. It does not extend every device’s range or turn an older phone into a Wi-Fi 6E client.
Tom’s Guide measured about 1.14 Gb/s at 15 feet with a Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and an IxChariot workload simulating ten users. Throughput fell to about 173 Mb/s at 50 feet.1 Those results make a stronger case for several well-placed nodes than for expecting one unit to maintain its nearby speed across a large house.
Compared with the earlier Pro 6, Pro 6E replaces the second 5 GHz radio with 6 GHz and adds support for wider 160 MHz channels. It is a change in the radio arrangement, not an extra fourth band. A household with mostly older 5 GHz devices should not assume that replacing a satisfactory Pro 6 system will improve every connection.
Wi-Fi 7 features such as Multi-Link Operation are absent. That does not prevent newer phones and laptops from connecting, but buyers specifically seeking Wi-Fi 7 capabilities should choose a newer system.
The 6 GHz radio can serve compatible clients as well as help carry traffic between nodes; it is not reserved exclusively for backhaul. TrueMesh manages the routes through the network, while the quality of each wireless connection still depends on placement and the building.
In Tom’s Guide’s test house, three units provided coverage and handled a mixed streaming and storage workload without interruptions. An upstairs node delivered about 418 Mb/s to the test computer 40 feet away.1 That is useful evidence for the tested layout, not a guarantee that the same pack will cover every home of similar size.
Ethernet between rooms is worth using where available. It takes the wireless inter-node connection out of the path, although this model’s port arrangement limits a normal wired chain through the gateway to Gigabit speed. Mixing older eero generations is supported, but eero recommends matching generations for the best performance.
The faster port can accept an Internet connection above Gigabit speed, with traffic distributed to wireless devices and the remaining wired connection. It does not create a two-port multi-gigabit path for a desktop or storage server. Once the 2.5-gigabit socket is used for WAN, the other socket is limited to 1 Gb/s.
This is an improvement over Pro 6’s two Gigabit ports, but a qualified one. A multi-gigabit switch connected to the remaining Gigabit port cannot remove that link’s speed limit. If fast wired transfers or multi-gigabit backhaul are central to the network, buy a model with at least two suitably fast ports.
A switch can still be useful simply to add connections for a television, console or other wired equipment. USB is for power rather than shared storage; use an Ethernet or Wi-Fi storage device if you want files available across the network.
The eero app guides setup and provides everyday network management. It is a comfortable approach for someone who wants to see connected devices, share a guest network and leave most radio decisions to the system. A conventional local browser console is not part of the home setup.
Profiles, scheduled pauses, manual pausing and automatic updates are included. Content filters, ad blocking and advanced threat protection are among the features that require eero Plus. I would decide which of those controls the household needs before comparing the full cost with another mesh system.
The router passes VPN traffic from your devices, but does not provide a network-wide VPN client or server. Plus includes Guardian VPN for supported individual devices. Its Thread and Zigbee capabilities can also help with compatible smart-home products through Alexa, reducing the need for a separate hub in a suitable setup.
The eero Pro 7 provides Wi-Fi 7 and two 5-gigabit Ethernet ports per unit. Those ports make it a more natural choice when fast Internet, wired clients and wired backhaul need to work together. Pro 6E can still be sufficient when Gigabit wired networking meets the workload.
Owners of a Pro 6 system should first identify what is missing. Compatible 6 GHz clients provide a reason to consider Pro 6E; an existing network that already reaches the right rooms at adequate speeds provides a reason to keep what you have.
The eero Pro 6E is still a sensible mesh option for ordinary home networking with app-based management. Its compact size and 6 GHz access remain useful. I would choose it only with a clear understanding of the Ethernet limit and the paid features, especially if a faster wired network is part of the plan.
This is a research-based review. The Fasit has not physically tested this product.
Independent sources cited in this article.
Original throughput and mesh testing with a Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and IxChariot in the reviewer’s home. The review was last updated in February 2024; old subscription details are not used as current feature evidence.