Eero is an Amazon company whose routers support Alexa. With the Eero skill enabled, you can use voice commands to pause the internet from your Echo device, which is handy when your kids don’t want to leave the computer for dinner. Eero 6 routers support Thread and do double duty as an Echo device as a ZigBee smart home hub, allowing you to connect some smart lighting, smart locks, and other ZigBee devices directly.
The simplicity will appeal to anyone who hates digging into the setup, but it comes at a price. You won’t find any quality of service features to prioritize activities, and you won’t be able to separate bands.If you love the sound of the Eero but want something faster, the Eero Pro 6 ($599) is an upgrade worth considering
★ A good choice: The Plume SuperPods with Wi-Fi 6 ($297 for a 3-pack) (7/10, WIRED recommendation) are one of the easiest mesh systems to set up, and the HomePass app is super easy to access. SuperPods offer fast, reliable Wi-Fi and outperformed the Eero Pro 6 system in my tests. A basic HomePass subscription costs up to $99 a year, but offers solid security features, parental controls, ad blocking, and motion alerts. The cloud service automatically handles firmware updates and constantly evaluates your Wi-Fi and makes adjustments to improve performance without any input from you.
best budget
Most mesh systems are expensive, but TP-Link’s Deco S4 is a solid option that won’t break the bank. Featuring a familiar cylindrical design, this three-pack router offers pleasingly wide coverage and solid connectivity. Setup via the Deco app is easy and trouble-free. Each router has two gigabit ports, making it an easily expandable system (you can connect up to 10 wirelessly for $50 each for additional nodes).
The S4 is a dual-band system and the only one in our guide that doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6. But I’m amazed at how well this system can handle multiple video streams and gaming sessions. While range is generally good, speed drops rapidly with distance and obstacles. If you don’t have internet speed or equipment to take advantage of Wi-Fi 6, or if stability and range are more important to you than outright speed, the Deco S4 is still a solid choice.
As TP-Link’s budget mesh offering, the extras are barebones. There are no extra safety features, and parental controls are limited, but they include basics like filters and time limits. QoS only covers device priority, and as a Wi-Fi 5 system, WPA3 security is not supported. But you can split the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands and create a guest network. Finally, the Deco app is a bit slow and basic but deliberately simple. Anyone who likes to tinker with or check the speeds their ISP offers will be disappointed.
If you can stretch your budget to the often discounted Deco X20, I think you should because you’ll get Wi-Fi 6, enhanced security, and slightly better performance. For busy households with several people online at the same time or with connections over 500 Mbps, you should choose something more powerful. But if money is tight, this is your best option.
Netgear Orbi AX4200 RBK753 (3-pack)
Best for large homes
The vast Netgear Orbi range has a great reputation, but the company’s many similar models can make it difficult to choose the right one for you. The AX4200 RBK753 I tested (I swear they’re just mashing up the keyboard now) mesh system is in the middle of the range and proved suitable for large families. Setup was tricky, taking over an hour and several restarts to complete, as the app kept stuck on the loading screen. Routers and nodes are big, but I like the curved design. I also appreciate that the LED lights turn off and display different colors to flag problems when they are working properly; every router should work this way. There are three Gigabit Ethernet ports on the main router and two on each node.
Once up and running, the coverage, speed and stability proved to be worth the wait, with each node capable of delivering similar speeds to the main router. Speed is a hair behind the Asus XT8, with individual units having some limitations over longer distances. But with two nodes, this system provides wide coverage. This simple mobile app allows you to pause the internet completely or by device or profile, see which devices are connected, check speed, analyze Wi-Fi (see connection strength as you move around), set up guest networks and much more thing. It’s very good at identifying devices, which makes it easier to divide them into profiles. You must access the web interface to use advanced features.
