Each new {hardware} announcement is all the time described as “the most effective ever,” however Amazon’s new Eero Max 7 mesh may simply be an actual leap ahead. That is Eero’s first tri-band mesh router that makes use of the newest Wi-Fi 7 standard, promising roughly double the speeds of its earlier flagship system, as much as 4.3 gigabits per second. Theoretically, you possibly can obtain a 4K film in 10 seconds.
The router has a bigger design than its predecessor, which permits for extra antennas, cooling with out the necessity for a fan, and house for 4 Ethernet ports. However all this comes at a hefty worth—a single Eero Max 7 prices a whopping $600. It is early days for Wi-Fi 7, in order new fashions come out, we’ll see these costs dramatically drop.
The Eero Max 7 helps the two.4-GHz, 5-GHz, and 6-GHz bands and is absolutely backward appropriate with all earlier Wi-Fi variations; it runs the identical TrueMesh software program and app as other Eero systems, so it may be blended and matched with any present Eeros you have got. Nonetheless, you will not have the ability to make the most of these Wi-Fi 7 upgrades and speeds with out a Wi-Fi 7-supported machine, which there are only a few of proper now.
{Photograph}: Amazon
A typical criticism of Eero routers (and most mesh Wi-Fi systems) is the dearth of Ethernet ports. The Eero Pro 6E supplied solely two ports rated at 2.5 Gbps and 1 Gbps. Regardless of the Eero Max 7’s bigger measurement, it is nonetheless recognizably an Eero, completed in shiny white plastic, however it’s a lot bigger than earlier releases. That permits for 4 Ethernet ports, two rated at 10 Gbps and two at 2.5 Gbps. Accounting for packet overhead, tethered speeds max out at 9.4 Gbps.
You probably have a quick sufficient web connection out of your service supplier, this router will take advantage of it, however the Eero Max 7 additionally permits for high-speed wired or wireless backhaul between the principle router and any nodes. Eero’s TrueMesh doesn’t use a devoted band for wi-fi backhaul; it picks the quickest route based mostly in your setup, setting, and related gadgets. That’s prone to be Wi-Fi 7 on the 6-GHz band till extra Wi-Fi 7 gadgets can be found, however Eeros positioned farther aside might fall again to five GHz and even 2.4 GHz, which provide higher vary however slower speeds. Eero says every Max 7 router can cowl 2,500 sq. toes.
Technically, it is a pre-certified system, as a result of the official Wi-Fi 7 specification shouldn’t be but full and accepted, however it takes benefit of Wi-Fi 7 features like wider channels (as much as 320 MHz from 160 MHz in Wi-Fi 6E) and multi-link operation (MLO), which allows the system to mix a number of frequencies throughout bands right into a single connection. This could enhance the pace, vary, and stability of the mesh system total. Nick Weaver, cofounder and CEO of Eero, says he expects it to be absolutely appropriate with the Wi-Fi 7 spec as soon as it is finalized.
One of many few items of Wi-Fi 7 not but in place, automated frequency coordination (AFC), shouldn’t be required for the Max 7, Weaver says. AFC permits routers to spice up energy on the 6-GHz band after cross-referencing a world database to keep away from interfering with different companies utilizing that band in your space, akin to broadcast corporations or mounted satellite tv for pc companies. I discovered the vary on the 6-GHz band was restricted with Wi-Fi 6E techniques I examined, however because the Max 7 has 4 x 4 radios and all the opposite enhancements Wi-Fi 7 brings, Weaver says, it may help excessive speeds and stable efficiency at vary, even at comparatively low (indoor) energy ranges.
