Eero Max 7 Review: Amazon’s First Wi-Fi 7 Mesh

He is still the early days of Wi-Fi 7, with only a handful of devices supporting the new standard, but there is already a steady stream of routers and mesh systems designed to catch the attention of early adopters and power users. Amazon’s Eero is the latest manufacturer to introduce its Wi-Fi 7 products. As expected, the Eero Max 7 is its biggest and best mesh system yet, with ultra top speeds -fast and a much larger shape that allows for more ports than ever before.

Like the previous one Eero Mesh Systems, the Max 7 is easy to set up and largely takes care of itself, but to take full advantage of it you need to have an Eero Plus subscription. But at $600 for a single router or $1,150 for a two-pack, this mesh is already a significant investment. Although the Max 7 mostly impressed during my two weeks of testing, you need a multi-gig internet connection and Wi-Fi 7 devices to take full advantage of it, and I encountered stability issues thorny.

Go big

The most obvious change with the Eero Max 7 compared to its predecessors is the size of each unit. Although still finished in glossy white plastic, the rounded square has morphed into a much larger tower. This expansion is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the new Eero routers need more space and stand out more than older models, but their larger footprint allows for better antenna design to increase range and fit more Ethernet ports . They are quite heavy, so I was never worried about them tipping over.

Photography: Eero

The Eero Max 7 has four Ethernet ports, two rated at 10 Gbps and two at 2.5 Gbps. People with a multi-gig Internet connection can get the most out of their connection if they use a wired Ethernet link to link the Max 7 units. Using the wireless link, the Max 7 selects the band itself appropriate, but you can always increase stability and speed by plugging in gadgets like TVs and streaming devices in the Ethernet ports of satellites or nodes.

There’s a power button on the back, and the relatively compact power adapter plugs into the USB-C port. Could have been nice to have a USB port for network storage like the rival TP-Link Deco BE85 system (7/10, WIRED Review).

Each Max 7 unit covers up to 2,500 square feet. Most people will settle for one or two. As with all Eero mesh routers, the Max 7 is backwards compatible, so you can always buy one to make it your primary router, and mix it with older Eeros and Eero Integrated Devices.

The setup was as smooth as ever. I reset my modem, plugged in the new Eero, and I had my two-pack up and running in about 10 minutes. The tri-band system is designed to be hands-off and makes all decisions about how devices connect to your network. It also updates automatically and there have already been a few firmware updates since I installed it.

Speed ​​Demon

Potential speeds of the Eero Max 7 are up to 4.3 gigabits per second in Wi-Fi and up to 9.4 Gbps in tethered mode. You’ll never get these speeds in real-world conditions, but I exceeded 3Gbps connected to Wi-Fi 7 in the same room as the router with a OnePlus 11 5G. The Eero Max 7 aced my tests, finishing at or near the top for speeds on both the 6GHz and 5GHz bands, and was extremely fast at transferring files from one PC to another on my network. Performance on the 2.4 GHz band was average.

Connection to Wi-Fi 6E devices on the 6GHz band was fast and stable, matching the best 6E systems I tested, but Wi-Fi 7 performance was mixed. My Google Pixel 8 (7/10, WIRED Review) frequently disconnected from the Eero Max 7 and failed to reach the 6GHz speeds of the OnePlus 11. I also noticed random disconnections and buffering on multiple devices, issues that subsided after the latest firmware update but which have not yet been completely eliminated.

Bugs are common if you are an early adopter. Similar issues occurred with other Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems I tested, but buyers will be frustrated after losing so much money. If you want perfect performance, don’t buy a Wi-Fi 7 system yet. Bugs aside, most people don’t own many Wi-Fi 7 devices, and in the short term you’ll probably get similar, sometimes even better, performance with a Wi-Fi 7 device. good Wi-Fi 6 or 6E mesh.