Just when you think your WiFi is good enough, now comes along a new WiFi router system to the market that claims to offer enterprise-grade coverage and quality that’s easy to set up. eero, the company, is a startup based in San Francisco and its WiFi system was first released on February 23rd 2016 on Amazon. It comes in a 3-pack, for USD 499 (~MYR 2,008.60) but alas, Amazon doesn’t ship it to Malaysia. A single unit is at USD 199 (~MYR 801.02). We’ll spell eero with a capital ‘E’ from here on out.
A traditional WiFi model relies on a single access point — the router — which no longer makes sense in a world where the devices in a regular household are getting more and more, and a single-router setup falls apart when it has to provide coverage to a large house. Eero compares it to having a single light bulb in the living room to try to light up the whole house. WiFi, be it at 2.4 or 5 GHz, will also have difficulty penetrating walls, thus creating “persistent dead zones” we’re all too familiar with. In the past, to address this issue, we had to rely on WiFi range extenders, either by buying standalone extenders that are inferior to our routers (2.4 GHz-only band or up to 802.11n only), or go through the hassle of setting up a spare router to turn it into a extender/repeater.
Enter Eero. Eero’s proposition is this — it is not just a router, but a WiFi system that you install around the house, creating a mesh network that blankets every room. Eero said that a setup like this is usually found in many large office buildings, but the company is making Eero an “enterprise-grade” WiFi system that anyone (with an Android or iOS) can set up with ease. Since it is creating a mesh-like network, adding more Eero units down the road is also possible.
Eero recommends one unit per 1,000 square feet, and only the first unit needs to be connected to the modem; additional Eeros just need power, and of course, be in the WiFi coverage zone of the first unit. Each Eero is essentially a WiFi access point, but you can also use Ethernet wiring if that’s your jam (it has dual auto-sensing Gigabit ports, and a USB 2.0 port. As for WiFi, it does simultaneous dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless, with 2×2 MIMO, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, and even Bluetooth Smart. Networking features include your usual WPA2, DHCP, NAT, VPN passthrough, and UPnP. Found inside each Eero unit is a 1 GHz dual-core processor with 512 MB RAM, and even a 4 GB flash storage.
The other part of the Eero magic is in its Android or iOS app. With the first unit hooked up to the modem, just fire up the app and it’ll guide you through the setup process, no visit to 192.168.1.1 on the browser needed (though I’m sure you can set it up from there as well). Because of its nimble nature, Eero promises automatic updates pushed over-the-air in the future, which will bring new features and security patches. There are also a few bells and whistles packed into the app; besides a speed test feature built-in, there is also an easy-to-create guest access where you can invite friends to connect to your WiFi with a simple SMS message. Setting up Eero for the first time requires an account to be created, but afterwards the app also offers a password generator for the WiFi.
For us Malaysians though, there are two major problems with the Eero. Firstly, we can’t officially buy it here, but I’m sure you’ll find a way if you want it bad enough. Secondly, its MYR 800 asking price for a single unit is already too much, but using only one unit kind of defeats the purpose. Getting the 3-pack will set you back a whopping MYR 2,000. Meanwhile, a standalone “inferior” WiFi extender at Low Yat Plaza could go for just MYR 70.
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