This Wi-Fi 7 router solved my big internet headache – and its accessibly priced

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I’ve been testing the Eero Pro 7 for more than half a year now, and the results have been surprising. I recently upgraded my home network with a pair of Eero Max 7s and one Eero Outdoor, which has been highly effective. I have a lot of connected devices, between 90 and 130 on any given day, including smart home devices, laptops, tablets, and streaming TVs.

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My two Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro routers, before the Eero Max 7s, would suffer frustrating drops when handling 75 or more devices. This left us with unexpected “no internet connection” daily alerts on our work computers, TVs, and handheld devices. Switching to a pair of Eero Max 7s immediately remedied this issue.

When I began testing my two Eero Pro 7 units, I disconnected the Eero Max 7 and the Eero Outdoor for a while to see how they would perform independently.

The Eero Pro 7 can support more than 200 connected devices and features tri-band Wi-Fi 7 for larger homes with more connections than a standard home. Tri-band support for 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz opens a broader bandwidth for more simultaneous connections, with 6GHz in particular offering faster speeds and reduced congestion.

The magic of Eero lies in how effectively the network operates. Eero has optimized its TrueMesh system to connect to the best available band and the most stable connection. According to Eero, the proprietary technology optimizes coverage and is self-healing, so it can reroute traffic to remaining devices when one goes offline.

To add parental controls, security, and network customization features, you must subscribe to Eero Plus, which costs $10 monthly or $100 yearly.

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Ultimately, the two Eero Pro 7 mesh routers on their own weren’t enough to handle my smart home setup, which has more complicated network requirements than the average 2,500 sq ft home. I test smart home devices and robot vacuums for a living, so I’m always adding new devices to my network.

My network was stable with a pair of Eero Max 7 connected to everyone’s tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, numerous streaming devices, a smart speaker in every room, lightbulbs, switches, multiple robot vacuums, cameras, and more.

While the Eero Pro 7 can handle up to 200 devices, the bandwidth depends on the type of connected devices and their type of connection. When I had only the two Eero Pro 7s and hit 90 devices, I noticed significant slowdowns on my phone and computer, and constant disconnections from smart TVs, Wi-Fi bulbs, and switches.

You could likely connect dozens of smart bulbs to your Wi-Fi network, as they don’t create too much interference, and connect more demanding devices, like a gaming console or streaming device, wired through your router’s Ethernet port. This type of strategic network management makes it easier for your mesh network to maintain consistency throughout the day without excessive interference and gets you closer to the device’s limitations.

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In the end, I set up more strategically, adding one Eero Max 7 and leaving the Pro 7 as the gateway, and it successfully stabilized my network. Adding a trio of Eero Pro 7s would be enough to run my connected home.

ZDNET’s buying advice

The Eero Pro 7is ZDNET’s Editor’s Choice for midrange shoppers looking to upgrade a congested network to Wi-Fi 7 without many devices that create a lot of chatter. It performs even better when you consider strategic planning for your home network and use wired connections for demanding devices via the two 2.5 GbE ports.

This mesh router will deliver faster speeds and better congestion management than many routers on the market, including the entry-level Eero 7and the Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro, so it’s sure to be an upgrade from almost any setup available now.

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However, if you’re looking for more robust network support for a smart home with multi-gig speeds and Eero’s fastest Wi-Fi 7 performance, consider the Eero Max 7 as an alternative to the Pro 7.