What is the difference between Eero 6 and 6 Pro? Whereas the Eero 6 is an entry-level Wi-Fi 6 system that struggled in some of our tests, the Eero Pro 6 is a higher-end design that delivered faster speeds and better performance as we tested it out. The key “Pro” feature is the triband design, which gives the mesh an additional 5GHz band for dedicated system transmissions. That frees up the first 5GHz band for your normal traffic and makes a noticeable impact in your network performance and it helps a mesh system like this one make full use of Wi-Fi 6.
Pros & Cons
Amazon Eero 6
PROS
- Supports Wi-Fi 6
- Integrated Zigbee smart home hub
- Alexa compatible
- Nice price
CONS
- Modest performance claims
- Dual band means no support for Wi-Fi 6E
Amazon Eero Pro 6
PROS
- Easy to install
- Built-in Zigbee radio
- Works with Alexa
- Wide coverage range
CONS
- Expensive
- Anti-malware and parental control tools require a subscription
- Lacks USB ports and QoS settings
What is the difference between Eero 6 and 6 Pro Specs?
Eero 6
Processor | 1.2 GHz quad-core processor |
RAM | 1GB |
Storage | 4GB |
Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 dual-band concurrent 2:2 (802.11ax), compatible with older wifi standard |
Smart home | Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 |
Security | WPA2-AES, WPA3-Personal transition mode, Parental Controls |
Ports | 2x Gigabit ports for LAN or WAN, USB Type-C for power |
Dimensions | 3.9 in x 3.8 in x 2.4 in (99.4 mm x 97 mm x 61.4 mm) |
Eero Pro 6
Processor | 1.4GHz quad-core CPU |
RAM | 1GB |
Storage | 4GB |
Wi-Fi | Tri-band Wi-Fi radios, simultaneous 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz Lo & 5 GHz Hi; 2×2/2×2/4×4 MU/SU-MIMO; WMM, Tx Beamforming, OFDMA; Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax) |
Smart home | Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 |
Security | WPA2-AES, WPA3-Personal transition mode, Parental Controls |
Ports | 2x Gigabit ports for LAN or WAN, USB Type-C for power |
Dimensions | 134.49 x 134.63 x 52.6 mm (5.3 x 5.3 x 2.1 inch) |
Price | $229 for 1-pack, $399 for 2-pack, $599 for 3-pack |
Who is this for – Eero 6 vs Eero Pro 6?
There’s no doubt that Eero Pro 6 is faster than Eero 6 and both routers are competitive with the best wireless routers you can get. It’s also worth remembering that Eero isn’t the only whole-home Wi-Fi solution around. The main question is whether or not you need that sort of speed. More people than ever ask a lot of their home networks due to working from home or even attending school from home. Gigabit connections are great, and if you have one, Eero Pro 6 is right for you.
For most people, 500Mbps is likely faster than the connection you’re paying for, making the Eero 6 the best fit. You can also spend the money you saved on your base Eero to add another Eero 6 or Eero 6 Extender so you can make sure coverage is consistent all over your home. For most people, Eero 6 will be more than enough for quite some time.
What is the difference between Eero 6 and 6 Pro
Eero 6 | Eero 6 Pro | |
---|---|---|
Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 dual-band | Wi-Fi 6 tri-band |
Wireless speed | AX1800 | AX4200 |
Wireless speed | 600Mbps at 2.4GHz, 1200Mbps at 5GHz | 600Mbps at 2.4GHz, 1200Mbps at 5GHz, 2400Mbps at 5GHz |
Spatial streams | 4 | 8 |
Channel width | 20, 40, 80 MHz | 20, 40, 80 MHz |
Ethernet | 2 | 2 |
Coverage (single) | 1,500 sq ft | 2,000 sq ft |
Dimensions | 3.91 x 3.82 x 2.42 inch | 5.3 x 5.3 x 2.1 inch |
Price and coverage
Eero 6
A basic Eero 6 router will cost you only $129 and should cover up to 1,500 square feet, according to Amazon. If you opt for a “two-pack,” you’ll get a router and and one extender, which will cost $199 and cover up to 3,000 square feet. Finally, there’s the “three-pack,” which will run $279 and cover up to 5,000 square feet. Additional extenders can be had for $89 each.
Eero Pro 6
The Amazon Eero Pro 6 ($229 for one or $599 for a pack of three) is the company’s first mesh Wi-Fi system to utilize the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, and this time around it adds home automation hub capabilities via a Zigbee radio. The system we tested uses three stylish nodes to provide up to 6,000 square feet of wireless coverage, and is easy to install and manage.
Eero 6 vs Eero Pro 6 review
Design
Eero 6
Arriving in a tidy, rectangular box, the Eero 6 three-pack makes a decent first impression. The devices inside look identical, but they aren’t — one is designed to serve as the main router, and along with the USB-C power port, it includes two gigabit Ethernet jacks, one of which you’ll wire to your modem. The other Eero devices are range-extending satellites, and they don’t include Ethernet jacks at all.
Eero Pro 6
The $599 Eero Pro 6 system we tested comes with three stylish low-profile nodes that each measure 2.1 by 5.3 by 5.3 inches (HWD), making them considerably bigger than previous Eero models. Each node provides 2,000 square feet of wireless coverage, with one node serving as the main router and the other two serving as mesh nodes.
Auto sensing LAN
The nodes are equipped with two auto-sensing gigabit LAN ports and a power port, but they lack the USB connectivity and multi-gig capabilities that you get with the Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8. Under the hood are a 1.4GHz quad-core CPU, 1024MB of RAM, 4GB of flash memory, and a Bluetooth radio.
Setup
Not much to say here, really. Just plug the Eero 6 or Eero Pro 6 router into your modem and into a power outlet, then follow the onboarding instructions in the app on your Android or iOS device. You’ll name your network, pick a password, add your satellites, and voila — your home network is up and running.
Zigbee compatible
And to make things even sweeter, Amazon’s included a Zigbee-compatible smart home hub as part of the Eero Pro 6 router. That means Zigbee devices (including smart bulbs, locks, and appliances to name just a few) can now plug directly into your network without the need for another hub device. The Eero 6 is also Alexa-compatible, so you’ll be able to control some functions of the router, like parental controls, using voice commands as part of an Alexa skill.
As with the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus Mesh Wi-Fi System, the Eero Pro 6 contains a Zigbee radio that allows you to connect to and control numerous smart home devices such as cameras, lights, switches, and thermostats.
Data Transfer rate
Amazon has kept performance expectations low for the Eero 6, claiming it’s intended for households with up to a 500 megabit per second (Mbps) connection to the Internet. That’s still a big swath of the current broadband market, for which Amazon now has a very attractive price point that can also claim Wi-Fi 6 compatibility.
The Eero Pro 6 is a tri-band AX4200 system that can hit maximum data rates of up to 574Mbps on the 2.4GHz (2X2) band, up to 1,201Mbps on the 5GHz (2X2) band, and up to 2,402Mbps on the secondary 5GHz (4X4) band.
Security
Security is Amazon’s last deal sweetener, with the core Eero line offering two optional security subscriptions. A Basic tier that will cost $2.99 per month adds more advanced parental controls and privacy capabilities. Then there’s the higher-end Eero Secure+ tier, which will run you $9.99 per month, but will add Malwarebytes malware protection at the router, 1Password password management, and a router-level Encrypt.me virtual private network (VPN).
App
Both the Eero Pro 6 and Eero 6 use the same Android and iOS mobile app and supports Alexa voice commands that let you do things such as turn guest networking on and off and pause network access for specific clients. It also supports Amazon Wi-Fi Simple Setup, which uses settings from Amazon Echo devices and Fire TV Sticks to help configure new devices quickly and easily.
What is the best alternate of Eero 6 and 6 Pro
Nest WiFi
SPECIFICATIONS
Wi-Fi Spec: 802.11ac/dual bandNumber of Antennas/Removable: 4/NoPorts: Two 1-Gbps LANPeak Throughput: 653.2 MbpsSize: 4.3 x 4.3 x 3.6 inches
Pros
+Excellent performance+Google Assistant built in+Easy setup
Cons
-Short range-Minimal configuration options
If you want the best mesh Wi-Fi solution available, Google’s Nest WiFi is the best you can get. It offers superb performance, a dead-simple setup process and it delivers Wi-Fi coverage that can expand coverage to handle everything from a small home to large estate.
But the Nest WiFi has something no other mesh kit does, with a Google Home smart speaker built into every mesh extension. The compact units let you control the router with voice commands, along with every other connected device in your house, from smart lights to your smart TV.
Adding additional Nest extensions adds new Google Home units in other rooms, seamlessly giving you a voice assistant in any room of the house. And if you still have an old Google WiFi system gathering dust, you can add those to extend the mesh coverage, too. If you want the best and simplest mesh WiFi solution for your home, this is it.