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Eero... Create a wifi mesh network to squash dead spots
#1
Hi everyone,

Just bumped across a slew of articles about Eero wifi systems.

Here's one of the many articles you can find on MAcsurfer.com:







The idea sounds great! Expensive but great. How expensive in comparison to other solutions is very much dependent on said solution. In my case, inexpensive powerline networking didn't cut it for resolving dead spots in my apartment. I had to invest in MoCa boxes and a second router. Just the MoCa boxes were $120 for the set. I had a spare Airport Extreme on hand but the cost of a reasonably priced but solid router can be in the $50 to $100 range. That price skyrockets when you move to newer 802.11ac and the _really_ nice routers.

A comment in one of the articles made me raise an eyebrow though. Here's a snip from the Engadget article by Nicole Lee:

"Setting up your Eero network is pretty easy. To do so, simply download the Eero app (yes you'll need either Android or iOS to get your Eero going) and follow along with the installation instructions. You'll first have to create an account with Eero by adding your email address as well as your phone number. That sounds a little strange at first, but Eero CEO Nick Weaver tells me that the system uses these to send verification codes instead of having you set up an account password. "Most of our early users set very insecure passwords," he says, "and because this account controls your home network, we wanted it to be as secure as possible.""

The idea of creating an account and verification codes to get functionality out of the Eero seems unnecessary and obtrusive to me. If people choose not to use an appropriate password, so be it. That's their choice. Me, I'd install the hardware and configure it with a appropriately secure password, just like I've done with the other routers I've used over the years.

Still, a very interesting idea and what sounds like a great solution for people who live in homes that seem to disrupt wifi signals. I live in a place like that and so do my parents. Very frustrating.

Robert
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#2
In the articles I have seen, I don't really get how this is significantly different or better than an adequate wifi network now, say using extenders? I have an airport extreme and I have an express that extends that; that gives me coverage throughout the house and porch and way out into the yard. Is there some fundamental difference with a "mesh" network?

[I am not looking for anything different, but my express does like to give me trouble, working for a while and then going down for some unknown reason]
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#3
Michael,

Been there, done that with Expresses. At least older models. Work well for a while then they go kablooey and constantly need resetting. I firmly believe it was due to the very compact design and heat.

In the case of Eero, apparently, the difference is ease of configuration and speed. Speed especially. Not sure I'd go for it if a single router and extender would do the job. But, I'd definitely look at it if the typical alternatives don't cut it.

Robert
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#4
Was just reading this article specifically about boosted signal on the Airport Extreme: http://www.macworld.com/article/3033938/...ricks.html
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#5
$500?????????
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#6
Test,

That's for the three pack. Definitely expensive but the price is less of a barrier if you've already considered buy a quality router and some extenders. Imagine buying an airport extreme and two airport expresses. Airport Extreme is $199. Each Airport Express is $99.99. Non-Apple hardware may be similar in price or less. They may or may not work as well as the Eero system.

Robert
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