If you happen to reside in a bigger house with a number of tales, upgrading to a mesh router that makes use of a number of units to relay a greater Wi-Fi sign all through your property is fairly near a no brainer at this level. You have bought a number of choices, together with two notable programs from Google and Amazon: the Nest Wifi Professional and the Eero Professional 6E, respectively.
Every system guarantees top-of-the-line mesh efficiency due to the addition of Wi-Fi 6E, a brand new designation for current-gen, Wi-Fi 6 units which might be geared up to ship alerts within the not too long ago opened 6GHz band. Each promise to quarterback your sensible house, too, with full assist for the trade’s new common sensible house commonplace Matter and different options aimed toward house automation fans.
So which system is the higher of the 2? Positive sufficient, we have simply completed testing them out side-by-side, and we have loads of information to share. Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at how every system carried out, and what separates them. (For extra, try find out how to arrange your mesh router for the most effective efficiency, and the most effective location to your Wi-Fi router.)
Nest Wifi Professional
Google’s latest, strongest mesh router
Google’s Nest Wifi Professional builds on the earlier model of Nest Wifi by including in considerably sooner speeds with full assist for Wi-Fi 6E. That signifies that it may join different Wi-Fi 6E units over the newly unlocked 6GHz band along with the present 2.4 and 5GHz bands. That is a superb factor — the 6GHz band options greater than twice as a lot bandwidth because the 5GHz band, with room for a number of 160MHz channels of site visitors, and with no previous-gen Wi-Fi units within the combine, that site visitors will get pleasure from a major discount in interference.
The opposite huge change with Nest Wifi Professional is that there are now not Google Assistant sensible audio system constructed into the extenders. The truth is, the Nest Wifi Professional does not characteristic separate extender units in any respect. In contrast to the unique Nest Wifi, every Nest Wifi Professional system is equivalent and interchangeable, so any of them can function the principle router of the system. Learn our Nest Wifi Professional evaluate.
Velocity score: AXE5400
Construct: Tri-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz)
Wi-Fi commonplace: 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Vary: 2,200 sq. ft
Processor: Twin-core 64-bit ARM CPU
Reminiscence: 1GB RAM, 4GB flash
Encryption: WPA3
Ethernet jacks: Two
Ethernet/WAN pace: 1Gbps
Dimensions (WHD): 4.61 x 5.12 x 3.35 inches
Constructed-in Thread radio: Sure
Constructed-in Zigbee radio: No
Constructed-in sensible audio system: No
Backwards compatibility: No
Colours: Snow, fog, linen, lemongrass
Worth: $139 (1-pack), $300 (2-pack), $346 (3-pack)
CNET evaluate rating: 7.7
…Learn extra
Eero Professional 6E
Amazon’s top-of-the-line mesh router
Launched in 2022, the Eero Professional 6E is the quickest and most succesful mesh router the Amazon-owned model has ever launched, and it is the one one which provides Wi-Fi 6E assist into the combination. Beginning at $250 for a single system, $400 for a two-pack or $550 for a three-pack, the Eero Professional 6E definitely is not low-cost, nevertheless it nonetheless prices significantly lower than top-of-the-line Wi-Fi 6E mesh choices just like the Netgear Orbi AXE11000 or the Linksys Velop Atlas Max 6E. The Eero Professional 6E saved up with programs like these in our at-home checks, and even outperformed them by some metrics.
With assist for Amazon’s Alexa and built-in radios for Zigbee and Thread, the Eero Professional 6E is positioned nicely to function a sensible house centerpiece. That is notably true in Alexa households, however the Zigbee radio lets it join with all kinds of devices like sensible lights and sensible locks no matter which voice assistant you like, and the Thread radio permits it to facilitate transmissions between Thread-based devices that assist Matter. All of that, plus backwards compatibility with older Eero units and a multi-gig WAN port that enables for wi-fi speeds in extra of a single gigabit, make this technique an interesting and forward-looking house networking improve. Learn our Eero Professional 6E evaluate.
Velocity score: AXE5400
Construct: Tri-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz)
Wi-Fi commonplace: 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E)
Vary: 2,000 sq. ft
Processor: 1GHz dual-core processor
Reminiscence: 1GB RAM, 4GB flash
Encryption: WPA3
Ethernet jacks: Two
Ethernet/WAN pace: 2.5Gbps
Dimensions (WHD): 5.5 x 1.9 x 5.5 inches
Constructed-in Thread radio: Sure
Constructed-in Zigbee radio: Sure
Constructed-in sensible audio system: No
Backwards compatibility: Sure
Colours: White
Worth: $250 (1-pack), $400 (2-pack), $550 (3-pack)
CNET evaluate rating: 8.0
…Learn extra
Them’s the specs. Now, let’s dive somewhat deeper into how these two programs actually stack up.
The brand new Nest Wifi Professional mesh router is available in your alternative of 4 colours.
Design aesthetics: Nest notches a colourful win
Mesh routers are supposed to be positioned out within the open all through your property, as a result of wi-fi efficiency plummets for those who stuff the factor in a closet or the again of a junk drawer. If you happen to’re utilizing them proper, you are going to be seeing this stuff, and that signifies that the aesthetics matter.
Within the case of Nest and Eero, the aesthetics actually come right down to minimalist versus tremendous minimalist. Neither one bombards you with antennas or flashing lights. As a substitute, they each cover the {hardware} on the within, which makes every of the designs quite a bit much less conspicuous. Nest presents your alternative of 4 colours, although, whereas the all-white Eero Professional 6E sticks to the identical protected, considerably bland design playbook of each Eero era that got here earlier than it. It is not an eyesore by any stretch, nevertheless it is not doing as a lot to justify a spot out within the open in your lounge or bed room as Nest is.
Winner: Nest Wifi Professional
Every Eero Professional 6E system comes with an Ethernet jack that is able to dealing with incoming wired speeds as excessive as 2.5Gbps. That makes it a greater decide than Nest Wifi Professional for multi-gig web plans.
{Hardware}: Eero’s backwards compatibility and multi-gig jack give it the sting
Splashy colour decisions apart, let’s discuss concerning the insides of those mesh programs. With matching AXE5400 builds providing high speeds of two.3 gigabits per second (2,300Mbps) on the 5 and 6GHz bands, plus a 2.4GHz band with high speeds of 800Mbps, the Eero Professional 6E and Nest Wifi Professional appear comparably quick, however there are some finer factors price inspecting.
For starters, every Eero Professional 6E system comes with an Ethernet jack that is able to accepting incoming wired speeds as quick as 2.5Gbps. With Nest Wifi Professional, each of the Ethernet jacks on every system will cap your incoming wired speeds at 1Gbps, which is not splendid for those who’re paying up for a multi-gig web connection, or planning to improve to 1 anytime quickly. Thoughts you, Eero says that you simply should not anticipate to see wi-fi speeds any sooner than 1.3Gbps, however nonetheless, if you wish to surf at faster-than-a-gigabit speeds, Eero is the clear alternative right here.
One other key level of consideration on the {hardware} entrance: Backwards compatibility. The Eero Professional 6E presents it, the Nest Wifi Professional doesn’t. With backwards compatibility, present Eero customers might buy a single Eero Professional 6E system and add it into their present setup with older-gen Eero units. You may’t do this with Nest Wifi Professional — the system will not work with present {hardware} from the unique Nest Wifi system, nor can it join with first-gen Google Wifi {hardware}.
“To do this with Google Wifi and Nest Wifi generations that do not assist 6GHz was not going to be a superb expertise for customers,” stated Ben Brown, Google Nest’s director of product administration for power and connectivity.
The back and front of the Nest Wifi Professional mesh router. Every system comes with two Ethernet jacks, so in contrast to the unique Nest Wifi, you may wire them collectively for sooner efficiency. Nevertheless, Nest Wifi Professional units usually are not backwards suitable with the unique Nest Wifi or Google Wifi mesh units.
That is honest sufficient, nevertheless it signifies that present Nest Wifi customers will not be capable to improve their setups one system at a time. It is also noteworthy as a result of the Nest Wifi Professional now not options extenders with built-in sensible audio system such as you bought with the unique Nest Wifi. If you happen to wished to make use of these older, Google Assistant-equipped extenders with the brand new Nest Wifi Professional, you are out of luck.
One final observe: Amazon not too long ago introduced that you’ll use choose Echo and Echo Dot sensible audio system as Wi-Fi extenders for Eero networks. We have not examined that out simply but (keep tuned), however as pitches go, it seems like an interesting and cost-effective method to give your community a minor pace enhance at vary — and the Nest Wifi Professional does not supply something prefer it.
Winner: Eero Professional 6E
Watch this: Google Nest Wired Doorbell and Nest Wifi Professional Arms-On
Speeds: Eero will get the sting, however Nest scores for stability
The Nest Wifi Professional is the latest mesh router available on the market, however we have been capable of take the system for a take a look at journey at our lab in current weeks. We examined it towards a handful of different programs that assist Wi-Fi 6E, together with the Eero Professional 6E, so let’s check out how the 2 in contrast. Chart time!
Up first, some scatter plots. Particularly, the 2 scatter plots under, every of which is displaying you the entire completely different obtain speeds logged whereas we examined two-piece Eero Professional 6E and Nest Wifi Professional mesh programs in our five-room, 1,350-square-foot take a look at setting, the place we’ve a gigabit reference to obtain speeds that high out at 940Mbps. Throughout all checks in all rooms, the Eero Professional 6E got here again with a mean obtain pace of 586Mbps, greater than 100Mbps sooner than the Nest Wifi Professional common of 482Mbps. In 4 out of 5 rooms, the Eero Professional 6E was capable of hit obtain speeds as excessive as 750Mbps throughout some take a look at runs, which is an excellent end result and, once more, higher than we noticed from the Nest Wifi Professional.
Every dot in these scatter plots represents the obtain pace throughout a single pace take a look at to a Wi-Fi 6 laptop computer on a gigabit community with the Eero Professional 6E and the Nest Wifi Professional working the connection, respectively.
Nevertheless, whereas the Eero Professional 6E was capable of hit larger highs than the Nest Wifi Professional, it additionally noticed decrease lows. It is plain as day within the chart on the left, with pace leads to the lounge and kitchen dropping down as little as 150Mbps throughout some checks. The primary router sits in the lounge throughout these checks and the kitchen is the subsequent room over, so these are close-range Wi-Fi speeds that must be quite a bit larger. What offers?
To reply that query, I would like to clarify my take a look at process a bit. For every router I evaluate, I run a number of sequence of pace checks throughout morning, afternoon and night hours. For every set of checks, I run three pace checks in every of the 5 rooms, beginning near the router in the lounge and ending removed from it within the storage. Then (and that is the necessary bit), I run all of these checks once more, besides this time, I begin my Wi-Fi connection from afar within the storage and work my approach again in the direction of the router.
It was in these back-to-front checks that the Eero Professional 6E noticed slower speeds close to the router, and that is as a result of after I began my connection from far-off, the system acknowledged that and routed my connection by means of the satellite tv for pc extender (which we all the time place within the children’ room). That is the appropriate method at first, however as soon as I moved again into the lounge, the system continued to route my connection by means of the extender, so it was nearly as if I used to be sitting even farther away from the router than the storage. Within the checks the place speeds dropped under 200Mbps, it might need been that Eero was routing me to the slower 2.4GHz band as a result of it perceived me to be a number of rooms away from the extender, all with out realizing that I used to be, the truth is, sitting in the identical room as the principle router.
That is not an uncommon end result — I see back-to-front routing points like that with mesh routers on a regular basis — so it is not a serious ding on the Eero Professional 6E. As a substitute, I have a look at that end result as a extremely good one for the Nest Wifi Professional, which did not see any inconsistencies in speeds from take a look at to check. Consequently, the dots within the Nest Wifi Professional scatter plot are all fairly shut collectively, which tells you that it is about as secure and dependable as mesh routers get. That is a superb consequence right here, even when it is not the quickest mesh system we have examined.
These graphs chart the latency outcomes throughout the entire pace checks we ran, all the time to the identical take a look at server. Each programs held to a baseline of about 20ms, which is what we anticipate to see with this server, however the Nest Wifi Professional additionally noticed a number of extreme spikes, one as excessive as 150ms. That is the kind of factor that would trigger an annoying delay throughout a video name.
One final level of observe on efficiency: Along with speeds, we all the time control every system’s latency, as nicely. Every pace take a look at that we run goes to the identical take a look at server situated a number of hundred miles away in St. Louis, and with many of the routers we have examined right here, the latency per take a look at usually comes again at proper round 20ms — the time it takes our sign to succeed in that St. Louis server and make it again to us. The Eero Professional 6E held tight to that 20ms baseline throughout all of our checks, with only some tiny latency spikes up round 25ms. However the Nest Wifi Professional? It routinely noticed spikes as excessive as 150ms once we examined it. You may see for your self in these radar graphs above — and observe that I really wanted to zoom the size out on the Nest Wifi Professional graph to be able to present the total extent of the problem.
These latency spikes might trigger delays throughout a video name or a web based gaming match, so they don’t seem to be splendid. I am doing somewhat extra digging on this quirk to see what the precise challenge was, so I will replace this put up if I’ve extra to share, however Eero was the clear latency winner between the 2. Between that and the upper (if much less constant) common speeds, Eero will get the sting, total, as nicely.
Winner: Eero Professional 6E
The Eero app makes it simple to arrange and handle your property community, nevertheless it does not supply the identical stage of sensible house management because the Nest Wifi Professional’s Google Dwelling app.
Ease of use: Eero and Nest each make Wi-Fi lifeless easy
From Google Wifi to Nest Wifi to Nest Wifi Professional, Google has a superb monitor file within the mesh class, as does Eero, which has a number of generations of mesh {hardware} on its resume over the previous decade or so. Every firm locations a robust emphasis on the software program working their respective mesh programs, and every has a robust historical past of dependable efficiency in CNET checks.
You will management the Nest Wifi Professional alongside all types of different sensible house devices within the newly revamped Google Dwelling app.
That software-heavy method to mesh networking extends to the apps that you’re going to use to regulate every system, as nicely. No matter whether or not you are establishing a mesh router from Eero or from Nest, you may anticipate the expertise to be fast and straightforward due to simplified app controls that stroll you thru every step of the method, together with placement tips that will help you place every extender in an optimum location. From there, every system’s app does a superb job of providing fast entry to widespread house networking options. That signifies that neither system has an actual edge over the opposite so far as simplicity is worried.
The one factor I would observe is that Google moved its predominant house networking controls into the newly revamped Google Dwelling app, the place they sit alongside different controls for including and controlling devices like cameras, audio system and sensible lights. If you happen to’re already a sensible house fanatic — notably a Google-minded sensible house fanatic — then that all-in-one method is perhaps precisely what you need. If not, and also you simply need a router app that sticks to routers, then maybe the Eero app is a greater match.
Winner: Tie
Sensible house: Each assist Matter, however Eero’s Zigbee radio places it excessive
Talking of the sensible house, it is a central a part of the pitch with each Eero and Nest. For starters, every system consists of built-in radios for Thread, a low-power protocol that transmits as an additional layer to your present Wi-Fi sign. That is necessary, as a result of Thread is an enormous a part of the pitch for Matter, a brand new common sensible house commonplace backed by Amazon, Apple, Google and many others. A lot of Matter units will use Thread to relay their alerts forwards and backwards, and each the Nest Wifi Professional and Eero Professional 6E mesh routers are totally geared up to quarterback these alerts and hold Matter sensible properties working easily.
Thread apart, every system has its personal distinctive method to courting sensible house fans. On the Nest aspect, you may now not discover Google Assistant sensible audio system constructed into every extender such as you bought with the unique Nest Wifi, however it is possible for you to to regulate the Nest Wifi Professional alongside your whole different linked house gizmos within the Google Dwelling app, which guarantees to function a one-stop-shop for sensible house administration. Eero does not have that — the Eero app is strictly a router app, and when you can sync your Eero up with Amazon’s voice assistant, the networking controls within the Alexa app aren’t sufficient to place it on the identical all-inclusive stage as Google Dwelling.
For its half, the Eero Professional 6E contains a devoted Zigbee radio along with the Thread radio, which is one thing you will not get with Nest. Zigbee is one other low-power wi-fi protocol, however in contrast to Thread, it is totally separate from Wi-Fi. Loads of linked locks, lights and different sensible house devices use Zigbee to ship their alerts, and pairing units like these with your property’s Wi-Fi community usually requires you to attach a Zigbee hub to your router to behave as translator. With the Eero Professional 6E, that hub comes in-built, which frees up certainly one of your treasured Ethernet jacks and makes it attainable to pair Zigbee units immediately together with your router.
This one’s shut, however for me, the mix of that Zigbee radio with the characteristic that permits you to use Echo audio system as Wi-Fi extenders offers Eero a barely extra compelling case as a sensible house dream router. Benefit Amazon.
Winner: Eero Professional 6E
Worth: Nest Wifi Professional is considerably cheaper
This one was once a draw, however the Nest Wifi Professional has come down considerably in value because it launched. Obtainable at $139 for a single system, $300 for a two-pack or $346 for a three-pack, the Nest Wifi Professional is tons of of {dollars} cheaper than the Eero Professional 6E, which rings in at $250 for a single system, $400 for a two-pack or $550 for a three-pack.
Nonetheless, each the Eero Professional 6E and Nest Wifi Professional are two of the most effective values within the Wi-Fi 6E class, interval. They’re a number of the solely Wi-Fi 6E routers to this point that you would be able to get for lower than $200 with out a huge sale. That’ll place each routers fairly nicely as folks proceed upgrading to telephones, laptops and different main units that assist Wi-Fi 6E. It is perhaps sufficient for shoppers to forgive Nest’s lack of backwards compatibility or multi-gig assist.
Winner: Nest Wifi Professional
The decision
This can be a shut one, as each programs are fairly interesting for anybody seeking to improve their house community. Eero’s greatest benefit is on the {hardware} aspect — specifically, the truth that it features a multi-gig Ethernet jack, a built-in Zigbee radio, sooner common speeds and backwards compatibility with earlier-gen Eero units. You do not get any of that with Nest.
Alternatively, loads of sensible properties have already got a Zigbee hub of some type (the Philips Hue Bridge, the SmartThings Hub and the Amazon Echo Plus are just some that’ll do the job). Others could not want one in any respect. In the meantime, Eero’s multi-gig assist is good to have in a forward-looking sense, nevertheless it does not supply fast relevance to the overwhelming majority of us residing with sub-gigabit web speeds.
Ultimately, each programs are recommendable at their costs. I just like the Nest Wifi Professional higher as kind of an entry-level Wi-Fi 6E decide, and one that would get higher with time as Google continues tweaking its mesh system. The Eero Professional 6E seems like extra of an improve to me, and a extra totally featured system given the additional {hardware} packed inside. Each are positioned to be succesful sensible house centerpieces — the Eero is perhaps barely extra interesting on that entrance due to the built-in Zigbee radio, however the Nest Wifi Professional’s integration into the all-encompassing Google Dwelling app has some enchantment of its personal, particularly in sensible properties which might be already centered round Google {hardware} and Google Assistant voice instructions.
I give the Eero Professional 6E a small edge right here, total, however each programs are attention-grabbing picks right here in 2024.
