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I tried Google Wifi, Eero, and Orbi — here's which one you should buy
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I'll never go back to
using a regular WiFi router and extender after trying Eero, the
first mesh WiFi system I tested.
A single WiFi router doesn't cover my whole house, and extenders
cut my internet speeds in half. Plus, I continuously need to
reconnect devices between the router and extender, and they're a
pain to setup.
Mesh WiFi systems fix all those problems, and their apps offer
easier setup and control than traditional routers.
The mesh WiFi systems I tried, including the Eero, Orbi, and
Google Wifi, all update themselves automatically without having
to do anything, too.
But I can't use all three systems at the same time, so I need to
make a choice. Here's how I picked the right WiFi system:
First, let's take a look at internet speeds from the main, primary routers from Eero, Orbi, and Google Wifi. All of them performed extremely well.
The main, primary routers from all three companies gave me
excellent download and upload speeds that actually exceed my 100
Mbps down/35 Mbps up advertised speeds from my internet service
provider (ISP).
Now, let's take a look at the performance from each system's satellite units.
I placed each company's satellite unit upstairs in my house, with
the primary router downstairs.
The Eero and Orbi satellites performed admirably, giving me
nearly the same results as the main unit.
The Eero's satellite achieve 99.6 percent of the main unit's
download speeds, and the Orbi's satellite achieve 99.9 percent of
the main unit's download speeds. That means the main units were
transmitting data to the satellite units efficiently.
Google Wifi's satellite performed comparatively poorly, as it
struggled to achieve download speeds above 70 Mbps, which
averages out to about 57 percent of the speeds the main unit
achieved.
Despite Google Wifi's poor satellite result, I could still stream
Netflix, browse the web, and lurk on social media just fine
upstairs, as 70 Mbps is still pretty fast. And even if you have
slower internet service from your ISP, say around 25 Mbps, and
Google Wifi's satellite only achieves about 15 Mbps, you'd still
be fine for streaming and general internet use. Yet, you'll be
better off with the Eero or Orbi if you have internet service
slower than 25 Mbps.
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Performance aside, each system has its own set of pros and cons that are also important to consider.
Eero
Pros:
- Excellent performance.
- Sleek, compact design.
- Incredibly easy setup.
- Good app.
- Updates itself without any manual intervention.
Cons:
- Expensive.
- Only two Ethernet ports for wired devices (only one on main
unit).
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Netgear Orbi
Pros:
- Excellent performance.
- Sleek design.
- Updates itself without manual intervention.
- More Ethernet ports (three on main unit, four on satellite).
- Most WiFi coverage per unit (2,000 square feet).
Cons:
- Large.
- Somewhat expensive.
- Setup isn't as easy as Eero or Google Wifi.
- App is poorly designed (Netgear says it's in the process of
updating it).
Google Wifi
Pros:
- Sleek, compact design.
- Incredibly easy setup.
- Excellent app.
- Updates itself without manual intervention.
- Least expensive.
Cons:
- Satellite unit performance was comparatively poor.
- Only two Ethernet ports for wired devices (only one on the main
unit).
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So which one would I pick?
I'd pick Google Wifi.
For my needs, and for my buck,
Google Wifi does what I need it to do, even if the satellite
unit's performance was lacking compared to the others.
The price difference is a big factor in my decision. A Google
Wifi three-pack costs $300 while an
Orbi 2-pack costs $380 (there's no three-pack, but two Orbis
cover the same amount square footage as three Eeros and Google
Wifi), and an Eero
three-pack costs $500. That's $80-200 I can save, or spend on
wine (I like wine) by going with Google Wifi. And Google Wifi's
single and two-pack options are also cheaper than Eero and Orbi.
For an $80-$200 savings, I don't mind so much that the Google
Wifi satellite unit doesn't perform as well as the Eero or Orbi.
My internet service is fast enough that it can afford a little
downgrade of speed for my less important devices connected to the
Google Wifi satellite.
For my specific setup, the devices that I want to receive the
fastest possible speeds are all connected to the main unit
downstairs. And, as you could tell tell from my test, the main
unit performs just as well as the others, giving my most
important devices downstairs the maximum download and upload
speeds my internet service will allow.
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Why not Eero or Orbi?
At $500, the Eero three-pack is the most expensive option by far
compared to Google Wifi's $300 three-pack and Orbi's $380
two-pack.
Netgear's Orbi satellite delivers better performance than Google
Wifi's, and each Orbi unit covers more square footage than the
Google Wifi units, but I can save the $80 extra that the Orbi
two-pack costs, or even $200 that the Eero costs. As I mentioned
above, I personally don't mind so much that the Google Wifi
satellite doesn't perform as well, as it served my needs just
fine.
Plus, the Orbi units are rather large, even if they have a nice
design.
However, if you need the best performance from a satellite unit,
and/or you can spare the extra $80 that the Orbi two-pack costs,
Netgear's Orbi is your best bet.
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