Along with new Fire TV hardware and improved Alexa functionality, Amazon is showing off its first Wi-Fi 7 router. The Eero Max 7 arrives later this year for $600—as you can probably guess, it’s the best Eero router available to date, but it’s totally overkill for most people. You should only buy this router if you pay for 10 Gig fiber internet, or if you own cutting-edge server equipment that could benefit from increased LAN speeds.
Anyway, the Eero Max 7’s flagship feature is Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. This is a next-gen technology that delivers wireless speeds over 40 Gbps and utilizes additional spectrum to reduce network congestion. According to Amazon, a single Eero Max 7 router provides up to 2,500 square feet of coverage and can connect with over 200 devices. Of course, Eero Max 7 is a mesh Wi-Fi router. You can pair it with multiple other Eero nodes to increase your Wi-Fi range, and all Eero routers are cross-compatible, regardless of their speed or price.
The Eero Max 7’s port selection is pretty fantastic. Amazon packed this puppy with a pair of 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, plus two 2.5 Gigabit ports. Very few devices support Wi-Fi 7, but 10 GbE has already gained traction in the enterprise world and is supported by some enthusiast-grade equipment (such as QNAP NAS devices). Thankfully, 2.5 GbE is somewhat common, even in relatively inexpensive PCs and networking equipment.
Of course, this router comes with all the typical Eero accouterment. It doubles as a smart home hub for Thread devices and can act as a controller for Matter and Zigbee hardware. If you’re willing to pay $10 a month for eero Plus, you also get advanced internet usage analytics, increased security tools, network-wide ad blocking, content filters, a free 1Password membership, and Amazon’s Internet Backup tool (which automatically funnels your home network through a user-determined hotspot when your internet goes out).
You probably don’t need to buy the Eero Max 7 or any other Wi-Fi 7 router. To reiterate, this is cutting-edge hardware that costs a lot of money. But if you currently pay for 10 Gig internet, or if you own some really fancy networking hardware, the Eero Max 7 router might be a solid purchase when it launches later this year. Just know that Wi-Fi 7 routers will cost far less than $600 in just a year or two.
Source: Amazon