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General discussion

Poll: Would you buy an Eero router setup?

Feb 3, 2015 8:58AM PST

Discussion is locked

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Eero router setup
Feb 3, 2015 9:56AM PST

Would I buy it? Not likely. I already have a router modem with built in wireless that has 3 desktop computers hooked up to it. The only time I use the wireless is when I want to check out a book from my public library's anytime library. I use the wireless to download the book to my Kindle.

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It sounds to me...
Feb 3, 2015 12:48PM PST

it's just lots of sales pitch. They have to convince me they have something special.

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Solution looking for problem
Feb 3, 2015 11:37PM PST

I just replaced my old router with one I paid all of $20 for, and it works very well. I have no problem connecting via WiFi in any room in the house, so I definitely can't imagine paying 15 times as much to solve a non-existent problem.

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Connection Problems?
Feb 4, 2015 1:55AM PST

The most obvious reasons in a close proximity neighborhood are:
1. Everyone uses auto channel selection which means routers are all battling for different channels, loosing connection when ever it switches.
So if everyone used a channel that no one else near used, then used channels would distribute across an area too weak for someone trying to use the same channel. ISPs like their IP addresses free when you are not using the net so they can overallocate their IP pool.
2. People are too lazy to figure out how to manually set up their wi-fi.
Thus, someone wanting to use your free wi-fi or monitor yours, aims a wide band 2.2Ghz dish in your direction and wait for you to get frustrated and re-setup your wi-fi using that stupid one button configuration thing they came out with a short while back at which point they now have access. Point is if you are that lazy then you are probably too lazy to check the router's log file for foreign MAC addresses.
But then again all anyone needs to do is configure their router to clone the MAC address of one of your wireless devices where in you get collisions and they get free wi-fi.

First rule of manufacturing:
Never create a product that lasts so long your customer need not buy a new one.

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Stronger signal?
Feb 5, 2015 6:24AM PST

I can't even get faster than 1.5mbits at my house no thanks to AT&T.

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Not the best solution for me
Feb 7, 2015 11:17AM PST

I live in an apartment that requires a slightly oddball setup. The Internet (fiber) connection enters the apartment via an Ethernet jack in my bedroom, while my primary computer, NAS, printers and other Ethernet-connected devices are installed in the living room. There is no "modem" device here, that's taken care of by the utility company that doubles as my ISP; and no other Ethernet jacks anywhere in the apartment, so I'm stuck with my only connection in a somewhat inconvenient location.

Initially I used powerline networking to get the connection to the router in the living room, but as time went on I added more items that either require Ethernet or that I'd just rather connect that way. So I moved the router to the bedroom and plugged it into the Ethernet jack, fed the powerline system from the router, and installed an eight-port switch where the router (with just four LAN ports) had been. The router is hidden in a corner behind a nightstand so its bright blue light doesn't keep me awake at night but still provides a very faint "nightlight".

Small as the place is, even one ordinary router's wireless range is overkill; but my solution costs less and makes more sense (to me) than getting wireless adapters for the devices that don't have their own Wi-Fi. It may be a bit of a kludge, but it works well.