The Best Tested and Reviewed Mesh Wi-Fi Routers of 2024

Coverage and speed are good, well below the Asus XT8 but better than the Eero 6 (below). The app is very simple and makes setting up a guest network easy. Originally released with the free HomeCare software, now changed to the HomeShield system, TP-Link has also updated its HomeShield and Parental Monitoring subscriptions. You get basic network security (router scan, guest network, QoS) and parental controls (create profiles, pause network, blocking and filtering) for free, but everything else requires a subscription.

HomeShield Security+ costs $5 per month or $36 per year and adds network and intrusion protection with notifications and reporting. Total Security costs $70 per year and adds device antivirus, VPN service and a password manager. Advanced Parental Control costs $3 per month or $18 per year and adds time limits, downtime schedules, rewards, app time limits, Safe Search, insights, and reporting. While this granularity allows you to pick and choose what you need, it can be confusing to some, and I’m not a fan of subscription creep. That said, most families will probably want Security+ and advanced parental controls, which sell for $54 a year ($1 less than the HomeShield Pro it replaces).

Quality of Service features let you prioritize activities like gaming or streaming, or set priority devices. Importantly, you can Split the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands Shown as two separate Wi-Fi networks. This is convenient because some smart home devices only operate on the former band. Likewise, there are mixed modes for WPA2 and WPA3 security. Some devices don’t support the newer WPA3 standard, and some routers force you to choose one, which can cause problems. This mode ensures that all your gadgets use compliant standards.

The web interface is basic and doesn’t add much, so I prefer using the easy-to-use app. However, updates are a bit slow, and the settings are still limited. It didn’t recognize many devices and listed obscure hardware manufacturer names, making it difficult to determine which devices to add to my child’s profile.

It’s not the fastest actuator around, but the system is fast and reliable enough for the average home. If your connection is 500 Mbps or faster, it might be worth upgrading to Deco X55 or Deco X60.

Best for smart homes

Amazon’s Eero 6 mesh system is one of the easiest to set up, offers fairly wide coverage, and provides a stable connection. It’s an elegant system that works as three identical routers or (a little cheaper) as a main router and two smaller nodes. The Eeros can sit on a desk or shelf, but its compact design leaves no room for any ports. (There are only two gigabit ports on the router, not on the nodes.)

Although the base Eero 6 was one of the slower systems I tested, especially over longer distances, the node’s speeds were close to what I got from the main router. There wasn’t any packet loss, and it proved adept at sharing the limited bandwidth. This simple mobile app gives you an overview of your connected devices, with the option to pause the network and set up a guest network. I was also able to create profiles, group devices, set schedules and set bedtimes. Unfortunately, content filtering, additional parental controls, advanced security, ad blocking, and activity insights require an Eero Plus subscription, which costs $10 per month or $100 per year.