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Eero vs Velop - Please advise

New eero owner here and love it so far, just got the 2 router pack without the beacons.   However, I also have a 3 pack velop Tri-band with a couple weeks left to return.   I don’t want this to be a vs thread but I couldn’t really find any real world comparisons of the two units, unbiased, detailed ones.   Some people are like, the velop is garbage, but don’t really say why.  Others are the Eeros are too expensive, etc.   

my go to router was the AMPLIFI HD, rock solid connection and range, but with nearly 50 devices, I’m thinking the dual band AMPLIFI is starting to take a hit.   So,..... I purchased the velop, tried it out and not too bad, but their app is terrible, crashes, slow, etc.  Also purchased the eero, which I’m on it’s connection now.   I also tried the Orbi,and with random, constant WiFi disconnects, it was just too unreliable so I returned it.   

It also comes down to price.   I was able to get the 3 pack velop for $300, Black Friday sale.  The two pack eero was 350.   So considering, cost, reliability, WiFi speed and range and any other factors the eero community might add, which would choose and why?  

Note: on FIOS 150/150, PS4 hardwired and wink hub hardwired.   

13 replies

    • Steve1963
    • 5 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I have tried several systems and some of the same ones you did - Amplifi HD and Orbi to name two.  Orbi was horribly unstable and satellites wouldn't stay synced, and sometimes the system would just lose internet connectivity and would have to be rebooted.  Amplifi has an Eero-like app and was a breeze to set up and install, but when (at the time) I got my 60+ devices connected, speed took a major hit and my 300 Mb/s went to 120 or so at my iMac about 35 ft away. 

    I now have >100 clients connected at any given time - TV's, PC's & Macs, several Amazon Echos and Google Homes, Wemo switches, and lots of Yi and Amcrest cameras, as well as NAS units and Apple Time Capsules.  I also have Nest smoke detectors and a Nest thermostat. 

    I did consider Velop (the tri-band version; the new dual-band has gotten horrible reviews).  Linksys told me that each Velop node would only support 32 clients.  Eeros can support up to 128 devices on one Eero.  That was a dealbreaker for me, so I went with Eero and it's been tremendously stable since with no device compatibility issues.  They were great wirelessly meshed, and now I have three Eeros hard-wired and a 1 Gb/s internet service, and haven't looked back.  I get 800+ Mb/s on my ethernet-connected iMacs and 425-450 consistently throughout the house on my Mac laptops and my Windows PC via wireless.

    Keep in mind on cost, I have seen the two-pack second-gen. Eero pro on sale at a well-known national electronics store for well under $300, and eBay always has deals for well below $300.  Velop is seldom sold for <$400 for three units for the tri-band system, which would be the only one to consider.  Other systems might be cheaper than Eero but I haven't seen anything with a) the terrific device compatibility and b) the legendary stability - my Eero system just NEVER crashes or goes off-line, despite my complex network, even when meshed wirelessly.

      • Chi7
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Steve1963  thanks.  Yeah.  I’ve been using it for a couple weeks now and everything has been solid with better range than the 3 pack tri band Velop I have, although I only used two modes.  The Velop will be getting returned soon.   Problem is my alarm which is connected to WiFi, goes offline sometimes and reverts to cellular backup and not sure why it does that.   I’ve been in touch with eero support to try and figure it out.  

    • Mgreer316
    • 5 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I've tried Orbi, Velop, Amplifi, and eero pro. I choose the eero pro and for 6 months the performance has been flawless. However, their app as a serious lack that's been requested in this forum by large numbers of people for over 2 years, but they've yet to add it. With internet providers like Comcast enforcing data caps, the eero app does not report monthly data usage. Therefore, there's no way to track your accumulated usage in total or at the device level over a specified time frame. Others do this but eero currently doesn't. 

      • Chi7
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Mgreer316  same here.  was a die hard amplifi HD fan, rock solid, zero issues, but it's dual band and it's starting to take a hit with so many devices on my network.  I love the Eero and the app is very informative, while the Velop app isn't very useful. 

       

      I do have to say though, Velop pushed a firmware update and it's been rock solid and speed has been consistent at 150 up and down.  the Eero is giving me 117 up and 75 down on average.  Still torn between the two.  

    • Chi7
    • 5 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    So I’m in the edge of returning the eero.  I just can’t sustain the speeds over a distance like I can with the Velop.  Granted, it’s a 3 pack Tri-Band Velop compared to a 2 pack eero pro.  And for the same price, I’m getting an extra node with the Velop.   I pay for 150 up and down with FIOS and have gotten that consistently throughout my home.  Sometimes even with a two node setup.  

     

    I wish I knew what the issue was with eero.  Sometimes i have to be within several feet to top out on speed.  But I just can’t be satisfied with FIOS charging an an arm and a leg and not getting the speeds I’m paying for.  

     

    Unless someone has some suggestions, it’ll have to go back.  I do prefer the features and the app of the Eero.   Maybe eero will hook me up with a 3rd router.  😉. I’ve been telling myself that all the hardware is basically the same and it comes down to the software with leans towards Eero.  But when I’m working and my speed suffers, it’s definitely something I have to think about.   

      • Steve1963
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Chi7 you might want to try with placement; not sure how much area you’re trying to cover.  A few inches difference in placement can make a big difference in speeds.  In most technical testing I have seen, the Velop does outperform the eero, but the eero is better than all of the dual-band systems I have tried.  The app and stability are major eero selling points.  I think Velop dedicates one of its 5GHz bands to a backhaul connection with the main node, and Orbi has a dedicated backhaul band that cannot be used for client connections.  My Eeros are hardwired now, but even when meshed wirelessly, I was getting 200-250 Mb/s at the satellite Eeros.  You should be getting better than what you are, but I don’t know all of the dynamics you’re dealing with, what materials your home is made of, distance between nodes, obstructions, etc.  I don’t have a Velop, but have several newer linksys routers (EA9300, E8300, EA7300) and can tell you that over time they’re horrible about updating firmware - my EA9300 and 8300, which are by no means older router models, haven’t been issued firmware updates since November 2017.  I tried many systems and always ended up going back to Eero - the others are sitting in boxes on shelves.  In the end, choose what works best for you.

      • Chi7
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Steve1963 thanks your honesty.  Yes, strange, it's not a large home by any means, single ranch with basement, about 1200 sq ft.  I'm actually thinking of keeping the eero and purchasing another eero router, but man, it's getting expensive.  i've been getting b y with two eeros but basement performance suffers a bit and realized when i add a 3rd node there, i'm full speed throughout (with the velop 3 pack).  Odd too, cuz like i said, it's s small home.  Another option was to just grab a beacon, but not sure if its dual band performance is worth it and just get the tri-band router.  

       

      the velop i have is in fact triband and not dual band, and unlike some other users on other forums, i haven't had any issues with it, that's not to say, i don't forsee any and i know eero would be faster and more responsive in their customer service and firmware updates.  

      • Mgreer316
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Chi7 FYI Amazon has refurbed 2nd gen eero pro units available for $115. I just had one delivered 2 days ago and it works just fine. https://www.amazon.com/eero-Home-WiFi-System-Refurbished/dp/B07JF6SKRW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1545072953&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=eero+refurbished&dpPl=1&dpID=2185cJt93XL&ref=plSrch

      • Chi7
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Mgreer316 cool. Thanks for the heads up! 

      • Steve1963
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Chi7 Your house sounds very much like mine - mine is a raised ranch, about 57 years old, 1200 or so sq. ft on the main level and a finished basement with garage on the basement level.  I could get by with two wired Eeros but three is probably better when meshing wirelessly though two might work, too.  I have one at one end on the main floor (the gateway where my modem is), one on the other end, and one kind of centralized in the basement family room.  Try fiddling around with where you have them located and avoid obstructions between the two like appliances or furnace ducting.

      My opinion is to avoid the Beacons if you're already having issues with internet speeds, as the tri-band Eeros are about 25-30% faster for me.  When meshing wirelessly on my 300 Mb/s service at the time, I could get 220 or higher pretty easily with the tri-band Eero satellite (which was about 45 ft from the gateway but with few obstructions), but I got no more than about 170 and usually 140 or so with the Beacon when I tested it, and it was closer to the gateway.  Beacons are great for extending signal but you won't get the throughput you will with a tri-band Eero.  All of them were very reliable and stable, however.

      Velop and Orbi probably have the best scores in most benchmark testing, but my experience with Orbi especially was frustrating just because of lack of stability.  The Linksys routers were decent for speed and pretty reliable, but my Nest thermostat wouldn't respond and I had some issues with my Google Home devices staying connected.  I meshed them together with the EA8300 extending the EA9300 connecting to the 2nd 5GHz band on the EA9300, and got speeds virtually as fast at the EA8300 satellite as I did the main router.....but I had to set up that 5 GHz band with its own SSID on the EA9300 to force a connection to it.  I admit I haven't tried the Velop, but my setup seemed to approximate a Velop setup with two tri-band Linksys routers.  The Linksys app is not very good however - devices displayed strangely, and it would lose connection to the server all the time where I couldn't see my system remotely.  Eero is just a lot more solid from a software perspective.  And I like its small, attractive size.

      You could also consider running ethernet and connecting your second Eero to the gateway, if that's an option for you - they're still mesh wirelessly as well at the same time.  Your speeds will be great and two Eeros in a wired setup will be fine for a house your size.  You'll get max speeds everywhere.

      • Chi7
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Steve1963 oh man that’s funny.  That sounds exactly like my setup and home.  Lol.  The gateway FIOS router comes through one end of the house with the Eero.  The second eero is in kitchen above the kitchen cabinets.  I had to put it there since my computer in the basement is directly below the kitchen and the eero can also reach my backyard patio.  I also have a wink hub via Ethernet and it’s pretty mich the most centralized location with power available.  

       

      Yes.  The Velop raw speed was excellent. Never had connection issues with it but the app does leave a lot to be desired and I truly love the eero app.  I trust in a smaller committed company rather than a monster like Linksys treating their customers with bot relies and responses.   They do have a 3 year warranty which destroys the Eeros 1 year.  Hint hint, eero.   

       

      I just find find it odd thatvsince our homes aren’t that big, another 3rd Eero would really make full speeds throughout.  So i went ahead and ordered the refurbished one Mgreer316  suggested.  

      it should arrive Thursday and when it does and it’s all setup, I’ll post my findings.   Thanks again!  

      • Steve1963
      • 5 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Chi7 You bet and good luck.  I ordered two of the refurb units you mentioned from Amazon a few weeks ago to have on hand as backups and they will come in a brown box and look absolutely brand new.  Hope it corrects your issues.  

    • Chi7
    • 5 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    So I got the other refurbished router and all is good so far.  My iMac in the basement, where speeds were decent is now full at 150/150.   I haven’t tested the range yet as in our front in my driveway or my backyard patio but setup was a breeze and IN my home, I’m getting full speeds throughout.  Again, odd my small home requires 3 actual Eeros to get the speeds I’m paying for.  So thank you everyone especially for the amazon link.  

Content aside

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