eero Labs features and feedback thread

hawkbdh WPA 3 is not supported on that printer. 

Sdworman TY agree, maybe my question is if WPA3 is enabled can non WPA3 devices co exist? Or is it an all or nothing situation? Appreciate the dialogue and feedback. 

Sdworman TY makes sense now, Much Appreciated!

Jayrowe1 Since 2018, WPA3 began showing up in devices and became a mandatory encryption protocol on July 1, 2020.

If all your devices have been manufactured within the past few years, they may have a WPA3 chip within them. In this case, having the ability to limit connections to WPA3 is great. But on networks with WPA2 devices (since 2004), eero does a good job of using the best protocol for each device.

Keep in mind that WPA3/WPA2 is all about encryption, not so much about speed (though newer protocols decrypt faster, you won't see the difference). This protects your network from hacking. eero software also offers a security software plugin to thwart attacks.

Clinically Speaking question...so with erro, when WPA3 is enabled its an all or nothing scenario, thus when WPA3 is enabled WPA2 devices are not operational. Any word of mixed mode WPA2/WPA3? I see other vendors have that offering. TY

Clinically Speaking 

Thanks, I do understand the difference in encryption levels, and I want to run WPA3 on my network for those security reasons. I also have eero security+ already. My point in posting to the eero labs forum is to recommend that there is more tolerance developed into the feature to allow devices only capable of WPA2 on the network. As a feature in the eero labs development, I presume feedback is appreciated. In order to make this feature usable, there should be a way for devices of both encryption levels to negotiate their entry to the network. One should not sacrifice the security of their entire network for one device incapable of using WPA3.  The write up of the feature indicates an attempt to make devices capable of WPA2 use that encryption even when turned on, but that some may not be backwards compatible. Instead, perhaps negotiation can be done with WPA2 and then if a device is capable of WPA3, use that encryption to secure to constant data transmissions between the device and the network. 

hawkbdh This is the default behavior for eero software. There is a beta option to force WPA3 that some are using (without WPA3 devices). Click on a listed device in the eero Home tab. Details about the device will indicate the encryption method.

tonych I really want to be able to "suggest" which eeros that devices connect to if available.  
During a reboot, devices get assigned erros that are to far away and get bad connection and speed.

tonych ring tends to prefer 2.4 since it's an external device it would travel further to connect.  Unless you have a eero nearby.  LG Os (TV) also prefers 2.4 even though it supports 5.0.  

Band steering is not perfect.  Wish we could isolate devices by Mac and eero and turn off 2.4.  2.4 is too "noisy" causes a lot of interference.

Sdworman I have distributed four eero around my house, near clusters of devices that happen to match up.  My Samsung TV, which connects on 5G, most of the time connects to a eero  which is like 4 ft away, but after a firmware update the eeros don't all come on line at the same time, and typically the one furthest away grabs my Samsung TV connection.   Of course some of these updates happen and you don't realize it.  So typically I will get crappy streaming then have to reboot the connected eero so that the Samsung jumps on the one a few feet away.

KirkNason you can decide when the firmware updates occurs kind of.  I actually have an update waiting now,, but will happen overnight.

However, devices will pick a eero based on best path and signal to get out to the internet.  It may find a eerob with less traffic or connected devices, but connect on 2.4.  This connection can cause crappy streaming.

I would recommend downloading a wifi analyzer app to see where your signal may be dropping.

Or you can take a laptop and just go to an area disconnect wifi and see how many bars you get to connect.

Keep in mind you can connect 2 eeros together to boost the signal such as in the TV area.

JimmieJohn Ultimately, what AP and band the X-Box connects to is completely and only up to the X-Box.   The eero can "encourage" it too trigger a reconnect, but ultimately the client (X-box) makes the decision.

txgunlover in this case, the encouragement wasn't effective.  I wonder if there is a certain requirement for devices.  A just updated Xbox one didn't pass the grade, at least this once.

Whatever was stopping it from using IPV6 was resolved some time after the reboot that got it back to 5 GHz.

Thanks for your interest and comments.   Stay safe! 

swlotrgta91 is it the gateway unit that disconnects?  This is the one connected to the internet router

Have you reached out to support?

Nanin You should not mix eero mesh routers with third-party extenders.

Clinically Speaking They are definitely Eero extenders, both of them.

Nanin there is no extender concept in a mesh network. You may have a eero Beacon. But it’s just a wireless only mesh device.

KirkNason Let me describe what I have:  I have one Eero pod connected by an Ethernet cable to my modem. The second pod is some distance away from the modem (about 20 metres) connected wirelessly to the wired pod.  This setup, including thev2 Eero pods was supplied to me by my ISP.  If I disconnect the wired Eero, I will have no Internet WiFi signal.

Nanin eero does not make pods.  Google uses these.

Eero make mesh access points. Just clarifying the terms that should be used.

In any case, band steering does not guarantee your devices will connect to 5ghz.  If the devices have connected consistently before it will try.  Otherwise, they will connect to 2.4.

You should make sure your device drivers are up to date as well. In early December, Intel, Nvidia, and Microsoft came out with updates causing issues of staying connected to wireless.  Sound and Video along with Bluetooth were so issues.

Sdworman Many thanks for your detailed reply. I really appreciate it.  I am attaching 2 photos of one of the eero's   as this may further illustrate the pods that I have been supplied with. 

These are generation 2 mesh access points.  Have you updated your devices drivers?  Also, I would reach out to eero support.  They can see what is happening.

Sdworman what is the best approach to check for available drivers and if any  install them, please?

Nanin 

Sdworman you go online.  

 You said it, man! With the never ending MS W.1 0 Updates, the most recent 4 in Dec.'20-Jan.2021  messed up my PC, again to the point that it cannot Install 2 of them (Win.10, 64bit, Jan. 2021) "Overall MS Win.10 64 Security Updates".  In Dec. I updated my Samsung Gal.Tab  7+ hoping to address frustrations w/Gal.Tab.6 inability to add POP3 email accounts, access phone & SMS  capabilities. I assumed it had to do w/overall issues with FIOS. So,  on Jan.14  I ended a 40 yr. addiction to VZ, am now "clean" of all services and signed on with RCN for LL & ISP and hence, enters eeros. The eeros hub seemed to  function for the Installer but I clearly noticed immediate issues with its Beacon.  Then, as soon as I registered my new eeros equipment as instructed by Installer, all erros' lights went out. No light on the hub, red on the beacon. I conducted  a Hard reset (equipment was still registered to another account) but lights are out on hub and nothing has helped the beacon (S# registered to another account). I gave up.  The PC works w/ Ethereal cable to Modem, the One+8 phone  is working wirelessly with the Modem and the eeros app, installed on cell and Tablet, functions for cell only.   I've lost wireless connectivity to 1. The printer (newish HP AIO) which worked with FIOS and the 2. Sam.Tab. S7+  "cannot find any eeros equipment" . I'm wirelessly connected thru the modem but where is the promised eeros security? I also determined w a PC Network Check,that Installer established connection to PC thru an old Network, not the one I've used for years. I tried to change the PC Wireless Adapter  pto use the proper Connection then lost all Internet connectivity to all devices including the PC.  Should I wipe out my eeros account and start fresh or ask Tech support to send new equipment? 

Deadnutz187 I have the option to Optimize for Conferencing and Gaming and I am using eero 6.  Just to make sure, you are looking in the AP under Discover -> eero Labs -->

Interesting enough, the network I do not have Wifi6 on, does not have that option...

Adams WPA 3 is not supported for this printer.  I posted before on this.  When I setup the eero to use WPA3 encryption, my printer stopped working.  WPA3 is still not widely supported.

Adams also, as I stated earlier band steering is beta for eero Labs.  When applied, the access point will check to see the device that is trying to connect to the wifi can support 5GHz vs. the 2.4GHz band.  If it cannot, then the device should connect to 2.4GHz.  I have mine tuned on, and do not have connection issues.  If you have connection issues with this, then you might have a coverage issue in your house which would have nothing to do with the band steering.  HTH...  Scott

Sdworman shouldn't your device use WPA2 automatically if WPA3 does not work? I think that is the way it is supposed to work, although eero does warn that some devices may not work if wpa3 is enabled. I can't imagine why. I would think the router should figure it out. 

JimmieJohn if you enable wpa3 then there is no wpa2 enabled to connect.  You are selecting encryption method for the ssid.  There can only be one type at a time supported.  Unless you setup a separate network which you cannot do at the same location.

Sdworman hey buddy, I appreciate your reply, but... that is not my experience.  Right now my eero says my phone is connected with 'advanced security (WPA3)', but my tablet is connected with 'basic security (WPA2)'. Quite a few devices don't even mention one or the other, but maybe they are ethernet connected.? I should have checked that before I started typing this. 

I really appreciate this forum and its contributors. 

Sdworman that’s not true. It runs in a “compatibility” type mode where it will try and let non-WPA3 compatible devices still connect—although some devices will struggle with this and fail to connect. The main thing is that you aren’t really getting the benefits of WPA3 unless all your devices are connecting through WPA3.

Polznb01 The band steering is used to "steer" a 5 GHz capable device to connect with less congestion.  Do your Roku TV and Kindle support 5GHz?  And keep in mind, the Band Steering is still in beta for the eero Labs.  It's not going to always work at the moment.

Sdworman The Roku TV is 5GHz capable. The Kindle however is not. Which is why I was a little confused on why it interfered with the Roku. That said, the tech is in beta and I understand these things will happen. But this is an example of something that clearly needs fixing. 

Polznb01 band steering in general, is a suggestion.  This is not a eero technology.  This is a wireless feature supported across many vendors.  

It would be great if 2.4GHz can be turned off.  Eero does not have this yet, but it should.

Polznb01 band steering on any brand of WiFi access points can be problematic (even enterprise grade APs). It’s not just an eero problem. Client devices will sometimes struggle to connect when band steering is enabled.

R1Amped either band steering or WPA3 (or both)

Fabi There is no requirement to activate band steering. It is a beta feature. eero will assign either WPA3 or WPA2 based on what each device supports.

Clinically Speaking i think you‘ve got me wrong, the issue appears with WPA3 switched on. Band steering works with the old iPad

Sheepmaster same here, same version.