Performance was consistently good throughout my home, with some of the fastest speeds I have recorded at close and medium range. My top pick, the Orbi 770 Series, outperformed the BE67 in some scenarios. By default, the 6-GHz band is a separate SSID named _6GHz, and MLO is switched off. I joined with my Pixel 10 Pro XL, and after multiple speed tests at close range (up to 8 feet away), I generally got download speeds around 100 Mbps faster than on the 5-GHz band, but this dropped sharply with distance. The range of 6 GHz is significantly shorter, and just one room over, the signal strength was visibly weaker than that of 5 GHz. If you want to take advantage of 6 GHz for wireless backhaul, you can’t have the routers too far apart or with too many obstacles, or you will have dead zones. I don’t think the coverage is as wide as TP-Link suggests, though much depends on your home; the Orbi 770 offered slightly better range for me.
Disappointingly, the free tier of HomeShield offers only limited security, and Security+ costs $5 a month or $36 a year for web and intrusion protection with notifications and reports, while Total Security costs $70 a year for the first year ($130 per year after) and adds antivirus for devices, VPN service, and a password manager. Advanced Parental Controls require a second subscription costing $3 a month or $18 a year for time limits, downtime scheduling, rewards, app time limits, safe search, insights, and reports. Quality of Service allows you to prioritize specific devices and set bandwidth allowances. There is also a mixed-mode security option for WPA2 and WPA3. You can also split the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz bands and create guest or IoT networks.
Deco App via Simon Hill
Deco App via Simon Hill
Deco App via Simon Hill
The Deco app and web interface are solid but fairly limited in terms of options. The app was able to identify many of the devices on my network, but this required me to share data with a third party. There is now an option to run a speed test on the router to see what your ISP delivers, which is handy. Initially, this three-pack gave me reliable and speedy internet throughout my home and garden, though some instability crept in after a few months, which was occasionally noticeable when everyone was home and online at once.
TP-Link does have far too many similar mesh systems, though, and I run through some of the alternatives below. Performance and price-wise, the BE67 falls between the BE63 and the flagship BE85, and I think it’s the sweet spot in TP-Link’s line-up for most people. The Deco BE68 is the same system as the BE67, but exclusive to Best Buy.
Best for Simplicity
-SOURCE-Simon-Hill.jpg)
WIRED
- Easy to set up and use
- Supports Thread, Matter, and Zigbee
- Solid Wi-Fi 6E performance
TIRED
- Very limited ports
- Expensive subscription required for security and parental controls
Amazon’s Eero mesh systems are some of the easiest to set up, offer fairly wide coverage, and deliver stable connectivity. The Eero Pro 6E is an elegant system, available as two or three identical routers. The Eeros blend in easily on a table or shelf, sport a USB-C port for power and two Ethernet ports rated at 2.5 Gbps and 1 Gbps. This tri-band system supports Wi-Fi 6E, offering the 6-GHz band alongside 2.4- and 5-GHz, and is designed to be a hands-off, set-and-forget mesh system.
The Eero Pro 6E performed impressively in my tests, with no drops and a proven ability to share bandwidth effectively. The mobile app is straightforward, giving you an overview of connected devices with the option to pause the internet and set up a guest network. I could also create profiles, group devices, set schedules, and fix bedtimes. Unfortunately, content filtering, other parental controls, advanced security, ad blocking, and activity insights require an Eero Plus subscription at $10 per month or $100 per year.
