7 On Your Side: Consumer Reports tests new Wi-Fi device for the home

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

There's a new way to get Wi-Fi in every corner of your home. Seven On Your Side's Michael Finney partners up with Consumer Reports to test this home wireless fix.

Getting a good Wi-Fi signal in every room of your home can be tough, especially if you have a large house or lots of brick walls that block signals. But consumer reports just tested a new product that may help.

Jim Willcox knows a lot about TVs and streaming media devices. He writes about them for Consumer Reports. But when it comes to getting a Wi-Fi signal throughout his house, he's at a loss.

"The signal is fine at the foot of the bed, but we don't get a signal at the headboard," said Willcox.

So, Consumer Reports' Wi-Fi expert, Rich Fisco, brought the new Eero home Wi-Fi system to Willcox's house to replace his old router.

"The Eero is a new way of getting good Wi-Fi all over your home. It creates what's known as a mesh network," said Fisco.

A mesh network is made up of multiple units that talk to each other wirelessly.

Consumer Reports tested the Eero the same way it tests wireless routers and found the Eero's signal is very impressive - even at the furthest test spot.

And set up is easy, too. You plug the first unit into your modem. The rest is done with an app on your phone.

But the Eero can be pretty pricey depending on how many units you need. It's $200 for one,$ 500 for three. A Wi-Fi extender can be cheaper, but it's not as effective.

"Extenders cut your signal in half. They only have one Wi-Fi radio that's used to receive and send signals," he said.

The Eero signal is faster because it has two radios - one to send and another to receive.

As for Willcox, he bought an Eero system and now can get wireless all over his house, even at the head of his bed.

Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union. Both Consumer Reports and Consumers Union are not-for-profit organizations that accept no advertising. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.