Slow speeds on an eero 6+ come from the internet plan, the wired path, the placement of the nodes or the busyness of the network, and a few quick tests tell you which. The eero 6+ is a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 system with Gigabit Ethernet ports, which suits plans up to about 1 Gigabit, so the unit itself is not the limit on most home plans. Start with a wired test: connect a laptop by Ethernet to the eero gateway and run a speed test. If that result is well below your plan, the fault lies with the provider, the modem or the cable between them, and you should restart the modem and check its manual.
The checks in more detail
If wired is good and Wi-Fi is slow, the issue is wireless: where is the device compared with the nearest eero, and what is between them? Walls, floors and large appliances cut Wi-Fi, and a device two rooms away from the nearest eero connects slowly. Place the eeros about two rooms apart, in the open and off the floor, not hidden in a cupboard. Where possible connect the nodes by Ethernet, which gives them the full speed of the link and leaves the radios free for devices.
If you use wireless links between nodes, each hop halves the speed, so avoid long chains. A busy network, with many cameras, streams and backups, shares the same airtime, so look at the app's device list for devices using a lot of data. Check that the eero firmware is up to date, and restart the network. Old devices that use slow Wi-Fi standards slow their neighbors, because they take more airtime. If a device is far from any eero, add a node. After a change, run the speed test at the same spot and time of day to compare fairly. If the wired speed is fine, contact eero.
Run the speed test the same way each time so the numbers mean something: the same app or site, the same device, the same spot and a similar time of day. Do one test with the device beside the gateway, one in the room that is slow, and one wired. The three figures show where the speed is lost. If the beside-the-gateway figure is already half the plan, the problem is before the Wi-Fi. Also check whether a device is running a large backup or a cloud upload, since a single such job can take most of the upload speed and make everything else feel slow.
Differential
Likely causes of “eero 6+ internet or Wi-Fi is slow”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The plan or modem
What separates it Wired speed is also low
How to confirm Restart the modem and check with the provider
- 2
Distance and walls
What separates it A far device is slow
How to confirm Add a node or move one
- 3
Wireless links between nodes
What separates it Speeds fall with each hop
How to confirm Use Ethernet between nodes
- 4
A busy network
What separates it Many devices stream
How to confirm Check the device list
- 5
Old devices
What separates it They use more airtime
How to confirm Replace or move them to a node
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The wired speed at the gateway
- The speed in the problem room
- The plan speed
- The number of devices
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedTest wired
ReversibleAt the gateway.
Test the room
ReversibleAt the same time of day.
Space the eeros
ReversibleAbout two rooms apart.
Use Ethernet between nodes
ReversibleIf possible.
Check busy devices
ReversibleIn the app.
Update and restart
ReversibleThe network.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Gigabit ports
- The eero 6+ has Gigabit Ethernet.
- Hops
- Wireless links lose speed.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If wired speed is poor, contact the provider
- !If wireless is poor near a node, contact eero support
- !Add a wired node for far rooms
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is my eero 6+ slow?+
The plan, distance or a busy network.
What speeds does it suit?+
Plans up to about 1 Gigabit.
Does Ethernet between nodes help?+
Yes.
How far apart should nodes be?+
About two rooms.