When an eero 6 gives slow speeds the question to answer first is slow where: slow at the wired modem, slow on Wi-Fi near a node, or slow at a distance. A speed test on a wired device at the gateway tells you what the line delivers, and a gigabit plan on a 100 Mbps link or an ISP throttle shows up there. On Wi-Fi the eero 6 is a Wi-Fi 6 dual-band system, so the device matters:
an older phone or laptop on 2.4 GHz is slow on any router. Placement is the third cause: eero nodes work best about one room apart with a clear path, and a node at the far edge of coverage links to the next at a lower rate. The eero app's data rate shows the link between nodes, not your internet speed, which has confused owners who read 100 as a fault.
Differential
Likely causes of “eero 6 internet or Wi-Fi is slow”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A slow wired link at the modem
What separates it A wired speed test is well below the plan
How to confirm Check the cable category and the ISP box port
- 2
An older device on 2.4 GHz
What separates it One device is slow and others are fast
How to confirm Connect it to 5 GHz if it supports it, or accept the device's limit
- 3
Nodes placed too far apart
What separates it Speeds fall off sharply a room or two from a node
How to confirm Move nodes about one room apart with a clear path, or wire them with Ethernet
- 4
Interference or congestion
What separates it Slow at certain times
How to confirm Move the gateway away from microwaves and cordless phones
- 5
A heavy device or backup
What separates it One device saturates the connection
How to confirm Check the app's activity list and pause the device
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- A wired speed test at the gateway and one on Wi-Fi next to a node
- Where the nodes sit and how far apart
- Which devices are slow
- The ISP plan speed
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedTest at the gateway
ReversiblePlug a laptop into the eero gateway with Ethernet and run a speed test.
Test on Wi-Fi next to a node
ReversibleRun the same test beside a node to separate the Wi-Fi from the line.
Check the cable
ReversibleA Cat5e or Cat6 cable on the WAN link.
Reposition the nodes
ReversibleAbout one room apart with a clear path, off the floor.
Wire the nodes if you can
ReversibleAn Ethernet run between nodes removes the wireless hop.
Restart the chain
ReversibleModem, then eero, then the nodes.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Separating line from Wi-Fi
- The two speed tests tell you whether to call the ISP or move a node.
- Device limits
- A 2.4 GHz device cannot exceed that band's speed on any router.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the wired test is slow at the modem on good cables, call the ISP
- !If Wi-Fi is slow near a node on a good link, contact eero support with the speed tests
- !If one device only is slow, check its network adapter
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Discussion of what limits eero speeds on a gigabit plan.
An owner whose eero sees only 100 Mbps on a gigabit line.
An owner puzzled by a data rate of 100.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is my eero 6 slow?+
Check the wired link first, then the device and the node placement.
What speed can an eero 6 deliver?+
It has gigabit ports and Wi-Fi 6, so wired speeds follow your plan up to a gigabit.
Should I wire my nodes?+
Yes if you can; it removes the wireless hop between nodes.
Does a Wi-Fi extender help?+
A properly placed node does better than an extender.