eero's placement guidance is explicit: do not place an eero directly in a dead zone. Put it halfway between the gateway and the dead zone so it can pick up a strong signal and re-broadcast it, like a relay. Space eeros 20 to 30 feet apart and no more than 50 feet, out in the open on a flat surface, at a height halfway between floor and ceiling. Fewer and thinner walls help: plaster, lath and chicken wire in older houses are hard on wifi, and placing an eero near a door helps since wood is easier to penetrate.
If your home was built for Ethernet, hardwiring eeros is faster and steadier than a wireless link, and you can add eeros wirelessly or over Ethernet through the app, tapping Settings and adding or replacing eeros.
The checks in more detail
eero also has a Coverage scan feature to find weak areas. The gateway matters too: moving the modem and gateway out of a basement to a central spot improves the whole network. In a home with very dense walls, you may simply need more eeros. Keep eeros out of cabinets and away from microwaves, refrigerators, mirrors and aquariums. Think of the network as a chain: each eero should have a good signal from the one before it. A common mistake is to put the new eero at the far edge of the weak area, where it receives only a poor signal to pass on. Check the connection quality of each eero in the app after moving it, and adjust in small steps rather than moving several at once.
Differential
Likely causes of “eero mesh wifi has weak signal or dead zones”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
An eero placed in the dead zone
What separates it Its own signal is weak because the eero has been placed right inside the dead zone
How to confirm Move the eero to a point halfway between the gateway and the dead zone
- 2
Dense walls
What separates it The signal fades behind brick or plaster because dense walls block the wifi
How to confirm Add an eero, and use open doors so that the signal has an easier path
- 3
A gateway in the basement
What separates it The whole home has weak wifi because the modem and the gateway sit in the basement
How to confirm Move the modem and the gateway to a more central place in the home
- 4
Too few eeros
What separates it There are coverage gaps in the home because there are too few eeros for its size
How to confirm Add another eero, and place it between the gateway and the weak area
- 5
Interference
What separates it The signal drops near appliances because they interfere with the wifi
How to confirm Move the eero away from microwaves, mirrors and other sources of interference
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- A sketch of rooms with the eeros marked
- Where the dead zone is and how it fails
- The materials that the walls between the gateway and the dead zone are made of
- Whether Ethernet is available in the house
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedMark the dead zone
ReversibleMark the dead zone by noting exactly where the signal drops, using a phone or the coverage scan.
Move the eero halfway
ReversibleMove the eero halfway between the gateway and the dead zone, so that it picks up a strong signal.
Space them out
ReversibleSpace the eeros out, keeping them 20 to 30 feet apart, and no more than 50 feet.
Raise them
ReversibleRaise them to about halfway between the floor and the ceiling, so the signal reaches further.
Try Ethernet
ReversibleTry Ethernet by wiring eeros wherever you can, since a cable link is faster and steadier.
Run Coverage scan
ReversibleRun the Coverage scan in the app, which finds the weak areas in the home for you.
Add an eero
ReversibleAdd an eero through the app if the coverage is still poor after you have moved the others.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Models this page covers
- eero Max 7, eero Pro 6E, eero Pro 6, eero 6+, eero 6, eero Pro (2nd generation), eero Beacon and eero Outdoor 7. eero writes one help-center article per fault for the whole line; the notes name where the ports, bands and mounting differ.
- Outdoor 7
- The Outdoor 7 is built for outdoor mounting; indoor eeros are not.
- Coverage
- Coverage per eero depends on the model, so a Max 7 covers more than an eero 6.
- Model name instead of a part number
- No part number is involved for you. eero identifies a product by its model name and the model and serial numbers on its label.
- Tools and supplies
- An Ethernet cable rated Cat5e or better, a paperclip for a recessed reset button, the eero app on your phone, your modem's power supply and a pen and paper for the model and serial numbers. No screwdriver is needed and an eero should not be opened.
- Repair cost
- Restarts, resets and app settings cost nothing. An eero is replaced rather than repaired: eero's warranty article gives the coverage terms, and a Wi-Fi 7 eero such as the Max 7 carries a three-year warranty while the Beacon carries one year. Out of warranty, list prices run from about $139 for an eero 6+ router and $299 for an eero Pro 6E router to $599.99 for a one-pack Max 7 (eero and TechCrunch); an ISP outage or a bad Ethernet cable costs the same whichever eero you own.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models eero Pro 6E, eero Pro 6, eero 6+, eero 6, eero Pro (2nd generation), eero Beacon, eero Outdoor 7.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If a wired eero still cannot cover an area, add another eero
- !If the gateway must sit in a corner, wire a second eero to a central spot
- !If the hardware is failing, contact eero support and give them the model
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Where the manufacturer's article stops. The figures and steps on this page are eero's own, and the prices are its published list prices. Replacement prices are eero and TechCrunch list prices and vary by pack size and retailer.
Spacing, interference and placement.
Adding an eero over wifi or Ethernet.
Finding weak coverage areas.
Coverage planning.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Where should I put an eero for a dead zone?+
Halfway between the gateway and the dead zone.
How far apart?+
20 to 30 feet, not more than 50.
Can eeros be wired together?+
Yes, eeros can be wired together over Ethernet, which gives a faster and steadier link.
Do thick walls stop eero?+
They make it harder; you may need more eeros.
Is a range extender the same?+
eero explains the mesh is different from a range extender.
How many eeros do I need?+
It depends on layout; eero has a guide.
Should the gateway move?+
A central spot helps the whole network.
Do doors help?+
Yes, doors help, since wood is easier for the signal to pass through than brick.
Can I use one outside?+
Use an outdoor model such as the Outdoor 7.
Can eero run alongside a modem and router combo?+
Bridge the combo or turn off its wifi so the eero manages the network.
What does bridge mode turn off?+
The eero's network services, while wifi continues.