Cannot access new Amazon eero thru' my Win 7 PC

[John30444]

Hi Everyone,

                        Its silly old me again.

Thought I was keeping up with the times, when yesterday we had full fibre installed. Openreach man was superb. My wife and I connected our Android and Apple devices... simple. We are now ready to face the challenge of the 21st century......or so I thought.

Before I go any further ,  I am not going to give up my Windows 7 Machines. Period!!

Tonight I tried to connect my PC, running Win 7 to our new eero.

I clicked on the internet icon (bottom rh corrner of screen) and the new eero was missing, as was my original TalkTalk ssid.

So I went to Control Panel, networks - connect to network and the little deevil had diappeared.

I am writing this , having connected via USB, to my mobile.

There must be others like me who are pleased to have Win 7 and have successfully connected to this disappearing eero. If you have, I would be very grateful for your help.

Ps.    I'm not interested in hearing from any Win 10 fan who wishes to gloat over this. Only constructive and positive suggestions please.

[KeithFrench]

Yes, I totally agree with you about the RTL88111AU should work OK. All I have seen in this forum about the Eero generally seems negative. Although, not having one myself (and no, I don't want one), I have not conducted any tests on them.

[John30444]

Hi Keith,

                In answer to your 1st question :-   Realtek RTL88111AU.  802.11ac        eero is  :-802.11ax

Your view of backwards compatibility is the same as mine, but not the same as the R&D boffins at eero, unfortunately. I enclose the latest statement from eero below.

"eero's statement about compatibility with connected devices generally refers to its ability to work with a wide range of devices without significant issues. However, some devices, especially older or more specialized ones, might have compatibility issues that can't be entirely resolved by settings like the "Legacy" switch. The "Legacy" switch is designed to improve compatibility, but it might not address all compatibility issues with every device because of their unique communication protocols that can't be entirely addressed by the eero settings."

I assumed from that, that eero's "legacy only worked on 5 year old, or younger machines, as legacy to their boffins, as with Google's R&D dept, means yesterday. (These young people believe in reinventing the wheel every work day and dismiss everything that came before.)

I also enclose a paragraph from an article by Tech Advisor, which you might be interested in.

"The confusing part is that Wi-Fi 5 dongles can be at least as fast – if not quicker – than Wi-Fi 6 models. So don’t make the mistake of expecting a huge speed boost if you buy a Wi-Fi 6 dongle. And, of course, remember that to use Wi-Fi 6 at all, your router needs to support this standard as well, otherwise it will use Wi-Fi 5 (or whatever your router supports)."

Anyway, the problem has been solved to my satisfaction and you are receiving this message through my new T3U dongle. So all is well.

Very best wishes,

                                 John

[KeithFrench]

Out of interest @John30444, which was the Realtek WiFi adapter in your Win 7 PC that will not connect to the Eero?

[KeithFrench]

My view of backwards compatibility is something that will even work at 802.11b, the earliest WiFi standard that can still be seen in the wild, but I would never recommend such a device. I do sometimes use a TP-Link Archer T3UPlus, which like your T3U is NOT WiFi 6 compatible at all. It only works at WiFi 5 (802.11ac).

[John30444]

Hi Keith,

               I've now solved the problem of eero's inability to include backwards compatibily in its Legacy program for computers over 5 years old. (Even if those computers had an extremely popular and used Realtek wireless adapter card)

Incidentally,Eero admitted as much in writing yesterday.

The curse of having very young brilliant minds working for tech companies, whose idea of "legacy" is yesterday! Hey ho.

Anyway the problem has been solved painlessly (except to my pocket!).

Buy a good quality USB3 Wi-Fi 6 dongle/adapter (see my last missive to Michele), remembering that it should be backward compatible with Wind0ws 7. I chose the TP-Link Archer T3U, which I am delighted with.

Many thanks for trying to help,

                                                             John

[KeithFrench]

Hi @John30444 

I am pleased that you have sorted the situation.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning John,

I'm glad to hear this and thanks for sharing your experience. Please let us know if you do need any further assistance.

Michelle 🙂

[John30444]

Hi Michelle,

                       All is well here, so I do not need the other router thanks.

I went down to Argos this morning and picked up my   TP-Link Archer  T3U mini wireless MU-MIMO USB3 adapter.

No sooner had I downloaded the supplied disc, the dongle had automatically joined the eero network. Great!

Then I thought I'd future proof my other Win7 PC and repeated the procedure, but this time I transfered the dongle to the second PC, before using the CD. It connected even sooner than my first PC.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT MY FIRST pc REMAINED CONNECTED TO THE NETWORK! (Piggy backing off the second PC's connection!)

NB  I've transfered the dongle back to the first PC, so that now the second PC is piggy backing off the first. No need for 2 dongles. Result!

So solution achieved.

Lastly I want to thank you and the team, including all the volunteeers, who have taken an interest in me and my prroblems over the years.

It is the work of the Community that persuaded me to stay with TalkTalk, when I could have gone with Swish, who were cheaper and had a better router. Your help is invaluable.

I hope my experiences in this matter and the outcome, will help  other old codgers like me to stay with TalkTalk.

Very best wishes,

                                  John

[KeithFrench]

Hi @John30444 

Legacy mode was supposed to address that, but I have never had an Eero, so cannot test this feature.

I think that the Hub 2 might solve all of the customer's problems, as it is fully backwards compatible, in line with just about any other router.

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hi John,

Thanks for the update and I'm sorry to hear this. Would you like us to send a Wifi Hub 2 instead? This would replace your current eero and digital voice set up to see how this compares?

Thanks

Michelle

[John30444]

Hi Michelle,

                     The latest news is eero have admitted that :-

1) their router is NOT backward compatible with older PC's, even though, like my machine,  they have a very, very common wireless adapter card fitted. (Although not admitted by eero, I believe eero routers will not communicate with wi-fi cards older than 5 years.)

2) the cheapest  and easiest way to "find " the eero router, is to buy a Wi-Fi 6 USB 3 dongle adapter.

3) The reasonthat the  eero router has disappeared form the list of routers in the neighbourhood is that, again my card cannot "read" the list, because it is too old.

I have learnt a lot while changing over to full fibre.

Would I do it again.  No.

I would wait until I had to give up my landline (some say in 2025) and continue with my excellent old TalkTalk package and router, save approximately£96 pa and not have to pay out £20 for a wi-fi 6 wireless adapter. (Neither eero or myself know if this solution will work!)

NB        The old package was only slightly slower than the full fibre, but remember I do not stream, or play games etc.

Hope this helps other oldies who are thinking of keeping up with "progress". I will let you know if the dongle works.

Best wishes,

                      John

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning John,

Ok thank you for the update and please let us know how you get on with eero support team.

Thanks

Michelle

[John30444]

Hi Michelle,

                     Very many thanks for contacting me.

I have tried  the remedies suggested by two of your excellent experts, without succcess and have writtten back thanking them.

I then got onto the  eero website and found its remedy.  I tried that, with no success.

Since then I have opened a case with the support dept of eero.

As I told eero, the crux of the matter is :-

1) If a customer's machine does not have up to date Network Adapters which can "read" wifi 6, the eero "legacy" mode remedy just does not work.

2) I am beginning to believe that the problem lies with eero, because its R&D guys and gals are not communicating with their Legacy guys and gals.

Viz-a-Vis. When eero developed this very good system, the R&D people built in a mechanism to "hide" the router's name from the list of networks, (held in all PC's ), for security reasons. So when I try to conect to the network, via ssid & password, the eero R&D people have hidden it from sight, for my protection.

They also have kept their little secret to themselves.

So when an old fuddyduddy like me comes along and wants to use his "old" PC, which can only receive 811.2 ac, not the new wifi 6, he tries to enlist  the help of the "Legacy" people of eero (who have not been kept in the loop by the R&D people, for "security reasons") , they cannot help him. 

I'm left with an extremely secure wireless network, that I cannot connect to.

(It's like trying to use an electric car in 2030, when the Sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing)

Hey hoo. Trouble is that there  are a number of old codgers like me, who are loyal TalkTalk customers, who will need to share eero's R&D people's secret by 2025.

Very best wishes,

John

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hi John,

How are you getting on?

Thanks

Michelle

[KeithFrench]

Hi @John30444 

Have you enabled legacy mode in the Eero app? If not this can be done by going to:-

1. Tap Settings on the bottom right of your screen

2. Now select Troubleshooting

3. Tap My device won't connect

4. Then choose My device can't detect Wi-Fi 6

5. Toggle Legacy Mode on

[ferguson]

The only way I can imagine you will get a connection on your Windows 7 machine is via ethernet.

[ferguson]

The only way I can imagine you will get a connection on your Windows 7 machine is via ethernet.