Eero – Slow speeds on iPhones

[b_rush]

I'm getting slow download speeds on two iPhones in comparison to a laptop in the same room. I'm in an upstairs room furthest away from the Eero router downstairs, but my laptop is still achieving a speed of 125mbps, however two iPhones in the same room are only achieving 10-30mbps. 

When downstairs and near the Eero the iPhones are getting good speeds (130mbps+ on 5ghz channel). Looking on the Eero app it appears that the iPhones switch to 2.5ghz channel when upstairs, whereas the laptop stays on the 5ghz channel. 

Is there anything I can do to force 5ghz on the iPhones, or improve speed on the 2.4ghz channel? I've reset network settings, 'forgotten' the network + re-added, tried lots of combination of settings (client steering, WPA3, switching off privacy on iPhones, using different DNS) all with no luck. 

[KeithFrench]

If you get an Eero 6 Pro & use it with a lesser Eero, the mesh will only work at the speeds of the lower spec model. Yes, TalkTalk does them, hence why in my first post on here I suggested contacting customer services.

[b_rush]

Not overly noticeable to be honest, apart from once when load time was noticeably slow. The speed test that time showed 10mbps. 

I think it’s the 2.4ghz band, as I had similar issues on my old router and connection, but being able to separate the bands and force a connection to 5ghz solved it. It’s frustrating that eero doesn’t offer this basic functionality.

I’m enjoying the eero apart from this though, I think I can live with it for now. I may add an eero extender to that room in the future, which would also hopefully extend range into the garden. 

Does talktalk offer the extenders as an upgrade? I can get one on Amazon for £74 currently so that might be the better option. 

Alternatively does talktalk offer the eero 6 pro? I could then use the current 6 as an extender. I can see it’s included on fibre 900, but I’m on 150. 

[ferguson]

These are classic limitations of the eero and it's lack of user control. Are the iPhones actually suffering from real life performance as a result of the lower speeds? There is a better router alternative from TalkTalk, you might care to pursue that.

[KeithFrench]

I do not have any iPhones, so cannot comment on issues directly surrounding them. WiFi signals can take totally different paths between two devices that are next to each other to get back to the router. It is just that one Eero from what I have seen does not have as good a range as a WiFi Hub. Do you have an old router with a red WAN port on the back that you could try temporarily as a comparison?

[b_rush]

Why would other devices be working perfectly in the same room though? The issue seems to be specific to iPhones, other devices are getting close to full speed in the same room. 

[KeithFrench]

Most likely you need an additional Eero to create a mesh network. The Eero's range may not be good enough for your needs as it is designed to operate in a mesh. Try contacting the service centre to discuss additional Eero units. Make sure that they are the same model as what you have currently.