Plume vs. eero – which offers the largest extended range
When you live in a large house you may realize that you have many dead zones. Wi-Fi pods extend your coverage by up to 4,000 to 5,000 square feet. Here we examine the Plume and Eero pods and tell you which is the most favorable.
Wi-Fi pods are the new craze when it comes to setting up Wi-Fi networks. Existing router ranges are often limited and you may experience dead zones if you are living in a large house with multiple rooms. To help you extend your range you will need to purchase Wi-Fi pods and strategically place them in your house where coverage is limited. Some of the pods will give you more than 5,000 square feet of extended coverage. All you need to do with the pods is connect them to a power supply and it will automatically detect your router. You can add as many devices as you want through your pods.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Plume and eero?
Model |
Plume SuperPod |
Eero (Winner) |
Dimensions (inches) |
1.4 x 3.7 x 3.4 |
2.4 x 3.9 x 3.9 |
Processor |
Quad-core processor |
700MHz quad core processor |
Usage requirements |
Eero account |
Plume account and pay subscription fees |
Expansion |
Any eero product |
Plume SuperPod |
Speeds |
2.4 GHz band you get 400Mbps and 867Mbps with 5GHz band |
2.4 GHz band you get 400Mhz and 866Mbps for the 5GHz |
Wireless |
TX Beamforming, Thread 1.1 support, Bluetooth |
Beamforming |
Plume vs. eero – How do they differ?
Connectivity
You will find Ethernet ports for both the Plume and Eero but there locations differ. For the Eero this are at the base station while for the plume it is puck. When it comes to connectivity a lot of going on for the Eero Home as it comes with 2×2 MU-MIMO, the base station consists of 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 5.8Ghz bands. The beacons are dual band. The pods have Bluetooth 4.2, thread 1.1 support and TX beamforming. The Plume superpod have the 4×4 MU-MIMO, beamforming, tri-band and support 802.11a/b/g/b/ac. The rest of the features are almost similar.
The pods both come with two Gigabit Ethernet ports but for the Eero this is found in the base station only while for the Plume the ports are in each of the units. To connect in the Eero you will need a separate switch or hub for the Ethernet ports from the base station. Plume have gone a notch further by allowing connectivity through cloud. This helps eliminate any interference and allows clients to surf flawlessly. When it comes to the design both the pods are very stylish and compact. They easily complement your home décor and are small enough to fit in small spaces. When it comes to network connectivity the eero uses a frame-frame basis while the plume goes for a dynamic mesh. This means it will determine each link in advance as opposed to the eero that uses a true simultaneous multipath mesh. The other great benefit of having the Eero is that it is now a product under the Amazon brand. Based on the kind of support Amazon often gives to its products you should expect a lot of innovations to the pods going forward.
Speed and coverage
The plume SuperPod has a maximum speed of AC3200. This translates to 1,734Mbps for your two 5GHz bands and 400Mbps for the 2.4GHz band. This is enough speed to run your 4K videos and play high intensive multiplayer games. However, note that the speeds will be affected by the presence of any network interference. The three pods are also capable of covering up to 30 to 80 feet each. The Eero mesh Wi-Fi network offers a coverage of up to 5,000 square feet. You can also purchase additional nods to boost your coverage by up to 1,500 square feet. The Eero generates speeds of 866MBps on the 5GHz band and 400Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band.
Subscriptions
The biggest downside to having Mesh pods is that you have to pay subscription fees to access some features. Monthly subscription fees are a headache for many internet users and you need to evaluate them carefully. For Plume require one to get into a subscription plan when ordering – failure to do this means you lose some of the features. For the Plume you pay for a lifetime subscription plan that costs $60 per year or $200 for a lifetime. If you are using the three superpods then you pay $199. The Eero does not come with a subscription so the hardware itself just costs $350. For the Plume you will get features like guest networking and parental controls but you need to subscribe to a membership plan to activate them.
Plume vs. eero – A Comparison Overview
Plume – Overview
No products found.
The plume SuperPod comes in a stylish design that helps you in extending your network coverage. It also comes with the latest MU-MIMO technology and is tri-band. You also get some basic router features like parental control, guest networking, and device prioritization. The Plume comes in a hexagonal shape and measures 1.4 x 3.7 x 3.4 inches. You can purchase them in walnut, champagne, silver, or plum colors.
The plume will easily serve an average three to four bedroom house with coverage as each of the pods has a range of 30 to 80 feet. For specifications, a quad-core processor that supports one 2.4Hz band and two 5GHz frequencies operates each of the pods. For the 2×2 2.4GHz band you are capable of hitting speeds of up to 400Mbps and 867Mbps for the 5GHz band.
Users also get to enjoy simultaneous streaming through the MU-MIMO technology. You also get more connections through two Gigabit LAN ports. Connectivity status is through a small LED light. However, you will have to do without a USB port.
While the router does not have a manual Quality of Service (QoS) feature you can use Plume adaptive Wi-Fi technology that is capable of analyzing the network and then allocating bandwidth based on the client demands. You can manage the unit through their Plume mobile app for Android and iOS. Some features like HomePass, parental controls, device monitoring, internet speed testing and pod mapping can be accessed through their subscription service.
What we liked:
- Stylish and compact design
- Great coverage and performance
- Easy to install
- Tri-band MU-MIMO technology
What we did not like:
Some of the cool features are available through subscription
Eero – Overview
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Eero is now a part of Amazon and since its acquisition some things have changed on the basic Mesh Wi-Fi system. Some things still remain, you still pay subscription fees to access features like parental control or anti-viruses. The three units each measure 2.4 x 3.9 X 3.9 inches and have a glossy white finish that compliments the styling of your living room. With the eero you can extend your Wi-Fi coverage by up to 5,000 square feet. If you need more, you can purchase their nodes for an additional 1,500 square feet.
A 700MHz quad-core processor powers the Eero. It is supported by 4GB of flash storage and 512MB of RAM. The unit is dual-band uses 802.11ac and MU-MIMO technologies. You also have automatic band steering, and direct-to-client signal beamforming.
One of the cool things you can do with the Eero is activate a host of features through voice commands. This can be done if you have an Alexa powered device. While the unit is quite good in terms of features most of them are subscription based. The Eero secure plan helps in protecting your family from harmful web-siteslike those displaying adult content or one with lots of violence. You can also have an option where you get the ability to block ads.
Installation and setup of the Eero can be done through their iOS and Android app. Here you can check you network status and control a host of features like setting individual family profiles, assign parental control filters among others. The installation process should not take you more than a minute as the app will automatically detect your devices during installation.
What we liked:
- Long range of over 5000 sq.ft
- User-friendly mobile app
- Fast Wi-Fi connectivity
- Stylish design
What we did not like:
- Most of the cool features are subscription based
Conclusion: Which is better – Plume vs. Eero?
The Eero stylish design and fast connectivity makes it our winner in this review. The pods provides coverage for up to 5,000 square feet. It also comes with an easy to use app that makes it easy to install and manage the pods. The pods also offer strong protection against viruses and malware. You also have a parental control feature that helps you limit and control internet access for your kids. You can also purchase additional nodes to extend coverage by up to 1,500 square feet. For many the idea of paying subscription fees is still a turnoff hence the increased resistance of the Plume pods.
FAQ
What technologies does the Eero support?
The Eero has the advantage of leveraging on some of the latest router technologies like beamforming for direct client signaling, MU-MIMO for simultaneous data streaming, automatic band steering that allows the pods to choose for you the most recommended band. The pods also run on the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology.
Do you pay subscription fees with the Plume?
The Plume while excellent pods come with the downside of having one pay subscription fees to access some of their features. The lifetime membership fee is $200 while the annual fees are $60 annually. However, this means you will miss out on some cool features standard in other routers like device prioritization, parental control and guest networking.
