I did not suppose I wanted a Wi-Fi 7 router till this occurred

It is uncommon for commentators like myself to publicly acknowledge altering their minds, however in the event you care concerning the fact, it is vital to remain sincere and versatile. Info shift, particularly within the tech trade. A lot of our information has to come back from leaks, since firms aren’t keen to say a lot publicly — and tendencies that had been as soon as set in stone can all of a sudden swing the opposite approach. Simply ask Disney how assured it is feeling about Disney+ subscriptions lately.

Because the headline suggests, I’ve turned from recommending towards Wi-Fi 7routers a little bit over a 12 months in the past into being a powerful proponent right this moment. It is not the craziest shift — a 12 months is a very long time by way of tech cycles — however I really feel it is vital to get the phrase on the market, since I do not need anybody appearing on my previous recommendation once they’re seeking to improve their home network. I will clarify my rationale as greatest I can.

Why the change of coronary heart on Wi-Fi 7?

A shocking push

As you’d count on, the primary issue is worth. A 12 months in the past, Wi-Fi 7 was just a few months previous, and router makers had been charging a premium that simply wasn’t price it for the variety of suitable units in the marketplace. You could possibly find yourself spending effectively over $200 for a standalone router, or frankly obscene quantities for a multi-unit mesh system. It was most likely price it for consumers with ample money and a necessity for futureproofing, however there was no rush for the remainder of us when Wi-Fi 6 and 6E had been functioning simply nice. The truth is I am nonetheless utilizing a mesh system I purchased in 2022 (the Eero Professional 6E) with none main complaints.

In current instances, the costs for WI-Fi 7 routers have dropped significantly. You continue to get what you pay for, however it’s not laborious in any respect to discover a respectable standalone router for lower than $200, and even $150. I might advocate spending upwards of $500 if you are going to decide up a mesh bundle, however that is truly a fairly whole lot for one thing that may blanket a three-story home. I paid much more for my very own gear.

I have been genuinely stunned at how aggressive costs have turn into. You possibly can already discover a barebones Wi-Fi 7 router for lower than $100, which can be nice in the event you’re in an residence with only one or two individuals. By the point the vacation 2025 buying season rolls round, I might count on extra routers to slide underneath that barrier, not less than if excessive US tariffs do not get in the best way. Chalk it as much as economies of scale — it is most likely more and more low cost to fabricate Wi-Fi 7 elements.

Concurrently, cellphone, pill, and pc makers have been ramping up the variety of suitable merchandise. Apart from the 16e, all of Apple’s newest iPhones assist Wi-Fi 7, and it is probably that almost all Macs and iPads will observe swimsuit the subsequent time they get a refresh. In the meantime, the tech has more and more turn into de facto for Home windows computer systems, to the purpose that I’d routinely transfer on if I noticed 6E talked about in a brand new PC’s specs. As I hinted a second in the past, 6E stays nice to make use of in 2025 — however except your finances is tight, there isn’t any sense limiting your self with new purchases when higher tech is so broadly accessible. You may very well find yourself spending extra ultimately in case your Wi-Fi begins holding you again.

Why Wi-Fi 7 issues a lot

A basic leap ahead

Though Wi-Fi 6 was a big enchancment over Wi-Fi 5 — significantly you probably have plenty of smart home equipment — Wi-Fi 6E was an incremental development. It added a quicker 6GHz radio, however that was about it. In lots of instances, the 6GHz band is not even that helpful. Its vary is so brief that it may not prolong far past the room a router is in. Most 6E site visitors nonetheless operates over the two.4 and 5GHz bands.

Wi-Fi 7 can doubtlessly make an enormous distinction. For one factor, it expands the full bandwidth of your community from 9.6Gbps to a whopping 46Gbps. And due to enhancements like Mult-Hyperlink Operation, particular person units can obtain speeds close to 5.8Gbps. Over Wi-Fi 6E, you are fortunate if a tool reaches 1 or 2Gbps. Actual-world outcomes are typically a lot decrease. Over my very own 6E community, my iPhone 16 Professional will get about 440Mbps when related to gigabit fiber web, albeit with a streaming service or two operating within the background.

Wi Fi 7 is so highly effective that it is truly overkill for many functions. You do not want that form of throughput to browse the online, play video games, or stream video — 50Mbps is lots for a 4K film. Most landline web connections aren’t over the 1Gbps mark but, so there’s not often something like 5.8Gbps to separate over a community, not to mention 46Gbps.

The place the tech actually issues is with device-to-device connections in your personal residence. Think about {that a} 4K film you’ve got downloaded would possibly devour wherever between 5 and 60GB of storage, relying on its size and high quality. At 1Gbps, transferring a 60GB file from one machine to a different would take about 8 minutes. However at 5.8Gbps, it will take rather less than a minute and a half, and with out placing a lot of a dent in Wi-Fi 7’s total capability.

That form of bandwidth might turn into more and more vital not only for native file sharing, however for augmented and digital actuality, that are poised to turn into extra mainstream within the subsequent few years due to glasses from Apple, Meta, and Google. It is one factor to push 4K video to your laptop computer — it is fairly one other to stream real-time 3D environments that mix in with the world round you, and infrequently combine different on-line providers besides. Already, Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional customers can place persistent widgets round their residence, and setup large digital screens for his or her Macs.

In the long term, multi-gigabit web connections ought to turn into commonplace, at which level Wi-Fi 6 and 6E might flip into critical bottlenecks given total community masses. There is not any rush to ditch your present router, however it’s undoubtedly price investing in Wi-Fi 7 right this moment if you would like a community that may maintain up by way of 2030, no matter which units you are fortunate sufficient to personal.

Protection

2500 sq ft

Variety of Units Supported

200+

Velocity

9.4 Gbps (wired), 4.3 Gbps (wi-fi)

Wi-Fi Protocols

Wi-Fi 7

Ports

2x 2.5GbE, 2x 10GbE

The Eero Max 7 is Amazon’s first mesh Wi-Fi system using Wi-Fi 7 expertise, delivering spectacular speeds of as much as 9.4 Gbps wired and 4.3 Gbps wirelessly, whereas supporting over 200 related units and overlaying properties as much as 7,500 sq. ft with a three-pack setup. Moreover, the Eero Max 7 serves as a wise residence hub suitable with Thread, Matter, and Zigbee units.