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authorBradley Taunt <bt@btxx.org>2024-06-10 09:41:25 -0400
committerBradley Taunt <bt@btxx.org>2024-06-10 09:41:25 -0400
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+<h1 id="replacing-my-eero-mesh-network-with-two-mangos">Replacing My Eero Mesh Network with Two Mangos</h1>
+<p>2023-03-09</p>
+<p>It has been one week since I retired my Eero mesh network setup and replaced it with two <a href="https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-mt300n-v2/">Mango Mini Travel Routers (GL-MT300N-V2)</a>. There were some obvious reasons to make this switch but I was initially unsure how the overall performance on the Mangos would hold up compared to the &#8220;cutting edge&#8221; tech that Eero devices claim to have.</p>
+<p>Spoiler (in case the post title didn&#8217;t give it away): I was pleasantly surprised.</p>
+<h2 id="goodbye-amazon">Goodbye Amazon</h2>
+<p>I was a big supporter of the original &#8220;kickstarter&#8221; project when Eero first launched. I pre-ordered and they even sent me a device free-of-charge since there were logistic problems shipping to Canada. I received my V1 routers, hooked them up and enjoyed a seamless, wifi mesh system. Everything was going great.</p>
+<p>Then, in 2019 <a href="https://mashable.com/article/amazon-acquires-eero">they were acquired by Amazon</a>. Sigh&#8230;</p>
+<p>I should have jumped ship then, but I waited to see what would happen. After all, my internet was still working perfectly fine. Then the half-baked and sometimes completely broken updates started rolling out. On more than one occasion they needed to perform complete version roll-backs. This sometimes knocked out my internet for hours at a time.</p>
+<p>They also started pushing (although not outright requiring) users to login using their Amazon account. While not a massive deal breaker, the constant pestering to do so rubbed me the wrong way. </p>
+<p>During this time, my first son was born and we moved out of the city into our first house. So fiddling with my internet setup took the backseat for a while. Once everything settled down, I started seeing more broken updates and certain features being put behind their premium &#8220;Eero Secure&#8221; platform. Features that were available as <em>default</em> for most other router hardware providers.</p>
+<p>So, I started to look at other options.</p>
+<h2 id="why-the-mango">Why the Mango?</h2>
+<p>It is important to mention, that because I live out in rural Canada, my internet options are extremely limited. All providers are satellite-based since fiber cables are unheard of out in these areas. Because of this, my main internet speeds are limited to 25Mbps <em>baseline</em>. This is important to note, since my experience and router choice took this into consideration. If you&#8217;re a current Eero user with 300Mbps+ speeds and are looking to switch wifi systems - the Mango is probably not the best for you.</p>
+<p>Luckily for me, the Mini Mangos were perfect for my basic requirements:</p>
+<ul>
+<li>Max. 300Mbps Wi-Fi Speed (more than enough for my use-case)</li>
+<li>Running open-source software via <a href="https://openwrt.org/">openwrt</a></li>
+<li>Hardware VPN toggle</li>
+<li>Tiny physical footprint</li>
+<li>Extremely portable</li>
+</ul>
+<h2 id="setting-up-the-yellow-squares">Setting Up the Yellow Squares</h2>
+<p>Setup was a breeze compared to the Eero experience (which could only be performed through their mobile app via bluetooth and a great deal of repositioning the devices). The full process is essentially:</p>
+<ol>
+<li>Power up the first Mango</li>
+<li>Connect laptop to the Mango via ethernet (you can also connect through wifi)</li>
+<li>Follow the login instructions</li>
+<li>Change SSID name, set device in router mode</li>
+<li>Enjoy your internet!</li>
+</ol>
+<p>Since my office is fairly far away from the placement of the &#8220;main&#8221; Mango router, I placed the second device near my desk. I followed the same setup as above, except I set the mode as &#8220;repeater&#8221;.</p>
+<p>For my use case I actually set this device up with a separate SSID. This was just my personal preference. You don&#8217;t have to do this. If you give both devices the same SSID name most modern devices will treat your network as if it <em>was</em> a mesh network. Pretty neat stuff.</p>
+<p>I plan to eventually add my Pi Zero running AdGuard Home back into the mix, but for now I just installed a small adblock package directly onto the router:</p>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="https://github.com/openwrt/packages/tree/master/net/adblock">adblock package</a></li>
+</ul>
+<h2 id="performance-comparisons">Performance Comparisons</h2>
+<p>Everything below is just some basic testing I performed. Obviously it should be noted that your experience might be entirely different based on interference, building size, amount of devices connected, etc.</p>
+<p>Stats for my original Eero mesh setup:</p>
+<ul>
+<li>1 eero 6 pro, 1 eero 6+, 1 eero beacon</li>
+<li>Average internet testing speed: 25Mbps</li>
+<li>Consistent signal throughout the house</li>
+</ul>
+<p>Stats for the new Mini Mango setup:</p>
+<ul>
+<li>2 mini mangos (one in router mode, the other set as repeater)</li>
+<li>Average internet testing speed: 25Mbps</li>
+<li>Consistent signal throughout the house</li>
+</ul>
+<h2 id="extras">Extras</h2>
+<p>Some additional data comparisons for those interested. Prices shown are in Canadian dollars.</p>
+<table>
+<thead>
+<tr>
+<th></th>
+<th>Eero</th>
+<th>Mango</th>
+</tr>
+</thead>
+<tbody>
+<tr>
+<td><strong>Power</strong></td>
+<td>5W</td>
+<td>2.75W</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><strong>Size</strong> (mm)</td>
+<td>139x139x55</td>
+<td>58x58x22</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><strong>Bands</strong> (GHz)</td>
+<td>2.4&#47;5</td>
+<td>2.4</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><strong>Cost</strong> (per unit)</td>
+<td>$99+</td>
+<td>$39</td>
+</tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>
+<p>That mostly covers it. I&#8217;m extremely happy with my switch away from the locked-down, &#8220;upsell&#8221; heavy Eeros. My only regret is that I didn&#8217;t make this change sooner.</p>
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