Eero 6 vs. Netgear Nighthawk MK62: Which should you buy?

Eero 6

The Eero 6 follows the third generation Eero with upgraded mesh speeds thanks to a faster Wi-Fi 6 connection. The faster wireless tech allows an Eero 6 mesh to support up to 500Mbps and even improves performance on Wi-Fi 5 devices thanks to a faster backhaul. While it's not a huge performance improvement, for its size, you won't find anything faster.

Netgear Nighthawk MK62

The Netgear Nighthawk MK62 was one of the first compact Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems and offers plenty of speed for most people. A router and satellite cover up to 3,000 square feet and there's an open Ethernet port on each unit. In a compact and attractive black housing, the Nighthawk MK62 is a great choice for most people looking to add support for Wi-Fi 6.

Spec for spec, these two Wi-Fi systems have quite a lot in common. Both systems have AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 speeds with around 1,500 square feet of coverage per node. The nodes themselves are quite similar in size with the Eero 6 having a slightly smaller footprint. However, the Eero 6 takes the lead thanks to some nice features like a Zigbee smart home hub and Amazon Alexa support. Still, either of these systems would be a great fit for most people and the extra Eero features won't matter to many.

Eero 6 vs. Netgear Nighthawk MK62 Wi-Fi 6 speed

Both of these routers are capable of AX1800 speeds with a dual-band Wi-Fi 6 setup. This breaks down to approximately 600Mbps at 2.4GHz and 1,200Mbps at 5GHz, according to Netgear. Eero reports 574Mbps and 1,201Mbps but you can safely assume you'll get very similar results with either. Both systems support MU-MIMO and the same number of data streams. Either system should be well suited to an internet connection up to 500Mbps and should have no trouble delivering those speeds on both 5GHz Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 devices.

Both of these routers have a very compact design with nearly identical heights but the Eero is about an inch smaller. Either way, at only 4.8 inches square, the Nighthawk should still be easy to place in your home. The design will be highly subjective, with the Nighthawk adopting an angular brutalist design while Eero 6's sloping white housing looks more like something from Zaha Hadid. Each one has a distinct style, but I believe the Eero 6 will blend in slightly better with more homes these days.

Both the Nighthawk base router and the Eero 6 have two Ethernet ports on the back of the device with one port dedicated to the connection. Eero 6's extenders don't have any Ethernet ports while the Nighthawk's satellites have one available. While neither is ideal, out of the box, the Nighthawk system will be a better fit if you need to get a wired device connected. The Eero 6 can be expanded with any other Eero, however, meaning that if you want, you can add another Eero 6 router to the mix with both Ethernet ports open to devices.

Eero 6 vs. Netgear Nighthawk MK62 Get covered with Eero

One of Eero's biggest strengths is its own backward compatibility with older Eero products. In fact, an older Eero router can be used to expand your Eero 6 mesh network. This is thanks to consistent software updates to the whole line. Naturally, if you use an older and slower Eero like the Eero Beacon, your top speeds will be quite a bit slower but if you already have one, it can be a nice option for adding a bit more coverage to a part of your home that doesn't need a ton of speed.

Eero estimates that each Eero 6 or Eero 6 Extender will be able to cover up to 1,500 square feet in a mesh. It's important to remember that in reality, you may get less coverage due to interference in your home from electric appliances or thick walls. Still, if you find you aren't getting enough coverage, adding another Eero 6 Extender to your mesh is a quick and easy process.

Eero's inclusion of a Zigbee smart home hub is a nice addition as well since it can help reduce the complexity of your home network. Alexa integration is also nice to have to help get devices connected.

Eero 6 vs. Netgear Nighthawk MK62 Get covered with Nighthawk

Like the Eero 6, Netgear expects both the router (MR60) and satellite (MS60) included in the MK62 Wi-Fi systems to cover up to 1,500 square feet. Unlike Eero, your expansion options will be much more limited with this system since it can't be expanded with any other Orbi or even another MR60, for that matter. Buying two MK62 systems expecting four nodes will not work. You can still buy additional MS60 satellites for more coverage if you need it.

The MS60 is priced competitively with the Eero 6 router but the Eero 6 Extender is quite a bit cheaper.

Eero 6 vs. Netgear Nighthawk MK62 Subscribe for more content

Eero has two subscription options available called Eero Secure and Eero Secure+. The base Eero Secure is a nice addition for many people that want to keep a close eye on their network's usage. This can also give insight into when and how much a certain member of the family may be using the network. Advanced security is also included to scan your incoming connections for potentially dangerous sites. Adblocking is another nice feature that can make your internet experience more pleasant. Finally, Eero Secure comes with VIP support. Eero Secure is $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year.

Eero Secure+ comes with all of the above as well as subscriptions to 1Password password manager, Encrypt.me VPN access, and Malwarebytes antivirus software for devices. Eero Secure+ is $9.99 per month or $99 per year.

The Nighthawk MK62 comes with a year of Netgear Armor access. If you subscribe now, a year of service is $29.99 from Netgear with a normal price of $69.99. This comes with antivirus protection from Bitdefender and scans your network for potential threats. You also get access to a VPN service with 200MB of data per day.

Eero 6 vs. Netgear Nighthawk MK62 Which should you buy?

Both of these Wi-Fi systems are among the best Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems thanks to solid speeds, good coverage, and attractive and compact designs. Eeros comes out ahead in a few key areas such as price. While you can often get the MK62 on sale for a similar price to an Eero 6 with an Eero 6 Extender, the ability to more cheaply expand your mesh with Eero makes it a more compelling pick. Eero's software offering and Zigbee hub inclusion also add a lot of value for many people.