Eero networks come with features such as WiFi scheduling, multi-admin capabilities, a smart home hub, and guest networks.
Eero, however, keeps extending the capabilities of its Eero mesh routers with a new subscription tier, called Eero Plus, that adds even more features.
Is eero Plus worth it? Do you need the subscription plan for setting up an Eero network?
This article provides a comprehensive overview of Eero Plus.
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What is eero secure?
Eero secure was Eero’s subscription service that covered all Eero mesh routers ranging from eero beacon to Eero Pro 6.
Eero secure offered additional network security, including parental control, to all eero networks.
This service is now deprecated, as it was part of Eero’s old pricing model.
Take care of messy wires: Eero 6 wall Mount Holder
Basic whole home coverage: Eero mesh WiFi routers
More range, more power: Eero Pro 6E Wifi System
What is eero secure plus?
In addition to Eero Secure, Eero offered Secure Plus, a higher-tier subscription plan.
This plan also offered security and parental control, but with additional features.
Among the features of this more expensive subscription were popular security apps and a VPN service.
The package includes a 1Password Family Account for managing passwords with four other family members. In addition, you also get a VPN from Encrypt.me and Malwarebyte Premium antivirus software on up to three devices.
Eero recently rebranded Secure Plus to eero Plus as their only subscription service
What is eero Plus?
At this time, Eero only offers the eero Plus subscription service. It’s a rebranding of Eero Secure Plus.
The new eero Plus service has the same features as the Eero Secure Plus.
In addition to the secure Plus features already included, this service will also offer premium Wi-Fi features.
One of these brand-new features announced by Eero is Internet backup. If your Internet service is down, this feature allows you to use an alternate source of the internet (like a mobile hotspot) as a backup connection.
How much does eero plus subscription cost?
A year’s subscription to eero Plus costs $99.99 / £99.99 or $9.99 / £9.99 per month. Some former Eero Secure subscribers find this newly restructured pricing model expensive.
What features can you enjoy with Eero Plus?
You do not need a subscription to use your eero mesh router. The downside to not having one is that you are unable to set parental controls or see how devices behave on your network, including how much data they use.
Your eero Plus subscription automatically covers all smart devices connected to your eero Wi-Fi network. Below is an overview of what comes with the eero Plus service.
Historical Data
The historical data feature gives you a snapshot of your family activity on the network.
With this weekly data, you can see what sites were filtered, blocked, or inspected. You also get feedback on the data usage in the network per device connected.
Advanced Network Security
Keeping yourself safe while browsing is crucial. The advanced network security feature keeps your family safe from visiting sites that contain viruses and other dangerous threats.
DDNS
The DDNS feature allows you to stay connected remotely to your home network while on a road trip.
Parental Control features
Without an eero Plus subscription, you’ll be lacking parental control features.
These features are recommended if you’re setting up a home network for the entire family.
While eero offers this as a paid service, other competitors, for example, Google Nest Wifi offers parental controls and network activity information for free on its mesh network system.
With its content filtering feature, you can filter what your children see online, block apps like Facebook or Youtube, and schedule online and offline times for individual smart devices.
You can also block or allow certain sites depending on your preference.
VIP Support
This feature gives you priority whenever you need help with eero’s customer support.
Internet Backup
This Eero’s upcoming feature will allow you to automatically switch to another internet source when your wired internet goes down.
The internet backup feature when set up correctly connects to a nearby mobile hotspot or wifi network as a backup when your primary network is down.
This ensures you’re online no matter what may.
This feature detects when the outage is over and reverts to your original wired connection.
You can set up to eight wireless connections as backups to your eero Wi-Fi network. To learn more about this feature and how to configure it, read the following eero guide.
Encrypt.me
Encrypt.me gives you access to a private VPN that protects your IP address. This is ideal if you use unsecured public wifi.
Malwarebytes
This premium antivirus software scans, cleans, and protects a maximum of 3 devices on or off the eero network.
1Password
The 1Password family plan gives you and four other family members a password manager. With this third-party feature, you can safely create, store, and share unique passwords in one central place.
How to get an eero Plus Subscription
The eero Plus service requires that you first purchase and set up the eero network. Before purchasing a subscription, you should check if this service is available in your country.
Before you sign up, please do the following.
- Set up your eero Wi-Fi network first.
- Install the Eero app on your smartphone (iOS or Android).
- Ensure your eero WiFi system is not in bridge mode
Once you meet the above three conditions, follow these instructions to sign-up for eero Plus.
Eero secure vs Eero Plus: Feature Comparison
Eero Secure
was $30 / year
Advanced Security
Content filtering
Block Ads
Activity insights
Weekly activity report
VIP Support
Eero Secure+
was $99.99 / year
Advanced Security
Content filtering
Block Ads
Activity insights
Weekly activity report
VIP Support
1Password
Encrypt.me
Malwarebytes
DDNS
Eero Plus
$99.99 / year
Advanced Security
Content filtering
Block Ads
Activity insights
Weekly activity report
VIP Support
1Password
Encrypt.me
Malwarebytes
DDNS
Internet backup
Some problems users encountered with eero Plus features
The eero software is constantly being updated to solve problems that persist. But a few problems remain after several software upgrades.
eero Plus not blocking ads
Due to the regular updates and developments of ad-blocking technology, companies that run ads today are updating their systems to get around ad-filtering software as well.
Because of this, blocking ads completely is difficult.
The Ad Blocking feature in Eero hasn’t always worked to its full capacity, as some users have complained.
Aside from preventing trackers, some ads still manage to get through.
While Eero’s ad blocker is helpful, several alternatives do a better job. The most popular alternatives are NextDNS and Pi-Hole. Pi-Hole does an excellent job of blocking ads at the network level.
eero Plus Vs Pi-hole
Pi-hole is a DNS server. The system blocks domains that serve advertisements.
Apart from blocking advertisements, Pi-hole also displays statistics on your network’s domain queries through an informative Web interface.
These same features are available with your eero Plus subscription. So what’s the difference? Which is most appropriate for your needs?
PI-hole, in contrast with Eero Plus, is free to use; however, you must support it to keep it running.
If you love clicking a button and having everything take care of itself, Eero Plus is what you need. The setup process is easy and requires only the click of a button to start filtering information, even though it may block way too much.
Raspberry Pi and Pi-hole are the way to go if you want to keep tabs on what’s filtered and take control of setting things up yourself.
When setting up Pi-hole with Eero, there are a few things to keep in mind. Having Eero Plus activated, Local DNS Caching, or the Homekit Secure Router enabled means that DNS must be routed through your Eero instead and not the Pi-hole directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does eero Plus slow down wifi?
You will experience a slight slowdown in your Wi-Fi when you are trying to search for a page with Eero Plus activated. As soon as the page is cached, this effect disappears.
However, this shouldn’t slow down the loading of the page.
After activating eero Plus, if your Wi-Fi slows down, contact an eero expert to resolve the issue. VIP support is included with every eero Plus plan.
Final Thoughts: Is eero Plus Worth It?
Whether eero Plus is worth it or not depends on your preference.
It is important to note, however, that you do not need the eero Plus service to secure your network. Adding the Plus service to your network simply adds another layer of security.
Without the Plus service, you will continue to receive automatic updates, create family user profiles, and enable or disable internet access for selected profiles.
In contrast, if you have children and want to keep them safe on the internet, an eero Plus subscription is a must. As I mentioned earlier, this service includes several parental control features.
You might also find the Plus service appealing if you already have separate subscriptions for VPN, antivirus, or password manager. It reduces the number of subscriptions you have and saves you hundreds of dollars in the long run.
Finally. other alternatives are more effective at blocking ads while browsing if that is your preference. For tech-savvy individuals, Pi-hole or nextDNS are both excellent places to start.
