Customer Ratings & Reviews

This Mesh Network needs some work. Ive been using the Samsung Smarting mesh network from 2017. I figured I would try the new Wifi 6e since my phone and a couple of devices use Wifi 6. The App needs some work, doesn't give you as much Information as plume( Samsung mesh Network) and its really slow and isn't accurate. Im currently been trouble shooting one of the Nodes (router) since it won't stay connect to the main Node. Ive moved it closer but still continues to disconnect. Ive talked to support for over 2 hours and Im at the point of returning these. I found out that these are new for 2023, should it would seem that there are still bugs with this router. Hopefully I can get a replacement Node to fix the issue.

I upgraded to the Velo Pro 6e and couldn’t be happier. Setup was a snap. The connection speed is much more stable than my previous mesh system and my signal strength has improved significantly in my basement. Aesthetically, the node design is a plus and doesn’t stick out in my home. I’m super happy with this system. Ultimately, look no further if you are in need of a stable connection, with a large mesh range. This system checks all the boxes and more.

Purchased to because it is compatible with my current Linksys, but ended up replacing my older system because this set of 3 covered my entire home.

Excellent solution for home Wifi. Easy to setup and very reliable. My second linksys system. The first died after many years of reliable service..

I had an earlier model of the Linksys Tri-band Mesh which worked well up until it failed completely. I decided to replace the old with this newer model and found it to be easily installed and I was back in businesses quickly. It's been running ever since then. I'm pleased with the results.

I currently have Xfinity as my ISP with a connection of 1200 Mbps. I was using the Xfinity xFi router which served its purpose well until I started to reach its limits. With about 40 devices connected it started to become unreliable so I decided to get my first mesh system. I debated between the 6E or the new 7 systems but ultimately went with the 6E because of price. And I am sure glad I did! I instantly see the difference in the connection and the reliability has been amazing! The system was easy to set up and I am getting amazing speeds on each device. On my phone I get 800+ Mbps. With each node being rated to be able to handle 200 devices I know I will never get close to that limit. I would recommend this system to anyone who is looking for a good stable wifi without breaking the bank.

I'm very happy with my Linksys AXE5400! It's been a major improvement over my previous router. The wifi is much faster and more reliable, and I can now connect all my devices without any problems. The setup process was incredibly easy, and the mesh system provides excellent coverage throughout my entire home. I'm especially impressed with the range and speed, even in areas where my old router struggled. I would highly recommend the Linksys AXE5400 to anyone looking for a high-performance wifi system. It's a great value for the price and has all the features I need."

No complaints. Super easy to setup and doubled the wifi speeds of my old setup.

Amazing and very helpful. Best Buy gave us our first towers 7 years ago and now wr needed to upgrade. These are great!

Need a Wi-Fi solution that has solid coverage and an easy-peasy setup? Look no further than the Linksys Velop Pro 6E Tri-Band Mesh Router system. With the ability to add a node as needed, all from the app on a mobile device, this system provides the flexibility to meet your home Wi-Fi needs. I’ve picked the 3-node system even though I have a small space, at 1100 Sq. ft., due to high interference from other close proximity networks and many brick walls. I have tried many different routers and mesh router systems over the last few years to address the drops in performance. So far, the Linksys Velop Pro 3-node system allows for full bandwidth between each node and good network speeds even through the walls. Pros - Easy setup, literally use the app and it does most of the rest. - Fast and strong connection - Guest Network for guests and IoT! Cons - Limited additional network configurations are available. - Only 2 ethernet ports on nodes, no USB. - Expensive MSRP. The Linksys Velop Pro system comes in 1 or 3 packs, allowing you to add nodes as needed to get full coverage. A single node covers up to 3000 Sq. Ft. and supports up to 200 devices. The Velop Pro has a long list of features: - Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E – 802.11axe standard with the 6GHz, 5GHz, and 2.4GHz bands. - Guest Network across bands. - Tech features: MU-MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output), DL-OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access), TWT (Target Wait Time), and STBC (Space Time Block Code). - Support for WPA3, WPA2 security standards. - Parental Controls. - Priority device settings. - Easy-Peasy setup with Mobile App. - Gigabit WAN and LAN port (2 ports per device). - Factory Reset Button on each node. The Easy-Peasy Setup process is quite literally easy peasy. As simple as downloading an app, making an account, then following the on-screen instructions to enter the network name and password then it does the rest. In all, setting up the 3 nodes only took about 10 minutes. After the initial setup, you can log into the mobile app or navigate to 192.168.1.1 to access your routers settings. The basics like Device List, Guest Network, Parental Controls, Priority, and Speed check are there, but the advance settings are limited. One let down is that Linksys has done away with the ability to hide SSID’s and channel setting, which were older ways to manage the network security and performance. Though the newer technology features like WPA3 and Client/Node Steering make some of these old ways obsolete, it would be nice to have the options to manage. Unfortunately, this system does not have a USB on any of the nodes, so you are unable to add any wired printers or shared network storage directly onto the router. Though there are plenty of solutions to this it is nice to have them when available. There is a WAN (Internet/External Network) and LAN (Local Network) port on each node, both are Gigabit ports. Though in most uses, only 1 WAN port will be connected per system so the other WAN ports on nodes not connected to the modem are useless for most users. Performance has been amazing so far, between each node I have been able to hit my maximum bandwidth, I have a 300Mbps fiber connection, which is plenty for the uses we have. Even from the furthest away node, the computer there was having minimum ping with maximum bandwidth! This is much more stable compared to the older mesh systems we have tried. The wireless signal for the 6GHz band did see dramatic drop offs from just one floor to another, in one test I got only 100Mbps down and up from a floor below, though this was expected for my specific setup due to interference. The Linksys Velop Pro Wi-Fi system is listed at an MSRP of $199.99 for a 1 node or $499.99 for a 3 node, which puts this system at the higher end of costs for home mesh systems. But the list of features and simplicity of setup really do stand out as a strong reason to recommend this unit. Overall, I would highly recommend the Linksys Velop Pro Wi-Fi system for anyone who has a home with a large area to cover (4000+ sq. ft.) or has high interference. Setup alone stands out as one of the easiest I have ever used, and I have set up plenty of routers. The list of features clearly makes this one of the best home Wi-Fi mesh systems on the market for general consumers, but if you have specific scenarios or settings you want to use, I recommend doing some research to ensure these will fit your use before buying.

Linksys has been my router of choice for the past 20+ years of computing. I’ve owned multiple different routers from and they’re always dependable and get the job done. The last Mesh system I had from them was their first foray into Mesh and while it worked well the installation always seemed to be finnicky at best. I had the opportunity earlier this year to get my hands on Eero 6e mesh routers and made the switch because of the 6e capability. While the Eero has been fine I wanted to directly compare the New Linksys Velop Pro 6e system to see if I would get better speeds and I’m glad I went back to Linksys! The initial unboxing of the Linksys Velop Pro 6e was very straightforward. The packaging is minimalistic, made of 60 percent recycled materials, which I can appreciate! Once unwrapped and setup I redownloaded my old Linksys app and got to work on installing the routers. I was pleasantly surprised this time around as setup was easy and took very little work on my part. Within 5 minutes I was up and running with a new Mesh network. The system comes with 3 different nodes that are said to cover a 9000 square foot home, we only live in a 3200 square ft home so plenty of room to spare. The Velop system comes with a 3-year warranty and 24/7 customer service, which is a nice touch. After getting all the Nodes setup I got to work switching over all my tv’s and computers and then ran some speed tests. I made sure to test under the same conditions for both the Eero and the Linksys setup and the Linksys was faster hands down. I have 1gb fiber AT&T internet in my home. With the Eero setup through my Iphone I was averaging around 313mb download and 177mb upload. With the Linksys setup I am now getting speeds of 400mb+ on download and now over 594 mb on upload! I was astounded by the difference right out of the box. I am a heavy gamer and internet user so download and upload speed are very important to me. On my computer I was able to get roughly 600mb upload and download plugged directly into the Node, and this is with it showing a 4 bar connection instead of 5 bar with the main node. Mind you I am upstairs in the back corner of my house and the Eero struggled to keep my printer on the network in this office. I’ve had no such problems so far with the Linksys. With some more tweaking of node placement in my office I’m sure I will get even higher speeds. I’m not a huge power user when it comes to settings inside the app, I won’t pretend to know what I’m doing with advanced settings so I will leave those alone most of the time. But I can appreciate the parental controls which limit children’s ability to be on the internet all day and blocking specific websites. The ability to pick 3 devices in the home with higher priority is a nice touch as well! You can also add a guest network if you don’t want people visiting to use the main Wifi. I am very happy with the new Linksys Velop Pro 6e Mesh system, in my opinion it is much better than the Eero 6e routers and is very user friendly with a much easier setup than previous Mesh versions they had. I wholeheartedly recommend it to someone who is looking for a high-speed mesh system for high end internet connections. It gets 5 stars from me!

I had an orbi before this that honestly was faster. With this i seem to have some trouble with it cutting out every now and again.

If you’re in a moderate to large size home and want to be on the cutting edge of WiFi technology but you’re not necessarily a networking wizard, then the Linksys Velop Pro 6E is the mesh network system for you. To understand the benefits of the Linksys Velop Pro 6E, you’ve got to understand what WiFi 6E means and what a mesh network means: WiFi 6E is the latest and greatest WiFi standard. You’re more likely familiar with the previous standards – which were things like AC, N, A & B. WiFi 6 is the new friendlier naming of the AX standard (with the past ones now being called WiFi 5 and 4). The E part of 6E means that it’s also capable of using the latest 6Ghz wireless band in addition to 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz. Think of it as providing more highway lanes to your wireless traffic. Chances are, unless you have a VERY new device, you’re likely using an older standard on your device – and that’s okay. Even the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X don’t have WiFi6 support. This router handles all the backwards compatibility wireless standards, so you’re still covered, but you’re also ready for the next new phone or computer upgrade. It’s important to know that your older device won’t necessarily benefit from the added 6E 6Ghz band, but if you’re updating your networking system, you want a device that’s future proofed for at least the next few years. As for the mesh network, this isn’t a term that has a specific standard definition, unlike WiFi6, and many companies have their own consumer friendly terms and explanations. In this instance, it’s going to refer to your home network which will be comprised of a router and nodes that all speak and connect to each other to make one big, connected network that you don’t have to think twice about. In the Linksys Velop Pro system, each device is capable of both being the router, the hard-wired device that sends your internet out, and the nodes, which extend the range of your network out. As you wander around your home, your device will seamlessly move from being connected to one node to another (and to the router, itself being a node, too) without you ever noticing. If you have a home where a single point of origin for your WiFi is lacking to reach, the Linksys Velop mesh system is your solution, providing more coverage to more areas of your home from having several points of origin. Okay, so now you know why you’d want the latest 6E standard and if you even need a mesh network system let’s talk specifically about the Linksys Velop Pro 6E. Opening the box, you’ll see an instruction card to download the Linksys app, the 3 WiFi nodes (if you’re buying the 3pack), 3 power supplies, and one ethernet cable. Each WiFi node, as I mentioned earlier, is capable of being the main router or a node. All are capable of being hard-wired to the internet, and all have one extra ethernet port for wiring a connected device. Both are nice to have; the former being great if you have wired ethernet throughout your home but want strong wifi access, too. The phone app is a key component and is a requirement for full installation and configuring of the system. Upon opening it, should you not already have a Linksys account, you’ll create one, and then you’ll be asked about setting up your system. From there, you’ll be directed to hard wire your main router device to your modem and plug in the power to it and any nodes you’ll be using – for this part of the step you’ll keep all the nodes close together so they can configure one another. After you do that, it’s a hands-off process beyond naming your network and password. I chose to keep the same network name and password I used on my old router, which alleviated the later issue of connecting every internet connected device to the new network. If you create a new network name and password, do be aware that you’ll to reconnect all your phones, computers, laptops, TVs, tablets – every WiFi connected device – to the new network by going into their WiFi settings and connecting to the new network and inputting the new password. This nearly automated process does take some time. It includes checking your internet connectivity, downloading updates, configuring your new WiFi, and then configuring the nodes. On some processes I did have to wait a while for it to finish, but there were no hangups or crashes. After it’s all completed, you can then move your nodes around your home. During this process, I did encounter an issue where it said all my nodes were set up and I was able to move them, but after moving them only ONE properly connected back to the router. I was alerted to the error in the app, but it could not be resolved via built-in troubleshooting. I had to re-add the node to the system. Each node did end up needing an update, but this wasn’t part of the initial installation process for the nodes, only the main router one. I suspect my issue was that I powered off and moved that node before the update was complete. After I re-added the node to the system, I left the node where it was until it fully updated the individual node. Then I was able to power it off and move it elsewhere without issue. As for placing the nodes, I do wish the app provided a bit more guidance. It’s suggested that these nodes are placed no further than about 30 feet out from the router device. The ideal placement is as close to your router as possible while still having the WiFi reach your devices. This is so you have the strongest connection to the router, where the actual internet connection originates, and to your devices, which pick up the signal as sent from the node. Unfortunately, this may be some trial and error on your part, as different walls, objects, and what the materials are made of will affect the strength of the signals. However, it’s important to note you do NOT need the node in the same room as your devices. Once your node is back online after connecting back to power, you can see its signal strength (the signal of the internet it’s getting from the router) in the app. You can easily use your phone to see the signal strength you’re getting from the node it’s connecting to. Then it’s a matter of moving around with your phone and seeing if you’re getting a decent signal everywhere you’d want it to. If you don’t, you’ll need to move your nodes around. It's here I wish the app did a little better. I would like to have a signal strength screen, where you see all your nodes, and what devices are connected to them along with how strong those device connections are. This would make it far easier to see if you can improve placement. As of this writing, you must open the app and go to the device list to see the device connections. It’s not hard to do, but it could be better. For example, one of my nodes sees far less connections than the others – this may be an indicator that it could be placed in a different location. However, it could just be covering an area with less devices, so I understand that it’s going to hard for Linksys to perfect for every situation. The app is fully featured, allowing you access to all the settings you’d like. Among the settings are options for a guest network, parental controls, and more. Unfortunately, not every device broadcasts its name correctly – sometimes giving you an ambiguous “NETWORK DEVICE,” but you can go in and manually alter names and the icon for it in the app screen. You can set adjust parental controls and even priority bandwidth by device. You also have the option to blink the light on any individual node so you know which one you’re adjusting, as well as dimming them at night or just turning the device light off altogether. I do wish the app did a few more things, such as notifying you when a new device connects to your network and how long a device has been connected. That’s something that an update can likely provide in the future. You can also access these settings from a web browser, btu there doesn’t appear to be anything in there you can’t do on the app. And, if you’re someone who wants MAC filtering, port forwarding, and the like, all those settings are still there for you. There’s not much else to it. In the week I’ve had this up and running I’ve encountered zero issues. Every device sees and connects to it. At any given moment I’ve got roughly 20-30 devices connected, ranging from computers and laptops, to cell phones, TVs, smart switches, smart thermostat, doorbell, security cameras, gaming consoles, and a wireless printer. Some devices are older, only connecting on 2.4Ghz and some are newer and taking full advantage of the WiFI 6E abilities. No one in my family has had any connections errors coming home and walking throughout the house. It just plain works. Apart from my very minor issues with installation and some wishful thinking for the app, there’s really no downsides here. The nodes themselves are visually unassuming – easily fitting in and yet going unnoticed. Exactly what you’d want from a device that needs to be out in the open. If you’re in the market for a new router and your home is larger with some wireless dead zones in it, the Linksys Velop Pro 6E is a perfect solution. It’s priced competitively for being very new technology, is simple enough for anyone with basic computer comprehension to install, and still retains all the features a more power user could want. If you’re looking for a future proofed mesh network solution for your home, I can’t imagine passing this one up.

When the Linksys Velop Pro 6E Tri-Band Mesh System arrived, I was so excited to get it set up. We moved from a 1,000 square foot apartment to a 2,546 square foot home earlier this year and our single router was struggling with range at the far ends of our home. The Linksys mesh system was our solution. It was easy to set up through the Linksys app with prompts that walk you through everything, even when to plug the power and ethernet cables in. I greatly appreciate the Linksys design team for including lights on each node that can be set to blink on command through the app. This ensures you place the correct node in the location for which it was labeled/intended. We set our SSID and password to match our previous router and almost every device reconnected to the new router system automatically. We have 1 gig internet service through our ISP and I feel the Lindsys Velop Pro 6E is helping us maximize speeds by maintaining stable connections both inside and outside our home. We have yet to drop a signal on any of our connected devices. Unless I’m mistaken, “Tri-Band” means the router system is putting out 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz, and 6.0GHz frequency bands. As I mentioned above, almost all of our Wi-Fi enabled devices reconnected to the Linsys Velop Pro 6E. The one that did not is my Tesla Gen 3 Wall Connector located in the garage. The Gen 3 Wall Connector requires a 2.4GHz frequency band, which the Linksys is theoretically putting out. I believe it is as other security system devices on my network have connected without issue and they also require a 2.4GHz frequency band. I spent 3 days trying everything I could to get my wall connector reconnected to the internet with no success. I was so infuriated after those 3 days that I reconnected my old router and am using that just for the Tesla Wall Connector. If anyone has any insight on this, please leave a comment below. I’m chalking it up to a compatibility issue between the two brands until then. Aside from the one connection issue I just mentioned, the Linksys Velop Pro 6E Tri-Band Mesh System has been a great addition to our new home. If I can get my wall connector connected, it’ll be perfect.

I've used Linksys routers for years, and different Velop routers since the first that came to market. On the hardware side, it's a simpler device and the proprietary mesh connection between the nodes has been redesigned so it's no longer backwards-compatible like previous setups. This means this new Velop won't work as routers for previous-gen Velop nodes. Linksys calls the new mesh system 'Cognitive Mesh' while their original system is called 'Intelligent Mesh'. Both are incompatible. Comparing with other Velop nodes, these have simpler and much more affordable hardware: It has one gigabit WAN and one Gigabit LAN per node. It doesn't have USB ports not Ethernet switch not multi-gigabit ports. My internet is 1 Gbps symmetric upload and download. I can get that speed via a wired connection to the router, so it can handle the load. As for WiFi, the best I got between Macbook Pro and Surface Pro laptops at home is about 500 Gbps. The Surface Pro 9, as well as other newer laptops can make use of the 6 Ghz band but won't get Gigabit speeds. The setup is very similar as other generations, and one has to, pick one of the routers (All three are the exact same) and use it as a router by connecting the WAN port to the modem or ONT (Optical Network Terminal). Then plug the two other nodes to the power and start by using the Linksys app on a phone. Using my iPhone, and because I already have other Velop devices on the account, I had to retry by closing the app a few times until it recognized I want to start a new network. Once it does that, the initial setup is pretty straightforward. Or one can do, as I did, add the secondary nodes later. The process is similar, but I'd recommend adding one node at the time. After initial setup, if one prefers to use Ethernet cables for backhaul between the nodes, connect the LAN from the router to the WAN on the satellite nodes and it will config For basic setups, for most people, one can set everything up using the phone app. For more advanced setup like setting up the name of networks or security types for each radio (2.4Ghz, 5Ghz and 6Ghz) requires using a desktop browser and going into the router's local page (myrouter.local) with the local password that has to be first set up from the phone app. There one has full control except for adding more nodes, which is better done through the phone app. The router supports IPv6, lease reservations, port mapping, SPI but doesn't support more advanced features like family firewall and parent controls except for activating and shutting down devices. Like with other Linksys devices, IPv4 settings are good enough but IPv6 are much more limited. For example, I can change the DNS server from my ISP's to OpenDNS (or other public DNS) but only for IPv4. For IPv6, there are no controls. Overall it's a good improvement by removing superfluous features and making the nodes much smaller, and making the price much more reasonable. The software will be familiar to anyone that has used any recent Linksys router. One concern for some would be that the physical ethernet interfaces are Gigabit, not multi-gigabit, so it's great for connections up to 1 Gigabit. The three-band radios work great and offers good configuration options for advanced features.

This Linksys Velop Wifi 3 pack is the 2nd mesh system I own. My "old" mesh was also Linksys (Atlas Pro 6) and already having experience with them, I thought setup would go smoothly just like the first time. More on that later. The Tri Band 2.4, 5 and 6GHz bands with the ability to connect 200 device PER node is more than enough firepower for your home. Every device can be connected with no loss of speed and with a massive range. In the box are the 3 satellites with accompanying power bricks, 1 ethernet cable and a little cardboard with 2 QR codes to get you started. You can also download the Linksys app via the Google Play or Apple store respectively. As all 3 satellites are completely identical, you can start off with any of them when you begin the setup. Setup for me was not so smooth (hence part of the 4 star review). Now don't get me wrong, your mileage may vary and you may not have the troubles I did. Having already the Atlas Pro system and the App installed, it was supposed to be an easy "setup new network" from scratch. Once I disconnected my current system and started the setup for this mesh I would get hang ups and infinite reboot/setup cycles. I tried first on my phone and after I get the node (I went through all 3) connected to the internet with the white night, the app would crash and lock up at the Linksys Pledge screen. Then I tried on a fresh tablet and app with no login info to start anew. I could get further in the setup, but then after naming my network and password, i would get an error to reset the node and then setup started all over again. Now enter Linksys Customer Support. If I could rate them, they get a 12 out of 10. They helped me from start to finish to manually set up the new network, customize it the way I wanted and made sure the speeds and range were 100% perfect. Since upgrading, all my wireless devices seem to get a minor bump in speeds depending on what they were. On average ~30mbps increase. I use google fiber so my hardwired PC was getting the advertised speeds of 1Gbps up and down. If your home network relies on or you prefer wireless, this mesh system is beyond awesome. For me, it's a little iffy. The reason is that I need multiple hardwired devices for WFH purposes. My old Atlas Pro system was perfect as the satellites give you up to 3 hardwired devices. This Velop Pro gives you just 1. Range is amazing. It boasts up to 9000 sq ft of coverage for 4+ bedroom homes and I believe it. No matter where I am at in my house and outside as well, I have full coverage and not even 1 bar of signal loss. If you need a mesh system for complete home coverage, Linksys is the best in the game. Don't overlook this.

Great system when paired with a Linksys Hydra Pro 6E (MR7500 Tri-Band AXE6600 Mesh WiFi 6E Router). I set out to upgrade our home network and a nearly 10 year old Linksys WRT1900AC that had been a good performer. The Velop Pro 6E when paired with our Hydra Pro 6E is phenomenal. Provides good speed, performance and range throughout the entire home. The various nodes that when setup after the Hydra Pro 6E ensure optimal connection in a 1,700 square foot ranch with a partially finished basement as well. I have noticed improved performance and like the future proofing with 6E technology.

I've been using the Linksys Velop AX - MX10 (MX10600, 2-node) Wi-Fi Mesh Network system for a number of years now, but over time, it seemed to become increasingly slower. I've always loved the Velop series of mesh networks from Linksys and have used them since the very original Velop. When I seen they'd just released their new Velop Pro 6E, I immediately wanted to upgrade! But, how is it compared to their previous entries? Let's find out! The unboxing is pretty standard fare and minimal. It's really neat how they included all three nodes into such a tiny box, though! You get the 3 nodes, 3 power cables and a standard Ethernet cable. I already have my home Networked with Cat-6 cables, so I'm good there, no need. I will say that setup was NOT as easy as it has been for me in the past. I unhooked my old Network as I always do. Now, normally, in my previous Velop setups, it has you set up your "parent" (main) node, then each child node independently. They've changed a few things since, which I feel doesn't work out for the better. Now, you have to plug in ALL the nodes in the same room (and wait for them to fully power up) and set it up that way, while following the prompts via the Linksys app. As a note - I am using the app on an iPhone 14 Pro Max. Setup said that all the nodes were connected and detected and once I thought I was done (which seemed pretty easy thus far...), I went into the main page of the app but...only the primary node was detected. The other two nodes were not found or connected at all. So, I did all the normal troubleshooting things next...Power Cycling everything, force closing the app, rebooting my phone. Nothing worked. So, I factory reset EVERYTHING, deleted the app, reinstalled it and started fresh. This go around, everything actually flowed like it was supposed to. BUT...once I got done, while it did show both child nodes were connected, one of them would NOT connect. The app showed it, but as "not connected" or just in a permanent state of "connecting". I tried all the usuals again, but it's a no-go. I work from home and had to work the next day - so, I was getting pretty irritated as I had already spent about 2 hours trying to get this up and running. So, I called Linksys Support, which has been fantastic for me in the past and thankfully, still is! I was on the phone a little over an hour and after a series of randomly resetting, rebooting and other things, we FINALLY got the 3rd node to connect and established. Once done, she hung out with me on the phone while I updated the Firmware, just to ensure I had no further hiccups. Everything there went great and I was excited that I could now finally test it! When I booted up my laptop to play Diablo IV, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Windows 11 notification that my laptop is now using the latest and greatest Wi-Fi technology and that everything was configured automatically for that. However, outside of that, everything else seems pretty standard to my old MX10's. I'm on Spectrum 1GB service and I'm a little disappointed that my Wi-Fi speeds didn't improve any at all (still getting between 400-600 MB down) between all of my devices, depending on where I am. I can also be in the same room as a node and only get 450 down or so. However, the network does seem super stable, which is a massive plus. As a note - running the Channel Finder within the app (multiple times, even) did nothing to improve my Wi-Fi speeds. Outside of the above, everything is running great, but I did want to make note of a few bugs and such that I've encountered since then. The first is when running Channel Finder, sometimes it will error out and not complete the process and have to redo it...several times. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Another issue I've encountered that's really annoying to me is the built-in speed test via the App. Now, on every Velop system I've ever used, it measures the direct internet speed going into the Primary node from the modem. However, this one does not seem to be doing so...it seems to be testing the Wi-Fi speed...as when I do the test, it averages between 350 and 400 down, which is severely disappointing. I KNOW my internet connection from my modem to my router is full bandwidth....so to test this, I used my Alienware R15 Desktop, which is hardwired into a Switch, going directly into the back of the Primary node connected to my modem. Going to the Speedtest website and doing a test there nets me my full 930-940MB down speeds, which is 100% correct. My PS5 gets between 600-650 down and my Xbox Series X gets around 850-900 down (both hardwired), which is about on par with my MX10 system I had previously. All other devices are honestly about the same as well. My only really big caveat to this system is the fact that each node only has a single regular LAN/Ethernet port for a hardwired device. So, if you want to plug more than one device into a node, you've got no other option but to use a Switch. My MX10 system had, I believe, 4 Ethernet ports - which was great! I do love the form-factor and teardrop shape of these nodes much more than any previous iteration, though! They're super small, have a very strong signal for their size and they look great in any decor! Also, they're super stable and I don't feel like they'd be super easy to knock over or anything. I also like the new feature in the app where you can "blink" a node. So, if you're not sure what node is what, you can flash it to easily detect it (like when naming them)! They did also change out the light functionality, compared to their previous models. Before, if the node was on, connected and working properly, it was a light blue color. Now, it's solid white (or blinking white if it's disconnected or trying to connect). Now, the blue color is only for setup - it blinks blue when it's ready to setup (whereas with the previous models, it was purple). This did cause some confusion for me during setup, haha. So, in conclusion, I'd give this system a solid 4 out of 5 stars for now, as Best Buy does not currently allow for half-star reviews. Linksys, if you're reading this: If, via firmware, you could improve the Wi-Fi speeds further and iron out the Linksys app bugs (like the speedtest one that I mentioned above), I'd give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I'm still docking the half star due to only having a single LAN/Ethernet port on the back of each node. It's a solid system, encompasses the latest and greatest Wi-Fi tech, but it doesn't really feel that this system runs as great as it's capable of. I honestly expected consistent 600-700MB down speeds (especially on my newest devices that take advantage of the tech), but as of right now, those speeds are really all over the place.

I have been using a two node Linksys Mesh network in my home for the past four years. I have had a very favorable experience with the Linksys Velop Mesh equipment and have found the performance to be excellent. My two node system provides excellent coverage and data rates throughout our 3600 ft2 single-story structure. I was immediately interested in the new, three node Linksys Velop Pro 6E Tri-Band Mesh System (Model MX6203) in order to capitalize on the advantages of Wi-Fi 6E using 6 Ghz bandwidth, as well as the potential advantages of the Cognitive Mesh technology of the MX6203 compared to my older system’s Intelligent Mesh technology. Linksys has been a leader in Wi-Fi networking equipment for a long time, and it appears to me that this latest product delivery was an impressive example of a matured technology coupled with contemporary technical standards. The Linksys Velop Pro 6E Mesh Home Wi-Fi 6 system is an upper tier product from a well-trusted manufacturer, and offers outstanding feature specifications including: • Tri-band – o 2.4 GHz band - Wi-Fi 6 - 802.11ax – 600 Mbps – with full backwards compatibility for 802.11 b/g/n/ax  2 Streams at 40 MHz Channel Width o 5 GHz band - 802.11 a/n/ac/ax – 2400 Mbps – 2 Streams at 160 MHz Channel Width o 6 GHz band – 802.11ax – 2400 Mbps • Five internal antennae – o 2 dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz o 2 single band 6 GHz o 1 Bluetooth) • 2X2 MU-MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) on each band • 1024 QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) () o Provides a 25% data rate increase in Wi-Fi 6 • Downlink (DL) OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) o Reduces latency • 1.0 Ghz Dual-Core Qualcomm CPU • 2 Gigabit Ethernet Ports o 1 LAN port and 1 WAN port Notably, this system is of course a Wi-Fi 6”E” (Extended) system, which utilizes the newest, wide-bandwidth, high-frequency RF spectrum which the FCC released in April 2020 for Wi-Fi. That comprises 1200 MHz of new spectrum, providing seven additional wide-bandwidth channels, which currently have low utilization and therefore far less contention or interference potential. Equipping the nodes with only one LAN port is undoubtedly a small manufacturing economy, however it can prove to be a functional/operational limitation of consequence. There really should be more wired gigabit LAN ports on each node. Network security options include WPA3 Personal mode, WPA3/WPA2 Mixed Personal mode and WPA2 Personal Mode. The WPA3 standard is, of course, a requirement of Wi-Fi 6. There are two methods available for setting up and configuring the Velop Pro 6E. Either a Linksys Smart Wi-Fi account may be accessed with a web browser, or the Linksys smartphone app may be utilized. Having used both my Smart Wi-Fi account and the Linksys app for several years, I prefer to use the Linksys phone app (Android) for the initial setup which I find to be optimal for an easy and smooth setup process. Velop setup and administration is very easily accomplished with the Linksys phone app which provides a directed, guided process through the necessary steps. Initial smartphone communication with the Velop nodes is via Bluetooth connectivity (phone must be disconnected from any Wi-Fi networks at the start of the setup process), until the first node, the Parent Node, is configured and the phone joins the new network. Once the network name / SSID has been established by the user, a Linksys cloud account is necessary for configuration of the network. Mesh networks should optimally employ a single SSID for the mixed band network, allowing the intelligent nodes to arbitrate which device should run on which band, and on which physical node at a given time based on RSSI (Received Signal Strength) levels. The Linksys Velop Pro 6E will permit the use of a split network configuration, with different SSIDs for each of the networks, however doing so defeats some of the advantages of Mesh network functionality. Once the Parent Node is configured, configuration of the child nodes is undertaken by the app’s workflow process. Child Node configuration also verifies that the range between nodes is acceptable to maintain reliable, broadband inter-node communication for data backhaul, which is essential to Mesh network operation and performance. Very little time or effort is required for the entire process. The setup process has been improved since my last Linksys mesh setup, and the setup for the MX6302 could not have been easier! Any luddite could set up the MX6203 with ease! Other features are configured and managed through the Linksys app, or the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi web portal, including parental controls and Network Access Translation (NAT), etc.. In order to compare the performance of the new MX6203 to my older Linksys system, I strategically located the three Velop Pro 6E Mesh nodes, with two of them in the same locations used for the old nodes, and locating the third node at the approximate midpoint between them, endeavoring to achieve relative equidistance between the nodes. I performed extensive testing to measure network speed and RSSI data with both stationary devices and walk-testing portable devices. I compared the MX6203 data with the benchmark data that I collected from my old network prior to deactivating it. I found some modest improvements in RSSI and network speed relative to the nodes in the original network equipment locations. The dramatic change was with my Wi-Fi 6E enabled devices. My laptop changed from a 5 Ghz band link speed of 649 Mbps to a 6 Ghz band link speed of 1729 Mbps with the laptop located at a midpoint between two nodes! I also found that the Wi-Fi speed throughout the house was averaging close to the ISP data rate throughout the entire structure. For all practical and operational purposes, that is excellent network performance. During my testing, I found that the RSSI between the parent node and a child node will of course affect the inter-node / backhaul data rate and resultantly affect the throughput speed to the devices connected to the child node. The Velop Pro 6E Mesh system is advertised as utilizing Cognitive Mesh technology to enhance performance. Other than stating that Cognitive Mesh “makes continuous optimizations that improves your connectivity across all your devices” the Linksys marketing material and website do not provide further details or explanation of how Cognitive Mesh actually functions to optimize the network, nor how it improves network performance. Lack of explanation from Linksys notwithstanding, Cognitive Mesh is not simply a marketing term. It is an established technology involving frequency shifting and power adjustment to improve network throughput efficiency and spectrum utilization. Cognitive Mesh algorithms effectively improve network traffic management. Client devices initially camp on the Mesh node which is presenting the strongest RSSI when the client joins the network. Fixed location clients may remain on that same node indefinitely. However, mobile clients such as smartphone, laptops, tablets, etc. will move between the nodes depending on RSSI and hand-off criteria logic in the Velop Pro 6E firmware. Resultantly, a mobile client will be expected to camp on the most proximate node, which is presumably going to be the strongest signal source. However, a hand-off between nodes will not occur until the client devices RSSI drops below the handoff threshold (which although not specified by Linksys for the Velop Pro 6E), is -70 dBm as it also was on my prior Linksys Velop Mesh system. During my walk-testing of the network, I confirmed that the handoffs on the MX6203 were occurring the instant the RSSI at the device reached -70db. Therefore, if you are monitoring the RSSI on the client device, and/or utilizing the Linksys app to determine which node each client is currently camped on, you may observe that a client which is only inches from one node, is actually working off a more distant node. If you absolutely, positively can’t stand to wait for the Velop Pro 6E to manage the inter-node handoff, you can force the client onto the closer node by simply switching the client Wi-Fi off for a moment and then turning Wi-Fi back on, whereupon it will re-join the network on the node with the best signal strength (the closest node). Similarly, if one or more nodes are powered off, all clients will camp on the remaining (or sole) working node(s), even if the active node(s) is more distant. Distant clients will also likely be degraded to the 2.4 GHz network in order to maintain connectivity and throughput. In the event of losing an active node for any interval, it may be necessary to re-join each client to the Mesh network by either switching the client’s Wi-Fi off and back on, in order to have all clients re-associated with their optimal node. This phenomenon is not a system or equipment malfunction; it is a function of the design criteria. Once the RSSI to the mobile client device falls to -70 dBm, it will be handed off by the Velop Pro 6E to another Mesh node, which is more proximate to the client device (and of course is presenting a much stronger RSSI). The Linksys Velop Pro 6E is an outstanding performer. In fact, I am seeing excellent signal levels and link speeds throughout the entire house. Anecdotally, all client devices exhibit great network performance. More significantly, the empirical data is impressive and persuasive. I was pleased to find that the Velop Pro 6E essentially delivers almost the same data rate which is received at the modem, throughout the Wi-Fi network coverage area. I am very impressed with the Linksys Velop Pro 6E and believe that it is worthy of recommendation. I am very favorably impressed with the system performance, ease of setup and good administration capabilities.

This is not my first experience with a Linksys Mesh Network. And in my book, Linksys is king. We bought the first generation three Node Velop Mesh Network about five years ago and it’s been great. But lately, one of the nodes was going in and out, which caused instability and it was time for an upgrade. Linksys to the rescue, with the newest generation Velop Pro 6E Mesh Network. If you’re still using a cheap router provided by your Internet Service Provider, you simply don’t what you’re missing. Linksys Mesh Networks are easy to setup, powerful and they make your connected live so much better. Especially, if you’re like my household and you have a lengthy list of Wifi hungry devices. This newest Velop Pro 6E is in another league. It comes superbly packaged, with three nodes, three power adapters, an ethernet cable, and a quick start guide. If you do use a modem router from your internet service provider, this replaces your Router and you will only be using the modem side of the Router. When we got our first Linksys Mesh Network, we wound up needing to remove the Modem-Router and just use a dedicated Modem. So, what’s so special about this newest Mesh Network from Linksys. Well, let me tell you. It uses Cognitive Mesh, delivering the absolute newest Wifi 6E, which provides superior range. And by Cognitive, Linksys means the network thinks for itself and figures things out by making adjustments continuously to improve connectivity across all of your devices. Translation? You get a faster network, with wider coverage, which permits you to add more devices. It would be very difficult to stump this network and after a couple days using it, I’m getting better Wifi connectivity in places around my home, including Wifi connected security cameras outside my home, which struggled with the previous network. And my home is a concrete and rebar home in the Sunshine State, where thick walls are mandatory for hurricane building codes. This 6E network has access to higher MHz channels than lesser networks, which provides more power and stronger, more stable connections. In also uses a “Qualcomm Immersive Home” 316 Platform chipset for next generation performance and stability. We’ve currently got 26 Wifi connected devices running in and around our home and this new network isn’t taxed in the least. I’m getting download speeds throughout my home of a little over 420 Mbps, which I’ve never gotten before. The system, however, is capable of delivering over 5000+ Mbps, which is beyond amazing. We only pay for 400 Mbps, which seems more than enough for the average user. Linksys is using a new design with the Nodes this time, which they call a Droplet Design, which is nice looking and provides better thermal performance. This system is Wifi 6E, which is the absolute newest wireless standard, that extends the capabilities of Wifi 6 into the 6 GHz band. This allows for greater efficiency, higher throughput and increased security. It uses a new, exclusive spectrum that is much larger and has more channels than the spectrum used by previous generations of Wifi devices which means greater reliability and efficiency. Because this is a 3 Node Mesh Network, Linksys says it can comfortably cover 9000 square feet. Our home isn’t even close to that size, but for us, three Nodes means never having to be concerned about losing signal inside or outside our home, which is a great thing indeed! It has a host of security features and it support wireless security/encryption including WPA2/WPA3 Mixed Personal, WPA2 and WPA3 Personal. Add in Parental controls which offers time-based, domain-based and MAC address-based (device-based) blocking of Internet access for those with children who might want to make sure their kids can’t access things they don’t want them to access. So, what’s it like to set up a new Linksys Velop Pro6 6E. Simple, actually. The first thing you need to do is download the Linksys App on your smartphone. And yes, you need the app for system setup and control once setup. I already had the app, since this new network is replacing an existing Linksys Mesh Network. Then plug in all the Nodes where the modem the Primary Node will be connected, and the app will walk you through the setup process. You’ll be asked to go to your Wifi settings on your phone and enter the Primary Node (any of the nodes can be used as the Primary) Wifi Password, which is printed on a label on the bottom of the node. Then tap the Node name, which is printed on the same label and the primary Node will be connected to Wifi. Then you’ll plug the ethernet cable into the modem and node. The next step is the only place I had an issue and that is you are asked to unplug your Modem, wait 2.5 minutes, then plug it back in and the Node will then go about connecting to the Modem. My Node got hung up. So, I called Linksys and got a wonderful agent who helped me past that step and once fully connected, the app asks if you have any other Nodes to connect and you’ll say yes, and they connect to the network in just a couple minutes. Once you’ve got all three nodes completely configured, you can move the two satellite Nodes to the locations you’ve chosen as their permanent location. In my home, the Primary Node is in the middle of the house. And each satellite Node is located on opposite ends of the house, with the result of consistently strong Wifi everywhere. My biggest concern was whether I’d have to reconnect the 26 Wifi enable devices I had on the old Mesh Network. And thankfully, I didn’t have to, as-long-as I used the same network name and password I used for the previous system. Once I set that, every single one of the 26 devices connected to the network immediately. So smart. So simple. YAY! As far as I’m concerned, a Linksys Mesh Network makes your connected life so much better, providing powerful and very stable network connectivity. This newest Pro 6E takes everything Linksys has learned about stable, powerful networks and gives you next-level-performance. Is it worth the price of admission? Yes, Yes, Yes! Two Thumbs Up YES!