Linksys - Velop AC2200 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 5 System (2-pack) - White

Over time, the number of Wifi enabled devices one owns grows too large for the standard-issue, crappy Internet Services Provider (ISP) Modem/Router. At least mine did, even with a Wifi repeater, reception in my two story home was barely acceptable. And we pay for 100 mbps internet service. After the router went down recently for the 3rd time, we had to yet again get the ISP to replace it, getting even worse Wifi reception. It was clear it simply wouldn’t ever come close to meeting our needs. Enter Linksys Velop total house Tri-Band Mesh Network. I did my homework. The top names in whole-house Mesh networks are Eero, Google Wifi, Netgear Orbi and Linksys. When PC Magazine and several other reviewers found them all good, but heaped praise upon praise on the Linksys Velop, I was pretty much pre-sold. After a visit to my Best Buy store however, it became clear. Two knowledgeable salespeople both gave the Linksys their top recommendation. Many reviews suggest it’s easy to set one up yourself. I’m moderately tech-savvy, but I just didn’t want any frustration, so I chose to let Best Buy install the system. Included in the installation was hooking all 22 Wifi enabled devices, such 3 Alexa, multiple laptops, iPhones/iPads, Arlo Wifi Security Camera, Printers, Ring Doorbell, multiple 4K TV’s, etc. The installer did an outstanding job and it took him a couple hours to get everything installed and connected. The last step was the most difficult as it required asking our ISP to bridge the new Router, turning off internet from their Modem/Router. They messed up the process, making nothing work. Thankfully, our Geek Squad installer was able to tell Spectrum what they needed to do and got us back up running. I’m telling you, unless you’re great with electronics, pay a pro to get you going properly. Then sit back and enjoy the blazing fast internet speeds you’ve been paying for, but probably weren’t getting with the crappy Modem/Router from your ISP. A few things to know about the Linksys Velop. It is what they call self-healing. This means the Velop optimizes the internet to all the stations (we got the three-station system) to ensure fast Wifi anywhere in our home. Our three-station system is supposed to be able to cover a 6,000 square foot home. Our home is only 2200 square feet. But I am glad we got the three-station system. Internet from any spot in our modern concrete Florida home is fantastic. The Linksys Velop is a dynamic tri-band system. It features MU-MIMO technology (multiuser multiple input, multiple output technology). The other higher end brands don’t offer this, like Google Wifi for example. MU-MIMO gives each device its own dedicated full-speed Wifi connection. Multiple devices can connect at the same time without slowing down the network. Testing this in every room in my house, it does its job admirably. Setting up the Linksys via the free app on my iPhone couldn’t have been simpler. Once the base router communicates with the App, you name the router and create a password you want to use as your Wifi password. So nice to not have to refer to a written note with the odd letter/number, upper/lower case password the ISP Router comes with. And the app shows every connected device, which of the three stations it’s connected to and for the most part posted the right name for each device. Our laptops were named by their internal names, but it’s very simple to just tap on any device and rename it for easier recognition. Note: The App itself doesn’t offer the option to run a speed test. But you can go out to Linksys.com and sign into your account online and run a speed test there. And was I ever pleased with the result. I pay for 100 mbps service and I’m actually getting closer to 120mbs service. Nothing has ever downloaded or opened as fast as it does now. The Linksys Velop is attractive. Our electronics are black, so we chose the Velop in black. Turns out if you want the Velop in white it costs $20 more. Just for white. I happily saved $20 and the black base stations better match the electronics in our home. I am simply stunned with how terrific this system is. It’s attractive, and should provide years of stable internet service to the many devices we have connected to it.

This router was introduced by Linksys in CES 2017 with Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi feature. It came in a excellent box with 3 nodes. The packing is excellent. Velop is designed for high-performance Wi-Fi. Each Velop features a beautiful, sleek design that can be placed in open spaces, and away from obstructions to provide the best in-home Wi-Fi experience. Compact in size, Velop node is easy to place throughout the home and features an 88% smaller footprint than that of a traditional router. Its tower design supports vertical antenna placement, which enhances Wi-Fi dispersion throughout your home. Additionally, Velop features a cable management system designed to hide connected cables and keep your home clutter-free. The setup was very easy. Please note that setup can be done only by Android or iOS app. I have connected the first node and able to connect to the internet in less than 2 mins. I have placed other two nodes in two different locations (first and second floor) in my house and followed the steps to configure the nodes. All nodes connected successfully to internet less than 10 mins. The cool feature is during setup it will check and tell you whether nodes are in ideal spots to get max Wi-Fi speeds. I switched over from the Netgear Orbi. I was facing slow speeds, Wi-Fi disconnects at my home and this router resolved all the issues. Linksys Velop is a high-performing modular Wi-Fi mesh system of nodes built to provide exceptional Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home. It sets up in minutes and delivers a flawless, ultra-fast, full-strength signal. Featuring with Dynamic Tri-band technology, this router outperforms the competition by providing faster speeds through its combination of three Wi-Fi radios, each tuned for optimal Wi-Fi load balancing to ensure peak Wi-Fi performance throughout the home. Whether you're streaming 4K content, gaming, or video chatting, Velop delivers exceptionally fast Wi-Fi to ensure optimal performance even when multiple Wi-Fi devices are connected. Each Velop node is a powerful Tri-Band connection point offering up to 2,000 square feet of coverage and with velop's modular design it will perform well in any home type. This router mesh system operates as a singular network that works to ensure a 100% seamless connection as you move throughout your home I was able to configure with Amazon Echo and it is working flawlessly to tell your guest network password, wifi password etc. It is a nice feature. However, I have disabled this feature due to security reason. With the Linksys App, you can closely monitor and manage your home Wi-Fi remotely using a smartphone or tablet. Parental Controls: Ensure a safe Internet experience for your kids--even when you're away from home. Reduce online distractions during homework, family or dinnertime. Restrict access to inappropriate or distracting content, control usage, and block specific devices from accessing the Internet. Guest Access: Generate a separate, password-protected Wi-Fi network for up to 50 guests and easily share the password via text. Device Prioritization: Prioritize devices that need the most speed. Auto-Fix: Automatically select the best channel for your device and eliminate congestion with the push of a button. Speed Test: Easily test and monitor your Internet connection's speed to make sure you're getting full speed from your provider. Notification : Enable notification to alert if any of the node is not working. I was able to setup the port forwarding in Linksys iOS app for my Plex Server and Plex Server connected for remote access without any issues. I am extremely pleased with this purchase and router performance. It is one of the most innovative and fastest router in the market with many great features. If you are looking for faster internet and longer Wi-Fi range, Please buy this router without any hesitation. You will not be disappointed with your purchase.

This system is specifically designed for someone that wants to supply Wi-Fi throughout their house without having a gaudy looking, “alien like” router being the center piece of it. The design of each node is like a small vase or one of those Glade automatic air fresheners, with wires easily guided behind it and hidden underneath, too include a very “modern looking” power adapter. The Linksys Velop is directly aimed at someone that wants a simple method to set it up and a simple way to manage it. With the Linksys app it walks you through the process step by step and works its “magic” as it displays during setup. Managing the system is simple and straight forward through the app which is only available on iOS (8.0 or later) and Android (4.0.3 or later). The app allows you to control each devices access, enable/disable guest networks, and manage other technical aspects of the network. Using three nodes you can seamlessly cover a large area without ever needing to understand how it works. With the two Ethernet ports on each node you can also provide wired Ethernet connections to remote devices while wirelessly connected back to the internet. In my case my son’s room has always been a weak Wi-Fi spot and his old computer has just remained off the internet for years now. With this system he now has excellent Wi-Fi coverage and his old computer is connected via Ethernet cable to a wireless network. The Linksys Velop is an easy, simple and elegant way to provide a single hi-speed Wi-Fi network throughout a large area. On the flip side though, I am a tech nerd and I like to have much more control over my devices. For instance, you cannot control these network devices with a computer. Unlike other Linksys devices that you can use the Linksys app for, you can usually use the computer to get even more refined details, such as separating the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands into separate networks or setting times to restrict access for parental controls. With the Linksys Velop you must use the app, even after the network is set up. If you attempt to log into the main node via IP, it will remind you that you must use the app. The other side effect to the app is that it is only available on iOS and Android devices that must already have an internet connection, because you have to download the app before you even start setup. So, if you only have an old device (earlier than iOS 8 and Android 4.0.3), or a Windows based phone, and don’t already have Wi-Fi or data services on your device, you will not be able to set this system up. During the set-up process, though simple and guided, there were several times that I was on a waiting screen with no feedback other than a pinging blue circle or a rotating blue ring and the statement telling me it will take some time or please wait. After waiting over 15 minutes, two separate times, I restarted everything and it only took about 5 minutes to complete setup of the first node. The second node was even quicker and the third node required a hard reset of holding the reset button for 10 seconds, as directed by the app, though it installed after that with no issues. I just feel that the app should realize that after about 5 minutes of being on a single screen that something may be wrong and suggest restarting. The Wi-Fi connection is truly seamless. Going from node to node is not noticeable unless you are looking for it and that is where I noticed that it only changes nodes over when it is at near loss of the previously connected node. For instance if connected to node 3 and you walk to node 2, you will not switch over to a stronger signal unless the other signal is so weak that you may lose connection anyways. Due to the size of my house, my devices only switch once I was at node 1, which was in my basement. This is a good thing, as it prevented actual loss of connection, but to me did not seem like the best option as the signal is stronger and most likely faster if I am a few feet from node 2 as opposed to 20 feet from node 3 or 1. The speed of this connection also ran between 80 and 100Mbps, which is good enough for my internet connection, but not the fastest local network speed. Overall, Linksys Velop is a great looking system and works as intended. If you are looking for a simple and kind of discreet way to provide Wi-Fi throughout your house, this is the way to go. If you are like me and want more control over your home Wi-Fi, you might want to consider something like the Linksys WRT3200ACM.

I wanted to cover a 2400 sq.ft. house and a 900 sq.ft. detached garage apartment with a WiFi signal. The house was easy enough, my 5 y.o. router handles it no problem, but I really thought I was going to have run CAT cable from the modem-connected router that's located centrally in the main house to a slave router in the apartment which is approximately 35 ft away. I discussed my situation with a Best Buy employee and he suggested trying the Linksys Velop mesh router before I run cable. I had my doubts but I'm happy to say that climbing around the attic and digging a trench to hide a CAT wire between the 2 buildings won't be necessary, the Velop system works beautifully and set-up couldn't have been easier; the app walks you step-by-step through the process. I have a strong WiFi signal in both buildings and everywhere in-between. The signal even covers my entire back yard which is a pleasant surprise and is good enough everywhere to stream movies and play on-line games. My expectations are seldom surpassed but this Linksys Velop mesh WiFi system did just that. Great product!

Pros ________ Compact Easily blends into any part of the house allowing placement based on need instead of aesthetics Offers true mesh technology with automatic routing Separate backhaul channel to help keep speed between nodes higher Ports are universal so you don’t need to understand wan versus LAN or uplink versus bridge Cons ________ Device Prioritization (very basic QoS) has issues with higher internet speeds. Built in speed test can’t achieve the speed resulting in a low number. Subscribed speed cannot be manually entered to compensate No way to configure via a Windows computer of any sort. No website or app. Antennas seem weak as speed between nodes was not consistent. Only offers two ports per node Configuring via the app is slow. Between 12-15 minutes per node Limited advanced functionality (Port forwarding is offered but only device based prioritization) Antiquated, extremely basic, parental controls. You must manually enter URLs per device. No category based internet filtering. You are the parental controls No log to see what sites your kids are accessing to block easily No way to name the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands differently for legacy compatibility DHCP cannot be configured in any way or even turned off. Valid DHCP range not showing without using less than official means. LAN network address IP configuration is not adjustable without calling support. Stuck as 192.168.1.x. No option for reserving static IPs on the network Nodes cannot hardwired to allow faster speed and redundancy like a corporate mesh system. ________ Unlike regular mesh Wi-Fi, Velop cannot be used as just Wi-Fi while still being a mesh. This means in my case I have one unit sitting in closet in a less than ideal location. Corporate mesh Wi-Fi has an access point mode allow you to place the access points where they are needed most. The Linksys Velop system is intended to address one of the biggest problems old fashioned Wi-Fi systems encountered as internet speeds have increased and people start doing more online streaming. In a conventional system, Wi-Fi speed and strength drops the further you get away from the place where your internet comes into the house. By having multiple of what Linksys calls nodes spread throughout your house that work together the signal can be evenly spread everywhere allowing full strength and speed. This is a concept that has been around in the business sector for many years but was far too expensive and complicated for home use and the Velop intends to address this. Make no mistake, any consumer mesh Wi-Fi system today is going to be around $300 and up so you if you want good coverage and speed, regardless of manufacturer, you are going to have to spend more money. The best place for Wi-Fi is also out in the open so a traditional box with ugly antennas and wires won’t be tolerated. Just like many other solutions these nodes are designed to be placed in the open with minimal wiring and a more attractive design. Starting with setup things are different. You get three nodes that come with just a power cord. You get one Ethernet cable for your main node but that is it. If you need a local connection the bottom of each unit comes with two multi-purpose ports. They are not specifically designated and the system seems to know whether you are connecting the port to the internet, your network, or local device. It’s very convenient. If you have a fair number of wired devices you will need to purchase switches. In order configure your network, the process has been simplified. You install an app and just let it walk you through configuring and labeling each node. It will allow you to define where you put them, if the placement is ideal for signal, and then make sure the software is up to date on the node. There is one name for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks and you can also define a guest network. Oddly, there no way to configure a separate name for the different bands so those of you with older Apple devices might run into trouble. The app is available for iOS and Android. Strangely, there is no way to configure this with a Windows computer. This is strange because devices such as Velop are often offered by computer consulting companies to small to medium business as a cheaper alternative to more expensive corporate equipment. These companies also typically do not want staff to have client information on their personal devices so not having a way to configure via their work computer is quite odd. This also leaves out anyone who opts either to have a different smartphone or has no smart phone. Not all hope is lost though as Linksys is open to customer feedback and I already asked to be added to the list of people asking for a Windows universal app. I can even imagine if they offered a Windows Universal app playing on the Xbox One and just telling Cortana to have Velop prioritize my Xbox One or even shut down access to all other devices so my gaming is not affected by anyone else. So many unique possibilities not being utilized. For now, this a glaring omission and my Xbox One and my Surface Pro have been rendered useless for this. It is software so maybe Linksys could think more outside the box and see the potential. Instead of traditional QoS (Quality of Service) this has what is called Device Prioritization. You can choose a device on your list and give it high priority but that is it. There are no options for prioritizing based on service or port. To activate device prioritization, you must run the integrated speed test which brings up a bug in the administration. If you have a higher internet speed, mine is at least 400Mbps, the speed test will not be able to give a full read of your internet speed. This means if you turn on the device prioritization it will artificially cut your speed down. In my case, it took my 400Mbps connection, read it multiple times as 150Mbps and limited my max speed to 150Mbps for any device. Turning off prioritization caused my speed to jump up to 315Mbps but node to node speed was inconsistent leading to tests showing speeds from 180Mbps to 330Mpbs. This replaced a competing mesh product that just came out recently, placed in the same area, that always produced consistent node to node speeds up near 400Mbps. Velop was unable to achieve full speed even with device prioritization off. Linksys Support is aware of the device prioritization issue and hopefully in the coming weeks and months a solution for this will be put in place. Ideally the speed test system should be upgraded but it would be even better if you could manually enter your internet speed for times like this when the integrated system just can’t keep up. I have already received a callback so Linksys is very keen on improving this. Normally with any Wi-Fi, including corporate mesh systems, you can configure your Wi-Fi as either the control for everything or just serve only as a mesh Wi-Fi access system. In the case of the Velop, it’s all or nothing. If you want to use Velop, you are going to have to make this your one and only system. There are no options to turn DHCP on or off or configure any static IPs. In fact, even under the advanced settings it doesn’t have anything about switching the address range used on your internal network. This presents a problem since many modern ISPs have their modem configured to use range 192.168.1.x, just like Velop. This causes routing problems as well as a security threat as the system has no way to know what is inside or outside your network. A call to support uncovered a less than official way to do this but the point is I shouldn’t have to. They are also aware of this and hopefully future updates will change the setup. If you are a gamer, looking for a mesh Wi-Fi add-on, want to have comprehensive parental controls, want QoS controls, need to have a different internal network besides 192.168.1.x, run internal static systems such as servers or NAS, or want to have a way to configure and administer the system via your computer then you are best to look elsewhere. It is an odd combination trying to cater to people who don’t want to mess with their Wi-Fi and want max speed and yet the people most likely to spend the money on the high-speed internet packages will most likely want much more control. Of course, this is a new system and these adjustments and abilities could be added in later versions of the software but currently, about the only thing this system offers is broad Wi-Fi coverage in an attractive package. Advanced users, gamers, and power users might want to look elsewhere or check back after future updates. It has A LOT of potential but the software is still extremely basic even when compared to basic routers. Who is this system most suited? If you mainly use Wi-Fi, want a system to cover your entire house regardless of size, and don’t care that there are almost no controls of any sort then this might be for you. Setup is about as simple and basic as it can get and for such people I recommend this product.

My six year old wireless router was beginning to show its technological age. It could not keep up with my family's growing consumption of online content. To make matters worse, I live in a three level condo where I had to use a wi-fi range extender to receive a wi-fi signal up to the third floor. Needless to say, I was quite interested to see how the Linksys Velop Whole Home Wi-fi would perform. The system I received has three identical rectangular columns each measuring 7.25” in height and 3”x3” at its base. The three little towers, or nodes as Linksys calls them, resemble scale model white colored skyscrapers, much like how you would see in architectural models. This sleek, stylish, and contemporary look can easily blend in as a decorative piece in your home. But enough about how it looks. Inside the nodes are actually wireless routers with three bands – a 2.4GHz band, and two 5GHz bands. There are six vertical antennas. The system will automatically select the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band for your device for optimum wi-fi performance. On the underside of each node there are two ethernet ports, a power switch, a reset button, and connector for power. The nodes communicate with each other to create a wireless wi-fi mesh to provide the entire home with a strong, full strength wi-fi network. The wi-fi throughput does not degrade, which is a limitation of wi-fi range extenders which cuts the wi-fi throughput by one-half each time the signal is extended. Depending on the size of your home and your coverage needs, Linksys offers single node, two node, and three node options. Linksys makes the set-up very easy. The box does not come with a detailed user guide. Instead, there is a set up card that directs you to go to the Google Play or Apple Store to download the Linksys app to your smartphone or tablet which will guide you through the entire set up process. When I went to the Google Play store to select the Linksys app, I noticed there were two apps – a “Linksys Smart Wi-fi” app and a “Linksys Connect” app. Which one to install? I'll save you the trouble of trying to figure out which one is the correct app. Download and install the “Linksys Smart Wi-fi” app. The Linksys app holds your hand through each step, making it one of the easiest wi-fi set ups I have ever experienced. They should win an award just for being so consumer/user friendly. Please note that you will need to turn on your phone or tablet's bluetooth in order for the app to communicate with the node. It's a simple five step connection process. Step 1 – Disconnect your existing router, Step 2 – Connect the base node (they're all identical, so just choose one of the three nodes to be your base node) to your modem via the supplied ethernet cable, or you can use an existing ethernet cable, Step 3 – Let the app search for the node and make the automatic wireless connection, Step 4 – Personalize the Wi-fi network by creating a name and password, and Step 5 – Add additional nodes or exit if you have no other nodes to set up. As additional nodes are added, the app analyzes the location of the node to determine if the placement is adequate to create the wi-fi mesh. I placed a node at each of my three floors and was good to go. Perfomance wise, I noticed the improvement immediately. It was like I just came out of the wi-fi stone age and sprinted to the 21st century. No more buffering of video content while multiple devices were connected to the wi-fi network. Web pages load smoothly. My household has over a dozen devices connected via wi-fi, and there were no hiccups downloading and uploading content. This has everything to do with the multi-user, multi-input, multi-output (MU-MIMO) that Linksys has built into its whole home wi-fi. It is a robust system allowing multiple devices to simultaneously receive content. Furthermore, I could walk up the three flights of my condo and the wi-fi signal remained at full strength, and there was no longer a need to connect to a separate wi-fi network like I had to when I used the range extender. The app is also easy to use. You are able to personalize the names of each node such as naming them “kitchen”, “living room”, etc. whatever will make it easy for me to remember which node was which. There are also Parental Controls to allow you to manage internet access to your kids, Guest Access to share your internet without having to expose the rest of your wi-fi network, and Device Prioritization to allow up to three devices for priority usage of the internet. For advance users, there are Advanced Settings to allow customizations for Internet Settings, Port Settings, and Wi-Fi MAC Filters. There is only one negative that I see. There is no usb connection on the node for connections to hard drives. In summary, here are the Pros and Cons: Pros -Easy to set up -Stylish looking nodes -Fast full strength wi-fi for each node -Expandable -Eliminates the need for range extenders Cons -No USB port The Linksys Velop Whole Home Wi-fi impressed me with the quality packaging, aesthically looking nodes, seamless set up, and blazing MU-MIMO wi-fi performance that is able to create a wi-fi mesh to provide full strength internet. I have no hesitation recommending this system as an upgrade to an existing router and range extenders. The Linksys Velop has the advantage of enabling a uniform and continuous wi-fi network for the whole house without degradation of the wi-fi signal. For those looking to create a wireless whole home network but aren't confident in their abilities to set one up themselves, the Linksys Velop is the perfect solution as the app virtually holds your hand through the set up.

The Linksys - Velop Tri-Band Whole Home Wi-Fi System (3-pack) is packaged in a beautiful & functional box with magnetic closure - it exudes quality! Each Node is protected individually. Just looking at the box, you expect a premium, esoteric product... & Linksys delivers that & more in spades! The shapely Nodes are beautiful & blend with any decorating style. Simple set-up via the Linksys iOS or Android App. Within minutes, you are ready to go online. As shown in attached photo, I have 90 wireless devices utilized over 5,000 sq feet / 3 floors: this is a challenging application for high speed Wi-Fi that includes: connected major appliances; BAS ceiling fans & Haiku Wi-Fi connected lights; Wi-Fi Thermostats; Netatmo Wi-Fi Weather Station; 65 Hue Lights; Connected exterior door locks; Wink Wi-Fi connected devices; connected iDevices, Nest & Arlo cameras; iPads; iPhones & computers. Finally, Streaming from 4) Apple TV's; Nixplay Wi-Fi Photo Frames. And now the Results: Velop delivers the fastest Wi-Fi speed I have ever experienced and does so consistently! The attached screen capture shows 349 Mbps Download / 23 Mbps Upload. These are WIRELESS speeds!! I pay for 300 Mbps Download / 30 Mbps Upload & our internet service provider generally delivers 300 - 360 Download & 22 - 32 Upload. Velop is the only Wi-Fi System I have found to date that actually delivers this sustainable speed and does not randomly disconnect the many devices. High power Wi-Fi requires a high current source. Each of the 3) square white power supplies produce 12 Volt, 2 Amp output! 24VA (Volt Amps) is the highest output of any router I have tested. Better yet, the cable that plugs into each Velop is perfectly angled at the plug so the wire routs neatly through the cable management feature at the base. Brilliant design! PRO's: 1- Fastest Wi-Fi Speed 2- Easy approximate 10 minute Set-up per hub 3- Velop Nodes are very attractive & blend with any architecture 4- Robust infrastructure yields dependable performance 5- 24/7 Support 6- 3-Year Warranty 7- Easy to use App with great diagnostics 8- Wire Management at the base is excellent & offers a wire free appearance. 9- Three Velop Nodes establish fast Wi-Fi speed across the house on any floor. 10- Expandable: Add an additional Node any time you prefer. CON's: 1- IP Address range cannot be changed from: 192.***. My 2) existing Apple Time Capsule / Routers had IP addresses of 10.***, but they can be set to different ranges. A different IP Address range requires individually resetting a few devices that previously connected to the other range. For example, each Nixplay connected frame had to manually "Forget" the old Wi-Fi name of the previous SSID, then set up the same name with Velop, even though the Wi-Fi name and password are the same. On 13) Apple Airport Express devices, I had to power down each device to reset it from 10.*** to 192.*** 2- IPv6 is not supported as of product release. This is surprising, as my three year old Apple Time Capsule / Router supported IPv6. 3- The first unit set up in under 10 minutes; however the remaining two hubs froze at the same exact place midway every time during set-up. After 6 failed attempts, I held each Node horizontally and kept my hand around it. Surprisingly, this procedure resulted in a virtually immediate set-up! Then I set each Node vertically & it continued to work great. 4- Only one Node can connect to the internet via ethernet. The other Nodes connect to the first Node via wireless mesh connection. I would prefer the option of connecting each Node to a wired ethernet connection. Linksys Technical Support indicated this may be added later as a software update. This would prove beneficial because the Nodes must be located fairly close together (my tests showed less than 40 feet apart at most). CONCLUSION: My search for the "Ideal" Whole Home Wi-Fi System that consistently delivers 300 Mbps over 5,000 square feet with 90 devices ends here!! I am THRILLED with Velop & give it my highest recommendation!! It has proven to be the BEST ROUTER available for 2017!

The Linksys Velop is a great Wifi mesh network system that people with big and/or multi-story homes should definitely purchase. It has a cool, modern design, the nodes blend in well with the environment, the setup process is very easy to perform via the Linksys smartphone app, the Wifi coverage area is EXCELLENT, and the speeds are pretty good. The Linksys Velop is my second experience with a Wifi mesh-type network system (first was the Google Wifi) and my experience with the Velop has been positive. The initial setup procedure was completed with the Linksys smartphone app and it was easy and simple. The time it took to setup each node, though, wasn't fast. It took maybe 15 to 20 minutes total. As for the range, there are no complaints. Every single corner of my home plus outside of my house are washed in great Wifi signal quality and reliability. If there was one disappointment, it was the top download speed. I purchase 50 Mbps broadband and doing a Speedtest on my front porch, the max download I'm able to get is ~33 Mbps. With Google Wifi at the same location, I was pulling down above my 50 Mbps limit and getting 69 Mbps. Despite not achieving the same top DL speed as Google Wifi, I prefer the Velop because the connection speeds are more consistent and even. When my devices used to be connected to Google Wifi, my Youtube resolution would often drop down to 480p and even into 240p despite my device located within 3 feet of a node. When I changed the resolution to anything higher, it would simply drop back down to 240p or 480p. That was UNACCEPTABLE. With the Velop, I'm not experiencing such degradation issues. Overall, I'm highly satisfied and happy with the Velop and give my full recommendation.