For those struggling to get a Wi-Fi connection that covers their entire home or office, the eero seems like a lifesaver. This clever device uses TrueMesh technology that allows you to create a network of eeros, each of which emits a Wi-Fi signal that you can connect to.
That network starts with an eero, which serves as a gateway for the rest of the devices you connect to your modem or router. Changing that eero gateway can be a hassle, although you’ll have to deal with it if you buy a new eero or simply want to change your existing eero gateway for another one on your network.
Replace your current eero gateway with a new eero
Since eero releases new versions of its device regularly, you may want to exchange an outdated model for a new one. This new eero gateway connects directly to your modem or router, making it the conduit through which the rest of your network operates.
If you want to introduce a new eero as your gateway device, you can do so using the eero mobile appwhich is available for both iOS and Android.
- Load the eero app on your mobile device and log in to your eero account.
- Tap the “+” icon at the top right of your screen.
- Select “Add or replace eero devices”.
- Choose “Replace eero device.”
- Choose the eero you want to replace, which should be the eero that is currently connected directly to your modem or router. Follow the setup instructions provided by the app.
These setup instructions tell you how to disconnect your current eero from the modem so you can connect your new device. However, your new eero is not a gateway yet, as there are a few more steps to complete:
- After connecting your new eero, wait for it to boot up and connect.
- Wait about 10 minutes for your eero network to connect.
That waiting period allows your network to determine which eero you are using as your new network, allowing you to make the appropriate changes. Once your network is operational again, you can check the signal strength of the new gateway:
- Open your eero mobile app and tap “Online.”
- Check the signal strength of your new gateway, which you will see on the right side of the device name.
eero measures signal strength using a five-bar system, similar to that used for mobile networks. Five bars tell you that the device has a solid connection (perfect for serving as a gateway) and one bar indicates a poor connection. Check the connection strength of each eero on your network to ensure that each one has a good connection (at least two bars) to your eero gateway.
Swap your existing eero gateway for another eero on your network
Sometimes, you will find that the eero you are using as a gateway is not doing a good job. That may make you want to try other eeros on your network as your gateway to see if any of them do a better job of transmitting a signal to the rest of the network.
The following steps allow you to do this, regardless of whether you use the Android or iOS version of the eero app:
- Select the eero you want to use as your new gateway. A good way to do this is to check the signal strength of each eero by tapping “Online” in your eero app, with the one emitting the strongest signal being a good choice for your gateway.
- Unplug your modem or router and wait a couple of minutes for the power to the device to go out.
- Remove power to the secondary eero from your network. Unplug your eero gateway from your modem or router.
These steps should effectively shut down your entire eero network, setting the stage for you to create and configure a new gateway. From there, you’ll reboot the network with your replacement eero as the new gateway:
- Plug your modem or router back in and wait for it to reboot to the point where it issues a Wi-Fi connection.
- Use an Ethernet cable to connect your replacement gateway to the modem or router.
- Plug your replacement gateway into a power outlet.
- Wait for the new eero gateway to power on and connect.
With the replacement gateway installed, it may take up to 10 minutes for your eero network to configure and come back online. Once you have done so, you can follow the following steps to verify your new connection:
- Open the eero app and navigate to the “Online” page.
- Check the signal strength of your eero gateway.
Ideally, you will see a signal strength of five bars, which will tell you that the replacement gateway is emitting a strong connection. If not, compare the signal strength to what your previous eero had to see if the replacement is worth keeping. If it emits a weaker signal, it may be a good idea to exchange the replacement for the original one.
Change a gateway range or IP address
Each eero device comes with a default IP address of “192.168.4.1”. This is usually fine for most users, but some may want to configure that IP address, especially if you have multiple devices that use a different static IP address than eero’s default.
You can make this change through the eero app with a few simple steps:
- Go to “Settings”.
- Tap “Advance.”
- Select “DHCP and NAT”.
- Tap “Manual IP.”
After tapping “Manual IP,” you’ll be able to choose from three options:
- 192.168.0.0
- 172.16.0.0
- 10.0.0.0
With each of these, you can configure a “Subnet IP”, a “Start IP”, and an “End IP” using the last “0” of the number. For example:
- Subnet IP: 172.16.0.0
- Initial IP: 172.16.0.100
- Final IP – 172.16.0.125
Note that the “Subnet IP” must be the IP address you choose with a “0” at the end.
It appears that the eero app limits your “final IP” to below .255, although you may find it to be more flexible with a little experimentation. It’s also worth noting that this process allows you to set a “Subnet Mask”, although it will generally be “255.255.255.0” regardless of the devices you connect to your eero network.
If you ever want to check your gateway’s IP address, you can do so by going back to the “DHCP and NAT” p of the eero app. You’ll see a p called “Lease Range,” which provides the current details of your gateway’s IP address.
Open a new gateway with eero
There are many reasons why you may want to change your eero gateway, the most common being the introduction of an updated eero device. For others, switching between different eero devices on a network, testing each as a gateway, is the key to determining which device works best as the primary eero for the entire network.
Have you ever had problems with your eero network that you think a gateway change could fix? How effective do you think eero is compared to other Wi-Fi network extension tools you’ve tried? Tell us what you think about this interesting technology in the comments p below.
