Articles by Samuel Contreras

Best answer: Yes, and you probably should. Starlink comes with a router, but may not offer the coverage and settings many people have come to expect from their routers.

You should use your own router with Starlink

Starlink comes with a basic router in the box, and you will need to use it in some capacity, but if you’re looking for Wi-Fi coverage for a large home or just want the options that come with a standalone unit. A Nest Wifi mesh system was used in our Starlink Review, and it worked well. To get it working, you need only connect your router to the Ethernet port of the Starlink router. It might be necessary to factory reset your router if you were using custom settings with your previous internet service provider.

While Starlink’s service reaches a huge service area, your personal connection will only reach as far as your router. The included router should be adequate for a small to medium home, but if you have a large house or one made from dense materials like brick or c…

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6, Prime Day may be the perfect time with great deals on Nighthawk routers. Wi-Fi 6 gets your devices connected faster and more reliably thanks to standardizing new tech.

The Netgear Nighthawk RAX80 is the right router for a lot of families thanks to its eight-stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 connection. These eight streams allow the RAX80 to keep speeds high even when serving multiple devices at once. The AX6000 connection breaks down into 1.2Gbps at 2.4GHz and 4.8Gbps at 5GHz. The most important thing here is that your router won’t be your bottleneck even on a gigabit internet conneciton. When it comes to specs, this router stands with the best Wi-Fi 6 routers you can buy.

The Netgear Nighthawk RAX80 is available for a massive $120 off on Prime Day. That’s 30% off. If you’ve been looking for the right router for a big family, the RAX80 will have no trouble keeping up.

Netgear Nighthawk AX8 (RAX80) | $120 off at Amazon

The Net…

The Amazon-owned Eero 6 mesh system is the single best mesh router deal on Prime Day thanks to its focus on user-friendly software and great smart home integration. This Amazon device deal works great with other Amazon devices thanks to Alexa integration but is also Homekit-enabled for Apple Home users. And if you’re piecing together the perfect smart home, a built-in Zigbee hub means one less thing to plug in and keep track of.

This deal, which includes a router and an extender, gets you $70 off the normal price, meaning you can get started with your first mesh for just $129. To put that in perspective, the Eero 6 router alone normally costs $129 so if you’ve been waiting for the right time to buy an Eero, this is like getting the extender for free.

Eero 6 (1 router + 1 extender) | $70 off at Amazon

With up to 3,000 square feet of coverage and AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 speeds, the Eero 6 router with an extender is just about the perfect fit for anyone thinking of building their first mesh…

Verizon 5G is growing fast with one of the largest mmWave networks paired with a growing nationwide network using spectrum sharing. The mmWave network is called Ultra Wideband and has been around for quite a while now, but the coverage was very limited. On October 13, 2020, Verizon launched its nationwide 5G network and has been working fast to catch up to T-Mobile and AT&T, both of which launched nationwide 5G networks in late 2019. With coverage in most big cities and rapidly expanding suburban coverage, Verizon now covers more than 230 million people.

Understanding how each carrier will deploy 5G can be confusing, but we’ve been keeping tabs on all of them. Here is everything you need to know about Verizon’s newest and fastest wireless network.

Jump to:

When will my area even get 5G?
What tech is Verizon using?
Which devices should I get to be 5G ready?
Which plan do I need for access?
Does it do home internet?
Is 5G worth it for most people?

Unlimited data

Verizo…

The best phones for Ultra Mobile will have great support for the T-Mobile network and, of course, great performance using Android. Ultra Mobile fully supports 5G and to get the most out of it, you’ll need a phone that supports bands n71 and n41. All of these phones will also work out of the box with Ultra Mobile, and with the Ultra Mobile SIM, you should be good to go with very little effort. The Google Pixel 4a 5G has everything you need to make the most of your Ultra Mobile plan with great support for T-Mobile’s 5G network, great software, and plenty of battery life to make the most of it.

Best overall: Google Pixel 4a 5G

The Google Pixel 4a is still one of our favorite Android phones thanks to its compact size, great software updates, and great camera performance. The Google Pixel 4a 5G is a bit bigger with a 6.2-inch display, a larger 3,885mAh battery, and even a second camera on the back. Google makes the most of the Snapdragon 765G chipset and this phone manages to feel ver…

Recharging your Ultra Mobile account online is quick and easy, with just a few steps to add up to 12 months of service. You can also enable Auto Renew on your plan, so you don’t have to worry about manually renewing each month. You can recharge your account on Ultra Mobile’s website or using the Ultra Mobile app on your phone.

How to recharge Ultra Mobile online

You can recharge your Ultra Mobile account either in a web browser at ultramobile.com or by using the Ultra Mobile app. You will need to sign in to the account you used to activate your Ultra Mobile SIM originally for either option. If you’re not sure about your credentials, be sure to recover them before your service runs out, as Ultra Mobile will use SMS texting to recover your password.

Navigate to ultramobile.com/account in a web browser.
Sign in with the credentials you used when you activated your Ultra Mobile SIM.
From the home page, click Renew on the left side of the page.

If you have already added payment i…

AT&T subscribers who take advantage of this deal can also snag a Stadia controller and Chromecast Ultra for $20.

What you need to know

AT&T Fiber and 5G customers can get 6 months of Stadia Pro for free.
Stadia Pro comes with free games every month, such as MotoGP20 and Chronos: Before the Ashes.
Customers that sign up for Stadia Pro can buy a Stadia Controller and Chromecast Ultra bundle for $19.99.

Many of the best cell phone plans come with some extra perks like Netflix or HBO Max but starting June 9, 2021, AT&T is putting the focus on gamers with Stadia. Paired with one of its fiber optic home internet plans or 5G wireless unlimited plans, AT&T is offering customers six months of Stadia Pro for free with the option to buy a Stadia controller and Chromecast Ultra for just $19.99.

This is open to existing wireless customer that upgrade to a 5G phone or new customers that add a 5G phone. New fiber internet customers and existing home internet customers that upg…

Best answer: Yes. Eero 6 and Eero Pro 6 are HomeKit-enabled routers with special permissions for HomeKit devices to keep your network secure. Eero will not act as a HomeKit hub, however.

Does Eero 6 support HomeKit?

HomeKit support made it to the older routers in the Eero line earlier in 2021, but the newest Wi-Fi 6 Eeros were not included. This changed with a firmware update in May of 2021 that featured the Eero 6 and Eero 6 Pro. Now the entire Eero lineup supports Apple’s HomeKit security features. This is a great thing as the Eero 6 is easily one of the best Wi-FI 6 mesh routers you can get.

You will need to use the Eero app on an Apple device to enable HomeKit.

HomeKit routers aren’t the same thing as HomeKit hubs, and you will still need an Apple TV, iPad, or HomePod to act as your HomePod hub. HomeKit routers offer security enhancements specifically tailored to the needs of HomeKit accessories. This allows users to decide what kind of permissions to grant to these accessori…

Starter Wi-Fi 6

Eero 6

$129 at Amazon

Pros

Wi-Fi 6 increases mesh performance
AX1800 delivers enough speed for more people
Compatible with all existing Eeros

Cons

Dual-band Wi-Fi is worse for mesh performance
Only one open Ethernet port on the base router

Eero 6 is a solid upgrade to the base Eero line. It brings with it Wi-Fi 6, which takes the 5GHz performance up to 1200Mbps with compatible devices. Even if you haven’t upgraded your wireless devices to take advantage of Wi-Fi 6, it ensures a faster connection between the different routers in your mesh.

Gigabit speed mesh

Eero Pro 6

$229 at Amazon

Pros

Wi-Fi 6 tri-band delivers gigabit speed
Compatible with all existing Eeros
Dedicated backhaul keeps mesh speed high

Cons

More expensive
Only one open Ethernet port on the base router

Eero 6 Pro has all of the best features Eero 6 has with a little more of everything. A tri-band connection allows the mesh to hit gigabit speeds with an extra 5GHz band. D…

The best Wi-Fi routers can be lifesavers. The difference between good Wi-Fi in your house and poor connectivity can be the difference between a good day and a bad one. Whether you need something with a ton of speed and connections or just want to make sure you don’t drop connection when you move around your home there’s a router that’s right for you. Here’s our reliable guide to some of the best wireless routers you can buy today!

What are the best Wi-Fi routers?

The TP-Link Archer AX21 is the best Wi-Fi router thanks to its AX1800 speeds being enough for most people, along with offering the capacity for future Wi-Fi 6 devices. It also has an easy setup procedure thanks to the TP-Link Tether app for smartphones. If you’re looking for something to keep up with most households without going overboard, the AX21 is a great fit.

The best value option is the TP-Link Archer A7. While there are cheaper routers available, the AC1750 speeds should keep up with HD media streaming and browsing …