eero Rounds Up More Money, Coming to Best Buy

[thiggins]

eero announced it has secured a $50 million round of growth funding led by Menlo Ventures with "significant participation" by Index Ventures. This investment brings eero's total VC funding to $90M+.

The funding will be used to expand distribution, provide customer support and add employees.

eero also announced it will be available in over 500 Best Buy stores in the U.S. this summer and on BestBuy.com next week. MSRP remains at $499 for a three-pack, or $199 for a single eero.

eero is the first "mesh wireless" system to hit the market. It won't be alone for long, as its primary competitor, Luma will begin shipments next month. SmallNetBuilder reviewed eero in March.

 

[L&LD]

BB availability is a good indication of a product not quite ready for prime time.

The solution to congested WiFi is to add more radios and controllers? Hope this dies quick. All I see this accomplishing is making 2.4GHz obsolete faster for more consumers.

How about an article that explains that less radio's is more (for all)?

 

[thiggins]

BB availability is a good indication of a product not quite ready for prime time.

The solution to congested WiFi is to add more radios and controllers? Hope this dies quick. All I see this accomplishing is making 2.4GHz obsolete faster for more consumers.

How about an article that explains that less radio's is more (for all)?

Good God, man. Do you ever say anything positive? Yeesh!

 

[Ronv42]

Too bad they don't support configuring these things via a web page. You have to run a app on a iPhone or Android. When I reached out to them they said they would take my idea under advisement.

 

[thiggins]

Too bad they don't support configuring these things via a web page. You have to run a app on a iPhone or Android. When I reached out to them they said they would take my idea under advisement.

I used to think browser interfaces were the way to go. But who doesn't have a smartphone or tablet today? Moving the browser interface frees flash and RAM for more useful stuff.

 

[L&LD]

I used to think browser interfaces were the way to go. But who doesn't have a smartphone or tablet today? Moving the browser interface frees flash and RAM for more useful stuff.

I think the ability to fully configure the router is more important than other 'useful stuff', right? As far as I have read, no 'app' allows full configuration of any router today.

I have a 'smartphone', but don't use it as such, btw. Why? They are the best way to waste the few precious moments of my (free) time because they are too slow, battery runs out long before it should and having to shuffle through a few hundred 'apps' to do a simple step (for anything) for what I may need at any given time is a form of insanity, imo.

 

[Ronv42]

I used to think browser interfaces were the way to go. But who doesn't have a smartphone or tablet today? Moving the browser interface frees flash and RAM for more useful stuff.

I'm not one to spoil perception but I for one don't see how it saves RAM if you have to provide web services for an app to interact. I have many web sites at work that are responsive in design and don't consume as much storage as you may think.

 

[sfx2000]

I used to think browser interfaces were the way to go. But who doesn't have a smartphone or tablet today? Moving the browser interface frees flash and RAM for more useful stuff.

Also improves security as there is no longer a web server running that could be exposed to various client side attacks - very good move on their part - wish others would do this as well.

 

[L&LD]

Also improves security as there is no longer a web server running that could be exposed to various client side attacks - very good move on their part - wish others would do this as well.

How is security improved when a phone can access it?

 

[sfx2000]

How is security improved when a phone can access it?

Because we can do strong encryption and RPC or direct API calls...

Many of the Router/AP security issues go directly to tbe embedded web server found on most consumer grade routers..

 

[L&LD]

Because we can do strong encryption and RPC or direct API calls...

Thanks. But what is stopping us from implementing this for all access, including from another computer?

 

[sfx2000]

Thanks. But what is stopping us from implementing this for all access, including from another computer?

App - they're not the only one doing this in consumer space - Airport, as an example, has never had a WebGUI - but you still authenticate to the Router/AP to manage it...

 

[L&LD]

App - they're not the only one doing this in consumer space - Airport, as an example, has never had a WebGUI - but you still authenticate to the Router/AP to manage it...

I don't think that answers my question? And again; Airports are not very functional (or at least, configurable). And yes, I did own a couple before I saw the light (and soon after that gave them away).

 

[sfx2000]

I don't think that answers my question? And again; Airports are not very functional (or at least, configurable). And yes, I did own a couple before I saw the light (and soon after that gave them away).

Maybe I'm not understanding the question

And I'm not going down a rathole of which is better or worse - let's just say that you're likely not in the target demographic for a device like this - and for that, there are other choices.

Fair enough?

 

[thiggins]

How is security improved when a phone can access it?

Because you can do two-factor authentication, requiring a texted or emailed code to be entered.

eero, for example, doesn't use passwords. When I need to log in, I simply have it email or text an authentication code, which is entered into the app. The recognized email address and/or phone # are entered during setup.

 

[sfx2000]

I'm not one to spoil perception but I for one don't see how it saves RAM if you have to provide web services for an app to interact. I have many web sites at work that are responsive in design and don't consume as much storage as you may think.

But those are big servers with lots of memory and storage...

Try running something like that on less resources than a Raspberry Pi 2 - and then every bit and byte needs a purpose..

 

[L&LD]

I'm not leading you down a rat hole. Just trying to understand why similar security measures can't be implemented into a non-app and non-handheld (aka smartphone) computer?

Your pointing to the Airport just proved my point that connecting like this is giving much less configurability vs. what is possible with a web gui and a computer.

Why can't we have both? High configurability and high(est) security too?

 

[sfx2000]

eero also announced it will be available in over 500 Best Buy stores in the U.S. this summer and on BestBuy.com next week. MSRP remains at $499 for a three-pack, or $199 for a single eero.

Anyways - trying to get the thread back on track - going into BestBuy is a smart move for them, and it plays well towards the target market - I wish them the best...

Wish the prices would come down a bit, but being where they are, there's a lot more gubbins inside the box compared to other Router/AP's in the consumer space..

 

[L&LD]

Because you can do two-factor authentication, requiring a texted or emailed code to be entered.

eero, for example, doesn't use passwords. When I need to log in, I simply have it email or text an authentication code, which is entered into the app. The recognized email address and/or phone # are entered during setup.

Many examples of two factor authentication being less than desirable (or effective).

And in addition, this can also be used when logging in to a router too from a full blown computer vs. a crippled 'app'.

 

[sfx2000]

Your pointing to the Airport just proved my point that connecting like this is giving much less configurability vs. what is possible with a web gui and a computer.

I was using Airport as an example only - not saying that it's the end-all/be-all...

One can have a very secure connection for managing devices, and not have to have a web server to do it - consider enterprise gear - most of them do not have an embedded web server...