Best Mesh Router

(This article is one of 16 parts in our Tech Awards 2025: Editor's Choice content series.)

For most people, a mesh networking system is the best solution to get Wi-Fi coverage across the entire house. To start, these systems are often designed to be easier to set up than conventional standalone routers. But more importantly, with the help of additional nodes, these systems can help eradicate Wi-Fi dead spots and blanket your entire home with Wi-Fi.

To make the cut for this year’s awards, the nominee must be a tri-band system that was released between April 2024 and April 2025. And of course, it must be a Wi-Fi 7 capable mesh router.

Nominees:

1. ASUS ZenWiFi BT10
2. Eero Max 7
3. Linksys Velop 7 Pro
4. Netgear Orbi 870
5. TP-Link Deco BE85

And the winner is...

ASUS ZenWiFi BT10 - Best Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router

The ASUS ZenWiFi BT10 was the best mesh networking system we tested in the past year. The reasons are simple. To start, it offered the fastest performance across all our test scenarios. Connectivity is excellent, too. Not only does it have a 10G WAN/LAN combo port, but it also has a 10G LAN port. This means you can fully maximise your high-speed fibre plan. It’s easy to set up, and its app offers a ton of functionality. It’s not the cheapest, but judged on its performance and feature set, its asking price is well justified.

You can find the ASUS ZenWiFi BT10 on Lazada, Shopee, and the ASUS Online Store.

How we rated the nominees

How we tested the nominees

To test the mesh networking systems, an iPhone 16 Pro Max was used as a client device. It was chosen because it supports Wi-Fi 7. We then used Speedtest by Ookla to measure the download and upload speeds from various locations in a typical 5-room HDB flat. The mesh router was placed in the living room, and we repeated the test from four locations in the flat, starting from the closest to the router and moving out to the farthest.

Here are the locations and the rough ranges that they represent:

• Living room (2 metres, clear line of sight)
• Bedroom 1 (5 metres, behind closed door)
• Master Bedroom (12 metres, behind a closed door)
• Master Bathroom (12 metres, behind two closed doors)

The test is first done using a single node or the main router to evaluate an individual unit’s performance and then repeated using a mesh configuration. In this configuration, the second node is placed somewhere near the middle of the house and within the line of sight of the first node to ensure it will create a strong mesh network.

How the nominees performed

Next, we share some thoughts on the other tested contenders.

Eero Max 7 – Easiest to set up

Eero is a relatively new name in the networking space, but its Max 7 mesh networking system makes a good first impression by being the easiest and fastest to set up. It took me less than five minutes to get going. Its app was also one of the easiest to use, and its performance was quite decent. However, a couple of key features, like advanced network controls and VPN, require a subscription. This is particularly frustrating because the Max 7 also happens to be the priciest system we tested.

You can find the Eero Max 7 on Lazada, Shopee, and the Eero Online Store.

Linksys Velop 7 Pro – The most affordable

The Linksys Velop Pro 7 is a stylish mesh networking system. It has a subdued white aesthetic that allows it to blend into most homes with ease. It’s also very easy to set up. Unfortunately, it’s lacking in features and performance. It only has a single 2.5G WAN port, and although it has four LAN ports, they are all only Gigabit speeds. Its mesh performance was also disappointing, particularly at range. If it’s any consolation, it was the most affordable system we tested.

Netgear Orbi 870

The Orbi 870 from Netgear is a solid mesh networking system, but misses the mark in some areas. Let’s start with the good. It’s straightforward to set up, and its performance was good. However, it only has a 10G WAN port, but no 10G LAN ports – the LAN ports are all 2.5G ports. The app is also pretty basic and lacks features, such as parental controls, that are found on its rivals.

You can find the Netgear Orbi 870 on Lazada, Shopee, and the Netgear Online Store.

TP-Link Deco BE85

The TP-Link Deco BE85 isn’t the most aesthetically appealing mesh networking system because it looks bland, and it’s bulky. Finding a spot for it will be tricky. However, it’s easy to set up, and its performance was good. However, advanced users will be miffed to learn it has no smart network functionality, and indeed, many features like parental controls and advanced security require a paid subscription.

You can find the TP-Link Deco BE85 on Lazada and Shopee.

References

• ASUS ZenWiFi BT10 (tested and scored internally)
• Eero Max 7 (tested and scored internally)
• Linksys Velop 7 Pro (tested and scored internally)
• Netgear Orbi 870 (tested and scored internally)
• TP-Link Deco BE85 (tested and scored internally)

(This article is one of 16 parts in our Tech Awards 2025: Editor's Choice content series.)