Eero we go? Comparing Zen routers

Whichever Zen broadband package you opt for, the router you’ll get free with the service will be of the highest quality, designed to provide the smoothest online experience wherever you are in your home.

We offer two routers as standard to Zen broadband customers. The FRITZ!box 7530 AX comes free with any package up to and including full fibre 900 Mbps. The eero Pro 6E is free to all customers taking our Full Fibre Max package.

They’re both powerful pieces of kit, with some subtle differences. Let’s take a closer look.

FRITZ!box 7530 AX

The FRITZ!box 7530 AX is designed for households with plenty of devices and high bandwidth demands - a household like yours, in other words.

It features four gigabit ethernet ports for lightning-fast wired connections, providing the best possible performance.

At the same time, the WiFi is certainly no slouch. The FRITZ!box uses state-of-the-art WiFi 6 technology for connection speeds between 600 Mbps (2.4 GHz) and 1800 Mbps (5 GHz). Older devices may not use the WiFi 6 standard, but the FRITZ!box’s backwards compatibility means it can work with them anyway.

It also doubles as a digital home phone hub, allowing you to make calls over your broadband line. It has capacity to connect up to six cordless handsets, and a built-in answering machine that stores phone messages and sends them to you in an email, streamlining your home or home office communications.

The FRITZ!box comes with sophisticated parental controls and guest access and, importantly, connects with our EveryRoom system, a powerful mesh WiFi service that pushes the WiFi signal to every nook and cranny of your home. Whether you’re gaming in the attic or streaming in the cellar, EveryRoom helps to ensure your online experience is as smooth and seamless as possible.

eero Pro 6E

Though the eero Pro 6E works with any internet connection, it is designed for ultrafast full fibre broadband. We offer the eero router free with Zen’s Full Fibre Max package.

One of the big differences with the FRITZ!box is that the eero comes with built in TrueMesh technology, so you don’t need a separate package - such as our EveryRoom product - to eliminate dead spots and ensure a strong signal in every room. That’s true even in larger or multi-storey homes.

The eero Pro 6E is also a beast when it comes to security. Like the FRITZ!box, the eero automatically updates with the latest security patches and features, but it also takes security to the next level.

Advanced features like threat scans, which actively scans your network for potential threats, and content filtering, which creates a safer family browsing experience, create an extra layer of security. Additional network management tools, including a Virtual Private Network (VPN), internet backup and anti-malware software, are available with eero Plus.

On the flipside, the eero doesn’t have digital voice features, and doesn’t double as a telephone hub. If this is important to you, the FRITZ!box may be the better option.

In other ways, the two routers are very similar. Both offer excellent performance and easy setup and management. The eero is controlled through a user-friendly app.

While the eero Pro 6E comes free with our Full Fibre Max package, an upgrade is also available. The eero Max 7 offers even faster speeds and wider coverage, using the very latest WiFi 7 standard. Like the Pro 6E, it is backwards compatible with older devices.

The Pro 6E offers superb performance for most households. The upgrade may be appropriate for very large buildings and households with very high bandwidth requirements.

Which router is right for you?

Both the FRITZ!box 7530 AX and eero Pro 6E are excellent routers, with little to choose between them.

The differences are in the details. The FRITZ!box is more of an all-rounder, while the eero is designed for the fastest speeds. The eero adds an extra layer of security, which may be something to consider for those who do a lot of work from home. The FRITZ!box, meanwhile, doubles as a digital voice telephone service, future-proofing your “landline” service against the upcoming shutdown of the PSTN network.

Most importantly, both routers have been chosen for excellent performance. Both can create WiFi mesh networks, pushing your signal to the furthest corners of your home. The eero has this built in, while the FRITZ!box connects to Zen’s EveryRoom service.

So the choice is yours. Suffice to say that whichever Zen broadband package you choose, the router that comes with it will help deliver an outstanding online experience.