Eero Mesh WiFi Routers Gain HomeKit Support

Eero's lineup of routers now support HomeKit, eight months after Apple announced Amazon-owned Eero as one of the companies adding HomeKit support back in June at WWDC.

Any Eero, Eero Pro, or Eero Beacon running the eeroOS 3.18.0 update or later is now able to be added to the Home app using a setup process in the Eero app.

eerohomekit
‌HomeKit‌ for routers is a feature that was added in iOS 13, and it is designed to firewall off smart home devices for a more secure ‌HomeKit‌ experience. With ‌HomeKit‌ for routers, smart home products are not able to communicate outside the home without user permission, so if one ‌HomeKit‌ device becomes compromised, others remain safe.

There are multiple security settings that can be enabled for HomeKit-connected routers, as outlined by Eero.

- Automatic: allows an accessory to communicate to the devices and services approved by its manufacturer, preventing access by unauthorized services.

- Restrict to Home: allows an accessory to communicate only to ‌HomeKit‌ on your Apple devices. You will be able to manage your accessories through the Home app, but this may reduce some functionality, such as firmware updates.

- No restriction: allows an accessory to communicate with every device in your home, and any website or service on the internet, much like other devices on your home network.

After a HomeKit-connected router is added to a ‌HomeKit‌ setup, existing ‌HomeKit‌ devices will continue to benefit from "most ‌HomeKit‌ network protection features," but that they should be removed, reset, and then re-added back to the Home app for maximum security. From Apple's support document:

After setup, add your HomeKit accessories to the Home app. If you already have HomeKit accessories added to the Home app, they will continue to work and benefit from most HomeKit network protection features. For even more security, remove and reset your Wi-Fi accessories then add them back to the Home app. This creates a unique passkey known only to the router and each accessory.

Eero is the first router manufacturer to add support for ‌HomeKit‌ to its devices, but ‌HomeKit‌ support is also coming to Linksys and Charter/Spectrum routers.

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Top Rated Comments

BWhaler Avatar
65 months ago
I worry eero is Amazon spyware. I wish Apple would get back in the wifi business. (But after they get back in the display business.)
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ersan191 Avatar
65 months ago
Weird that eero adds this to their routers but Ring won’t add HomeKit to any of their products and both are owned by amazon.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gk4 Avatar
65 months ago

If you're really concerned about security, don't allow any "smart" device into your home.
Presumably this is targeted at that subset of people who like smart home products but want to maximize security to the greatest extent possible. Obviously having no smart product (get rid of your smartphone, computer, and home internet too) would provide the maximum amount of security, but most are trying to achieve a balance between creature comforts and security.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gk4 Avatar
65 months ago
This is great news – except that I’m more skeptical of Amazon than Google or even Facebook in terms of data privacy. Kind of makes this a catch 22 since presumably anyone who would care enough to by a WiFi system with this capability, is probably less than thrilled to buy their router from Amazon.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kylew1212 Avatar
65 months ago
Wish UNIFI would add this.. Starting to question my choice.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cinimod1000 Avatar
65 months ago
It would be REALLY nice if Apple would add Homekit support to their own Airport routers. I know, they are old, but they did add support for AirPlay 2 to the last "Express" long after they stopped selling them...... so why not add HomeKit to the last Extreme and TC? Just a rhetorical question.....
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)