WWiFiXpert

Reviewed September 2026

Best Wi-Fi for a smart home

The short answer

Smart homes fail on networks that keep devices apart. One Wi-Fi name, no guest network, and discovery traffic allowed through is the whole game.

For this one job we'd pick the eero mesh. Its overall WiFiXpert Index score is 79/100 — which is not the same thing as being top of the overall table, and doesn't change it.

Ranked for this job

Same published scores as the main index, weighted towards what matters here.

#SystemSuited to thisOverall Index
1eero mesh79/10079/100
2NETGEAR Orbi79/10079/100
3Ubiquiti UniFi73/10074/100
4TP-Link Deco72/10073/100
5BT Smart Hub 271/10065/100
6Sky Broadband Hub70/10064/100
7EE Smart Hub Plus69/10064/100
8Virgin Media Hub 568/10063/100

Why each one landed where it did

eero mesh

  • Smart-home compatibility: 7/10 — Fine on the main network; guest Wi-Fi hides devices from your phone.
  • IoT friendliness: 7/10 — Single Wi-Fi name suits most 2.4 GHz gadgets, though a few need coaxing.
  • Google Nest compatibility: Works with configuration (from the WiFiXpert Compatibility Index).

Sonos: GoodPhilips Hue: ExcellentAmazon Alexa / Echo: GoodGoogle Nest: Works with configurationApple HomeKit / HomePod: Good

Full score breakdown

NETGEAR Orbi

  • Smart-home compatibility: 7/10 — Generally good; the WPA3 default occasionally blocks older gadgets.
  • IoT friendliness: 7/10 — Bands can be split temporarily, which rescues stubborn setups.
  • Google Nest compatibility: Good (from the WiFiXpert Compatibility Index).

Sonos: GoodPhilips Hue: ExcellentAmazon Alexa / Echo: GoodGoogle Nest: GoodApple HomeKit / HomePod: Excellent

Full score breakdown

Ubiquiti UniFi

  • Smart-home compatibility: 5/10 — Default settings actively break speaker and camera discovery.
  • IoT friendliness: 5/10 — Fine once multicast forwarding is on; painful before that.
  • Amazon Alexa / Echo compatibility: Works with configuration (from the WiFiXpert Compatibility Index).

Sonos: Works with configurationPhilips Hue: ExcellentAmazon Alexa / Echo: Works with configurationGoogle Nest: Works with configurationApple HomeKit / HomePod: Good

Full score breakdown

TP-Link Deco

  • Smart-home compatibility: 6/10 — Works well once everything is on the main network — that's the catch.
  • IoT friendliness: 6/10 — The dedicated IoT network sounds helpful and often isn't.
  • Amazon Alexa / Echo compatibility: Works with configuration (from the WiFiXpert Compatibility Index).

Sonos: Works with configurationPhilips Hue: ExcellentAmazon Alexa / Echo: Works with configurationGoogle Nest: Works with configurationApple HomeKit / HomePod: Good

Full score breakdown

What we're assuming

  • Scored across five common ecosystems from the Compatibility Index.
  • Try the free fixes first — moving the router, or moving one box — before buying anything. Common problems and free fixes.

Scored using WiFiXpert Hardware Index Methodology v1.0 — how we score.

Other situations

Ask the Wi-Fi DoctorPlan my home Wi-Fi