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Linksys debuts new Velop Pro 7 mesh router

Linksys Velop Pro 7 - lifestyle image

The Linksys Velop Pro 7 arrives in the UK later this month and brings Wi-Fi 7 support to the company’s lineup for the first time

California-based wireless networking company Linksys has unveiled its first Wi-Fi 7 mesh router system.

The Linksys Velop Pro 7 is the manufacturer’s most advanced mesh system to date and sits at the top of its Velop line, which typically focuses on performance over value. However, Linksys says its latest product was designed and priced to strike a balance between both.

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It’s already available to buy in the US but will hit UK shelves later this month, with one-node, two-node and three-node packs available. The one-node pack is recommended for up to three rooms on a single floor and will be priced at £400, while the two-node option can cover up to six rooms across two floors and will set you back £750. The three-node pack extends coverage to up to nine rooms in a three-floored property and will cost £1,000.

The system itself is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Networking Pro 620 Platform, which uses a tri-band (2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz), six-stream​ set up and is said to deliver stability to compete with a wired connection along with services common to wired networks such as link aggregation and link failover.

Linksys Velop Pro 7 - three-node pack

Linksys says the system is intended for customers looking for a mesh router system that’s easy to install – setup should take no longer than ten minutes, it says – and who want future-proofing.

Speed is the Velop Pro 7’s main selling point, however, with Wi-Fi 7’s various new technologies able to deliver speeds up to five times faster than Wi-Fi 6. These include Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows the router to connect to other devices across multiple frequency bands and not just one, as previous Wi-Fi technologies have been restricted to.

It’s important to note, however, that there currently aren’t any smartphones, laptops, speakers or other client devices that use the Wi-Fi 7 protocol, so the Velop Pro 7 is very much a system designed for early adopters.

In terms of design, the Velop Pro 7 looks similar to other entries in the Velop range. Its individual nodes take the form of sleek white towers that should effectively blend in with most modern decors, and each houses a WAN port supporting up to 2.5Gbits/sec speeds alongside four gigabit Ethernet ports.

Linksys Velop Pro 7 - WAN and Ethernet ports

Linksys has also stated that it plans to phase out the app currently used to set up and manage its routers following feedback from consumers. This won’t be happening until 2024 at the earliest, but the idea is that systems such as the Velop Pro 7 will instead use something the company is calling “cognitive computing” to automatically manage the network for you and fix problems proactively.

If problems persist, there will still be channels available via which you can contact Linksys should this fail to solve your issues, but the idea is to eventually ditch the mobile app entirely.

We hope to receive a review unit of the Linksys Velop Pro 7 ahead of its official release in the UK, so check back soon to read our full review. In the meantime, if you’re interested in all things Wi-Fi, head on over to our best wireless routers and best mesh Wi-Fi routers pages.

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