Wifi is hot again.
Recently products like Google Wifi, Eero, and now the Almond 3 are being released with the goal of changing the Wifi experience, something that really hasn’t really been tried since the technology became widespread in the late 90s.
These devices all promise a few things:
First, mesh networking that actually works (previous systems, including Apple’s Airport Express, never really did a great job expanding a network throughout a big house).
Next, easy setup and configuration – which means you usually use a phone app to do setup, and don’t have to deal with the awful IP address-based interfaces that routers provided by your cable company use.
And last, some sort of home automation features – whether they come built in or activated via a 3rd party solution like Apple HomeKit or Samsung SmartThings.
Over the past few days I’ve had a chance to play with one of these systems, the Almond 3 by Securifi. The router is $149.99, or $399.99 if you want a package of 3 (if you want to create a mesh network throughout your home). It’s also super small – about the size of an Xbox controller – which is a nice relief from bulky routers that take up a ton of counter or shelf space.
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Set Up
First, let’s talk about setup, because if you’ve ever set up a Wifi system you know how awful it is – navigating to rouge IP addresses or trying to use iOS apps that lose connection halfway through the router setting up.
The Almond 3 avoids these frustrating setup methods by allowing you to set it up via an integrated LCD touchscreen on the router. After plugging it into the modem you go through a set-up flow that includes setting the network name, password, guest networks, etc.
Mesh Networking
The mesh networking feature is pretty standard – you can pair additional Almond 3 routers and put them in different rooms. Pairing a second router was easy – you plug it in, and tell your main router you want to add a second (or third). Everything else happens automatically.
I live in an apartment not a house, so it’s hard to really test how good the mesh networking is. But I did notice faster speeds in my bedroom (where I put a second Almond 3) when I was on Almond’s network compared to my normal Verizon router (which I don’t have any extenders for and is in another room).
Overall
Overall, you should definitely consider Almond 3, especially if you are eventually going to get into the world of IOT and connected home devices. In about 20 minutes I had 4 devices set up around my house – it was super simple.
If you’re not and are just looking for a good overall router, Almond 3 still may be worth it considering how easy the setup is. But if you’re having your cable guy install your router anyways, and don’t really care about tinkering with setups and configurations, you’ll probably be fine with just a regular old router/modem combo.
