A network topology is the way everything on your network is connected. In an eero network, this includes your modem, eeros, and connected devices, as well as occasionally Ethernet switches or additional upstream routers.
Common network topologies
Key:
Wireless (with Beacon)
Wireless (with eero 6 Extender)
In a standard network with one eero and eero Beacons or eero 6 Extenders, users will have their gateway* eero connected to their modem, and then their eero Beacons or eero 6 Extenders connected wirelessly. Additional eeros can also be added wirelessly.
*eeros that can be used as the Gateway in a network are the eero Pro 6, eero 6, eero Pro and eero. The eero 6 Extender and the eero beacon do not have ethernet ports and can only be added to a new or existing eero network.
Wired/Wireless
If your home allows you to wire some or all additional eeros, you can take advantage of doing so by connecting their eeros via Ethernet. eero Beacons cannot be wired to the network. Networks can also feature a mix of wired and wireless nodes.
Adding an Ethernet switch
If you'd like to connect additional devices via Ethernet to your gateway eero, as well as additional eeros, you can use an Ethernet switch to expand the number of available ports on your eero network. In this scenario, a switch can be connected to the gateway eero, and additional eeros can be connected to it via Ethernet. You can also use a switch off of any other eeros.