Linksys releases its first-ever Wi-Fi 7 mesh router system

Linksys just released its first-ever mesh Wi-Fi 7 router, the Velop Pro 7. It’s powered by the latest Qualcomm Networking Pro 620 platform, which the company says helps it achieve “wire-like stability.” The mesh system can connect up to 200 devices per node and each node offers approximately 3,000 square feet of coverage.

Linksys says these routers use a proprietary technology called Continuous Mesh that continually optimizes the system to match connected devices and increase speed. The company says this makes the Velop Pro 7 particularly useful for gadgets equipped with AR/VR technology, like the recently-released Meta Quest 3 headset.

Mesh router systems can be frustrating to install, particularly when you’re working with multiple nodes, but Linksys claims its newest release can be fully incorporated into your home in just ten minutes. The company says its new setup technology hastens the process by nearly 70 percent when compared to other Linksys router systems.

This is a tri-band system, so it’ll connect to just about anything, which is always nice. It also integrates with the Linksys app, so you can keep an eye on what devices are connected to suss out anything that doesn’t quite belong. This app even lets you pause your wireless connection so you can focus on homework or, cough, writing about routers for the internet.

The Velop Pro 7 is available today straight from the company or via Best Buy. The bare-bones pack, featuring a single node, costs $400, with two nodes costing $750 and three nodes ramping up to $1,000. UK residents will have to wait until mid-November for the launch, with global availability coming at a later date.

This may be the first mesh Wi-Fi 7 system for Linksys, but the industry is adopting this modern wireless standard at a rapid clip. Netgear, for instance, has gone all-in on the concept with the release of its Nighthawk RS700S router and the ultra-expensive flagship Orbi 970 system.