Should You Disable Client Steering on eero? Pros and Cons Explained

Should You Disable Client Steering on eero? Pros and Cons Explained

TL;DR: Disabling client steering on eero can improve stability for devices like HomePods and smart home systems, but it may reduce automatic network optimization. If you’re experiencing disconnects, it’s worth testing.

If you’re using an eero mesh WiFi system and running into issues like devices disconnecting, HomePods cutting out, or smart home devices going offline, you may have come across a setting called “client steering.”

So the question is: should you disable it?

The answer depends on your setup — and what problems you’re trying to solve.

Advertisement:

What Is Client Steering on eero?

Client steering is a feature in eero that automatically moves devices between different WiFi nodes and frequency bands (like 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).

The goal is simple:

  • Improve performance

  • Balance network load

  • Keep devices connected to the strongest signal

In theory, this makes your network faster and more efficient.

Why Client Steering Can Cause Problems

While client steering works well for many devices, it can cause issues for certain types of connections.

Some devices don’t handle being moved between nodes very well.

This can result in:

  • Devices randomly disconnecting

  • Streaming interruptions (like HomePods or AirPlay)

  • Smart home devices appearing offline

  • Apps losing connection even when WiFi signal is strong

This is especially common with:

  • Smart speakers

  • IoT devices

  • Older or simpler WiFi hardware

When You SHOULD Disable Client Steering

You should consider turning off client steering if:

  • Your HomePod keeps cutting out

  • Smart home devices randomly disconnect

  • Devices frequently go offline and reconnect

  • You have a stable setup but inconsistent performance

In my case, disabling client steering:

  • Stopped HomePod interruptions immediately

  • Fixed connection drops on a Zoeller smart sump pump system

  • Made the network more stable overall

Advertisement:

When You Should KEEP Client Steering Enabled

Client steering is still useful in many situations.

You may want to leave it on if:

  • You have a large home with many nodes

  • Your devices move frequently (phones, laptops, tablets)

  • You’re not experiencing any connection issues

  • You want automatic optimization without manual setup

For general browsing and mobile devices, client steering often works well.

Pros of Disabling Client Steering

  • More stable connections for smart home devices

  • Fewer random disconnects

  • Better performance for streaming (AirPlay, HomePod, etc.)

  • Predictable device behavior

Cons of Disabling Client Steering

  • Devices won’t automatically switch to the strongest node

  • Possible reduced performance for mobile devices

  • Less network optimization overall

  • May require better node placement

How to Disable Client Steering on eero

  1. Open the eero app

  2. Go to Settings

  3. Find “Client Steering”

  4. Toggle it off

The change takes effect immediately — no restart required.

Advertisement:

Final Thoughts

Client steering is designed to improve your network — but it’s not perfect for every device.

If you’re experiencing random disconnects, especially with smart home devices, disabling it is one of the easiest and most effective fixes to try.

For me, client steering helped slightly, but Advanced Security had the biggest impact.

Related: Devices Keep Disconnecting on eero?

If you’re troubleshooting HomePods cutting out or smart devices dropping connection, I wrote a full breakdown of what caused the issue and how I fixed it here:

Devices Keep Disconnecting on eero? Here’s What Fixed My HomePod + Zoeller System


To understand the underlying issue with mesh WiFi and smart devices, see this breakdown:

Why Smart Home Devices Disconnect on Mesh WiFi (eero, HomeKit, and More)

FAQ

Why do devices disconnect when client steering is on?
Because devices are moved between nodes or bands, which can briefly interrupt connections.

Does disabling client steering slow down WiFi?
Not necessarily. It may reduce optimization, but can improve stability for certain devices.

Should I disable client steering permanently?
If it fixes your issues, yes. Otherwise, it’s fine to leave enabled.

Can I turn client steering back on later?
Yes — you can toggle it anytime in the eero app.

Devices Keep Disconnecting on eero? Here’s What Fixed My HomePod + Zoeller System

Devices Keep Disconnecting on eero? Here’s What Actually Fixed My HomePod + Zoeller System Issues

TL;DR: If your HomePod keeps cutting out or devices are disconnecting on eero, try disabling Advanced Security. This completely fixed my issue after other common fixes didn’t work.

If your HomePod keeps cutting out, music pauses randomly, or smart home devices disconnect on an eero mesh network, you’re not alone.

I ran into this exact issue across multiple devices — and what made it frustrating was that the usual fixes didn’t fully solve it.

This is a common issue with mesh WiFi systems like eero, where devices may disconnect or behave inconsistently even when signal strength appears strong.

Advertisement:

My eero Mesh WiFi Setup (HomePod + Smart Devices)

  • Multiple Apple HomePods in different rooms

  • eero 7 router with a 6E extender (mesh network)

  • Zoeller AquaNot 508 sump pump system using the Z Control app

  • Devices spread across various distances from nodes

HomePod Cutting Out and Devices Disconnecting on eero

I started noticing that my HomePods would:

  • Play music normally

  • Suddenly stop for 30–60 seconds

  • Then resume playback

This happened across multiple HomePods — not just one.

At the same time, my Zoeller system would:

  • Randomly show as disconnected

  • Lose connection intermittently

  • Then reconnect on its own

At first, these seemed like unrelated issues.

What I Tried First (That Didn’t Fully Fix It)

Before finding the real solution, I tried:

  • Restarting all HomePods

  • Rebooting the eero network

  • Moving devices closer to nodes

  • Disabling client steering

Disabling client steering did improve stability slightly — but it did NOT fully resolve the issue.

Advertisement:

What Actually Fixed It (Final Fix)

Disable Advanced Security in the eero app.

Once I turned this off:

  • HomePods stopped cutting out completely

  • Music playback became stable

  • The Zoeller system stopped disconnecting

  • Smart home devices stayed consistently online

The improvement was immediate and consistent.

After testing multiple fixes, this was the only change that resolved the issue across all devices.

Why Advanced Security Can Cause Issues

eero’s Advanced Security feature monitors and filters network traffic to improve safety.

While useful, it can:

  • Interfere with continuous streaming connections

  • Interrupt device-to-device communication

  • Delay or block certain requests

Devices like HomePods rely on:

  • Stable local network communication

  • Low-latency streaming

  • Consistent connections

This can make them more sensitive to network filtering or inspection.

Why This Looked Like a Mesh WiFi Problem

At first, this issue looked like a typical mesh WiFi problem:

  • Devices disconnecting

  • Playback interruptions

  • Random instability

That’s why fixes like client steering seemed relevant.

But in this case, the real issue was how the network was handling traffic — not just how devices were moving between nodes.

When You Should Try This Fix

You should consider disabling Advanced Security if:

  • Your HomePod keeps cutting out

  • Smart home devices randomly disconnect

  • Music pauses or buffers without explanation

  • Common fixes (like restarting or client steering) don’t work

Related: Should You Disable Client Steering on eero?

If you’re trying to decide whether client steering is part of your issue, I break down the pros and cons here:

Should You Disable Client Steering on eero? Pros and Cons Explained

Related: Why Devices Disconnect on Mesh WiFi

If you want to understand the underlying cause behind these types of issues, I explain it here:

Why Smart Home Devices Disconnect on Mesh WiFi (eero, HomeKit, and More)

Advertisement:

Final Thoughts

In my case, this wasn’t just a HomePod issue — and it wasn’t purely a mesh WiFi issue either.

The real problem was how the network was managing and filtering traffic.

Disabling Advanced Security solved everything almost immediately.

If you’re dealing with random disconnects on eero, this is one of the most effective fixes to try.

FAQ

Why does my HomePod keep cutting out on eero?
It can be caused by network instability, mesh behavior, or features like Advanced Security interfering with streaming.

Does disabling Advanced Security affect my network?
It removes some filtering features, but can improve stability for certain devices.

Should I disable client steering or Advanced Security?
If you’re experiencing disconnects, try both — but Advanced Security may have a bigger impact.

Why do devices disconnect even with strong WiFi signal?
Because the issue is often connection stability, not signal strength.

Related Gear

Apple HomePod: https://www.apple.com/homepod/
eero Mesh WiFi Systems: https://eero.com

About This Site

I write about practical solutions, fitness, and systems that actually work for busy professionals — based on real experience, not theory.