Netgear Orbi Review: The Mesh Router to Beat

[Guest]

While pricey, the Netgear Orbi is one of the fastest, most powerful routers we've tested, even without its extension.


Netgear Orbi Review: The Mesh Router to Beat : Read more

 

[pete_y_testing]

just fyi , its not actually a mesh device at all

 

[Jan Henk]

Yeah Pete is right, why do you call it Mesh? That is just wrong and misleading

 

[StaticEMI]

BTW: Netgear's latest firmware update breaks the satellite connection so the satellites are useless. Netgear refuses to respond and acknowledge the problem. I would hold off on buying Orbi until they fix their issues.

https/community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Losing-satellites-repeatedly/m-p/1331649/highlight/false#M11088

 

[art_the_1scienceguy]

I just bought the Orbi RBK50 set of three, one Base (Router) and two Satellites and they definitely work in a mesh configuration with the firmware V2.2.1.210. You have a choice when you connect to the Router via Ethernet and log into: http/orbilogin.net. Go into the Advanced setup and open the Wireless Settings and check off: "Enable Daisy-Chain Topology" (which is a true mesh configuration) as opposed to "Star Topology" which has all the nodes linking to the Router as the central hub. When you use the smartphone app, you can see which device the second satellite is linked to. In my setup, I needed to get a strong WiFi signal to the far end of my home so I could stream Netflix in 4K HDR to a TV mounted on the furthest wall from my router. Although it is just under 75’ away the signal has to pass through 4 sheet-rock walls. So far, no router was able to deliver enough bandwidth for me to get more than a 1080p resolution from Netflix. Those pesky walls definitely weaken the WiFi signal a lot. Using the Orbi and one satellite about 40’ + 2 walls from the router reached the TV but only enough for 1080p. I then paired the second satellite placed about 30’ + 2 walls from the first one and it paired in mesh mode with it as it was way too far away to pair with the router (I tried that initially) and now the TV gets an “excellent” signal with Netflix loading 4K HDR programs in a few seconds.

 

[ephraimross]

This article is dated a month ago... with comments from 1 year ago. This is mildly confusing...

 

[art_the_1scienceguy]

@ephraimross

I do not understand what is confusing. The current Netgear Orbi Review dated November 11, 2018 is an update of prior reviews. The Orbi was initially introduced in August of 2016 and was reviewed several times on this site, hence, comments dating back to 2017. I posted my comments to inform others that current firmware has addressed several issues referenced in prior comments and to share my experience with the Orbi system. It continues to amaze me just how fast and reliable it has been for the past several weeks. As I purchased it from Costco, I have 90 days to return it if it suddenly stops working. I hope you found the review and user comments helpful in choosing a WiFi system that works for you.

 

[retiredat44]

MY RBR50 Orbi bricked after less than 2 years. I looked up online and see hoards of other people who use Orbi had their routers brick. I can say after reading what they did is a lot of troubleshooting and Orbi of course wil not help, or Netgear will not help. YOu can read instructions on how to test and try to fix that junk. I have decades of electronic engineering experience (aerospace and commercial) and schooling. I am not going to keep trying, and buy more tools and see if it might work again soemday. After spending 12 hours of trying to get it working, I have to give up and buy a whole new Mesh system. Again. I would hope that a class action lawsuit could be started, as if there are this many people with junk, expensive paper weights that they are most likely faulty, and junk. If 100 people are flooding forums asking for help with broaken Orbi's than there are probably thousands more people who just gave up and did not post online. These comapnies know they will just sell more, so no bad side for them. The consumer gets screwed. I had to resort to putting my very old routers back up until the new Routers arrive. The old routers are like 10 to 20 years old and at least they still work. But they cannot handle the modern power and bandwith of all of the devices in our homes so we have to use the newer versions, and buyer cheaply made junk from overseas that breaks in a year or two. O hope someone in the legal field can get a class action going to help thos eof us that got screwed by bad products like these Orbi's.