I’ve been using - and recommending - the Netgear Orbi mesh WiFi system for a few years
now to blanket my house and garden with strong, fast and reliable WiFi and it’s been so
good that I never have to think about my WiFi or any issues like signal strength, deadspots
or speed any more. I genuinely think Orbi is the best WiFi system for your average home
user, and the best is now even better: Netgear have =sent me their newer, range-topping WiFi 6
version which promises even better performance and reliability as more and more devices get
connected to my network.
I should point out that whilst Netgear did send me this for free, they’re not paying
me, telling me what to say or having any other input into this video.
The WiFi 6 Orbi is available in several different versions depending on your speed requirements,
budget and how many wireless access points you’ll need around your house. I’ve put
full details and links in the video description, but this RBK853 kit here contains the top
of the range RBR850 router which connects your ISP’s modem, and two extra satellites
to support the main router.
It’s those extra satellites that make all the difference and form what’s called a
mesh network to provide coverage around the whole house rather than just relying on a
single router tucked away in the living room with a WiFi signal that gets weaker and slower
the further away you are from it. Just like you might see various WiFi points dotted around
the corridors in say a school or hospital, these extra satellites play together as a
team and decide amongst themselves which one is best placed to serve devices like smartphones
and tablets at any one time, seamlessly handing over from one to the other as you move around
the house.
The satellites, as well as the main router itself, have 4 Gigabit ethernet ports on the
back meaning you can also plug devices directly into them and expand your wired network too
without the clutter of extra switches. This also means that if you already have network
cabling around your house you can use that to connect the satellites back to the router
via a Gigabit wired backhaul link. But there’s no need to worry if you don’t, because the
Orbi is also a Tri-band Mesh System meaning it can use a separate, dedicated 5GHz wireless
backhaul link between the satellites and router. This gives far better performance than if
you were using say a WiFi extender, because without a dedicated separate link, a large
proportion of the bandwidth on a WiFi extender is used up sending data to and from the router
- but not so with Orbi.
So how good is it in day-to-day use? Netgear quote up to 6,000 sq. ft. of WiFi coverage,
which is over 550m2 for those of us who prefer the superior metric system! I live in a 3-bed
semi with an extra 4th bedroom in a loft conversion, so between the router and two satellites that
gives me a WiFi access point on every floor of the house... which is probably overkill
to be honest as my house is far less than 6,000 sq ft - but either way it means I never
really see anything other than full signal strength throughout my house with the Orbi
WiFi 6, and my WiFi speeds are pretty much the same as the speed of the Internet connection
coming into my house - which is excellent.
The same was also true of my older WiFi 5 Orbi system this has replaced - they all have
fantastic range and speeds, but the difference is that with this newer WiFi 6 system I’ll
be future proofed for many years to come; as more and more new WiFi 6 devices connect
to my home network, it will handle that even better and keep everything running quickly
and efficiently.
This is because the newer WiFi 6 standard allows for faster connections due to more
efficient use of that bandwidth, so as more devices are connected and all start vying
for their piece of the action, the router doesn’t end up slowing everything down.
This is great for a modern smart home with more and more things like doorbells, smart
plugs and lightbulbs, security cameras, Chromecasts and smart TVs and so on on top of the standard
smartphones, tablets and laptops of yesteryear... plus with WiFi 6 there’s also the potential
to improve the battery life of some newer wireless devices, too.
I’ll be doing a separate video soon on the features and benefits of WiFi 6, so make sure
you’re subscribed for that, and if you have any questions that you’d like me to answer
in that video then feel free to leave them in the comments section of this video or follow
me on Twitter and ask me there.
Looks wise, the Orbi looks very smart and is nicer to look at than the older WiFi 5
models with their minimalist, matte white plastic design and deep blue accent around
the edge. I mean, it’s hardly a Rembrandt or a Monet but to work best they do have to
be kinda ‘on show’ so it helps if they’re not ugly! On the downside, they are very large
when compared with some of the other mesh router systems on the market but that extra
size serves an important purpose as it allows them to house 8 high performance internal
antennas with high-powered ampliﬁers - that’s how they achieve the superior range and speed.
As you’d expect, the phenomenal speed and coverage of this top-of-the-range system does
come at a cost and the RBK853 kit is certainly not cheap but don’t worry, there are various
models and kit sizes to suit different needs and budgets so I’ve put links with more
details in the video description.
Setting up the Orbi mesh network is very easy and can all be done via the smartphone app.
It guides you through what to do and when to turn on the Orbi router and then you just
scan the QR code on the device to connect and it walks you through configuring and securing
your WiFi network. To make things easier, you can specify the same network name and
password as on your previous WiFi router, so all your devices around the house will
just connect to your Orbi mesh network automatically without you having to do anything.
You can also do other things in the app like check the system’s status, see (and pause)
connected devices - useful for locking out a child’s tablet if the 14th request to
come to the dinner table still hasn’t been heeded #truestory, and test the speed of your
Internet connection as it comes into your house and the main Orbi router.
It’s also via the app that you can access some of the Orbi’s extra premium features
like Armor network security and the Parental Controls. I’ll be making some follow-up
videos exploring these features in more depth and seeing if they’re worth paying extra
for so if you have any questions about them, leave a comment on this video and make sure
you’re subscribed to see those videos when they’re out.
For more details on the Netgear WiFi 6 Orbi along with purchasing links, have a look in
the video description and to learn even more you can watch this video next...