Netgear Orbi

This is a review of the Netgear Orbi High Performance AC3000 Tri-Band WiFi System (RBK53-100NAS).

I really wanted Apple to provide an upgrade to the Airport Extreme which has served me well. But all indications point to Apple leaving the router and WiFi Access Point business.

I also heard about the new "Mesh" technology, so I did a lot of research. My top three requirements: performance, eliminate the need to pull cables throughout the house (been there, done that), and the same number of Gigabit ports on the router that I already have (3+1). The only and best solution that met my requirements is the Netgear Orbi system.

Be very careful where you buy it and read the contents of the Orbi system very carefully. Fortunately for me, there is a Costco and Best Buy right next to each other that made comparison easy. I purchased mine from Costco. It was the same price but you get RBS50 satellites instead of RBS40. The purchase price is the downside: $450.

Setup is very easy. The blue lights that came on (and disappeared) on the Satellites indicated I had good connections with the Router. I had to upgrade the firmware on the router and 2 satellites but it was a simple process. I also set the SSID, password, and encryption to match my previous router so I did not have to change anything on my devices. The HomePod was the only device that initially had problems. That went away when I simply opened the Home app on my iPhone and selected the HomePod.

I now have very good WiFi coverage in my entire home, especially upstairs and my garage where I had weak wireless signal. The router and satellites handle the hand-off well as I roam around. I get full signal outside in my backyard, even in the remote corners of my backyard.

I really like having 4 Gigabit ports on each device (one on the router is used to connect to the modem).

Although the router has a USB (2.0) port, I don't think I can connect the hard drive I had connected to the Airport Extreme. I haven't attempted it. This is not a big deal for me.

I've always liked Netgear devices. I use their switches and I have used their routers in the past. I guess I'm back in the Netgear family. I'm very happy with the Netgear Orbi system.

#Review #Netgear #Orbi #WiFi #Mesh