The connectivity in our homes is changing, with faster Internet access and more devices constantly being added. Now with the additional functionality of Wi-Fi 6 to our connectivity, we’re seeing better speeds. But if you — like many others — struggle with Wi-Fi signal at the fringes of your home then you probably need not just Wi-Fi 6 but a Mesh system.
Netgear has delivered just that with their latest hardware releases but a warning… It will cost you!
We’ve looked at Netgear routing and mesh equipment in the past, ultimately coming to the consistent conclusions that it’s not cheap but it’s good quality home gear. The Orbi Wi-Fi 6 equipment will do much the same with really solid specs across the range.
The flagship Orbi RBK852 with 12 WiFi streams is designed for larger families and homes or gadget-hounds, supporting over 60 devices on the network at one time. While the Orbi RBK752 provides the same great coverage as the flagship unit, designed with 8 WiFi streams for families with slightly less connected devices, with the capability to support upwards of 40 devices on a network simultaneously without interruption.
Both of the mesh systems released use dedicated backhaul to communicate constantly between satellites, minimising congestion for your Wi-Fi and maximising service delivery to your devices. They also both have a minimum 1 GbE on the WAN port meaning they’re compatible with the Gigabit NBN offerings available at the current time.
| Model | RBK852 | RBK752 |
|---|---|---|
| Number of supported devices | 60+ | 40+ |
| Wi-Fi Speed | AX6000 | AX4200 |
| Router WAN Port | 2.5GbE | 1GbE |
| Lan Ports | 4 x GbE | 3 x GbE |
| Lan Ports per satellite | 4 x GbE | 2 x GbE |
| No. Bands | Tri-band | Tri-Band |
| Coverage capacity | 465 square meters | 465 square meters |
| RRP | AU$1,399.00 | AU$949.00 |
If you’ve got a smaller home, less devices or just aren’t a heavy enough user to justify $950.00 or more on a router Netgear also have the Nighthawk Mesh WiFi 6 available.
It’s a far more budget-friendly option (still not the $250 we recently saw for the D-Link AX1500) that will hit the mark for a lot of homes.
It’s got the same gigabit WAN port capability and offers dual-band Wi-Fi, AX1800 speeds and will support around 25 devices. Dropping in price to AU$449.00 with one satellite or AU$649.00 for two satellites, you’re also making a couple of compromises on specs. The two major differences are the capability to cover your home is now down to around 140 square meters and there is only 2 x LAN ports on the router and a single port on satellites. This gives you the option to run an Ethernet backhaul if you wish, or to hardware a couple of devices.
The Nighthawk Mesh kits are already available in Australia, with the Orbi systems to follow at the end of the month.
If you were setting up a new routing solution with Wi-Fi 6, what features would you be looking for?
$$$ Ouch