Negear Orbi

Faultless networking for large homes

$380 Manufacturer Netgear, netgear.com Features High speed tri-band Wi-Fi, covers up to 4,000 sq ft

Orbi is designed to eliminate wireless deadspots, particularly with large-family or multiple-occupancy homes where everybody has multiple wireless devices.

It consists of a tri-band Wi-Fi router, and a separate satellite that you place in an area where your wireless signal isn’t so good – you can add more if needed. Together, you get a strong, robust, and reliable signal with one single network, so your device will have the best possible signal wherever you are in the home.

Setting up Orbi is a piece of cake and synchronizing the satellite is easy. You can also plug in numerous wired devices to both units, so if you have the satellite near your TV, you can connect other devices such as Apple TV and games consoles too. So far, so good… But Orbi has one pretty big downside: it costs a lot of money. Indeed, it’s such a high upfront cost that you really do need to be sure you need it. Unless you have an extremely large house, you’d be better off buying a high-end tri-band router for less than $200. THE BOTTOM LINE. Very expensive, but a faultless solution for large home total coverage.