Netgear Orbi (Kit of Two, RBK50)

TRI-BAND SUPPORT AND A MASSIVE BACKHAUL CHANNEL MAKE THIS A TOP PICK.

ONE OF THE first mesh kits to become available in Australia, Netgear’s Orbi remains a top pick — especially the high-end RBK50 kit. It includes one router and one satellite, and gets pretty much everything right when it comes to mesh networking.

Perhaps its most notable advantage is its tri-band support. Like Linksys’ Velop, it has a dedicated wireless backhaul channel just for communication between the satellite and routers. Where most mesh kits use the same radio channel for communicating between mesh nodes as they do for user communications, the Orbi RBK50 has a 1,733Mbps channel devoted entirely to relaying data between the satellite(s) and router. That’s a big deal, and it showed in our test results.

Users can connect to the satellite or router at up to 866Mbps, and the router and satellite both have a generous collection of Ethernet ports, as well, so that you can hook up wired devices. They also both have USB ports for attaching storage devices.

Setup is very simple, since it comes more or less pre-configured. You can manage and test the wireless settings using Netgear’s Orbi app, though for other router features, you’ll need to use a web UI just like a traditional router.

Since launch, Netgear has since released cheaper versions of the Orbi, such as the RBK40 (around $500 street price) and RBK30 (around $400). These versions have a smaller backhaul network (866Mbps as opposed to 1,733Mbps), so might not provide the same level of performance when you’re connected to a satellite. You can also now purchase free-standing or wall plug satellites to further extend coverage.