Netgear produces an endless number of products for the management of Wi-Fi networks that we have tested several times on these pages.
Very interesting are the Wi-Fi Mesh systems for the home, by virtue of their characteristics and price / performance ratio. The manufacturer indicates them as designed to cover homes up to 525 square meters, while maintaining the signal for all connections in every room and all the time. They are products indicated as ideal for UHD 4K / 8K streaming and for the modern needs of online gaming, to take advantage of high-speed connections even on multiple screens simultaneously, without interruptions. We tested the Orbi WiFi 6 System (RBK853) AX6000 and here are features and impressions.
What is a Mesh System?
Mesh is the name of a type of mesh network created using various nodes (in the jargon “satellites”) that communicate with the various clients (computers, smartphones, tablets, etc.) and with adjacent satellites. It is a network that we could define peer-to-peer in which there is no entity superior to the others but nodes that centralize the traffic and act as a router by routing the network traffic until it reaches the gateway (the modem or the device that carries the fiber optic in the house). The absence of a hierarchical order not only guarantees the same speed on all nodes but also has the advantage that if one of the nodes fails, the network infrastructure will continue to function without problems (it is redundant by its nature).
Depending on the size of the house to be covered, an adequate number of satellites are needed; each node must obviously be covered by an adjacent connection. Compared to other solutions it is possible to take advantage of a single SSID (the name with which a Wi-Fi network identifies itself to users), there is the advantage of transparent switching from one connection to another (the user does not have to do anything), and the bandwidth is always the nominal one, even by progressively increasing the number of satellites.
Empty chair in home study
The Orbi WiFi 6 AX6000 mesh system (RBK852)
The Netgear kit that we have had the opportunity to try supports up to over 60 connections, and comes in a package in which there is a router and a satellite. The manufacturer also offers a variant with a router and two satellites; in all cases it is possible – if necessary – to purchase additional satellites. The router / satellite must be connected via cable to the broadband modem / router; for satellites only power is needed. It is advisable to disable the WiFi connection offered by your router and take advantage of that of the mesh system. Among the peculiarities of Netgear's mesh system, support for WiFi 6 technology, the currently fastest one, with a connection capacity 4 times higher than a WiFi 5 system (802.11ac).
Packaging
Netgear's system comes in a box inside which we find: router / satellite, satellite, a 2m Ethernet cable, three power adapters and an introductory guide. The dimensions of routers and satellites are approximately: 25.4 x 7.1 x 19 cm (therefore quite large), the weight is 1.29 kg each. On the router there is the internet port and four Gigabit Ethernet ports; the satellite is recognized because it offers only the four gigabit Ethernet ports.
The manufacturer highlights the presence of 8 high-performance internal antennas, each with high-power amplifiers and the exploitation of implicit and explicit beamforming for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for simultaneous streaming of data on multiple devices. A dedicated 2.4 Gbps (2,400 Mbps) WiFi link is used for data connections between router and satellite. The router boasts 512MB NAND flash memory and 1GB of RAM.
The two types of kits
The kit we tested is the one for two, with the unmistakable satellites, generous in size but not ugly to look at and well designed from a functional and design point of view. The two devices must be powered (with the standard power supplies in the package) and the router / base station must obviously be connected to the internet (using the WAN port). The router and satellites of this new version of the mesh system have openings around the edges that facilitate ventilation (in the old models the ventilation was done through an opening on the upper edge). In the lower part there are also two threads to eventually hook the systems somewhere. Do not miss the button for the synchronization of new satellites.
The satellite's gigabit ethernet ports can be used to connect to a backhaul LAN (a mesh connection that does not use the WIFi signal but the wired signal), useful for those who have Ethernet ports on the wall at home or in the office, allowing you to cover surfaces even wider.
Other features
Netgear's Mesh System is Multi-Gigabit Internet Speed Ready: The 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port supports multi-gigabit Internet speeds offered by Internet Service Providers. Alternatively, port aggregation can be used to combine two Gigabit Ethernet ports (LAN and WAN) and take advantage of Multi-Gigabit speeds.
First configuration and test
The configuration can be done in various ways. The simplest system is the Netgear Orbi smartphone app (free), which allows you to complete the setup in minutes. The app allows you to change the network name (SSID) and password, check the status of the Internet connection and the Orbi satellite, add an Orbi satellite and much more.
As mentioned, the manufacturer reports the possibility of covering homes up to 525m2; we have not had the opportunity to test the system in such large homes but we have verified the possibility of reaching a total coverage of almost 400 square meters. The advantage of WiFi 6 is felt and MacBooks, smartphones, tablets, PCs, smart TVs and other devices have always worked at the maximum possible speed. The Netgear app allows you to test the performance of your network (you can also save the results obtained by room) or receive a notification when a new device connects to the Wi-Fi network. From the app it is possible to have a summary of active connections, to exclude any connected devices.
The more experienced can also call these and other functions from the web browser by connecting with the web-server integrated in the router. Netgear periodically updates these systems and functions that were not initially present, have been activated in recent months (e.g. integration with the BitDefender service).
The distance between the satellite and the router varies depending on the environment in use. In any case, once you have found a general area, the colors of the satellite's circular LED indicate if it is too far from the Orbi router: Blue (the router and the Orbi satellite have been synchronized correctly and the connection between the router and the satellite is good ), Amber (bring the Orbi satellite closer to the Orbi router), Magenta (the synchronization of the router and the Orbi satellite has failed). Actual performance depends in each case on several factors: Internet connection speed, distance between router and satellite, distance between router or satellite and wireless devices, construction work, WiFi interference from devices such as cordless phones and microwave ovens .
Conclusions
During our tests, the WiFi Mesh coverage was constant and without interruptions (connected with the Fastweb fiber the average speed was 93mb in all the points where we tested the connection): from the entrance to the back of the house and in every corner of the house, the product is worth what it costs: the prices are high but in line with competing products and what you have to pay for maximum coverage and what WiFi 6 can offer.
Pro
Versus
Retail price
The 2 kit (Router + Satellite) costs 799.00 euros; the kit of three (two satellites and a router) costs 1121.00 euros; the only satellite on Amazon at the time of writing costs 449.00 euros.
