Reddit mentions of NETGEAR Orbi Tri-band Whole Home Mesh WiFi System with 3Gbps Speed (RBK50) – Router & Extender Replacement Covers Up to 5,000 sq. ft., 2-Pack Includes 1 Router & 1 Satellite White

Can anyone help me with my rural internet plan? Not super FIRE related, but I know a lot of folks here have probably encountered the same obstacle.

I'm in an area that can only get HughesNet, with their lovely 24-month contract only plans and low caps. I'm trying to daisy chain an alternative and could use some help!

At the location I can get decent LTE coverage from Verizon. They also offer an "unlimited' plan that drops your speed 4.8Mbps after 15Gigs. Not ideal, but still tolerable.

What'd I'd like to do is this:

• Verizon JetPack 7730L + An Antenna
  
  
• Verizon Single-Device Beyond Unlimited Service ($85/month)
  
  
• Pair The Jetpack to a Mesh Router, as my "single" device for full-home coverage
  
  
• Enjoy the 21st Century
  
  In theory it sounds straight-forward, but with only a USB out, how do I properly link the JetPack to the base router of the mesh system?
  
  
  

I’m living in an executive so slightly bigger than you. I got myself a Orbi RBK50. So it’s not exactly mesh but more of a hub and spoke model and it’s great. Full bars everywhere!

https://smile.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-Ultra-Performance-Whole-System/dp/B01K4CZOBS

Just had to go to Mustafa to get 2 cheap travel adapters for the US plugs and good to go.

I'm running the following setup on Optimum and I like it.

Modem

Arris SB6183-RB

Optimum can provide you a list of compatible modems if you want a different one. When you buy a modem you need customer service to register the MAC address of the modem to your account for your internet service to work. You can do this over the phone (I'm 99% sure you can).

Router

Netgear Orbi RBK50

The Orbi is a no bullshit, easy to set up, whole home mesh network. I have the base router setup next to my modem at one end of the house and I have the satellite setup in the middle of the house. It covers my entire 2,200 sq ft house (basement, first and second floors).

Google wi-fi is another option for a mesh router system that is cheaper.

If you don't need the coverage of mesh systems, there are a million different options you can choose. I'd go from this list: https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-router/

EDIT: (moved to top): looks like a lot of folks aren't seeing this coupon, and it might be targeted. Sorry about that. Not quite an r/buildapcsales deal otherwise.

Lowest price on Triple Camel = $320.

This is similar to the RBK50, but gives up some backhaul throughput (AC2200 vs. AC3000) for a voice-enabled Harmon Kardon smart speaker with very nice specs (supposedly better than Echo Show, possibly close to Sonos, according to KitGuru review - 9.0/10.0).

1. $112.92 discount is automotic
   
   
2. $86.00 discount comes from 20% off coupon (just below price discount "you save...") and shows up in checkout.
   
   EDIT: Probably targeted, as it only works for some people, sorry!
   
   
3. $22 promo credit (from $200+ spend) is targeted and detailed in reddit here

Orbi router + satellite. Head over to /r/orbi and /r/homenetworking and ask around if it is the right equipment for your situation​ before you make an impulsive buy.

So there's a few options, but there's not really a simple/cheap solution that I know of. The first is to deal with slow wifi and maybe use LTE when it gets real bad. The second is to move the router somewhere. Like run a cat6 cable somewhere more central and put the router there. You'll get better wifi everywhere that way - but if you take away the hard line to your gaming setups you'll lose speed there.

There's a thing called a wifi extender - I tried one once and thought it was basically useless. I'd avoid that.

If you're willing to spend some money, it sounds like there's a thing called "wireless mesh." If I'm honest, I don't know everything about them, but I think you can get some good results from them if you're willing to spend some money. I don't claim that any of these are great, but I've considered them in the past - and would be considering them now if I hadn't just bought a car...

amazon/netgear orbi


netgear site

Looks like orbi is your best option. Get the 2 router AC3000 option. A little pricier than google WiFi, but it looks like a serious upgrade in bandwidth size.

NETGEAR Orbi Home Mesh WiFi System (RBK50) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K4CZOBS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_f.zQBbSRN6EBJ

As I mentioned you can get an additional router they feeds off the first one so it will also be upstairs. Or you can run a cord through the floor / ceiling or a window.

NETGEAR Orbi Ultra-Performance Whole Home Mesh WiFi System - fastest WiFi router and single satellite extender with speeds up to 3 Gbps over 5,000 sq. feet, AC3000 (RBK50) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K4CZOBS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_B5zaCb0SWHDHP

Performance wise, Netgear Orbi. The only thing I see it do on my PiHole is ping netgear.com, presumably for automatic updates. It does have some Disney parental controls software that’s opt-in, which is annoying to see. Can’t think of anything else that is good. Make sure you get the full sized router/extenders (RBK50) and not the mini versions, as they don’t have the dedicated backhaul.

Link related:

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-Ultra-Performance-Whole-System/dp/B01K4CZOBS?th=1&psc=1

2-pack
https://www.amazon.com//dp/B01K4CZOBS

3-pack is $75 off June 2017:
https://www.costco.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-AC3000-Tri-band-Wi-Fi-System.product.100318832.html

So you could have:

Standard router plugged into a device that shoots a wireless signal to a matching device on a dedicated link (that'd be the wireless bridge in the setup; here's an example, I'm sure you could find cheaper options by looking around but that's a good brand) and you could plug whatever into that matching device.

Router>Radio (point-to-point link) Radio>Whatever you're plugging in.

​

That's only beneficial if you NEED a wired connection at the other end. If you can connect stuff wirelessly and just want good coverage I'd say to look into a meshed router system (again, a quick example of a good brand, but you could probably find cheaper). That lets you have multiple routers to re-broadcast the signal, but they use a separate, 'extra' wireless channel to talk to each other so that you don't get the same loss that you would with an extender (like the one you linked to).

​

Source: I work for a WISP.

I had similar issue, I tried powerline adapters but speeds were lot less than full
Speed of my internet connection. I used a mesh network in end. Here is an article explaining
https://www.linksys.com/us/r/resource-center/whole-home-mesh-wifi/

I used this one https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-Ultra-Performance-Whole-System/dp/B01K4CZOBS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549711221&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=orbi+wifi+system&dpPl=1&dpID=31ZWyXmx3YL&ref=plSrch

Though there are cheaper alternatives.
Also did you try using a different channel on your router from default setting as that sometimes can help with noise on and interference with other routers in the area.

You really need to use access points wired back to your main router with proper Ethernet or at least MoCA. That is the only thing that will give you the speeds your desire reliably.

Sorry I'm not entirely sure what this means, I'm fairly technical so maybe just a more general explanation. I'm more than happy to get the Orbi.

Is this what you recommend to get? Will I need to get anything else?

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-Whole-System-Tri-band/dp/B01K4CZOBS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523849870&sr=8-3&keywords=orbi%2BRBK50&th=1

I ended up going with a refurbished Netgear Orbi RBR53 wireless mesh system. I’m not recommending this unless you truly need it. It’s overkill for most applications but my coverage was terrible and I found a fantastic deal. I didn’t really have many options to get wired connections in my bedroom so I did this.

Edit: clarification and links

I'm seeing $429.99 -> $317.07 (sale) -> 253.66 (20% off coupon).

So I'm assuming the $231 price is after the $22 promo credit (if you use the app).

FYI, the non-smart-speaker version here also gets the 20% off coupon, for $235 (before promo credit). I got one of these a few months back and it's working well so far.

Recently got this for my parent's house. It works great. Max speed on wifi all through out the house now. It doesn't cut down speed like other repeaters because it has a dedicated backbone.

https://smile.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-Whole-System-Tri-band/dp/B01K4CZOBS?sa-no-redirect=1

Hi,
yes, Separate modem + Router is always better than Combo devices but it also depends on your needs and use-cases
read this link and see where you land: http://pickmymodem.com/cable-modem-wi-fi-modem-router-combo-one-buy/
for Suggestions om Combo devices: 1. C7000 AC1900 is pretty good http://amzn.to/2nbGF21 2. Motorola MG7550 is good as well and I have seen many good reviews http://amzn.to/2nB50PR
Both of these are Broadcom based and dont have latency issue which has plagued Puma6. Dont buy Low power WIFI Combos as you will regret later.
If you have high budget, I suggest you go separate modem + Separate Router
Modems: http://pickmymodem.com/approved-modems-for-xfinity-internet-service/
SB6183 (http://amzn.to/2minyUV) OR CM600 (http://amzn.to/2mG4zPi) are good choices
Routers: NETGEAR R7000 AC1900 (http://amzn.to/2qnhZG2) OR TPLink Archer C9 (http://amzn.to/2pRApP3)
Mesh??: Do you want Best WIFI range and have budget? then go for MESH WIFI systems: 1. NETGEAR Orbi RBK50 Kit http://amzn.to/2pq1ojA 2. Google MESH WIFI system http://amzn.to/2qmYqO7

To follow-up I ordered an Actiontec MOCA (ECB6200S02) adapter and an Orbi RBK50 mesh system.

​

My goal was to have the Orbi router in my office so it could cover that half of the house and then I'd put the satellite (with Ethernet backhaul) upstairs on the opposite side of the house to cover that side. My wiring cabinet is in the unfinished basement so putting the router down there is less than ideal.

I have two network drops in my office, let's call them "NA" and "NB". Down in the wiring cabinet I plugged the "NA" wire directly into the ONT's Ethernet port. Up in the office I connected the Orbi router's WAN port into that "NA" drop. Then I connect one of the switch ports on the Orbi router to connect into the "NB" drop, then down in the wiring cabinet put that "NB" wire into a 16-port unmanaged switch. Then all the other network cables for all the other rooms in the wiring cabinet would also go into that switch. This way everything that's wired would be behind the Orbi router.

In theory it makes sense (to me) and it should work but when I tried that the Orbi app said it didn't have a network cable connection.

(And before anyone asks - yes, both "NA" and "NB" drops in my office work. Up to this point I've had my Synology NAS on "NA" and a switch on "NB" for my computer and our network printer.)

​

To get it up and running I ended up just putting the Orbi router in the basement and connecting the WAN port directly into the ONT. The setup detected a network cable connection and completed.

Within 20 minutes of having the Orbi setup and configured the router lost its internet connection twice. Once it fixed on its own after a few minutes and the second time I had to completely reboot the router. So this thing appears to be a piece of junk. From what I read online not all versions of the Orbi firmware support Ethernet backhaul and the latest firmware (v2.2.1.210) is completely broken and has been for months with no updates. So I manually updated the router to v2.1.4.16 (per this thread). That update went fine, then I updated the satellite and it the update never completed. Then the router lost its internet connection. At this point I just pulled it all out and went back to the FiOS router.

I guess I'm going to give the Orbi stuff another shot this weekend but I don't have high hopes.

The MOCA adapter seemed to do it's job just fine. When I had it connected my Guide, DVR and onDemand was all working on my STB. So at least there's that...

Any other recommendations for a mesh system? I have a 3000sqft house (with a 1500sqft unfinished basement) and I just need good WiFi on the main floor and for the upstairs bedrooms. I also really want Ethernet backhaul since I have a network drop in every room.

As much as I'd love to have Ubiquiti I didn't have the foresight to have the builder put network drops in the ceiling everywhere so without running a bunch of cables and cutting a bunch of holes in my brand new house that leaves me with their in-wall units and I'd need one in just about every room so that gets pricey quick...

Google WiFi seems to be decent and the price is right but I've read it drops connections a lot and just isn't that fast overall. It's cheap enough I can always just throw another puck in a room when I need more coverage.

Eero is rather expensive, I'm looking at $500 for their "pro" system.

Suggestions?

I suggest going with a tri-band wifi mesh system if you want to maximize your connection speeds, which usually is a little more costly but can give you better speed/latency.

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-mesh-networking-kits/

That's a decent place to look for some information. I don't always find their recommendations to be the best, but they usually do a pretty decent job of explaining various things they are reviewing and what to look for.

Google Wifi mesh doesn't score well in most of the reviews I've seen.

Eero Pro
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071DWXLYL

Netgear Orbi
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K4CZOBS

I listed the links to those last two because they are reviewed in The Wirecutter link above and you can see they test well, but they aren't in their top recommendations because of price mostly. Netgear Orbi does have some complaints about firmware as well. Those two above are all tri-band, while the ones that get the recommendations are in most cases a mix of tri-band and dual band devices.

As far as what ones offer a non-cloud management interface, I don't know on that front. Edit: From what I can tell, it looks like two of the recommendations they make, the D-Link Covr system, has a local web management interface as well as the Synology system. The Eero devices seem to be cloud based management, and I'm not sure on the Netgear Orbi but I believe I've set one of those up before locally.

My partner is selling a bunch of electronic equipment (networking stuff mostly):

Netgear Orbi AC3000 $300

Netgear Nighthawk X6 AC3200 $175

Apple Airport Extreme (5th Generation) $40

ActionTech Ethernet to Coax Adapter (ECB2500C) $50 Brand new in box. Never opened.

ScreenBeam Mini2 Wireless Display Receiver $30

de.Light WiFi Extender Bulb $75 Like new de.Light WiFi extender bulb. Helps eliminate wifi dead zones in your home. Wire free as you simply screw the bulb into an existing light socket. Comes with wifi bulb, hub, and Ethernet cable.

Individual pics of the specific products available, but figured the amazon links would be helpful for full specifics.

Wired: Screenshot 1

Wireless: Screenshot 2

pFsense Router: Firewall Router

Patch Panel: [TRENDnet 24 Port] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AZK72/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Network Switch NETGEAR GS324 24-Port

Wireless Router: Netgear Orbi

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-Home-WiFi-System/dp/B01K4CZOBS

This is the two satellite package. Depending on budget and sq ft you could definitely be fine with the one satellite package.

Gotcha. So Extenders and powerline adapters suck.

I’ve read about the Orbi solution too. You say that I should get the RBK50 but would getting the RBK30 be that much slower? Especially since charters spectrum will just give me 100mbps down and 15mbps up? If I can save $100 going with the RBK30 and the speed difference is negligible, I would prefer it. But if it makes a drastic change, I could dish out the extra $100.

Looks interesting. The first few reviews for one of these on Amazon aren't very encouraging though..

It has been decided that we can not run a cable so now the options are the mesh system and it appears there are some good options out there. Can you please help choose which model would best to go with for longevity of product, security if possible, and reliability?

​

Looks like the Netgear Orbi RBK50 is on sale around $90 off, but only has two points?

LINK for Ultra Performance Orbi RBK50 (2 points) - would 2 points be enough?

LINK for NetGear Orbi RBK33 (3 points)

Deco M4 3-Pack

Deco M5 3-Pack

Google WiFi system, 3-Pack

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Budget is to $300 and under.

​

So my Cox cable modem is also a router so I presume I would plug the main router into the modem router, disable the Cox network and only use the new network routing system? Or what would be the best configuration here?

​

( I like the idea of having a guest network and putting any unsecure or unsure devices on the guest network, i would presume the guest network has same speed as the primary network right? )

​

Thanks for your guys helps so far! Definitely appreciate it :)

​

EDIT: Also want to make sure it works well with iOS devices since that will be the majority of devices connected.

I think I'm leaning toward the Orbi. What would you suggest for a modem? I have the xFinity Gigabit service and it looks like it's a cable wire connection.

Literally any router will work, as long as it doesn't have a built-in modem (i.e. it must have an Ethernet WAN/Internet port, not a Coax one). You just connect it directly to the ONT with Ethernet cable. If your current router is connected to the ONT with Coax cable, you'll need to run Ethernet from the router to ONT and call Verizon to have the ONT switched over to Ethernet.

As for the good choices...

Budget option: Archer C7

If you need more coverage than a single wireless router can provide, but can't run Ethernet to multiple APs: Orbi RBK50

If you can run Ethernet to multiple APs: USG (router) + switch + as many APs as you need.

Thank you for your response! I consider myself tech savvy, but when it comes to the home network, my knowledge is basic. I planned on hooking the base up to the modem via router, and using the mesh wifi for the two satellites. Does that answer your question? If you don't mind, could you also tell me if it would be worth returning the RBK23 (2 Satellites) for the RBK 50 (one Satellite) if there were only a $20 price difference? I'm not sure what Extra I am getting from one or the other. Thank you!

RBK 23 on Amazon: Orbi RBK 23


RBK 50 on Amazon (Have a 20% off Coupon):Orbi RBK 50

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-Whole-Home-System/dp/B01K4CZOBS/ref=sr_1_9?crid=27UACTZBPFM5T&keywords=wifi%2B6%2Brouter&qid=1565288051&s=gateway&sprefix=wifi%2B6%2B%2Caps%2C636&sr=8-9&th=1

Would something like this be better? 2500 sq ft house not including the basement. Looking for more range and better wifi speeds.

My mom didn’t want me to run 5 Ethernet cables with splitters upstairs to the attic (my room) so we made a compromise

We replaced our router with the newest and fastest orbi router system so I had a base station satellite in my room with Ethernet ports.

My download went from (Mbs) 70 to 212 and upload from 90 to 293.76 last time I checked yeet

People who say WiFi with satellites in each room is not good but holy shit it works insanely well. The connection with the router and orbi satellite is some weird special connection so it doesn’t lose connection and Speeds are insane.

I have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-Ultra-Performance-Whole-System/dp/B01K4CZOBS/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=orbi+router&qid=1565993752&s=gateway&sprefix=orbi+&sr=8-3

It’s now on sale I got it for around 300. It’s 1000000% worth it if you don’t have access to Ethernet in your room but still want it. The speed you loose due to the mesh is minimal and your Ethernet speeds will still be insane compared to witelessv. It’s bigger than the google version but it has 5 dedicated Ethernet ports in the mesh router compared to google WiFi’s 1. It also has a USB port so that could be extremely useful depending on your use case

Just to add some more detail on Godfrey’s WiFi improvement suggestion, since I just had to research this last week:

Cheap WiFi amplifiers like Godfrey was talking about are definitely useful, but in the context of a “high end” option, they would not be my suggestion.

Depending on your particular needs, I’d recommend either a better router—this applies primarily to people who use the default ISP equipment—or a mesh network.

Without getting too technical, a mesh network will offer a better experience than an extender. I just got this setup:

NETGEAR Orbi Ultra-Performance Whole Home Mesh WiFi System - WiFi router and single satellite extender with speeds up to 3Gbps over 5,000 sq. feet, AC3000 (RBK50)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K4CZOBS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KpEuDbED7J5Q4

Cost was appx 285. I’m returning the ISP equipment so that will knock a few bucks off the monthly bill. I’m going with this upgrade mostly for performance, and not price, though.

Should be arriving today or tomorrow so I can’t offer a review yet, but I’m confident based on research that it should be what I’m looking for.

Hey man

I recently moved into to a new place. Where i game is too far for an ethernet cable. What do you think of orbi? https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Orbi-Whole-System-Tri-band/dp/B01K4CZOBS/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1517993315&sr=1-1&keywords=orbi

I also thought of getting a power line but im really at the oppsite of the sound on the 2nd floor. While the modem is on the first floor. If i used a powerline it would run through the kitchen and living room before it gets to me. Not sure if its worth it.

Thanks.