NETGEAR RBK53-100UKS

Not as powerful as expected. Struggled to get satellites connected to the router.

NETGEAR RBK53 Orbi Whole Home Wi-Fi Mesh System Up to 7500 sq ft Coverage (11AC 3.0 Gbps Tri-Band with Router and 2 Satellites) So there are mixed user reviews about Orbi. Some of the less favourable comment comes from early adopters experiencing firmware issues; other comment was from folk who were clearly out of their depth as far as networking is concerned. I decided to take the plunge at the end of Jan 2018 and this review is based on 2 weeks operation.I needed to improve Wi-Fi coverage and replace a hotch-potch of AP extenders and mains powerline adaptors. The RBK53 kit (1 router/AP plus 2 satellites) has done the job perfectly. Netgear info suggested that a single satellite would suffice for my floor area, but given the need to cover a conventionally constructed but extended 2 storey house with an unusual 'L' shaped floorplan I opted for the full fat approach. Some of the internal walls were originally external cavity type - in particular between the router and satellites.Unboxing and setup was straightforward. As others have noted, the mains adaptors are quite bulky. The single most critical decision is whether to opt for Router or AP mode. Unless you really know the difference (or like me DON'T have a good reason for not using your existing router), then AP is the way to go. Turning off your modem/router's own WiFi is recommended by Netgear...quick to do on my Asus DSL-AC68U.The Orbi router fired up. I accessed the setup application by network cable and a laptop running Windows 10. The app is slick and remarkably quick: a lot of work has been done to remove hassle from the process. It finished off with downloading a firmware update and customer registration.The Orbi hardware is on the large size, but its design is unobtrusive with an attractive 'soft' finish to the off-white housings. Just as important, performance is excellent with whole house coverage never dropping below -60dBm and internet access speeds similar to wired connection. Although the router and satellites are all located on the ground floor, upstairs coverage is good.Expensive - yes - but worth it! NETGEAR RBK53 Orbi Whole Home Wi-Fi Mesh System Up to 7500 sq ft Coverage (11AC 3.0 Gbps Tri-Band with Router and 2 Satellites)

If you want to keep your existing router, you have two choices: out of the box Orbi will self-configure as a router using NAT, or you can but Orbi into access point (AP) mode. In NAT mode, you no longer have a flat network so anything that uses broadcast or multicast packets (e.g. most of the cleverer Apple stuff) won’t cross the NAT boundary. In AP mode, 50%+ of the features are disabled, including parental control.The interface is very sluggish with simple configuration tasks requiring a restart. This makes it very frustrating to set up.The firmware mine shipped with didn’t appear to give any indication of the health of the backhaul. A firmware upgrade added this. Then I discovered that the backhaul state was “poor” on one of my satellites, despite it only being 12 feet from the router.And the final nail in the coffin: a firmware upgrade silently enabled the guest network with a default, well-known SSID, no password, and no isolation from my network. In other words, anybody walking past my house who had ever connected to any Netgear guest network would automatically connect to my network and would have access to every device I own!This is utterly unforgivable and suggests either a total disregard for customer security, or a totally lack of any testing of the firmware, or both.Goodbye, Orbi.

After enduring way less than satisfactory wi-fi coverage & speeds across the house, after much research we elected to go for the Orbi & I am so glad we did.We've been a Plusnet customer for many years & whilst general internet stability & service is good, the hardware supplied, like all ISP’s is the bare basics & so has always struggled to reach various rooms giving multiple black-spots. This has resulted in various add-on solutions such as Powerline adaptors etc…which act as a sticking plaster but come with their own challenges (the need to constantly switch between different wi-fi signals etc)Our normal estimated line speed is between 13-15 Mbps given our distance from the exchange, but for the last 6 months its been gradually deteriorating to the point where we've been struggling to hit 8 Mbps.I suspected it was a hardware issue with the various extenders etc but equally I knew the base Plusnet mode/router combo was never going to give me complete coverage.Granted, the Orbi is a ‘considered’ purchase given the cost (we elected for the top-spec tri-band AC3000 given the size of property) but from the initial opening of the box to now day-to-day running its been a dream.Installation is fully automatic. Keep in mind you’ll still need a modem of some sort (I’ve elected to ditch my Plusnet combined modem/router hub altogether & I’ve reverted back to my old BT Openreach modem which works fab with the Orbi). The only thing you’ll need is your username & password for your ISP (just look up on their support pages & they’ll tell you what to input if you’re using a different router to what they normally supply). A heads up, if you’re buying with multiple satellites, the installation routine sometimes says that its only detected one satellite but actually when you go into the App later on they’re all there so no need to worry.Within 10 mins the Orbi had set itself up (in my case the base-station + 2 satellites) & suddenly my house is now flooded with wi-fi in every room (5-bedroom), way more stronger signals than we've ever had. The mesh technology means there’s just a single wi-fi service so no need to keep switching tech onto different extenders etc…the Orbi handles it all automatically.Speed has also rocketed up back to my max line speed & I’m no longer getting pauses or drop-outs when streaming Netflix etc....It has its own App which will give you status of service, satellites, connections & also offers quick speedtest at any time from the App itself.Within 10 mins of opening the box, all of our wi-fi & connection issues have been sorted & hopefully future-proofed. Additional options such as guest-wi-fi I’ve yet to explore but given it copes admirably with the size of our property & our daily needs then those are just added bonuses.It can't work miracles & compensate for underperforming ISP's....but if you have a solid connection & you need maximum coverage & stability then choose the option that's best for your property & go for it.

Bought to replace a 6 Disc BT Wholehome after ongoing firmware issues. The Orbi was up and running within 10 mins. Coupled with a BT Smart Hub in AP mode I’ve had no disconnections from the Orbi. Satellite situation is key to getting the best but I’ve full internet speeds throughout the house.One tip is to be patient with firmware updates. Go get a cup of tea/coffee and let it do it’s thing.My only gripe is additional standalone satellites can be expensive on their own and it would be nice to get the benefit of a router/satellite package and be able to convert the router to a satellite but you cannot have everything.

COST – I did not pay full price. At full price, good as it is, it’s not even a consideration in my book. I saw a lightening deal where the 3 unit kit was down from £470 to £300 (the actual cost of the 2 unit kit) but even then £300 gave me pause (especially given the negative reviews here from some people). What swung it was the option to pay that £300 in 5 monthly lots of £60 (So I’d never feel the £300 hit, and if I needed to return it, waiting for £60 refund is easier than waiting for a £300 refund). Even at the reduced price I paid, it still feels expensive and this is why I give it 4 and not 5 stars.Victorian Terrace House, 4 bedrooms 3 stories (including a loft conversion). Fibre Broadband from Virgin Media. With the modem/router that Virgin supplied, we were averaging between 70 & 80 mbps in the same room as the router significantly less than that in a couple of other places, with the loft and the front 1st floor bedroom getting next to nothing at all. After installing the Netgear Orbi Kit (got the 3 pack, so one on each floor), I recorded between 213 and 219 mbps for every single room in the house. Just (and I can't stress this enough) from changing the router. We've made no changes to the internet actually being piped to the house by Virgin Media. It does show you how much ISPs are shafting us with the modem/routers that they include with their packages...Finally, with regard to the negative reviews, all I can say is that the installation and set up process was relatively painless for me. I downloaded the app and just followed the steps, doing what it told me to do, when it told me to do it. What I would suggest is that you a) have a bit of patience (e.g. it said it could not find the satellites at first, but then it did at the next attempt) and b) don't make things more complicated than they need to be and rather than making changes during the set up process, make them later (e.g. it gives you the option to change the name and password of the network, I opted to change the name, but think this caused a bit of confusion in that there appeared to be a bit of lag from changing the name on the app and the network name properly changing, but again, only minor as it caught up with itself soon enough.