Netgear Orbi is a very different beast and does offer excellent coverage. This is a mesh based approach that uses its third band as the dedicated back haul to connect the router to its satellite units. Currently the USB has been disables in these and hopefully this will be resolved in the future. Also you will find that the Orbi is pretty easy to setup and now does have a setup app that you can use to get the basic setup completed. The more advanced config will require you to connect to the web interface which is well layed out and functional.
Just installed Orbi and am very happy with coverage. Remember to disable your main wifi network for Orbi network to go live (even though it's being fed from main router). We are in 4,100 square foot home and it's working great. Satellite is working farther from Orbi base than I thought would work and working fine. I went with Orbi due to being able to handle more devices and better antennas. Very glad I did.
I just bought the Orbi 2 pack system last week and that is because it offers the higher throughput and is more configurable. Since my ISP package offers up to 150 mbps, and all my phones and devices are 802.11 ac, i wanted to make sure my wifi throughput is all places of my 2,200 sqr foot house is great. I tested all locations and are consistent results at 140-150 mbps all the time. It is simply a great product.... but at a cost.
I have the google wifi with a 100/10 connection from isp and on all laptops get 125/12 and phones 145/13. This is coming from a Linksys wrt3200 and only getting 60/10 on lpatops 80/11 on phones. Through a ton of research and my isp connection there was not a significant enough difference to justify almost double the cost for about an extra 10mb at devices.
Exactly, Orbi is a great product but at a cost. I have 1Gbs internet connection with Google Wi-Fi and I'm getting 400Mbs download speeds across all 3 of my Wi-Fi points using wired backhaul. Even with wireless backhaul I was still getting at least 250Mbs across all 3 points... So if you only have a 150Mbs internet connection you just wasted the extra $250 it costs for the Orbi 2 pack, unless you really needed the couple extra features Orbi has.
I think it's important to note too that having 3 units can be an advantage. My main pipe coming in is in the middle of my house, with the orbi there's no good configuration for uniform coverage that comes from 2 units, while 3 units is perfect. Just a small note, that can make a good difference for some.
As of October of this year the Google WiFi was updated to allow blocking of sites via safe search. So if that was something steering people towards the Orbi while still wanting the Google system due to simplicity that is a non issue now. That said I went with the Google product because of simplicity and true mesh type qualities where they aren't relying totally on the base and can route traffic through each router towards the internet. So if you have a lot of routers or 3 for instance and the 3rd cant see the first one that isn't a problem as it can pass the traffic from 2 to 1. With the Orbi it does require a communication between the base and all the satellites. That said either option will be better for people with many devices, or houses with dead zones than a standard traditional solo router sitting in a corner. The added amount of antennas due to there being more points to connect to and the signal strength provided far outweighs whatever tiny bit of speed benefit you see on a speed test from a single device on a single router. As a whole your network will thank you. Home automation is a big culprit with this, not only does everyone have a phone / tablet, we have computers, smart tv's, roku/fire/apple tv's, we have smart bluray players, video game consoles, smart fridges, smart lighting / electrical outlets, i mean the list of devices people connect these days is staggering and them all trying to talk through the same few antenna on a single router is getting harder and harder to do.
And this is th every reason I am looking at this. I am in the process of upgrading my home to a smart home and I need my gigabit plan to reach important areas without a huge drop in speed or just the stupid dead zones that are the bane of my existence her, lol
I've used it all. Found no reason for anyone not to buy Orbi. If you have Ethernet around your house I found that eero is a very good solution. I've banged my head with a weird lag with google wifi when speed test showed it was comparable to the others. Also had a few issues with a few devices to refuse to stay on 5GHz on Google. Something that after reading seems to be something original onhub users had. Small suggestion after trying all of these is if using the same ssid forget the network and re-add on apple devices.
If you have ethernet in every room then yes the ero is definitely the way to go. I use the same ssd when testing too. Gets things up and running very fast
Technically Orbi is not a mesh system, since satellites talk only to the base router and not to each other. That said, I was impressed by Orbi: just 2 devices (router and satellite ) completely covered my 3,000 sq ft home with reliable wifi. I even do have now wifi in a storage shed outside!
+Baba Yaga I agree different approach. Asus will be coming out with the same technical implementation. Three channels. One for network stability and two for Internet traffic.
The height of the Orbi is not the only reason why it has better coverage, it’s also tri-band. But even then 2.4 can give a much better range than a 5 anyway.
I have he Orbi that uses a plug in satellite and it provides service all over my house. My plan allows 100/mps upload and download and I was only getting 50/50 with the airport express and hardly any signal in my basement but now with the Orbi I’m consistently getting over 100mbps both in download and upload speeds.
Good review. 👍 I would however, stay away from using the word "hub" to describe the ports. it's a switch, hubs just rebroadcast traffic out all port to find their path. It was pretty much done away with in the mid 90's and ever since we use switches that use a MAC address table that guides the switch to send the traffic out a specific port, limiting collisions.
Kenny Burton: Yeah, as a networking guy, I kinda grimaced when he said that. USB has hubs. Ethernet has moved on to switched networks for a long time now. Of course, Wi-Fi has now become the popular medium with hub-like qualities, but with beamforming and wireless full-duplex on the horizon, even that medium may eventually become fully switched.
Ordered an Orbi on Prime day and got it for £200 instead of £300. It's arriving tomorrow and looking forward to setting it up. Found this video really useful and glad I purchased Orbi.
TorontoPlaneSpotting I used to have my work and gaming PC in my office and would receive 20Mbps over wireless. I put the main Orbi next to the original router at the front of the house. I put the satellite in my office which is way in the back and upstairs. I underestimated the benefit of the usage of wired ports on the satellite. I didn't think I would use them but I can now connect my work PC, gaming PC and my new NAS together using gigabit Ethernet and transfer files between them really quickly. All three devices get my max internet speed of 70Mbps that I pay for. Also since my office is in the back of the house, now the entire back garden gets wifi too. The range is incredible. The setup was simple. I did it via the android app. It took 5 mins and was connected straight away. No special config. The only changes to my original router were turning off it's wireless, firewall and DHCP. Everything else just worked. For me, worth every penny and then some. Let me know how you get on if you buy one.
I've explored a lot of different options and honestly, I've had tremendous luck with Luma personally. Not the best, but if you have an Ethernet backbone, the quad core internals keep my streaming flawless!
The1andonlyBYack Btw, Gwifi also can use ethernet for "backhaul" control of the mesh if you connect them to each other using 1 of the 2 ports on each unit. This increases performance since wifi bands aren't used for traffic control. Due to the size & layout of my house, the 3rd puck (or more if I want to add) will give me a better spread. So in some cases the Gwifi may be better than the Orbi.
Great review. The new Google nest satellites/access points do not include Ethernet ports for back-hall or wired clients. They added google assistant with mic and speaker instead?? Really disappointed in the new Google Nest Wifi solution.
Thank you for the vid. I am trying to choose the right mesh for me but Im concerned about the data collected by these devices and then sent off to their manufacturers. Is this something to worry about ?
just one correction: Orbi doesn't support scheduling and the default filter feature doesn't work at all! So, you need to integrate with Disney Circle which looks interest but comes with a monthly fee (that you need to top up to the expensive Orbi price). If you're just looking for wifi performance I would say it's better that Google...
Get the Orbi. Full bars everywhere in my house now. Used to have 2 routers and many dead spots. Tried range extenders also. What a joke those are. Plus you had to go to settings and change routers as you moved around.
Thanks for the great info. Imho orbi is the best hands down and those antiquated ethernet ports are more important than one would think. My ADT Security system, wifi garage door opener and OBI free home phone service all have to be connected via ethernet. I've tried many systems. symbiosis systems and mix and match systems, and none have done as well to my Orbi system. The app is beautiful and seamless, the parental controls are the best out and the coverage is unbelievable. It was well worth the high price tag.
Hi, What is the difference between powerline adapters and mesh WiFi such as Netgear Orbi, Google WiFi? Which is better in terms of coverage, connection speed, reliability and stability?
Wifi6 the ax version will be faster at a $700.00 price tag. This model will handle upto 2.5 terabyte system in your home. Tp link is a great brand and is coming out with an ax wifi6 in April for 300.00 dollars.
I had the worst experience with the Orbi. It keep dropping signal and disconnecting randomly. I had to return mine after a week and was very disappointed. Happy to see it's working so well for others tho.
He said HUB which I dont think is correct as HUBs send a lot of broadcast packets out to every device on the network and would cause a lot of network congestion. I believe he meant a switch when he was walking about the Google wifi only have 1 Ethernet port.
I was considering getting a MESH based wi-fi set up for my home but my house isn't THAT big, might be a bit overkill for my usage. I think I'm better off with a really good router like the Netgear Nighthawk etc. I'm from the UK and use the crappy Superhub from Virgin Media, plus I put it in the silliest place ever lol.
So can you lower the power of the 5ghz radio? I ask because a lot of the Iot devices I use such as smart thermostats and vacuums HATE the 5ghz signal and refuse to connect. When you lower the 5ghz down then the 2.4ghz is easier to connect.
If I hard wire a device to one of the satellite pucks (Wifi points), Will it increase the bandwidth to the device that I'm connecting the wire too? Or is the increased quality only beneficial when hard wiring to the original source point?
This is a great review! thanks a lot for this, since I've been kinda in between both of these. I think I'm going with the orbi because of the extra ethernet ports
Mark Davenport yes you can. Some routers like netgear and Asus allow you to have a vpn client on the router encrypting all network traffic from all devices. This means you don't need a VPN on the phone
I realize this is an old video but it is not quite an old product so I was wondering what you meant about " not being able to separate SSID", how doe sit work then if you or someone could please elaborate, as I am unclear on what you mean by "the share the same SSID". As in what,it uses both simultaneously or changes as needed or is stronger due to using both simultaneously?
the footprint of orbi is rather small if you stand it up on its base. I totally disagree i have installed a number of orbi systems and pretty much a no-brainer to install orbi
Why would you set up the Google as an access point. Surely it's whole premise is you simply plug it into your existing router and go. I thought unlike the orbit you didn't have to go into a bridge mode?
I have watched ten videos on googles wifi and what I learned here about google not accepting a router made my choice simple. I’m now looking at the orbi.
I heard Netgear disabled the USB on the unit and Mesh feature is for "future" expansion. Is this correct? If so, I think that's pretty bad advertisement.
I have a USB printer away from my router and wifi. Can I plug the orbi satellite into the printer to print from the other side of the house where our computers are located.
Google Wi-Fi is extremely easy to setup and offers all the features that 98% of people would ever need at half the cost of Orbi. Also Google Wi-Fi will provide you with at least 250Mbs of bandwidth across all 3 points using wireless backhaul and 400Mbs bandwidth access all 3 points with wired backhaul. Also, many times it is easier to find the best coverage placements for 3 smaller points that it is for 2 larger points. So unless your internet speed is greater than 250Mbs and/or you need the couple extra features Orbi has, you are going to spend twice as much for the Orbi and you are not going to get any benefit from that extra cost. I actually have a 1Gbs internet connection and I'm quite happy with the 400Mbs (using wired backhaul) I'm across all my points. Even with 7 kids and my wife and I all streaming video of some sort at the same time, it's impossible for us all to saturate my Google Wi-Fi wireless network. And I save myself $250 over the Orbi doing so. Even with the cost of my $50 8 Port gigabit switch I still save $200 over the Orbi... although I had this even before I got the Google Wi-Fi and even the Orbi wouldn't have satisfied the number of ports I needed at my router.
Jeff Martinson I felt EBP was reaching hard to find reasons why Orbi is better than a Google WiFi. I agree, 98% of people would find Google WiFi to be a better value. Ease of use is underrated.
He also says they are comparable in the guest network area. As far as I understand it, only the Google allows a guest network selective access to attached devices. I believe the Orbi is all or nothing with devices, like most other routers.
Jeff Martinson and no privacy .... google account is attached to your network . That’s what I don’t like about google WiFi plus u can’t install VPN man 👨 wtf is wrong with google
To my understanding Orbi isn't a mesh solution. However, thanks, if true then Google WiFi won't work for me either. I already have an excellent Router with fixed IP's, VPN, Port forwarding, etc all of which I must keep. What I want is to add multiple AP's with the same SSID and have a true Mesh WiFi. Further, I must maintain the same Subnet IP throughout. I've heard about Plume .. what's your take on them? My current network works flawlessly with one exception *Multi-SSID* which is annoying for my mobile devices! BTW I have CAT6 everywhere and a 24 port switch. Oh I'm perfectly aware Cisco has an excellent but crazy ($$$ thousands) solution. I'm okay spending up to ~$500 for a 3,500 SqFt 2 story home.
+D Jaquith so orbi falls into the tri band mesh segment. This means it uses a dedicated band to support the mesh connection between devices. And allows the network traffic to ride on the 2.4 and 5 ghz. This model I prefer because you get the fastest speeds. That being said few routers have the level of configuration that you articulated I have as well and use an Asus router for it. I use a mesh network to extend my network to areas my router won't cover. Netgear has IMO has the most complete solution where the mesh admin console is the same as the traditional router or at least close to it. Others cater to simple network configurations
EBPMAN Tech Reviews Thanks for the reply, it much appreciated! I was just looking at the Linksys Velop ... but using a *wired Mesh* instead of a wireless mesh. I'm just not certain how it will work if it's, the Velop, has no DHCP. I want a solution that can work with my current Router .. in other words as a seamless AP 'hand offs' as I walk throughout our home. As it is, I need 3 AP's: 2 on the main floor and 1 upstairs. As I said, I have CAT6 everywhere.
You missed a pretty important point. Google Wifi allows you to use an ethernet backhaul between access points. That is WAY better than a 3rd channel. Orbi doesn't allow this
Perhaps. But if you do have a wired home (and most new homes are wired) then it doesn't matter how many Orbi satellites you buy, they have no hope of matching the performance of a much cheaper and smaller Google Wifi system with a wired backhaul. Anybody with a wired home who follows this video is likely to make a very poor decision
From what I have gathered thus far is that, yes! You purchase it, it is yours and it works in conjunction WITH your existing router to dole out superior performance and reach those harder to get to areas of a home.
So... Google Wifi is for the user who wants all the features to be easily accessible, and is simple Orbi is for those who know about configuration, at the cost of a simple setup Right?
I just hate the coverage of Netgear. Through brick walls the netgear can't cross 2 walls 10' apart. Soft walls apart I wouldn't use netgear in a concrete apartment. My tp link range extender has better range than my netgear N600. I am seriously waiting for tp-link to get into the mesh market and that's what I'll buy. :)
Don't waste your time on these new puck sized devices. They have no range especially on 5ghz. Get a router with external antennas for sure. That google wif toy system is a joke. Hope your house has no walls LOL. Best router by far, is the Linksys WRT3200ACM.
You've gotta correct the pricing. The Netgear Orbi is $249 for a single unit, and $399 for a dual pack. The Google Wifi is $129 for a single unit, or $299 for a 3-pack; there is no dual pack solution officially out there, so you'd be paying $260 for 2, or another $40 for a third.
The Netgear Orbi AC3000 is unbeatable for me. The backhaul bandwidth is unrivalled. Has good poweruser settings console too.
Netgear Orbi is a very different beast and does offer excellent coverage. This is a mesh based approach that uses its third band as the dedicated back haul to connect the router to its satellite units. Currently the USB has been disables in these and hopefully this will be resolved in the future.
Also you will find that the Orbi is pretty easy to setup and now does have a setup app that you can use to get the basic setup completed. The more advanced config will require you to connect to the web interface which is well layed out and functional.
Just installed Orbi and am very happy with coverage. Remember to disable your main wifi network for Orbi network to go live (even though it's being fed from main router). We are in 4,100 square foot home and it's working great. Satellite is working farther from Orbi base than I thought would work and working fine. I went with Orbi due to being able to handle more devices and better antennas. Very glad I did.
I just bought the Orbi 2 pack system last week and that is because it offers the higher throughput and is more configurable. Since my ISP package offers up to 150 mbps, and all my phones and devices are 802.11 ac, i wanted to make sure my wifi throughput is all places of my 2,200 sqr foot house is great. I tested all locations and are consistent results at 140-150 mbps all the time. It is simply a great product.... but at a cost.
Jim Martin great throughput. It's worth the cost in my opinion
Can you choose between 2.4 or 5.0?
I have the google wifi with a 100/10 connection from isp and on all laptops get 125/12 and phones 145/13. This is coming from a Linksys wrt3200 and only getting 60/10 on lpatops 80/11 on phones. Through a ton of research and my isp connection there was not a significant enough difference to justify almost double the cost for about an extra 10mb at devices.
Exactly, Orbi is a great product but at a cost.
I have 1Gbs internet connection with Google Wi-Fi and I'm getting 400Mbs download speeds across all 3 of my Wi-Fi points using wired backhaul. Even with wireless backhaul I was still getting at least 250Mbs across all 3 points... So if you only have a 150Mbs internet connection you just wasted the extra $250 it costs for the Orbi 2 pack, unless you really needed the couple extra features Orbi has.
I think it's important to note too that having 3 units can be an advantage. My main pipe coming in is in the middle of my house, with the orbi there's no good configuration for uniform coverage that comes from 2 units, while 3 units is perfect. Just a small note, that can make a good difference for some.
As of October of this year the Google WiFi was updated to allow blocking of sites via safe search. So if that was something steering people towards the Orbi while still wanting the Google system due to simplicity that is a non issue now. That said I went with the Google product because of simplicity and true mesh type qualities where they aren't relying totally on the base and can route traffic through each router towards the internet. So if you have a lot of routers or 3 for instance and the 3rd cant see the first one that isn't a problem as it can pass the traffic from 2 to 1. With the Orbi it does require a communication between the base and all the satellites. That said either option will be better for people with many devices, or houses with dead zones than a standard traditional solo router sitting in a corner. The added amount of antennas due to there being more points to connect to and the signal strength provided far outweighs whatever tiny bit of speed benefit you see on a speed test from a single device on a single router. As a whole your network will thank you. Home automation is a big culprit with this, not only does everyone have a phone / tablet, we have computers, smart tv's, roku/fire/apple tv's, we have smart bluray players, video game consoles, smart fridges, smart lighting / electrical outlets, i mean the list of devices people connect these days is staggering and them all trying to talk through the same few antenna on a single router is getting harder and harder to do.
And this is th every reason I am looking at this. I am in the process of upgrading my home to a smart home and I need my gigabit plan to reach important areas without a huge drop in speed or just the stupid dead zones that are the bane of my existence her, lol
I've used it all. Found no reason for anyone not to buy Orbi. If you have Ethernet around your house I found that eero is a very good solution. I've banged my head with a weird lag with google wifi when speed test showed it was comparable to the others. Also had a few issues with a few devices to refuse to stay on 5GHz on Google. Something that after reading seems to be something original onhub users had. Small suggestion after trying all of these is if using the same ssid forget the network and re-add on apple devices.
If you have ethernet in every room then yes the ero is definitely the way to go. I use the same ssd when testing too. Gets things up and running very fast
Technically Orbi is not a mesh system, since satellites talk only to the base router and not to each other. That said, I was impressed by Orbi: just 2 devices (router and satellite ) completely covered my 3,000 sq ft home with reliable wifi. I even do have now wifi in a storage shed outside!
+Baba Yaga I agree different approach. Asus will be coming out with the same technical implementation. Three channels. One for network stability and two for Internet traffic.
I heard that the Orbi will supports like a daisy-chain topology soon via firmware update. It's a mesh wifi system.
The height of the Orbi is not the only reason why it has better coverage, it’s also tri-band. But even then 2.4 can give a much better range than a 5 anyway.
I have he Orbi that uses a plug in satellite and it provides service all over my house. My plan allows 100/mps upload and download and I was only getting 50/50 with the airport express and hardly any signal in my basement but now with the Orbi I’m consistently getting over 100mbps both in download and upload speeds.
Orbi is good. But go for the ac3000 version.
Awesome video. Thanks for getting right into the info without a 5 minute intro about nothing.
which one do you think would be better to game on?
Good review. 👍 I would however, stay away from using the word "hub" to describe the ports. it's a switch, hubs just rebroadcast traffic out all port to find their path. It was pretty much done away with in the mid 90's and ever since we use switches that use a MAC address table that guides the switch to send the traffic out a specific port, limiting collisions.
Kenny Burton: Yeah, as a networking guy, I kinda grimaced when he said that. USB has hubs. Ethernet has moved on to switched networks for a long time now. Of course, Wi-Fi has now become the popular medium with hub-like qualities, but with beamforming and wireless full-duplex on the horizon, even that medium may eventually become fully switched.
Mike Trieu I'm a Network Administrator too. my friend just got the Google WiFi 3 pack and has nothing but compliments on the performance.
but wifi works as hub
Great Video, Found your channel when you made your videos on the gear s3 and I think you deserve a lot more subscribers
Thanks for the kind words.
no problem, and if you have any extra stuff layin around you know who to contact lol
Ordered an Orbi on Prime day and got it for £200 instead of £300. It's arriving tomorrow and looking forward to setting it up. Found this video really useful and glad I purchased Orbi.
Christopher F hey
How's your orbi? Is way better then your old router? Planing to buy one
TorontoPlaneSpotting I used to have my work and gaming PC in my office and would receive 20Mbps over wireless. I put the main Orbi next to the original router at the front of the house. I put the satellite in my office which is way in the back and upstairs. I underestimated the benefit of the usage of wired ports on the satellite. I didn't think I would use them but I can now connect my work PC, gaming PC and my new NAS together using gigabit Ethernet and transfer files between them really quickly. All three devices get my max internet speed of 70Mbps that I pay for. Also since my office is in the back of the house, now the entire back garden gets wifi too. The range is incredible. The setup was simple. I did it via the android app. It took 5 mins and was connected straight away. No special config. The only changes to my original router were turning off it's wireless, firewall and DHCP. Everything else just worked. For me, worth every penny and then some. Let me know how you get on if you buy one.
Christopher F hey thanks for the reply! I just ordered orbi and will be coming on Thursday 27th! Don't have amazon prime
I've explored a lot of different options and honestly, I've had tremendous luck with Luma personally. Not the best, but if you have an Ethernet backbone, the quad core internals keep my streaming flawless!
The1andonlyBYack Btw, Gwifi also can use ethernet for "backhaul" control of the mesh if you connect them to each other using 1 of the 2 ports on each unit. This increases performance since wifi bands aren't used for traffic control.
Due to the size & layout of my house, the 3rd puck (or more if I want to add) will give me a better spread. So in some cases the Gwifi may be better than the Orbi.
EXTREMELY helpful review...breaks it down sooooo well!! BTW, what kind of watch is that?
+Norman Rudolph gear s3. And thanks for the positive feedback
Great review. The new Google nest satellites/access points do not include Ethernet ports for back-hall or wired clients. They added google assistant with mic and speaker instead?? Really disappointed in the new Google Nest Wifi solution.
Thank you for the vid. I am trying to choose the right mesh for me but Im concerned about the data collected by these devices and then sent off to their manufacturers. Is this something to worry about ?
just one correction: Orbi doesn't support scheduling and the default filter feature doesn't work at all! So, you need to integrate with Disney Circle which looks interest but comes with a monthly fee (that you need to top up to the expensive Orbi price).
If you're just looking for wifi performance I would say it's better that Google...
Subscribed. Awesome review - you basically made a checklist of everything I cared about in a review as someone in the market for a solution. Thanks!
Which one is better to have?
Another super great video.....the best extensive articulation of any reviewer in all of the Internet.
Thank you for always explaining why each thing is important. Great review.
Get the Orbi. Full bars everywhere in my house now. Used to have 2 routers and many dead spots. Tried range extenders also. What a joke those are. Plus you had to go to settings and change routers as you moved around.
Hi may I know can I use the mesh as an extender? Because I have an existing router and don't want to buy additional stuff. Thanks.
Thanks for the great info. Imho orbi is the best hands down and those antiquated ethernet ports are more important than one would think. My ADT Security system, wifi garage door opener and OBI free home phone service all have to be connected via ethernet. I've tried many systems. symbiosis systems and mix and match systems, and none have done as well to my Orbi system. The app is beautiful and seamless, the parental controls are the best out and the coverage is unbelievable. It was well worth the high price tag.
Hi, What is the difference between powerline adapters and mesh WiFi such as Netgear Orbi, Google WiFi? Which is better in terms of coverage, connection speed, reliability and stability?
Wifi6 the ax version will be faster at a $700.00 price tag. This model will handle upto 2.5 terabyte system in your home. Tp link is a great brand and is coming out with an ax wifi6 in April for 300.00 dollars.
Orbi is the best, no point buying the others that could only give you what wifi extenders could achieve
that seems to the best reason
I had the worst experience with the Orbi. It keep dropping signal and disconnecting randomly. I had to return mine after a week and was very disappointed. Happy to see it's working so well for others tho.
Is there a video on these for 2020?
On the Orbi. What’s is the significance of the rbk? I have the rbk22
For Goole the main router only has 1 extra ethernet, but for the 2 "satellite" units you can use both ethernet ports for devices.
He said HUB which I dont think is correct as HUBs send a lot of broadcast packets out to every device on the network and would cause a lot of network congestion. I believe he meant a switch when he was walking about the Google wifi only have 1 Ethernet port.
Jonah Santos I thought I was the only who caught that lol
I was considering getting a MESH based wi-fi set up for my home but my house isn't THAT big, might be a bit overkill for my usage. I think I'm better off with a really good router like the Netgear Nighthawk etc. I'm from the UK and use the crappy Superhub from Virgin Media, plus I put it in the silliest place ever lol.
+Ragingsilver I agree with your comments a router like the Asus AC3100 would work nicely and you don't need more than one unit. Or the orbi
So can you lower the power of the 5ghz radio? I ask because a lot of the Iot devices I use such as smart thermostats and vacuums HATE the 5ghz signal and refuse to connect. When you lower the 5ghz down then the 2.4ghz is easier to connect.
If I hard wire a device to one of the satellite pucks (Wifi points), Will it increase the bandwidth to the device that I'm connecting the wire too? Or is the increased quality only beneficial when hard wiring to the original source point?
Which should you buy simple answer , Neither .
This is a great review! thanks a lot for this, since I've been kinda in between both of these. I think I'm going with the orbi because of the extra ethernet ports
Good reviews man. Keep it up.
Actually you have 2 Ethernet ports on the 2nd/3rd Google WiFi points.
Question: you say Orbi supports vpns and GW does not. Can you still connect your phone to a VPN and use Google Wifi?
Mark Davenport yes you can. Some routers like netgear and Asus allow you to have a vpn client on the router encrypting all network traffic from all devices. This means you don't need a VPN on the phone
I realize this is an old video but it is not quite an old product so I was wondering what you meant about " not being able to separate SSID", how doe sit work then if you or someone could please elaborate, as I am unclear on what you mean by "the share the same SSID". As in what,it uses both simultaneously or changes as needed or is stronger due to using both simultaneously?
the footprint of orbi is rather small if you stand it up on its base. I totally disagree i have installed a number of orbi systems and pretty much a no-brainer to install orbi
Why would you set up the Google as an access point. Surely it's whole premise is you simply plug it into your existing router and go. I thought unlike the orbit you didn't have to go into a bridge mode?
I have watched ten videos on googles wifi and what I learned here about google not accepting a router made my choice simple. I’m now looking at the orbi.
Do you need to change your ISP to get better internet or can I buy a Netgear Orbi to help me out with that?
2 years later, the prices are still the same. This is a great video, technical and elaborate. Thank you !
A month ago I got an Orbi 3-pack for $209 on Amazon.
I heard Netgear disabled the USB on the unit and Mesh feature is for "future" expansion. Is this correct? If so, I think that's pretty bad advertisement.
I have a USB printer away from my router and wifi. Can I plug the orbi satellite into the printer to print from the other side of the house where our computers are located.
2:15 Why would you use the Orbi as a modem? Wouldn't it make sense to use it primarily as a router?
What system would you use for the best signal and speed with it being wired?
Thank you for putting time stamps!
Pretty informative video. Orbi FTW.
Alphahydro Oh most definitely. All the way! Especially since it has the VPN support
another great review, thanks. Love my Orbi 13
Google Wi-Fi is extremely easy to setup and offers all the features that 98% of people would ever need at half the cost of Orbi. Also Google Wi-Fi will provide you with at least 250Mbs of bandwidth across all 3 points using wireless backhaul and 400Mbs bandwidth access all 3 points with wired backhaul. Also, many times it is easier to find the best coverage placements for 3 smaller points that it is for 2 larger points.
So unless your internet speed is greater than 250Mbs and/or you need the couple extra features Orbi has, you are going to spend twice as much for the Orbi and you are not going to get any benefit from that extra cost.
I actually have a 1Gbs internet connection and I'm quite happy with the 400Mbs (using wired backhaul) I'm across all my points. Even with 7 kids and my wife and I all streaming video of some sort at the same time, it's impossible for us all to saturate my Google Wi-Fi wireless network. And I save myself $250 over the Orbi doing so. Even with the cost of my $50 8 Port gigabit switch I still save $200 over the Orbi... although I had this even before I got the Google Wi-Fi and even the Orbi wouldn't have satisfied the number of ports I needed at my router.
Jeff Martinson I felt EBP was reaching hard to find reasons why Orbi is better than a Google WiFi. I agree, 98% of people would find Google WiFi to be a better value. Ease of use is underrated.
He also says they are comparable in the guest network area. As far as I understand it, only the Google allows a guest network selective access to attached devices. I believe the Orbi is all or nothing with devices, like most other routers.
Jeff Martinson and no privacy .... google account is attached to your network . That’s what I don’t like about google WiFi plus u can’t install VPN man 👨 wtf is wrong with google
Orbi is $299 at best buy. I'm going with Orbi.
very good and pointed explanation , thank you!
To my understanding Orbi isn't a mesh solution. However, thanks, if true then Google WiFi won't work for me either. I already have an excellent Router with fixed IP's, VPN, Port forwarding, etc all of which I must keep. What I want is to add multiple AP's with the same SSID and have a true Mesh WiFi. Further, I must maintain the same Subnet IP throughout.
I've heard about Plume .. what's your take on them?
My current network works flawlessly with one exception *Multi-SSID* which is annoying for my mobile devices! BTW I have CAT6 everywhere and a 24 port switch. Oh I'm perfectly aware Cisco has an excellent but crazy ($$$ thousands) solution. I'm okay spending up to ~$500 for a 3,500 SqFt 2 story home.
+D Jaquith so orbi falls into the tri band mesh segment. This means it uses a dedicated band to support the mesh connection between devices. And allows the network traffic to ride on the 2.4 and 5 ghz. This model I prefer because you get the fastest speeds. That being said few routers have the level of configuration that you articulated I have as well and use an Asus router for it. I use a mesh network to extend my network to areas my router won't cover. Netgear has IMO has the most complete solution where the mesh admin console is the same as the traditional router or at least close to it. Others cater to simple network configurations
EBPMAN Tech Reviews
Thanks for the reply, it much appreciated!
I was just looking at the Linksys Velop ... but using a *wired Mesh* instead of a wireless mesh. I'm just not certain how it will work if it's, the Velop, has no DHCP.
I want a solution that can work with my current Router .. in other words as a seamless AP 'hand offs' as I walk throughout our home. As it is, I need 3 AP's: 2 on the main floor and 1 upstairs.
As I said, I have CAT6 everywhere.
EBPMAN Tech Reviews
I found this info (Ethernet backhaul) linksys.com
Very informative, Thanks.
Great review thanks
Either works fine in a wooden building try in brick old houses and nearly there wait for the next gen
Could you kind of explain what you mean here and is this from user experience or from just researching and reading as I am?
Google wifi when in AP mode looses the mesh capability, is that the same with Orbi?
you mention using a hub. Didn't
you mean a switch?
Orbi all the way!!!
Micheal Rodgers hh
great review, great Job.
does every orbi nodes have the same amount of ports?
As of 10/18/2018 - Costco has a 4 pack of Google WiFi "pucks" for $299
Does the Orbi support PoE?
The. Netgear Orbi is a totally different system and way better.
+JayzBeerz I agree. The third channel makes a big difference
You missed a pretty important point. Google Wifi allows you to use an ethernet backhaul between access points. That is WAY better than a 3rd channel. Orbi doesn't allow this
Perhaps. But if you do have a wired home (and most new homes are wired) then it doesn't matter how many Orbi satellites you buy, they have no hope of matching the performance of a much cheaper and smaller Google Wifi system with a wired backhaul. Anybody with a wired home who follows this video is likely to make a very poor decision
After set up it was clearly better than the Eero Pro and Plume. (AC3000 2 pack).
iBetGameR Are you really that thick?
What if you don't have a smart phone? Can you still set these two system up?
what were the dinosaurs like?
So do you just pay for the device and never have to pay again I'm confused?
From what I have gathered thus far is that, yes! You purchase it, it is yours and it works in conjunction WITH your existing router to dole out superior performance and reach those harder to get to areas of a home.
@@Little_Bitz so you still have to pay your internet provider?
Can you monitor internet usage per device on the orbi?
Seems like none of the netgear routers offer this basic functionality.
+Srinivas Thimmaiah asus seems to be one of the ones that do it
Do I still need modem if I purchase any of these 2
Armand E Yes.
If i have concrete walls which one do you recommend?
Ouch. That's difficult. I would look at amplifi or eero.
So...
Google Wifi is for the user who wants all the features to be easily accessible, and is simple
Orbi is for those who know about configuration, at the cost of a simple setup
Right?
We need a section for setup, one for performance and one for issues. Not just you pointing at them and talking about them. This isn’t helpful
He Said Google And My Google Assistant Went Off and it Scared Me
So you can't hook up the google to a FiOS router
You should be able to. I have had them connected to 3 different providers.
TL;DW the Google WiFi is a Prius and the Orbi is a Dodge Viper
I just hate the coverage of Netgear. Through brick walls the netgear can't cross 2 walls 10' apart. Soft walls apart I wouldn't use netgear in a concrete apartment. My tp link range extender has better range than my netgear N600. I am seriously waiting for tp-link to get into the mesh market and that's what I'll buy. :)
USB 2.0 is not USB connectivity. It's a $500.00 slap in the face.
You're not conveying the information accurately
You said hub instead of switch. I cannot watch this any longer.
Tom George You’re an idiot. Get over it.
Spell check much...?
I was going to subscribe but didn’t cause you don’t answer questions
The Orbi is a POS... and I wouldn’t expect anything else from netgear.
Don't waste your time on these new puck sized devices. They have no range especially on 5ghz. Get a router with external antennas for sure. That google wif toy system is a joke. Hope your house has no walls LOL. Best router by far, is the Linksys WRT3200ACM.
Uh...Uh...uh.
I installed them both. Google is a shit. Netgear is the best. Excelent throughput in semi mesh mode. Becouse depend Router main for expand signal.
Orbi is not a mesh system. Only pros would know that.
Switch not hub. Don't pretend to be a technology expert if you aren't.
You've gotta correct the pricing. The Netgear Orbi is $249 for a single unit, and $399 for a dual pack. The Google Wifi is $129 for a single unit, or $299 for a 3-pack; there is no dual pack solution officially out there, so you'd be paying $260 for 2, or another $40 for a third.
Really helpful video. Thank you.