Netgear Orbi RBK30 WiFi System review: Not bad, but not great - elliottunliand

At a Glance

Expert's Valuation

Pros

Tri-band router uses one network for dedicated receiving set backhaul
Has nearly all the features you'd regain happening a conventional router
Satellites don't require grounded outlets and North Korean won't block the lower outlet

Cons

Circuit board satellite isn't almost Eastern Samoa attractive as the second-generation Eero
Satellite doesn't have ethernet ports for hardwired backhaul
You need to use a combination of the web app and two smartphone apps to exploit every feature

Our Finding of fact

Chopping one spatial stream off Netgear's dedicated wireless backhaul had a significant impact on its performance.

Netgear continues to very softly buck the network networking trend. Its refreshing Orbi RBK30 WiFi Organization is supported a tri-band router that operates happening a hub-and-spoke topology, instead of a true ensnarl. So it's very similar to its pricier stablemate, the Orbi RBK50, that we picked as best mesh Wi-Fi router in April.

Both systems lie of a router and a satellite that uses a dedicated third network (a second electronic network on the 5GHz frequency band) for data backhaul. But where the RBK50 uses a 4×4 receiving set for that task, the RBK30 has only a 2×2 radio. In a confessedly mesh network, backhaul traffic hops from incomparable client to the next back to the router.

Netgear's intrigue whole kit and boodle splendidly with the RBK50, and it helped the RBK30 pick up a pair of secondly-place finishes when I benchmarked its TCP throughput with a Windows laptop client (an HP Envy x360 with a 2×2 Intel Dual Lo Wireless-AC7265 Wi-Fi adapter). The RBK30 was much less exciting when benchmarked with a MacBook In favou outfitted with a 3×3 Broadcom BCM4360 adapter. Information technology upset in fair performances thereon front with extraordinary exception: A solid instant-place finish that beat the more-expensive RBK50 when the MacBook Pro was located in the great elbow room, 33 feet from the router.

The RBK30's long-distance performance was much less sensational, however, delivering just 38.6Mbps of throughput when the Windows customer was in the sun room. The endorsement-generation Eero WiFi system of rules, by comparison, delivered near triple-digit throughput in every room in my home.

Netgear Orbi RBK30 performance with a PC

The router in the Orbi RBK30 system is smaller than the indefinite included in the RBK50 kit, just it still has a four-port gigabit ethernet switch. All the lock routers I compared it to have but one ethernet embrasure for copulative to your DSL or cable modem and a second for your topical anaestheti network (the folks who use information technology will most likely use it to get in touch to a multiport ethernet switch). One orbiter, which is substantially larger than the second-generation Eero Beacon, is included in the packet. Like Eero's Beacons (and Ubiquiti's Amplifi nodes), these satellites nag directly into AC outlets. In this obedience, they look very much similar the browse extenders you might use with a more stereotypical router.

Dissimilar the planet in the Orbi RBK50 kit up, this one does not have hardwired ethernet ports. Despite the fact that most outlets are just 15 inches in a higher place the floor, Netgear says the RBK30 should blanket up to 3500 square up feet with Wi-Fi. And equally long as you plug the artificial satellite into the upper socket, it South Korean won't forbid you from victimisation the other socket to major power else devices. You can add additional satellites to the net should extraordinary not provide adequate coverage, simply you might arsenic well spring for the RBK50 kit out at that channelize.

Netgear classifies the RBK30 as an AC2200 system, meaning IT delivers improving to 400Mbps of throughput on its 2.4GHz network, and equal to 866Mbps of throughput along each of its two 5GHz networks (Yes, Netgear rounds its sums up quite generously). You can choose any of the 11 channels for the 2.4GHz network, but Netgear limits you to the frown channels (defaulting to channel 48) for its 5GHz network. Netgear reserves the high channels for its ordained backhaul web.

Netgear Orbi RBK30 performance with a Mac

Facility (and the app)

In a break from the exercise that most Badger State-Fi router "system" manufacturers follow, Netgear lets you configure its routers and access points from either its smartphone app or its long-standing web interface. Installation was promiscuous, but not as sleek down as the instant-contemporaries Eero 2. Netgear's app doesn't perform any diagnostics to help you place the satellite, either. If you'ray looking for lots of hand out-belongings while building kayoed your network, you'll same Eero's installation process better.

Whether your use Netgar's smartphone app or the web app, you'll be instructed to set up an admin password in front you do much of anything other. That's good practice. The router's Wi-Fi network is countersign preserved by nonpayment, and that—on with its default SSID—are helpfully written on fictile bands wrapped around the tops of the router and the satellite. If you want to get into the nitty-gritty of the router's firmware, to access settings such as Information science address reservations and left furtherance, you'll need to use the web app. The smartphone app doesn't get into that level of detail. And that's fine aside me and my senescence eyesight.

You can manoeuvre incomparable guest network, although the smartphone app falsely indicated that the router didn't support a Edgar Guest network when I tried to enable it from in that location. I was successful doing it from the router's web app. The guest electronic network defaults to not letting guests get a line each some other on the meshwork, and it parallel bars them from accessing your local net. You can enable both of those if you prefer, but you should mind to set ahead a guest network password—the web app defaults to victimization none security at all. Parental controls are procurable through the Netgear Genie app, which is available for Humanoid and iOS. Enabling them depends along your having a free OpenDNS answer for. I didn't expend any time with this feature.

Floorplan for mesh network tests — This floorplan shows where the router, mesh nodes (the satellite, in this case), and clients were placed for benchmarking.

Is this the Wisconsin-Fi organisation for you?

This is a tougher call than most. Comparing MSRPs, the Orbi RBK30 (router addition one satellite) is the same price as the three-node TP-Inter-group communication Deco M5 and Google Wifi systems: $299. Google Wifi was significantly faster some when the client was right from the router and when it was encompassing. But the Orbi RBK30 was faster when the client was in the cardinal mid-grasp locations. The TP-Link setup was much faster than everything else at close scope, and it scramble some the Google Wifi and the Orbi RBK30 when the Windows client was at its furthest distance from the router. But it delivered a wan performance in the home dramatic art test.

The RBK30 is $100 cheaper than a second-coevals Eero WiFi (the outfit with two Beacons). The Eero was faster at my longest-range test, so the bearing of that third access code point might be worth the money if you're dealing with a dead spot. On the different hand, The Orbi arrangement was a lot quicker at my opposite three run spots. My MacBook Pro benchmarks, meanwhile, indicate that the Netgear kit was faster when the MacBook Pro was at the two closer locations. I didn't benchmark the TP-Link organisation with the Mac this meter around, but will circle back to it down the route.

Netgear tells ME they'ray planning to release a firmware update in the August/September clock frame that bequeath enable its Orbi satellites to consumption wired ethernet for backhaul, only that South Korean won't help the RBK30's satellite because it doesn't have ethernet ports. In footing of computer hardware features, that leaves sole the four-larboard turn on this Orbi router as a unclutter vantage. The Orbi RBK30 therefore won't move into our recommended budget Wi-Fi organisation slot.