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Forum Discussion
HomeKit Router Support for Netgear Orbi
To the Netgear Support Team, When will you integrate Apple HomeKit Router on the Orbi and Nighthawk systems? It's pretty sad that other vendors like Linksys and Amazon have been able to do this ...
ekhalil I think you should look up Homekit Secure Router and learn what it is and what benefits it provide (and why people demand it) before commenting and acting like people just ask a random question.
It basically provides a user-friendly dropdown boxes to let user firewall each Homekit accessory in the Home app. It allows users to choose whether to allow an accessory to communicate with outside network or to only allow it to communicate with the home hub (e.g., Homepod, apple TV). You can accomplish the same thing with firewall on the router, but users need to learn certain things. With Homekit Secure Router, users don't have to mess with the firewall settings in the router, they just have to select the boxes in the Home app.
This is useful when Homekit and smart home devices are growing, and there are many from untrusted companies. It protects users when some of those devices may quietly transfer data back to a foreign server (e.g., to China, etc.). Or users simply don't want any devices from any companies, trusted or untrusted, to upload data to those companies' servers. Homekit Secure Router let user block all outside-the-home connections. As a result, it will also block any software updates.
Maybe Netgear is ignoring this feature because it can't charge a subscription fee for such feature...
Cynical but I think you may be onto something đ. This is the last Orbi product that Iâll purchase. Theyâve gone from best in class to one of the worst.