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Noob.. I have a RBR50 left by prior HO when we bought house. Does it need a satellite to work?
We've been following the quick start guide and the router lights up, but does it need a satellite to send a WiFi signal? Previous HO left it behind, said it works but we can't find the satellite. Wan...
dgabbies wrote:We've been following the quick start guide and the router lights up, but does it need a satellite to send a WiFi signal?
No, it does not.
Mesh WiFi systems (like the Netgear Orbi) are designed to cover a wider area than a single WiFi router by networking a group of devices. They ALL function perfectly well as stand-alone WiFi routers. Can I have a football team with no wide receivers or tight ends? Of course, as long as passing is not important.
So this RBR50 is a fine WiFi router, but not "special". If you already have a WiFi router that you like and it provides enough coverage, you can put the Orbi on eBay. On the other hand, if WiFi coverage is not great, then adding satellites to the Orbi router is one alternative. My personal favorite right now is the RBS40V, which Amazon has been selling for $100 each, perhaps because of the included speaker and Alexa. Two of these plus the router will cover a lot of house.
This is a really awkward time to be investing in WiFi systems. The new WiFi 6E systems are starting to come out (this month!) In a couple of years, users will have devices which support WiFi 6E (none do as yet) and the new systems will almost certainly feature 6E backhaul between the mesh units.
Sorry. Not much help.
You were actually a big help! Thank you. The Spectrum coverage in the house we bought in Nov is not great but we have no other options. Streaming skips and spins randomly. And we only get 1 to 2 bars in our backyard (it's only a 1/3 acre) where I'd like to install our Ring cameras and lighting. That and add a camera to keep an eye on our 4 chickens. In 10 days, we've trapped a racoon and oppssom and I need a better way to check on them than looking out the window 100x a night LOL. I'll order the RBS40V extender after I get the Orbi router working. I think I'll factory reset and go from there. t believe our area will be upgraded to 5G anytime soon (older area of DFW Metroplex). Thanks!
