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Forum Discussion
Orb Mesh 50 Questions (newbie)
I am switching from the Nighthawk and looking at my options for a Mesh Network. I have a one-floor 4,000 sq foot home which is hard to cover. I currently have a repeater plus lots of deadspots not ...
I have a 5000sq ft home and have used 1 RBR and 1 satellite with great coverage and operation. Orbi AC and AX. For a 4000sq ft home, I would try 1 RBR and 1 satellite first to see. Unless of course you find a stellar deal on Orbi AC or and Orbi AX system.
Regarding Wifi 6E, the protocols have only been approved. Nothing has been certified nor has any Mfr, router or client side have come up with any 6E to even buy that supports 6E. 6E is probably a couple of years down the road at least. So if you find a current deal on Orbi AC or AX kit thats a good price. Go for it. Kits come with 1 or 2 satellites.
leahkushner wrote:I am switching from the Nighthawk and looking at my options for a Mesh Network. I have a one-floor 4,000 sq foot home which is hard to cover. I currently have a repeater plus lots of deadspots not to mention a teenager streaming videos. (I would love to divert some that). I also have 10 TB NAS, printer on the network, one desktop hardwired via ethernet plus lots of wireless devices. I also would like to reach the backyard. Our home printer is a Netgear. I have heard that people are having a problem with the printer wired into the network. Questions: Given the size of my home, do you recommend more than the router and satellite? Is there a 3-pack available? Are there devices that can be used outside? What is your experience interfacing the printer with Orb? Thanks and sorry for all the questions. Leah
From what I've been reading they're predicting Wifi 6E on the market this year. If you're in the market now for wifi 6 router, I would wait especially considering there are not many wifi 6 clients out yet. With the current prices especially from Netgear at $700 or $600 on sale, I would just skip Wifi 6.
Orbi has other cheaper model AX now avialble. There are more 6 supporting devices for AX then 6E. No reason to wait for 6E unless one is a first adopter or just gotta having it. Some users may only need AC or not have a need to future proof. N or AC may work for most current average home users. Having stable wifi in the home maybe more important than the latest and greatest. Just becuase they approved 6E doesn't mean it really works well out in real world environments. I'm still seeing problems with AX and not seeing 4800Mbps connection rates on my supporting devices. But thats another story.
https://www.techspot.com/news/83483-wi-fi-alliance-introduces-new-wi-fi-6e.html
"The FCC has already unanimously agreed to open the 6GHz band for use in next-gen Wi-Fi. However, it still has some regulatory hoops to jump through before OEMs can start implementing it globally."
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I still think it would be foolhardy to buy a wifi 6 router now
From the Verge:
WHEN CAN I EXPECT WI-FI 6E DEVICES IN STORES?
The first wave of devices using 6GHz Wi-Fi is expected in the final quarter of 2020, according to Robinson. But deployment should really kick off in early 2021 when the Wi-Fi Alliance begins offering a certifications program for Wi-Fi 6E devices.
Manufacturers have been preparing for this moment. Already, the chipmaker Broadcom has announced a Wi-Fi 6E mobile chip. Qualcomm has said that it’s ready to support 6GHz Wi-Fi in next-gen wireless products. And Intel said it’ll have chips ready for January 2021.
Two major router companies, Linksys and Netgear, have signaled that they’re on board. And Apple previously said the FCC’s approval “sets the course for the next generation of Wi-Fi networks.”