RBK40 vs RBK50V vs RBR753

Just my two cents.....

Buffering may or may not be related to the Orbi router.  With that being said,

• It is not the number of devices that counts.  It is the network load.
  People report over 100 "devices" on a single Orbi system.  If the bulk of them are "Internet of Things" (IoT) gizmos that may send two packets an hour, they present almost no load on the router or the ISP connection.
  If there are 6 computers streaming Hi Def (4K) video, that is considerable load.
  Consider, however, that 4K video requires about 25mb of bandwidth.  8 devices streaming at once will require only 200mb.
  And, typical Zoom meetings stream very little data compared to 4K video.
• The "50" Orbi package has potentially greater backhaul connection between the router and satellites.
  All backhaul connections are affected by building construction and distance, but it should be higher than the "40".
• There are reports that the "50" may struggle with gigabit internet connections.
  However, it probably can process more than you need.
• The AX product has some advantages over the "50":
  *  The potential backhaul link between router and satellites is even higher.
  *  It "future proofs" your WiFi with WiFi6 (future purchases of laptops, phones, tablets, etc.)
• The situation with regard to Parental Controls is murky
  *  I do not know if the AX supports Disney Circle.
  * Netgear appears to be ditching Disney in favor of an in house product, which may or may not work with the AX (when?)

Is this confusing?  Yes.

---

carlobukowski25 wrote:

I currently have a RBK40 AC2200 system with 2 satellites in a 2 level ~2,500 SQ ft flat and I am having buffering issues when up to 20 devices are connected on the network with 1 GB Sonic Fiber internet service. It worked fine for our needs pre pandemic, but now that I have multiple people working from home and remote learning, can I upgrade to the RBK50V AC3000 and experience better quality or should I upgrade to the new Wifi 6 RBK753? I don't plan on running up to 40+ devices like the RBK753 states that it can handle and plan to maintain my 20-22 devices (TVs, laptops, smart phones, nest cameras and thermostat, ring doorbell and chime, printers, tablets), but I am wondering if the RBK50V will solve my issues when 20 devices are connected to the network. Thanks.

---

I assume you have 1 RBR43 system?

How do you have your satellites placed in conjuntion to your router and satellites?

The RBK53 is a more powerful system with more antennas and a faster backhaul. The RBK73 is a super nice system that is even more powerful. However depending on your setup, they may not solve your issue.

If your buffering issues are internet related, it very well can be the ISP having bandwidth issues. Most ISPs are overloaded, due to everyone working at home video conferencing, streaming, VOIP, etc., in addition to their normal bandwidth load. ISP bandwidth is a burstable format. You are paying for 1GB internet, however, the more users online in your area will have an impact on your bandwidth. Fiber is nice because the transfer speeds through the hubs are faster. But it can still only handle so much traffic.

Try these suggestions as they may help:
Go to orbilogin.com

Disable Circle, Armor, Daisy Chaining, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and uncheck 20/40Mhz Coexistence.
Enable WMM, Implicit BeamForming, Mu-MIMO
Set Short preamble mode. Save settings, reboot Orbi.
Also if wired, what cable size was used, as wrong size can cause slow speed.

Also turn off any logs you don't need to reference as well as the traffic meter. They both can steal bandwidth.