We're not the only ones...

Question

I decided to troll some of the other communities to see if it is really only the Orbi that's giving some of its users fits. It seems that other high end routers have been experiencing very similar sounding problems. Netgear's own Nighthawk is another example. These problems don't seem to be limited to Netgear either. If you listen to the users over on Linksys's tri-band community you'd swear that you were listening to the same complaints being brought up here. They recently provided a roll-back to an earlier version of firmware because so many users had problems their recent release. Some users are so frustrated that they have also been sending their equipment back for a refund. The brands that aren't receiving so much negative commentary are the ones without public forums. For example, I couldn't find an Asus open forum.
These routers and the systems we're using them have become so complex that I think the days of boring - it just works - operation may be over. The manufacture's may have to start thinking about smart software that can recover the system transparently to the user when it senses things are becoming flaky. I'm also wondering if all the high end routers are using the same chipsets and therefore the reason why everyone seems to be suffering from the same problems.

aaz · Answer

Regardless of everything posted, the Orbi RBK53 has still given me personally the best experience I've had in trying out different routers in the past 10 years. It's not to say it doesn't need improvement, because it does. And I do think they could do better instead of failing like it does for some people. A little bit smarter software to diagnose problems would go far in this segment.

Andrew_Scott · Answer

I’m guessing the majority of forum visitors are here because they’ve experienced problems and are probably not indicative of the general&nbsp;Orbi population. Presumably most Orbi users don’t register and drop by to post “everything’s running well” messages.&nbsp;:smileyhappy:

Retired_Member · Answer

nice post.IMHO......like what you mentioned about days gone by where the internet/wifi/routers were at the most part a simple operation.&nbsp; Now days there are more varibles to each home and setup.&nbsp; Heck i've heard of folks here doing things with a router I would have never dreamed of 20+ years ago.&nbsp; This is not to mention, today there is lot more folks (some call them IT like or minded) that grew out of the Windows experience.&nbsp; They tend to be a bit more savy and desire the ability to 'tweak' their system.&nbsp; I salute the engineers who are trying to stay on top of the whole mess.&nbsp; Merry Christmas to all!&nbsp;

netgearguy · Answer

You must not have trolled Eero...their support forum is so quiet it's a complete bore, and their Amazon ratings are 85% 5 star, 5% 4 star.

I have an Eero system at home that I'm switching back and forth from the Orbi, and I will stick with Eero if Orbi doesn't settle down during my return window. The Eero is so reliable that it's completely invisible. :) It is a little slower than the Orbi in terms of speeds, but the differnece between 100 mbps and 130 mbps when surfing the web, or even streaming a video is insignificant.

I'm really only still trying to get Orbi to work out of stubborn inertia - I've been using Netgear products forever and find it surprisingly hard to give up. :)

Phandam · Answer

I switched to Google Wifi about 3 months ago from Orbi, and it has been rock solid. &nbsp; It is not as fast, but the only time I notice the slower speed is if I do a speed test, otherwise it is set and forget. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I am considering switching to Eero if they ever release the product in the EU. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

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We're not the only ones...

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