Orientation of Orbi routers and satellites

Question

Hi, what is the latest guidance on where the Orbi devices should be faced? I have read some stuff online, mainly old, that says the "flat" part should be faced into the center of the house - but Orbi 800 and 900 series don't have a "flat" part that I see lol. It also said top and bottom get weaker signals. But again, this was all old., at least 4 years old or more - meaning older Orbi models.

The 970 and 770 series Tech Spec sheets say:

Exceptional Whole-home Mesh WiFi—Elegant new design and high-performance antennas provide 360° WiFi coverage throughout your home, no matter the layout, from the front door to the backyard.

However, the 960 and 860 series Tech Spec sheet do not reference 360° WiFi coverage.

So - Am I correct that it doesn't matter where the Orbi devices face if you have 970 or 770? And in the case of 960 or 860, what's the current guidance there?

Thanks!

CrimpOn · Answer

I believe the answer is "omnidirectional" in the horizontal plane, and "weird" in the vertical plane:
(From https://www.l-com.com/images/downloadables/white-papers/Selecting-the-Right-Wifi-Antenna-for-your-application.pdf )

Standing up (or upside down) is the expected orientation.&nbsp; Lying on the side would be the poorest.
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User facing 2.4G/5G antennas for Orbi routers/satellites are mounted in (approximately) a vertical orientation.&nbsp; For example, the four user facing antennas of the 750 series look like this:

(The four 5G backhaul antennas are mounted at the top of the case and are tilted.)
&nbsp;
These antennas appear to be a typical dipole construction:

The radiation pattern for dipole antennas depends on exactly how they are constructed and what fraction of the radio wavelength they are (full wave, half wave, quarter wave, etc.).&nbsp; The most common description of the radiation pattern for a dipole antenna is a "donut"

Thus, exactly above or below the antenna would have the lowest strength
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FURRYe38 · Answer

Only NG knows.&nbsp;🙄

plemans · Answer

360 degrees or more sphere. 360 implies a flat plane. My understanding is its sphere.&nbsp;

CrimpOn · Answer

This appears to be one of those&nbsp; obvious differences between commercial and residential products.
Take a look at page 3 the Product Data Sheet for the WAX625 WiFi Access Point:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WAX625/WAX625_DS.pdf&nbsp;
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This shows the signal pattern for both 2.4G and 5G frequency bands in all dimensions.
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The WiFi7 WBE750, shows the pattern for 2.4G, 5G, and 6G frequencies:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WBE750/WBE750_DS.pdf&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Would love to see the fcc review of those products to see how their antennas are positioned.
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FURRYe38 · Answer

All signals emanating form the units are 360.&nbsp;

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Orientation of Orbi routers and satellites

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