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Forum Discussion
tnchatmonk
Jan 27, 2024Aspirant
Wireless Printing
I have my internet service with xfinity using the FXI modem/router with the gigabit plan. I am having problems with whole home coverage thus am considering the Orbi 860 or above. However, before i sp...
- Jan 30, 2024
A separate IoT WiFi network is not a requirement. As the screen shot in message 8 above illustrates, the Orbi 860 product supports WPA2 authentication on the primary and guest WiFi networks, as does every other Orbi router I have found. (As does every Xfinity WiFi router as the screen shot in message 16 shows.)
For the vast majority of us, WPA3 authentication is a distraction with no practical value. 99.9% of the devices we already own are not compatible with WPA3, so making WPA3 the only authentication protocol would immediately block them all from connecting. Thus, newer systems now support either only WPA2 or a combination WPA2/WPA3. This allows that one new device to be "more secure" (HA) when it could just as easily connect with WPA2 and be done with it.
CrimpOn
Jan 27, 2024Guru - Experienced User
tnchatmonk wrote:
Will this Orbi system or any Orbi system allow me to print wirelessly?
Yes, of course. All Orbi models support 2.4G WiFi. And they all support WPA2 WiFi security. From the 860 User Manual:
tnchatmonk
Jan 27, 2024Aspirant
Thanks CrimpOn,
If I choose the 2.4 gh wpa2 option, due to my printer, does that mean that all devices will be restricted to that and can't take advantage of the WIFI5, 6, 6e or 7 bands?
- tnchatmonkJan 27, 2024Aspirant
One last thought CrimpOn,
Playing i am like Elon Musk, I can envision a country/world without any cables and how are we going to adapt? I am sure Netgear is thinking about that, I would thing Printer manufacturers are thinking about that, everyone for that matter as we don't know where everything is going but if Printer Manufactures can only support one security protocol or Wireless Manufactures can"t allow devices to be assigned to different protocols, or whatever the future calls them, we are not headed in the direction of future proof. Just my opinion...
- FURRYe38Jan 27, 2024Guru - Experienced User
Ethernet will be around for a while, a long while. Especially with support for the new higher speeds being seen by both the ISP side and home router side, i.e. 2.5Gb, 5Gb and 10Gb. There will be a major call and use of ethernet. There are many apps, configurations and uses for ethernet and mostly, ethernet will always out perform wireless and be more stable than wireless. There are too many factors in wireless that can cause various issues. Ethernet will always be the work horse of networking. May not know this however FAX and fax support is still being used out there. You'd think with the advent of email and such, fax would have disappeared like the cassette, nope, still being used to this day. đ My 2 cents.
- tnchatmonkJan 27, 2024Aspirant
Agree, Can't predict the future but I know it's so much different than when i was growing up. I still have an old typewriter behind my desk in my study. How I learned to type in typing class in Highschool. Who Knows...