Using a Nighthawk AX12 with an ethernet cable connected Orbi RBK50 for extended WiFi coverage.

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Sarge023 wrote:

I'm replacing my WND4500 N900 Router with a Nighthawk AX6000.

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Do you mean RAX120 as in your footer? AX6000 is not a reliable guide to model number. Many devices come with that tag, but it is essentially a label that Netgear, and other brands, attach to hardware to describe wifi speeds. Likewise AC3000, could be one of several Orbi boxes. Are we talking about the RBR50?

I assume that the WND4500 is really the WNDR4500. It may seem picky, but the model numbers are what matters. The WNDR4500 is an old (2013) router, but it is still a router, with the issues that it thrws up (see below).

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Sarge023 wrote:

In addtion to my WND4500 I have an Orbi AC3000 connected for better WiFi coverage with the WND4500 WiFi turned off. My question is should this be the same setup with the new AX6000 router.

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What is the setup of the WNDR4500? Is it wired into the Orbi?

Whatever you do, you will gave two routers on your network. That is not a good idea. Turning off the wifi does not disable the router bit of your WNDR4500. 

Two routers on your network can cause headaches. This explains some of the other drawbacks.

What is Double NAT? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

For this reason, a lot of people use an Orbi system in AP mode, especially if they have a decent router in front of it. But then you hit this:

Disabled Features on the Router when set to AP Mode | Answer | NETGEAR Support

Sarge023 wrote:

My question is should this be the same setup with the new AX6000 router. Or, for example could I leave the AX6000 WiFi on and connect the Orbi via an ethernet (Cat6) run about 80 feet to the other side of the house and use the mesh WiFi and satellite for improved coverage there?

Is your property big enough to need a wifi source beyond the Orbi? Remember, if you have two separate wifi sources, you will lose the Mesh capability between the RAX and the Orbi.

In my case, I have an R7800 as a router. (It has better "routering" than the Orbi.) This then feeds an Orbi system that is wired back to the R7800 by Powerline Ethernet. Powerline is never going to be as fast as a LAN wire, but it is faster then my Internet connection.

You don't explain what the current arrangement is, the connection between the Orbi and the WNDR4500.

What do you hope to achieve with the new router that you don't get now? What do you want the RAX thing to deliver?

Are there holes in your wifi? If so, you will get a more seamless setup with more Orbi satellites than with a new router.