I have AC1900 Nighthawk Rtr but need to extend, so what to buy? Orbi System or Nighthawk extender?

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samueljps wrote:

I am just getting 130Mbps. 

 

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That is likely limited by your internet service, not by your Nighthawk.

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samueljps wrote:

Those RBK50 or RBK40, has any VPN functionalities or some other security features that I can configure like the NightHawk 1900? 

 

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Yes.  Like the Nighthawks, Orbis include OpenVPN and DDNS support.  They also have the usual MAC address controls, and they include the same options for parental controls.  The user guide (covering all Orbi home systems) is here: http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBK50/Orbi_UM_EN.pdf

One thing I didn't mention is that Orbi can also give you a guest network throughout your coverage area.  The EX8000 can't extend both the home network and the guest network.

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samueljps wrote:

 

I didnt understand this part -> 

The other aspect is that the router's 5G radio is shared between the EX8000 and the clients nearby the router (and that radio can only do one thing at a time).

 

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With WiFi (at least until mu-mimo), the router can only communicate with one device at a time over each radio.  Everything connected to the EX8000 would have all it's traffic forwarded to the router on the 5G radio.  In addition, any 5G wifi devices near the router would be directly connected through the same radio.  If you have enough devices connected, that could become a performance bottleneck.

Until recently, the focus of WiFi improvements was to increase raw speed of individual devices.  That still matters of course, but for most uses 802.11ac 2x2 is fast enough.  The focus now has largely shifted to handling more clients with good performance (system capacity).  That shift started with enterprises (including hotels, airports, stadiums, etc), but IoT is driving that emphasis into the home products too. Smart home folks need good full-house WiFi coverage 24x7 (also some outdoor coverage if they have a WiFi security system), and they have lots of devices connecting to their WiFi.

Triband is part of the response to that shift - two independent 5 Ghz radios can handle more simultaneous connections then one faster 5 Ghz radio. Mesh technology (both fully integrated mesh systems like Orbi, and mesh extenders like the EX8000) is also part of it.  

The emerging 802.11ax standard (just being completed, with first-generation implementations in the newest "ax" Nighthawks) also is aimed at "high density deployments".