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Forum Discussion
X8 R8500 + EX8000 or Orbi AX6000? Which is best?
I currently have an X8 R8500 but we still have some dead/weak spots in the house so I have a few questions for those more familiar with Netgear. Will the EX8000 work with my X8 R8500 to extend? H...
Try plugging your needs into the filters on the product pages:
Wireless Routers for Home | NETGEAR
WiFi Range Extenders: Boost Your WiFi Range | NETGEAR
and
Orbi: Whole Home WiFi System for Better WiFi Everywhere | NETGEAR
Then check back here for reports on the things you are considering, but remember that people turn up in this community with problems, not compliments. So look at reviews on Amazon, for example.
Thanks for those links. I'm more wishing there was a comparison tool to compare what my R8500 has to what is available now. The R8500 is a great router, I really like it and I'd hate to accidentally downgrade features and functionality. I dont know if the Orbi firmware features are less, better, or equal to the R8500.
vitus wrote:
The R8500 is a great router, I really like it and I'd hate to accidentally downgrade features and functionality.
I'd stick with what you have got then.
You don't provide much detail beyond "we still have some dead/weak spots in the house". That could be many things. What do you use in those dead spots? How many are there? Would a single repeater be enough to fill them? Are they all wifi devices or are some of them fixed and unlikely to move? (A smart TV for example.)
As you say Orbi is an expensive option. Bolting it on to something that works now costs more than just adding an extender or something as simple as Powerline Ethernet with a wifi access point built in.
vitus wrote:
I dont know if the Orbi firmware features are less, better, or equal to the R8500.
Visit the relevant sections of this community for guidance on that. No data sheet is going to answer that question.
Personally, all I want of firmware is that it is reliable and has the features I need. You haven't mentioned anything that you want on that front beyond filling weak spots. I don't consider that to be a firmware issue, unlike access to features such as Circle or Armor. I use neither, but by hardware supports them.
vitus wrote:Thanks for those links. I'm more wishing there was a comparison tool to compare what my R8500 has to what is available now. The R8500 is a great router, I really like it and I'd hate to accidentally downgrade features and functionality. I dont know if the Orbi firmware features are less, better, or equal to the R8500.
Wouldnt it be nice if this got updated...
https://www.netgear.com/images/NG_WirelessRouterComparisonGuide24Sept1318-44305.pdf
