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Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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Wireless Access Point

tdehan
Aspirant

Wireless Access Point

I need to replace my existing LInksys Wireless Access point.  What new Netgear Wireless Access points are available and recommended for home use?

 

Thanks!

Message 1 of 14
plemans
Guru

Re: Wireless Access Point

whats your goal? 

aka how much area are you trying to cover, how many access points are you wanting to setup, are you wanting mesh setup, etc.

The more you can tell us the better. The little you gave us would leave you open to a lot of devices. 

Message 2 of 14
tdehan
Aspirant

Re: Wireless Access Point

Presently, we are using a Linksys Wireless Access Point to cover the whole house.  I've always used just one which works pretty well.  It is located on the main floor of the house in the middle.  My house is wired with CAT5 so the majority of computers and devices are using an ethernet cable,  However, I have 3 tablets that we move all over the house and 3 wireless SlimDevices/Squeezeboxes for music in various areas of the house.  There is only 2 of us and don't have a heavy load on the Wireless Access Point.

 

I have no idea what a mesh setup is.

 

I am looking for something that is more robust with newer technology.  Hopefully that answers your questions

Message 3 of 14
plemans
Guru

Re: Wireless Access Point

How big is your home?

Mesh network is what orbi is. Its a router and satellites that use either a wired/wireless backhaul to talk to each other and use a single ssid for all devices. It allows your devices to roam and the router/satellites to do bandsteering as needed. It allows better coverage as well as higher average throughput because of better coverage and roaming. 

https://www.netgear.com/orbi/

Message 4 of 14
tdehan
Aspirant

Re: Wireless Access Point

2500 sq ft

Message 5 of 14
plemans
Guru

Re: Wireless Access Point

2500 sqft is the max of what I'd use a single AP for. you might see benefits from moving to a mesh network just to eliminate dead spots. 

Message 6 of 14
tdehan
Aspirant

Re: Wireless Access Point

We have not experienced dead spots with previous single Wireless Access Points. I'm leaning more towards the RAX200 as a replacement.  I realize that it is a wireless router but I should be able to use it as a wireless access point to my existing wired network right?

Message 7 of 14
plemans
Guru

Re: Wireless Access Point

yes you can. I've actual used mine as an AP before. Quite a large expense though if you're going to use as an AP. 

Message 8 of 14
tdehan
Aspirant

Re: Wireless Access Point

Yes it is.  Is it better however, than other options?

Message 9 of 14
plemans
Guru

Re: Wireless Access Point

better than what option? 

there's many variables. cost, performance, features, etc. 

Is a $600 wireless AX router going to be better than a mesh system? maybe for peak performance. Is it going to provide better coverage, potentially. Is it going to cost 2-3x as much? yes. 

 

Message 10 of 14
tdehan
Aspirant

Re: Wireless Access Point

I purchased the RAX200 and set it up today.  

 

I've successfully connected our 2 Android phones, My 3 Logitech Squeezebox Touch units and 3 Microsoft Surfaces to the wifi network. 

 

However, my Google Nexus 9 says:

     Connected, no internet

 

My Fitbit Versa2 says:

  Network out of reach

 

What am I missing?

Model: RAX200|Nighthawk Tri-band AX12 12-Stream Wi-Fi 6 Router
Message 11 of 14
plemans
Guru

Re: Wireless Access Point

What firmware do you have on the RAX? 

have you tried disabling AX? AX is pretty new and not all devices have updated their firmware/drivers to work properly. 

Message 12 of 14
tdehan
Aspirant

Re: Wireless Access Point

Firmware: v1.0.2.8_1.0.45

 

No sure about the AX question.  How do I tell?

Message 13 of 14
plemans
Guru

Re: Wireless Access Point

its under the wireless settings. 

One thing I'd try first? the RAX200 had a lot of firmware changes from when it was first manufactured. If you did them all at once AFTER setup, I'd factory reset the router and try installing again. The changes were quite significant and the RAX devices have responded favorably to resets. 

Message 14 of 14
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