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Orbi 850 Series - Security / guest network questions
Hello,
I have tenants in my house and I'm setting up a shared network. I want all my wireless clients (laptops, wifi phones, Amazon stick) to be isolated for security. I've read that NetGear only supports client isolation on the guest network but they don't provide more details. I'm hoping someone knowledgeable from NetGear could read this and answer the below:
1. How does NetGear define client isolation for the Orbi 850? In other words, does client isolation ID limit communication of the devices to the Internet only? Or can guests in this network configure the router?
2. Does the guest network run slower compared to main wireless network? Are there any speed/load disadvantages to be concerned of?
3. Does NetGear armor, and the router's firewall, also prevent hacking devices of devices on the Guest network?
Note for NetGear: I'll add that TP-LINK customer support was able to answer my questions and not force me to submit a discussion for basic questions in their online forum. The only reason I'm not going with TP-LINK is their ownership by the Chinese government. But their support is far more responsive.
I'm hoping someone knowledgeable from NetGear could read this and answer the below:
1. How does NetGear define client isolation for the Orbi 850? In other words, does client isolation ID limit communication of the devices to the Internet only? Or can guests in this network configure the router?
2. Does the guest network run slower compared to main wireless network? Are there any speed/load disadvantages to be concerned of?
3. Does NetGear armor, and the router's firewall, also prevent hacking devices of devices on the Guest network?
There are forum moderators who are Netgear employees, and I do see them responding to community posts (not sure about the weekend, however.). As far as I am aware, employees in official Netgear support positions never participate in the community forums.
My take on the 850 product is the same as all Orbi residential products:
Client isolation on the Guest WiFi network restricts devices to internet access only. Devices on the Guest network cannot access the router web interface, which is on the primary network.
All WiFi networks use the same radios and perform at the same speed. There are no speed/load disadvantages.
The Orbi Firewall protects devices on the Guest WiFi network the same as it protects all devices. i.e., if someone on the Guest WiFi downloads a virus to his PC or visits a web site that infects his tablet, that's on the user - not the router. I have never enabled Armor, and thus have no idea what it does (or does not do).
I'm hoping someone knowledgeable from NetGear could read this and answer the below:
1. How does NetGear define client isolation for the Orbi 850? In other words, does client isolation ID limit communication of the devices to the Internet only? Or can guests in this network configure the router?
2. Does the guest network run slower compared to main wireless network? Are there any speed/load disadvantages to be concerned of?
3. Does NetGear armor, and the router's firewall, also prevent hacking devices of devices on the Guest network?
There are forum moderators who are Netgear employees, and I do see them responding to community posts (not sure about the weekend, however.). As far as I am aware, employees in official Netgear support positions never participate in the community forums.
My take on the 850 product is the same as all Orbi residential products:
Client isolation on the Guest WiFi network restricts devices to internet access only. Devices on the Guest network cannot access the router web interface, which is on the primary network.
All WiFi networks use the same radios and perform at the same speed. There are no speed/load disadvantages.
The Orbi Firewall protects devices on the Guest WiFi network the same as it protects all devices. i.e., if someone on the Guest WiFi downloads a virus to his PC or visits a web site that infects his tablet, that's on the user - not the router. I have never enabled Armor, and thus have no idea what it does (or does not do).
Re: Orbi 850 Series - Security / guest network questions
Thank you again for the reply to another of my questions.
I really hope that NetGear is compensating you for assisting them with sales by providing free equipment for you to demo. It seems you are more knowledgeable than their sales staff.
There used to be so many companies making routers but today it seems the space is consolidated. I would never trust Google, so that leaves NetGear, TP Link, LinkSys. TP Link is owned by the Chinese government and LinkSys is no longer interested in the home market (I think Cisco is responsible for that). So, NetGear is the only game in town, unless you don't mind the Chinese government or Google taking your data.
P.S. Not sure if Armor is a waste or not, but something I might want to explore. I read online some sites think it's not necessary. I love security!
Re: Orbi 850 Series - Security / guest network questions
Ugh... that sucks man. I'm really not impressed with them either. While I appreciate your help, I'm not sure I would help a company that doesn't appreciate brand ambassadors like you.
FYI... I just tried to order online and the price for the Orbi 850 4 packs shows as $1,339 on the site but increases to $1,449 when added to the cart. I asked the live chat agent to help me and after 5 minutes she disconnected the chat, without answering my questions, as she researched it.
I give up on this wifi project. Might as well wait for prices to drop.
Re: Orbi 850 Series - Security / guest network questions
I came to the forum because I had a question about what my Orbi was doing (and my 90 days was LONG past), and some really knowledgeable people helped me. I have learned a lot about general networking from following discussions on the forum. If there had been something equivalent to the Orbi 50 back in 2016, I might be haunting a different forum. But, Netgear was one of the very first with a good mesh system. Netgear hardware is rock solid!
When (or if) I finally need to move on to a new WiFi system, it will be a challenge to compare the different offerings from Asus, Linksys, Netgear, TP-Link, and whatever brand the Internet Service Provider offers.
