RBR850 for separate IOT network

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FURRYe38 wrote:

Orbi 6 doesn't have the HW for a separate IoT nework.

I do not think that hardware has anything to do with it.  Since the first Orbi Pro, which has exactly the same hardware as the original Orbi, Netgear has had products with multiple SSID's and "separate networks."  That WiFi 6E chip added to the 960E product has nothing to do with the 2.4G WiFi band used by IoT devices.  In that regard, the 960E has the same hardware as the original Orbi and the AX products. The difference lies in firmware.

In terms of network performance, adding more SSID's to an existing WiFi channel reduces capacity. Each SSID generates management overhead in the form of beacon frames announcing, "Here I am."  The 2.4G bands where IoT devices live already have the lowest capacity and most interference of any WiFi system.  If some IoT devices are "dropping out", adding a separate SSID for IoT will not improve the situation.

My take is that companies "move forward" to develop new products which will give customers incentives to purchase replacements for their current equipment. Part of the attraction is new features.

We on the forum, of course, are not employed by Netgear and never hear in advance of product developments.