Current setup: 400MB plan with my ISP and run an RBR50 with 2 satellites and an RBW30 as well. I routinely have between 30 and 50 devices connected.
I was going to add another satellite to help with some coverage and saw that there is a newer version fo the orbi. I pretty consistently get 3-400mbs in the main part of our house, basement and bedrooms are usually 2-300mbs. I'm trying to figure out if there would be any real improvements with an upgrade? Also, if I did add this (Orbi WiFi 6 System (RBK853) AX6000) would I still be able to use the satellites I already have as well?
For you, there probably isn't much benefit to upgrading currently as you won't really see increased connection speeds over and above what you're getting now. You are getting your full Internet speed or close to it, so unless you upgraded to a faster incoming speed you wouldn't benefit. Also, if you don't have any devices that are WiFi 6 capable, you won't take advantage of the AX capabilities anyway.
That being said, WiFi 6 supports more devices, but you seem to be covered adequately now, and provides better coverage with fewer satellites typically being necessary. Previously, I had three satellites on my Orbi AC system, but get the same coverage now with just one. It also will provide somewhat higher connection speeds, especially for WiFi 6 devices.
Finally, you can use your existing satellites with the Orbi AX system, but they must be hardwired to the router in order to work. And, of course, anything that connects through those satellites will only get an AC connection.
Good luck in your decision. Sometimes it's hard not to upgrade to the latest and greatest, but it doesn't sound like you'd get much benefit from an upgrade right now and prices may come down if you wait a while.
IMO, if you don't have any AX WiFi supporting devices, you could keep the Orbi AC for now. Or you can upgrade to Orbi AX and future proof your self on when you do have AX Wifi supporting devices. Your current ISP speeds will not exceed there AC or AX system so your good there. Even if you upgrade to 1Gb, Orbi AC works well, though you won't see anything hear 900Mpbs on wifi speed tests. With AX you may see near 900mpbs depeneding upon AX client design and hardware support.
RBS50s an Orbi AX model RBS are not compatible yet on Orbi AX. NG said they were going to make the RBS50s compatible at some point in the future. No timeline given though. Wired RBS50s work however some have exhibited some odd UI status behaviors so don't expected RBS50s connected to the RBR850 to work 100%.
Current setup: 400MB plan with my ISP and run an RBR50 with 2 satellites and an RBW30 as well. I routinely have between 30 and 50 devices connected.
I was going to add another satellite to help with some coverage and saw that there is a newer version fo the orbi. I pretty consistently get 3-400mbs in the main part of our house, basement and bedrooms are usually 2-300mbs. I'm trying to figure out if there would be any real improvements with an upgrade? Also, if I did add this (Orbi WiFi 6 System (RBK853) AX6000) would I still be able to use the satellites I already have as well?
I'm trying to figure out if there would be any real improvements with an upgrade?
Previous posters have pointed out the potential improvements when you begin using WiFi 6 devices. I recommend browsing through the community forum for the new WiFi 6 Orbi product: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-AX/bd-p/en-home-orbi-ax It appears there are some "plus's" and "minus's" in regard to functionality. Perhaps better handling of Guest networks. If you currently subscribe to Armor or Disney Circle, it looks like those features are not yet available. The USB port is now "gone", so any hope of attaching cheap USB drives to the router will not be a reality.
This is an awkward time to be investing in new WiFi. Every vendor of WiFi routers is releasing new products claiming WiFi 6 compatibility. I have not seen any technical comparison reviews of WiFi 6 products. The "old line" router makers (Asus, D-Link, Linksys, Netgear, TP-Link, Ubiquity, etc.) and the "new wave" (Google and others) are not only releasing WiFi 6 products, they often have more than one product line! (For example, Netgear is releasing WiFi 6 in the Orbi line and also the Nighthawk line.)
Unless you are unhappy or have $800 you need to spend this week, my advice is to "watch and wait."
My thoughts on upgrading my RBR50 to RBR850 was simple... Sooner or later Wifi 6 devices will become the norm rather than the exception and I wanted to have the baseline architecture ready in my home to receive them. Kind of a chicken and egg scenario.
Do I have any of those devices yet? No. But the architecture is now in place for when that happens and I wont have to worry about learning two things simultaneously (the device AND the architecture).
I originally had Armor installed on the RBR50 and took it out long ago as I didnt think it provided value added to me... It is not yet available in the 850; since I didnt use it before, this was no big deal.
New firmware is in the works for the 850 as you would expect since that is the new "thing". With that new firmware will come new capabilities, so being an early-adopter I decided to pull the trigger early.
