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" if it does eventuate that the orbi does get ethernet backhaul all well and good and i hope it does , but at this stage i wouldnt be holding my breath waiting"
Curious, because in a post by DarrenM only 2 weeks ago 2017-06-2805:58 PM
"Ethernet backhaul is on the roadmap to be added at a later date "
Misleading, misinformed or uninformed ?
which mean dont hold your breath as that road map could or may be a long time off , if at all , just saying so you dont get your hopes up 🙂
if you have an immediate or near-term need for Ethernet backhaul, another vendor/product solution would be better for you. If the Orbi without this feature meets your needs today but you foresee Ethernet backhaul as a future requirement for you, then you have to decide whether you want to gamble on whether Netgear will deliver this feature in your timeframe as part of your decision criteria, since Netgear has not provided any insight on when we might see this feature released.
Model: Orbi High-Performance AC3000 Tri-Band WiFi System (RBK50)
if you have an immediate or near-term need for Ethernet backhaul, another vendor/product solution would be better for you. If the Orbi without this feature meets your needs today but you foresee Ethernet backhaul as a future requirement for you, then you have to decide whether you want to gamble on whether Netgear will deliver this feature in your timeframe as part of your decision criteria, since Netgear has not provided any insight on when we might see this feature released.
Totally agree and that's why I returned mine and stop debatting here. Keep the requests coming but no need to discourage or encourage people's hope.
It's been about 12 weeks since the product team reported "we're actively working on bringing this feature..."
Hundreds (maybe thousands) of us are actively waiting for the product to catch up to competing products that have this feature already. Please let us know when to expect it.
i believe they are trying to sort out connectivity and stability issues atm and tbh until they get that sorted it would be crazy to add another factor into the mix , they have to get the current platform working well before anything else , after that they may get onto other features like ethernet backhaul and maybe some form of mesh instead of star topology , this is all new ground that netgear find themselves in and its learning by mistakes
New to the Orbi (just set mine up today) in hopes that I could use ethernet as a backhaul. Sad to find that it lacks this option. I am debating a return and looking at a traditional AP setup (no clue how yet), but was curious if there are any updates on this at all? Based on the last few posts, seems like everyone is still just hoping and waiting ... Shame.
New to the Orbi (just set mine up today) in hopes that I could use ethernet as a backhaul. Sad to find that it lacks this option. I am debating a return and looking at a traditional AP setup (no clue how yet), but was curious if there are any updates on this at all? Based on the last few posts, seems like everyone is still just hoping and waiting ... Shame.
See my previous post - if you need Ethernet backhaul now, then another vendor may be your best choice (if you're looking for a single vendor/single product solution). As has been discussed here, setting up an AP is another choice, though with somewhat more complexity and management headaches (though not that much IMHO, depending on your use case). Although Netgear has accepted this feature into their product roadmap, they HAVE NOT committed to a date when they might deliver it. And per @peteytesting, they have an existing backlog of stability issues to address before they are likely to deliver significant new functionality such as Ethernet backhaul.
Eero has ethernet backhaul and Gen2 now has a faster wireless backhaul. Return Orbi and get an Eero.
In comparison to the Orbi, the Eero is severely limited when it comes to any kind of advanced settings. There's also no desktop interface, so you have to use their mobile app. Just something to keep in mind as the Orbi is much more configurable. I think the only other consumer product that comes close to the Orbi that supports ethernet backhaul is the Linksys Velop.
Based on earlier recommendations in this thread, I ended up deploying the Ubiquiti Unifi solution in my house. It ended up being cheaper and has far better coverage than the Orbi. If you're comfortable with the administration of it and are interested in an advanced feature-set, I'd recommend you check it out.
FWIW, I returned the Orbi for more reasons than just the Ethernet backhaul and snagged the eero. It's very limiting overall, but it does get the job done. Unsure yet If I'll keep. I'm really thinking I should just suck it up and put some Unifi AP's in place.
I've been following this thread for a bit. From a personal and a corporate policy, I can't give dates when features will be available.
What I *can* say is that, the initial product launch requirement was that the wireless backhaul is used to connect two or more Orbi. That's one of the reasons we invested in the 4x4 radios. I understand that many of you have Ethernet run in your houses, and would like to use it. I completely understand. It's a valid feature request and we're not philosophically opposed to connecting Orbi over Ethernet -- we are working on it. Is it ready today, no.
understand what you're saying ORBI team - but in the Orbi you guys have created the ultimate router - for even tech experts and novices alike. Sure the average user wants just wireless backhaul and in that Orbi rocks with 4x4 (I returned the RBK 40 - just not as fast nor as much range). But now that tech enthusiasts are raving about ORBI they want ethernet backhaul too - for the more advanced users out there. Some of the other competitors have this - its the only thing *they* have that orbi doesn't - bring this to orbi and make it the ultimate router.
understand what you're saying ORBI team - but in the Orbi you guys have created the ultimate router - for even tech experts and novices alike. Sure the average user wants just wireless backhaul and in that Orbi rocks with 4x4 (I returned the RBK 40 - just not as fast nor as much range). But now that tech enthusiasts are raving about ORBI they want ethernet backhaul too - for the more advanced users out there. Some of the other competitors have this - its the only thing *they* have that orbi doesn't - bring this to orbi and make it the ultimate router.
This is precisely the case! The Orbi router and satellite units are incredibly powerful. I chose the Orbi over similarly priced top of the line routers due to the fact that both units can maintain full speed via backhaul. If ethernet backhaul frees up the 1733mbps wireless backhaul, the Orbi would simply dominate the "whole home wifi" market.
More advanced configuration options + full USB functionality + ethernet backhaul + stable firmware would make the Orbi the ideal choice against the competition.
Google WiFi and Linksys Velop both offer automatic Ethernet backhaul as well as wireless backhaul. The Linksys Velop offers a seperate dedicated 5 GHz radio just for the backhaul. I have deployed both of these systems successfully with Ethernet and wireless backhaul. I was surprised by the effectiveness of the Google WiFi APs when using the shared wireless backhaul, I didn't expect much from it. The Google WiFi is cheaper too. Both the Google Wi-Fi and Linksys Velop systems are true mesh networks, which is nice.
OpenMesh (now owned by Datto) APs such as the A60 work with Ethernet or wireless as well, but are more commerically oriented than these home mesh networking devices. I like the OpenMesh devices and CloudTrax hosted controller software for business applictions or more flexible and complicated home WiFi systems.
Best,
Jeff
Model: Orbi High-Performance AC3000 Tri-Band WiFi System (RBK50)
Just returned my RBK50 to Amazon. Unfortunately it didn't worked in wireless, the connection between router and satelite was to far... waiting for a firmware update or a new version with bakhaul ethernet (Finger crossed)
Model: Orbi High-Performance AC3000 Tri-Band WiFi System (RBK50)
It is not only a question of distance. In northern Europe it is more usual to use reinforced concrete and and floor heating. It is more or less impossible to get 5 Ghz connection just between the floors. If you like to use a WiFi backhaul you need to try place it close to a door to the staircase and in the next floor as well close to the staircase. I was going for the Orbi as well, but primarily for the mesh feature. but when read this thread I stopped. WiFi backhaul would be difficult for me, but having a full ethernet cabling - but enought devices only allowing wireless connection.
@rafale7Why would you ever compare Ubiquiti to Apple? This a literal Apple to oranges comparison. Is the Airport wall/ceiling mountable? Does it support PoE? Is Ubiquiti hardware consumer friendly/targeted? These are products that serve different markets.
BECAUSE the Airport isn't meant for wall/ceiling installations it can have a much different physical profile (its height) which allows for a much higher gain antenna. It also isn't limited by PoE, so it can include a 32 dB radio as opposed to the typical 20-25 dB included in Ubiquiti products. But the Airport doesn't support fast BSSID roaming, min RSSI control, token-based guest access with payment options, or a slew of other features.
The Ubiquiti products are great for their designed purpose. They aren't the fastest APs available but they are no-nonsense and reasonably reliable and give you a lot of control over a multi AP installation. Far too many consumer APs have absurd and frequent firmware issues and inconsistent performance so it's not surprising to hear that more and more pro-sumers are adopting more flexible and functional Ubiquiti gear. Frankly Netgear's Orbi products are a response to that interest.
Disingenuous comparisons aren't ever helpful. At least offer some context.
