AC3000 Orbi RBR50 General questions before buying

[zsann]

I'm looking to purchase the 3-Pack AC3000 system from Costco, I have a 2500 sq-foot Split-ranch (US).

I really like the capabilites of the Orbi, and I think it'll work very well. I know I don't need 2 satellites in addition to the router for only 2500 sq-ft, but I have concrete walls with a lot of interferance, plus its a very discounted price.

I had a couple questions before buying, if anyone can help me out I would really apprecaite it:

1) the dedicated 3rd band used for connection between the router and satellite, does that apply if you have more than one satellite? As in, w/2 satellites, would one be connected via the 3rd band and another by the standard bands, or would both be connected by the 3rd band, OR would both be connected via a standard (2.5/5GHz) band?

2) I see a lot of posts abt issues with Apple devices and connections: do they persist still, or is it fixed with latest firmware? Has anybody still had a lot of problems? I have many apple devices, though not all are Apple.

3) I know that Orbi uses a star topology: if my router has to be on one side of the house(say left), can 2 satellites be placed on the right hand sides, but different lvls, for example, or does a strict left-router-right configuration work best?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me!

[st_shaw · Accepted solution]

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@zsann wrote:

1) the dedicated 3rd band used for connection between the router and satellite, does that apply if you have more than one satellite? As in, w/2 satellites, would one be connected via the 3rd band and another by the standard bands, or would both be connected by the 3rd band, OR would both be connected via a standard (2.5/5GHz) band?

2) I see a lot of posts abt issues with Apple devices and connections: do they persist still, or is it fixed with latest firmware? Has anybody still had a lot of problems? I have many apple devices, though not all are Apple.

3) I know that Orbi uses a star topology: if my router has to be on one side of the house(say left), can 2 satellites be placed on the right hand sides, but different lvls, for example, or does a strict left-router-right configuration work best?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me!

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1) The backhaul is shared among the satellites.

2) Some users, including me, have never had any issues.  There are some users who continue to have issues. Those with issues seem to be a small percentage of users, but you see them represented here disproptionately. If you buy Orbi, I'd recommend you wring it out thoroughly and be prepared to return it if you are one of the few who have issues.

3) You could place the router on one side and the two sats on the other side, but it might not work well.  Better to put the router in the middle and the sats on the two ends.  This minimizes the distance between the router and sats.

Orbi has been working well for me with one router and one sat in a 3-level 3000 SF house.

[netwrks]

Based on your comment about concrete walls and alot of interference, how do you think the Orbi, based on all wireless will help you?

[Retired_Member]

I'll answer #2. The disconnect issues still persist and it affects all devices not only Apple. The flaw is an unstable backhaul coming from the router.

[zsann]

So I have a netgear R6300 right now, and for a long time I've been happy with its reception and strength. It reaches most of the hosue with a stable connection, and its 5GHz band actually reaches all the devices that matter and utilize it. 

However, it has poor reception with older devices, esp in the furthest part of the house (the router is unfortunately located in one end, due to cable connection). Additionally, more recently the 2.4 GHz band has been experiencing a lot of drops and in-stability. 

I'm looking at the Orbi bc, rather than using an AP and my router, I like the idea of a uniform mesh with the dedicated 3rd band connection between units, and so that the wifi can spread to the opposite end of the house with the satellite. 

So I guess its not that WiFi is dead completely, it just needs a stronger signal to eliminate deadspots. And as I can't move my router, the only other option is to use an extender, or a mesh system. 

[st_shaw · Accepted solution]

---

@zsann wrote:

1) the dedicated 3rd band used for connection between the router and satellite, does that apply if you have more than one satellite? As in, w/2 satellites, would one be connected via the 3rd band and another by the standard bands, or would both be connected by the 3rd band, OR would both be connected via a standard (2.5/5GHz) band?

2) I see a lot of posts abt issues with Apple devices and connections: do they persist still, or is it fixed with latest firmware? Has anybody still had a lot of problems? I have many apple devices, though not all are Apple.

3) I know that Orbi uses a star topology: if my router has to be on one side of the house(say left), can 2 satellites be placed on the right hand sides, but different lvls, for example, or does a strict left-router-right configuration work best?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me!

---

1) The backhaul is shared among the satellites.

2) Some users, including me, have never had any issues.  There are some users who continue to have issues. Those with issues seem to be a small percentage of users, but you see them represented here disproptionately. If you buy Orbi, I'd recommend you wring it out thoroughly and be prepared to return it if you are one of the few who have issues.

3) You could place the router on one side and the two sats on the other side, but it might not work well.  Better to put the router in the middle and the sats on the two ends.  This minimizes the distance between the router and sats.

Orbi has been working well for me with one router and one sat in a 3-level 3000 SF house.

[OrbiPhilip]

I have a 2500 sqft 3 level house, excluding the basement (+1800sq.ft). The basement is underground with 6in concrete walls.  My cable/router enters at one end of the basement underneath the stairwell.

I placed the router in the basement.  It is located 10 ft from one end of the house length wise and roughly in the middle front to rear. It is on top of my switch (in a 19" rack) and elevated approximately 6ft above the floor (2ft below earth grade).  

I placed the satellite at the other end of the house on the main level. It is located about 2/3 of the length of the house away and all the way to the rear.

My plan was to start with with two AC3000 units and add a third (on level 3) if needed. Thus far I have excellent coverage everywhere, including the 3rd level bonus room (2 floors above the router) driveway, backyard, etc.  It has only been 2 days, but thus far I have not experienced the difficulties others have described. 

My FW ver is v1.10.1.2

As far as price, I found it at Best Buy for $349 with a promo for a free Echo dot ($50). Basically whole house wifi for $299. I am pleased.

[zsann]

@OrbiPhilip Thank you! Your details and description really helped me, and you've quelled a lot of my fears abt the Orbi! 

A quick question, is your router and satellite connected via the backhaul or wired? You mentioned you had a switch. 

[st_shaw]

The router and satellites cannot be connected via wire.  You can connect a switch to the satellites, however, and connect wired clients to the switch.

[OrbiPhilip]

Unfortunately, @st_shaw is correct, Orbi doesn't support wired backhaul. If Netgear ever releases that feature, I will switch to it immediately.

As for the switch, I prefer to hardwire anything that can be hardwired. That said, I am testing one Tivo being hardwired to the satellite. So far, it's working fine.

[Silver0066]

Don't buy would be my advice.  Look somewhere else.  They have had nothing but problems with dropouts since it's release 9 months ago, and they have not fixed it, their Customer Service is horrible along with their attidude toward their customers.