Boosting the Range of WiFi

[ToddK963]

I own an Orbi RBR50 router as well as a RBS50 satellite.  My WiFi signal is not reaching all parts of the house with sufficient strength.  Do I need to buy an additional RBS 50 or will another Orbi product -- such as  at Orbi AC 2200 Wall Plug satellite -- work as well?  I want to make sure I buy something compatible with the router.

[CrimpOn]

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@ToddK963 wrote:

I own an Orbi RBR50 router as well as a RBS50 satellite.  My WiFi signal is not reaching all parts of the house with sufficient strength.  Do I need to buy an additional RBS 50 or will another Orbi product -- such as  at Orbi AC 2200 Wall Plug satellite -- work as well?  I want to make sure I buy something compatible with the router.

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Every satellite in the "original Orbi" line is compatible with the RBR50 router except the RBS10 (the least expensive and most available)

RBS50, RBS40, RBS20, RBW30, RBS50Y (outdoor)

Other Orbi product lines are not compatible: Orbi "Pro". Orbi AX.

[Mstrbig]

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@ToddK963 wrote:

I own an Orbi RBR50 router as well as a RBS50 satellite.  My WiFi signal is not reaching all parts of the house with sufficient strength.  Do I need to buy an additional RBS 50 or will another Orbi product -- such as  at Orbi AC 2200 Wall Plug satellite -- work as well?  I want to make sure I buy something compatible with the router.

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Your decision should be based on how much more coverage you need or want. The RBS50 satellite will give you better coverage and wireless backhaul speed over RBS40, RBS30, RBS20 and a wall plug satellite. But if you want to save some money and get almost as good coverage, the Orbi RBS40V is on sale right now for $99.00US, https://www.netgear.com/orbi/rbs40v-200.aspx.

[tucsontico]

A few questions to answer before buying another satellite or range extender:

1) How many square feet in your house?

2) How far apart are the router and satellite?

3) Are there any neighbors nearby running WiFi? If so, what channels are they on?

4) Are there large objects between the router and satellite, e.g., appliances, TV, etc?

5) Does you home have concrete interior walls or plaster & lath construction?

The answers to questions 2-5 can give you clues as to why your WiFi performance may be suffering in certain parts of your house. If the router and satellite are too far apart or too close the coverage suffers and throughput drops. Try moving the satellite around a bit, if possible, to optimise your coverage.

If you can see you neighbors' WiFi signal, it can be interfering with your own. Try switching channels to avoid conflicts. If there are appliances in between the router and satellite or between the satellite and the "dead" area they can be the culprit by absorbing or reflecting signals. The interior construction of your house can also cause signal reflections and absorbsion. Sometimes moving the satellite just a few feet with solve some of these issues.  Good Luck!

[FURRYe38]

30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected. https://kb.netgear.com/000036466/How-far-should-I-place-my-Orbi-satellite-from-my-Orbi-router