Just bought Orbi (RBK30). Should I keep it?

[jacksan1]

Hello everyone. I have just bought an Orbi, RBK30, the one with the plug-in satellite. It is unopened and still in the original shrink wrap. All the talk about Orbi disconnecting is frankly rather disconcerting, and I am now wondering whether I should return this product and get either the Google WiFi or Linksys Velop. 

I have checked in the Google WiFi support forum, and while there are a few complaints about inexplicable disconnections, most of the connection issues that plagued Google WiFe earlier in the year appear to have gone away. This fact is tempting me to return the Orbi and pick up the Google.

Please convnine me to keep Orbi. 

Thanks.

[Phandam]

Hard to say, as depending on environment and devices it works great for some, horrible for others.     I am in the horrible camp, when it worked it was amazingly fast but with recent firmware versions the stability is gone.    For me a constant connection is more important the getting 90% of my speed.     Can you try it first and then return it based on results?

I have had my Orbi system for a year now, so can't return, it sits in my closet, maybe someday a future firmware will solve my issues.   I bought google and am happy, not nearly as fast but rock solid, set and forget vs hours trouble shooting the orbi.    I did need to buy additional google units beyond the 3 to get full coverage.   

[Gabeloooooo]

RETURN IT. For the love of all that is good, return this crap. Total garbage. Company is completely unresponsive in fixing issues. Unless you don't want iOS and Chromecast devices to work, do NOT keep it. Terrible in every way.

[jacksan1]

Thanks for your comment. Stability is to me more important than speed gain, for what is a fast car if it has to regularly return to the dealership to correct recurring faults.

I am fully aware that any technology product can have glitches and perfection is futile to pursue. Also, in most products, failures occur among a relatively small percentage of users. But to those users, whom you could potentially join, it is a big deal. What I look for when surveying the current state of any product is: (a) frequency of general complaints (b) the recurrence frequency of the same issues; (c) nature of those issues; and (d) trend of the resolution of those issues. (a) is not a big deal. But if (b) and (c) do not look good, then (d) becomes critically important. The trend in, say, the preceding 45 days, may be 'up' (resolved or virtually resolved), 'down' (not resolved, getting worse), and 'unchanged' (not resolved). If 'down' and 'unchanged' appears to be occurring in a serious issue as judged in (c), then the product is in trouble in my eyes.

Surveying of the internet is not always a scientific process, so I have to admit that mine could be off, and as a result, I could be passing on an actually excellent product. It is just that with Orbi, (c) appears to be 'serious' (disconnections, stability) and (d) seems to be 'unchanged' or even "down" with some firmware updates. With Google WiFi, which I am seriously thinking about using at this point in time, it has been exactly the same with Orbi in (b) and (c), except that (d), the trend, appears now to be 'up' (resolved or virtually resolved). And because the wireless connection is like a car that I must drive to get to work, (d) gets an extra weighted score. 

Orbi, of course, is the Ferrari of the home network system. Google WiFi may be the Nissan GT-R or even the Subaru BRZ. Assuming that we could afford any of these cars, who would not choose the Ferrari? Alas, I can only have one car, and that car must be bullet-proof reliable to get me to work, or I am fired. If the Ferrari cannot guarantee me that, I may be stuck with the Nissan or Subaru, unfortunately.

[timch]

In order to try and add a little balance to your discussion, I have the RBK50 with 1 satellite and it works fantastically for my situation.  I live in a 4 storey terraced house in central London so it is oeprating through lots of walls and floors in a crowded WIFI environment yet is rock solid.  Nothing else I have tried comes close.  I did have one snag with 1 firmware and support were fantastic, sending me a beta which sorted the probelm and then following up regularly to check the solution was stabe. Innevitably on tehse forums people with problems will be over represented because if it working perfectly, why would you bother (I'm here for a little light relief from work 😉 )?  Some of the passion and abuse does make me wonder how balanced the comments are.  The strongest indicator for me is that whilst I am trying to buy another Orbi for my parents, I assumed that if as many people were having problems as claimed then I might find a bargain on eBay...... no chance!