Need more info: Orbi RBK50 vs rbk53s vs RBK853

[leahkushner]

I have a nighthawk with extenders and perimeter system and I still have dead-zones, multiple networks and my system sometimes drops.  I am looking at a mesh system.  My home is one floor 4,500sq ft.  The office is in the far part of the house.  I am frequently working outside 50ft from the office.  Video conferencing is very unstable 50ft from the Nighthawk.    We have 4 users, NAS, printer, smart TV's, wireless Sonos, lots of video streaming from a teenager, photography rendering. We also have WIFI perimeter cameras.    I have one desktop ethernet into the nighthawk with NAS.  We have 4 laptops in the house.    I do not need parental controls but I do have a teenager who is streaming constantly.   Is there are way to divert some of the usages.   I want to make sure we have coverage throughout the house and since it is all one floor I need to cover a lot of space.   What are the pros and cons of these different options?  I know the RBK50 only comes with 2 while the RBK53s and RBK853 have three.   I am also in the market for a new NAS, are there any devices that the  Netgear would not interface with?   Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks

[CrimpOn]

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@leahkushner wrote:

 Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks

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People who participate in this forum typically own the WiFi5 Orbi system, originally submitted to FCC in 2016.  It was one of the first residential "mesh" systems.  One router plus two satellites should easily cover a 4,500 sq. ft. house plus some outdoor area.  The Orbi WiFi6  "AX" products, released in 2019 have greater total capacity and support the new WiFi6 features.  But, every WiFi vendor is releasing WiFi6 products. I have, as yet, seen no "head to head" comparison reviews of the competing products, not even the two Netgear WiFi6 product lines (Nighthawk vs. Orbi).  There are definite feature differences between Netgear's two products.(Circle, for example, on Orbi but not Nighthawk.)  Between Netgear and the other vendors?  No idea.

As far as I am aware, Netgear routers are compatible with everything the same way other brands are.  I do not envy your situation.  If I had to purchase a new system today, I have no clue what I would do.

[FURRYe38]

What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet 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

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?

Try enabling Beamforming and MIMO(MIMO may or maynot be needed) and WMM. Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings

Try disabling the following and see:
Armor, Circle, Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Set Short preamble instead of Long preamble modes. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s)

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@leahkushner wrote:

I have a nighthawk with extenders and perimeter system and I still have dead-zones, multiple networks and my system sometimes drops.  I am looking at a mesh system.  My home is one floor 4,500sq ft.  The office is in the far part of the house.  I am frequently working outside 50ft from the office.  Video conferencing is very unstable 50ft from the Nighthawk.    We have 4 users, NAS, printer, smart TV's, wireless Sonos, lots of video streaming from a teenager, photography rendering. We also have WIFI perimeter cameras.    I have one desktop ethernet into the nighthawk with NAS.  We have 4 laptops in the house.    I do not need parental controls but I do have a teenager who is streaming constantly.   Is there are way to divert some of the usages.   I want to make sure we have coverage throughout the house and since it is all one floor I need to cover a lot of space.   What are the pros and cons of these different options?  I know the RBK50 only comes with 2 while the RBK53s and RBK853 have three.   I am also in the market for a new NAS, are there any devices that the  Netgear would not interface with?   Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks

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[leahkushner]

I am totally confused.  I am looking at the new RBK853 with a big pricetag.   I have also looked at the RBK50 and the RBK53.   I have a nighthawk with repeaters, perimeter wall socket devices and lots of deadzones.  I am wading through some of the negative reviews and trying to make the best decision.   Some of negative features are: lack of  USB connectivity, parental controls, device prioritization, and protection against malware and viruses.  I thought it came with bitedefender and had guest control.  My main issue is the footprint of my house since it is all one floor.  From the office to the bedroom is about 100-110 ft.   I thought star configuration was better than daisy chain.  Is this correct?  I am thinking that some of the complaints was when the 853 initially was released since it now has some of the features.    Since my footprint is so large would it be slower if I am extending the footage between the satellites?   Some people recommend waiting until Costco packages the 853 or even get more of the RBK50.  My problem is that right now I am having unstable internet connection in certain parts of my home (especially outside).  I also thought about getting multiple RBK50 satellites?  I am assuming it would not be effective to purchase 2 of the rbk30 sets.  I do not need 2 routers though. (correct?)  Can I mix the RBK53 (1 router and 2 satellites) with a  different model?  What would you do?   Does anyone have recommendations of some links so I can get up to speed on the technology?  Thanks Leah 

[FURRYe38]

Your best option would be to get either Orbi AC or AX and test it out for your self first. See if the system works for your needs. If not, then send it back. Try the AC first since you seem interested in Armor and Circle which is supported on the Orbi AC system. Only the Orbi AX 7 series seems to have Armor support. Not sure why they have not made the 8 series supportive as of yet. I presume sometime in the future however no idea if or when that will happen. So you may want to try the Orbi AC system first to see if that system works for your needs. 

30 feet 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

USB Isn't supported on Orbi AC v2 and Orbi AX. NG didn't even include the USB plug on the back so I presume NG isn't going to support any USB features going forward. If you want USB support then R or RAX series routers will be something you should review as these seem to be the only models that support USB features.