All a mesh system does is give you a seemless connection experience across multiple access points covering a wider area.
Makes sense.
As I have oodles of good connectivity it appears there is no reason for me to consider the critter.
Thanks everyone for chiming in.
As usual, Iām a little late to the discussion, but Iāll give my two cents anywayā¦ I recently got AT&T fiber to hopefully improve my internet and TV which was slow and pixelated too often. The fiber works better, but the wi-fi in the new router couldnāt send a decent signal to my iPad 20 feet away (there was a concrete foundation in between) so I needed something better. The Mesh approach seemed like a good solution and the ORBI Mini was cheap ($160 on sale). I got the Mini and had a horrible time setting it up. I almost returned it to COSTCO (no snickers please) but I was hesitating setting it up and used up most of my 90 day return period. The product is good, but the instructions that come with it are non-existent. There is nothing in the box, I repeat nothing other than to download an app to set up. The problem is the app is inadequate and does not set the system up to work with another router. The key point is you have to set the ORBI as an access point. I wonāt go into the details, but this was very frustrating since I am not a computer geek (I do have a knack for fumbling my way through, I just canāt recap the process to somebody). I know there are quite a few folks here with IT backgrounds who find this process a piece of cake. I didnāt and cringe at what somebody with no computer experience or technical background (i.e., most people) will encounter trying to do this.
Two problems I encountered; first, with all the issues I was having and discovering the website/admin functions I thought āmaybe the firmware needs updatingā. The app and Admin functions said firmware was up to date, but the website showed a newer version available. So I manually install the new firmware. Not exactly a pleasant experience, but fumbled my way through. Second problem, the new firmware has a bug, lose power lose all settings. Wonder how I found out? My wife sees a cord plugged in where she thinks it shouldnāt be and unplugs it. Lost all settings and spent a couple of hours getting the system up again, not optimized mind you, just up. Needed more time to optimize. WTF. (If you sense frustration, you are only scratching the surface, ask my wife!)
Having said all that, if anyone still wants to try one, two recommendations; download the manual from the Netgear site (not mentioned in the app ā¦ WTF (again)) and use the Admin function to make the necessary setup changes that the app ignores. After all this I really donāt know if I got it right but it was working great for a month, then suddenly MConnect canāt hook up to VTuner and JRiver is flaky. Could be me (probably), but this is really frustrating. Iām sticking with the ORBI only because I donāt want to go through the process again with another manufacturer. Technology is so much fun ā¦
If you have your time over again, and for anybody else contemplating doing similar, Iād suggest buying a used Pakedge WK-2 access point on eBay for about the same money you spent on the new ORBI mini. Itās the access point of choice if thermonuclear WiFi is your style (and it wonāt lose its settings with a power outage).
In general the Orbiās donāt loss their setting on power off either. They had a bug in a release where that happened but AFAIK it hasnāt been a problem since.
Netgear has always had a problem with reasonable documentation and in the case of the Orbi I suspect I didnāt have any problems because I never tried to control it with a phone and I used it as my router. Itās web interface wasnāt too different that my multitude of previous Netgear routers so tho I didnāt need to change anything I could easily verify that it was configured as I wanted.
FWIW, my Orbi RBK50 install went smoothly yesterday. I attached the Orbi router to my Xfinity modem/router via an Ethernet cable. I then installed the Orbi satellite near my Melco NAS/server and connected an Ethernet cable between the Orbi satellite and the Melco. The only issue I had was getting my Android phone to connect to the new Orbi WiFi network, but that was an Android issue (no prompt for the WiFi password), as my iPad prompted me immediately and automatically for the new Orbi WiFi password. My WiFi seems much more stable now, and well as faster, and with far greater range. My only criticism so far is that the Orbi app tricked me into starting a 90-free trial of some non-free Netgear security features (I thought I would be setting up garden-variety WiFi security settings). AFAICT, the trial period will expire in three months with no future cost to me (Netgear does not have my credit card #).
When I installed it I updated to the latest firmware. A few days later power was lost and so were ALL the settings. Apparently the bug is still there on the Mini. I did just check and there wasnāt an updated firmware available. I totally agree on the documentation and this was my first Netgear product so I was at serious disadvantage. I am glad to hear that Bootzilla had a better experience.
Iāll add that I put both units (the ārouterā and satellite) on the first floor. The ārouterā in the front of the house and the satellite in the back of the house. This gives good coverage for essentially all of the house. Iād add another satellite for my stereo room but it costs essentially the same as the initial purchase. So much for making me a loyal customer.
Iām glad Iāve never lost my settings. It was a problem that people discussed a lot on their boards that was reported fixed quite a while back. But who knows if that was what you ran into or if indeed it was really fixed.
Iāve been a happy Netgear customer for years as long as I donāt need customer service - so far Iāve been lucky - but thatās not the way you want to run a company.
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Does the Orbi satellite unit require a hardwired connection to the Orbi router, or can it be wireless as well? Thanks.
It has wireless backhaul, by default, Ethernet was added later as an option
As @brett66 noted, the Orbi router and satellite connect to each other wirelessly. I only have one Orbi satellite, but I believe that multiple satellites can connect to each other wirelessly, as well. This is the wireless āmeshā concept that allows for greater WiFi coverage, e.g.:
Does the meshed Orbi system only broadcast a single SSID no matter what satellite youāre connecting to?
Yes. You can also set up a guest SSID to isolate them from the rest of your network.
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I mentioned this before. the Orbi has a dedicated 5Ghz backhaul channel that does not interfere with the 5Ghz channel used by end devices. This allows for very good throughput. I also run it in AP mode and use my ATT fiber router for routing, NAT, firewall, and DHCP services. This allows the Orbi to do what it does best, mesh wifi.
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My WiFi mesh system works differently to the Orbi method. The access points are all hardwired to the router, and there is a separate box management agent that takes care of the meshing function. The network configuration gets pushed out to the access points by the management agent.
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I have four audio devices connected to an Orbi Satellite. Direcstream DAC, Direcstream Memory Player, Lumin U1, and Lumin L1. No performance issues or sound degradation.
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Iāve installed both Orbi and Eero Pro in a large 10 bedroom Victorian house. They wanted WiFi coverage on all 3 floors and the basement office, end to end.
The Eero beats Orbi hands down. (Iām a huge Netgear fan btw).
I had to come back to the house and remove the Orbi nodes because they were just wasting space and power sockets.
If you have any spare Orbi satellites you are throwing out, I would be happy to take them off your hands. . . .
Public Service Announcement : )
I am going to go out on a limb here to let you know about some Tinfoil Hat-type stuff Iāve been researching, spurred by an exchange between Soundmind and Acuvox a while ago on PPosts.
Hereās a Ted Talk about the subject of EMFs:
Short story - Acuvox mentioned having difficulty focusing on tasks/concentrating, thinking it might be EMF-related - and I realized that this reflected my recent experience trying to get typical work done Iād been doing for years at my computer, and there I was, sitting in my 1k square foot apartment vs. my former 4k s.f. House (square of the distance being critical here, not to mention adoption of newer, more powerful devices with more connectivity), with: a dual-band wireless router 4 feet from my usual chair, a Hue light hub madly pinging and being pinged by the dozen lights I have, an iPad Pro in my lap with wifi and bluetooth on, an iPhone Xs with wifi and bluetooth on in my pocket (where I have an ongoing unexplained rash), three Smart Meters on the wall outside the apartment - one, as it turns out, by my head all night long - which are now mesh networks no longer requiring humans to read the meters, as they all talk to one another 24/7, a couple of times per minute, and thence to the Office, etc.
Looked up the symptoms of EMF sensitivity, and Iāve gotten 2/3 of them since moving to this apartment, and they seem to go away when Iām not here.
If you handed me a phone with wifi and bluetooth enabled, would I be able to tell you with greater than 50% accuracy if it is on or off? I donāt know. I have noticed a reduction in intensity/frequency spread of my tinnitus however.
So Iām trying a wifi fast. Will let you know how it goes.
The comic irony about the Tinfoil Hat thing is that it would actually help in this case : )
And the joke about the current cell phone standards is that they say you should NEVER have a phone in contact with your body. Not up against your head, carried in your pocket, bra, etc. They are based on 20 year old notions that if it does not heat up the adjacent body parts 2 degrees centigrade with 30 minutes exposure per day, that is considered Safe.
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