Customer Ratings & Reviews

I’ve been using mesh Wi-Fi systems since they first came out and this system hands down is the best. There is a speed drop between satellites when you do the wireless back haul, which is to be expected, but the drop in speed is not as severe as other brands on the market. I have over 500mbps anywhere in my house, back porch, and front porch over Wi-Fi. Coverage is phenomenal. The transition from one satellite to another is seamless as you are moving around the house. My only issue, which really isn’t too much of an issue, is that the admin portal when you do the ip login vs the app doesn’t offer a whole lot of control with advanced setups. Again it’s not really a big issue considering most people will not need to change anything after the initial setup has been done. Other potential down sides are that you have to pay an extra subscription for the parental controls. I myself do not need this feature. However, the bitdefender armor security is not free and will require a subscription. You’ll be given a 30 day trial after setup is complete, and this is something I would suggest subscribing to for a little added protection to your network. You just made a $1500 investment so why not protect it as best as you can. If you’re into the smart home devices, this system does off an IoT network to keep your smart devices separated from the main network which in turn helps free up your bandwidth for other things such as video streaming and online gaming. All in all it’s an expensive system but worth it if you can shell out the money.

The Orbi Wi-Fi mesh system has always been my favorite of the systems that I have used in the past. I had the original Orbi system, and I loved and when I replaced it with another brand, I was never as happy. There were always little things that bugged me and now I can happily say that I have been given the opportunity to use the Orbi system once again. This system is very expensive and if you are looking for the latest and greatest that you can get, this is the one for sure, however, there are a few things to consider if you choose this system. The biggest disappointment with this system is that most of the advanced features are trial only and then you must pay for them. Security and parental controls are separate and cost extra. Tech support is free, but only until the 90-day mark, then you must fork out cash. You are given a full year hardware warranty, but if you need technical support, well…. The Orbi app has been good enough for me. I have not had any errors or problems with it. Setting up the devices was as simple as can be (or perhaps I have done this a few times to its easy now), but I removed my old mesh system, launched the app, and plugged in the Orbi’s as the app instructed me to. It walked me thru the entire process and after it was all said and done, about 30 minutes had passed by and my new system was up and running. I used my identical SSID and Passkey so every one of my (75) devices were able to easily connect without any intervention. My wife and kids did not even notice. They did notice the new Orbi’s and commented on how big and good looking they were though, so they are rather large, but they do look stylish. Each device has 4 Ethernet ports on them, with one being a 2.5GB connection and the Router has a 10GB uplink. My home connection is no where near that speed, but someday it could be and its nice to have that if needed. Back to the Orbi app, there is one of my favorite features, you can set up a separate IoT network for those devices that may not be able to use the 5GhZ network or if they can only do WPA/WPA2 security. Before this, I had to create a separate network using a different router for this purpose. Now I can retire that router and just use the Orbi system to accomplish the same thing. It is a good idea to segment out your IoT devices since security on them may not be as strong as you expect and may allow a way in for attackers. The rest of the settings and configurations found in the app are pretty much standard that you can find in most quality systems. Speed wise, these have had no problems keeping up with my demanding household. As I mentioned earlier, we have over 75 connected devices and the majority of them are connected nearly all the time. My speed tests have been what my advertised speeds from my cable company are and we have been very happy. The Orbi satellites have not dropped connections to each other, and they have provided a nice blanket of coverage that encompasses my house and front and back yard. If you are looking for a top of the line Wi-Fi mesh system and have the extra money, then I highly recommend you get these units, if not, then Orbi does make some less expensive models that are not the latest and greatest, but they work pretty darn well also.

I’ve tested/used/reviewed a number of Router & Mesh setups in my life, so when presented with a chance to review the new Orbi WiFi 6E Mesh setup, I jumped at the opportunity. ​​TL;DR for my frequent readers and details below. Pros: Fast / Great Performance Coverage Both Router and AP mode Dedicated Mesh Link ports (2.5Gb/s) 10Gb/s ISP link (I can’t even get a Gigabit link where I live!) Web Interface as well as App control These run pretty darn cool to the touch at the top; the satellite is even cooler. Cons: App issues vary between Android & IOS Tech support is now a paid-for service Parental Controls are a (separate) paid-for service Security Software (trial) tends to block normal games/apps (Roblox/IOS App store) Meh: Huge Cost Fast Web Interface timeout / password box can’t be auto-filled Setup was a breeze and these things are huge (see pic, crowler for scale). Follow along with the App and don’t think you know more or try to advance before it’s time, you may have issues; patience. I set this up as a router before cutting the house over and got a feel for the controls and features with a handful of devices and computers. I quickly found that attempting to use many of the basic features in the App got me “Unknown Error” all over the place and it was different for the IOS App vs the Android one. For example: My S10+ got “Unknown Errors” looking at the client list, where the Pad Mini 6 was fine in that menu - but got “Unknown Errors” trying to activate my 30 day trial of the security software. Then, I couldn’t get into it anywhere to see what the heck I signed on for, or what I could do to administer it. Want tech support after 90 days? You have to pay. Want Parental Controls after 30 days? Pay. In all seriousness, for this being a $1k+ system at launch that requires a subscription for features offered for free by other WiFi vendors, such as simple parental controls is utterly ridiculous. This is a mega expensive system that deserves these features included; want to charge for these services for a $200 router? I don’t like that idea, but that’s the right price point to do so. Now, with so many App issues, I found myself in the Web GUI and found AP mode! AP (Access Point) Mode is where you use your old router and just use these for the WiFi Coverage. This is a perfect fit for me, because I like my existing router and its parental controls (no cost) so I could continue to use my old router for those features & leverage the Orbi for its Mesh capability throughout the house. I disabled the WiFi functionality on my existing router, kicked the Orbi into AP mode, renamed it to the old SSID, set the same password and off I went; I did it so quickly, that nobody noticed the cutover and all of my smart home devices just kept on going. I noticed that when moving to AP mode from Router mode, a number of router-only features were disabled in the Web Interface, as well as the App - which is totally expected. I didn’t notice any change in performance gain/loss between Router & AP mode, so I’ll stop talking about Router mode moving forward. Performance: I’m on a 400Mb/s link with my ISP. I’ve always had good speeds, but this is consistently 20Mb/s faster than I’ve seen before (see pic); WiFI and Wired are the same speeds for me now, so I don’t even wire up to play online games anymore. The wired ports on the back of the Satellites are live. I hooked a wired computer up to the satellite as a test and when running a fast dot com test, I saw speeds that I’d expect for a wired-to-the-router computer, not one connected to a Mesh Satellite. Coverage: Coverage is great. I’m able to pull down 45MB/s about a half-acre away across the yard (see pic). I have one satellite across the house and after rebooting devices on that side, I see the wireless devices pick up that satellite. I do still have a device or two that floats that way for no reason, but it doesn’t impact the stream. I’m torn on the rating here. Performance wise, 5 stars. Pay-for services, take away 1.25, the App issues - albeit likely fixed in future updates, take away another .5. By that - I’d be a 3.75, so I guess I’ll round up to 4. Do I recommend this? Sure, if you have a ton of cash to throw at it. And I recommend AP mode over Router mode as having to pay for services others include by default is just silly.

As the Internet transitions from consumptive media to an immersive media (thanks Meta and VR) and a global pandemic continues to drive more people to a permanent work-from-zoom-video model, modern computing requires more bandwidth than ever. For consumers that have access to 1GB+ Internet connectivity but do not want to invest in running ethernet cable throughout their home, Mesh networking is one of the best options available to give your wireless devices the bandwidth they need to power your digital expression at speeds previously only available via physical cabling (thank you Wifi 6E). Bonus features for this Orbi include a 10GB ethernet WAN port and a 2.5GB LAN port most useful for home NAS solutions. The only downside to the Orbi is that they are physically huge devices that won't blend into the background of whatever room they are placed in. In the attached photo AT&T 1GB fiber is the internet connectivity in use. The AT&T solution is already cumbersome as they have not completed the hardware transition to a single modem for fiber connectivity, requiring consumers to place 3 black boxes (1 not shown in the photo) to enable AT&T phone, internet and cable TV. You can see that the Orbi is much larger than the AT&T modem on the left. The white and grey color of the Orbi is bit of an eye sore, especially in smaller rooms where the two satellite units are placed. But the aesthetic trade off is a small price to pay for this bandwidth offered by the solution. Prior to the Orbi I was using a different mesh network and while those boxes were minuscule compared to the Orbi, the wireless signal range never lived up to my expectations. With the 1GB fiber connection to the Internet I had hoped to see at least 500MB over Wifi per device but in a majority of the rooms in the house never moved beyond 125MB. With the Orbi's, Wifi dead-zones have been eliminated even though the satellites are placed in the same position as the previous ones and every device is setting upwards of 500MB. Impressive!

A new level of speed has arrived for my home. Everything about this setup is amazing, and it performs great. I have a huge home, and this is what I needed. The only con is the price, it high. One other minor thing is you have to pay for the extras they offer, and I feel they should be free given the price. Parental controls are paid service, and you only get 40 day trial on the security features.

My home’s configuration creates several challenges for any router so a mesh system (main plus 2 satellites) was a must to achieve suitable, reliable performance for simultaneous gaming and multi-device streaming. The Orbi 950 has outstanding performance and straightforward setup. Much improved over Cox’s PW8 router. Had to call Cox but they knew the drill. The only reason not 5 stars is price especially given I also had to buy a modem (NETGEAR Nighthawk CM2000).

Significantly faster than the 3 year old Orbi it replaced. Only knock is the price - which was on sale plus I did BB's router trade-in offer (and was still more than double the cost of the previous Orbi). I hardwired my downstairs connections between the router and satellite with CAT 6A connections to future proof it some. The upstairs satellite is wireless and the combination doesn't leave any dead zones. The speed of the wired connections is crazy efficient for 6E devices. I'm getting DL speeds of 949 to the router and 934 to my iPhone sitting 20' away. UL speeds are 942 at the router and 768 on my phone. I debated about getting the Orbi 970, but couldn't justify the cost given that my ISP is only 1G.

This mesh product is fast, has great range , and is mostly consistent. Having built a mesh network consisting of 4 ASUS routers, it was refreshing to have this solution, but some of the setup was just a bit quirky, and I ended up having to set them up manually....turning off cable modem, turning it back on , waiting til it was fully running, then adding the main router, once it was fully operational plugging each LAN item in, then adding each satellite one at a time, powering one on, waiting til it fully booted, plugging in LAN items one at a time, waiting, then the other satellite, etc, and now it's all working great. One satellite fell off the network within a couple of days (and I'm using wired backhaul, btw), but I unplugged it, waited a minute, then plugged it back in, and it reconnected to my network within about 2 minutes.

It works as advertised better wifi network faster speeds helps with dead spots. Definitely extended where i can use wifi. But that price still not worth it. But if you can afford it. Luxury item. There are cheaper brands that do almost as good. If i could go back. Id go with a ASUS ZenWiFi AX6600 Tri-Band Mesh or something equivalent as price is 1/3 of what you would pay. IMO the size of these satellites are ridiculous. But the real factor is these devices will have no need to replace for years to come. And it significantly improved my connection to arlo ultra security cameras. That are posted around the outside of my house.

Recently upgraded from the ax600. Having 4 bands is really nice and the bump to 200 devices is awesome. When you have a smart home those slots go fast! The 6E is insane. Can pull 200+ on 5g then switch to the 6 band and over 700! Wow!! Rating at 4 starts due to cost but if you have the need for speed this is your product

I’ve just upgraded from the Orbi AX6000. I’m used to the performance of the Orbis. I do like that it is quad band and allows the IoT devices to be on their own network freeing up bandwidth for other devices. The only con would be the price. It is extremely expensive but worth it!

I was apprehensive on dropping $$$$ on updating my router. I am glad I did. the network has increased manifold with less blind spots after I put this in place. I am still a little unsure about the wifi6 capabilities but it is backward compatible for sure. The only gripe is that for all the $$$$ it nickels and dime with services like parental control which next wifi includes for free. A big plus is each satellite has multiple ethernet ports for other devices that need to be hard wired as compared to nest wifi which had none.

Great mesh system , easy setup also, great range around the house

Works great out of the box. Upgraded from a night hawk to the Orbi. Saw my download speeds increase from 400mbs to 960mbs. Only reason to not give a 5 star review is that all of the parental control feature are located behind a pay wall

Absolutely awesome router with signal!! What i didnt like is the limitations of the application and web user interface Very limited options for the administrator.. plus this company separated some features and offers subscriptions for them.. Not for me! It might be great for someone less technical

This is a fantastic mesh system, super fast, superb connection strength, this will solve all of your WIFI issues.......if you have the internet strength. I say this because if you have 500 MB or even 1 gig internet, these are not for you. They are WAYYYY overkill for those speeds. There are some great systems from ASUS, Eero and even lower level Netgear models that would work great for you. This system is only worth it if you have the fiber 2.5 gig, 5 gig or even the rare 10 gig in some areas. You also need to set these up correctly to make sure you are using their potential. I originally purchased mine and hook them straight into my network switch to all of my wired devices and I was still only getting about 1 gig of speed, and I'm currently paying for fiber 5 gig from my ISP. Well, after research, I realized my switch was only rated for 1 gig of power, so I had to go and pay another $1000 for a stronger switch to enjoy these. SO again, if you have the internet muscle, and the deep pockets for that matter, then these are for you!!!!

The only thing preventing me from giving a 5 star is the price, I'll explain later. Pros: -4,400 sq ft. house, 1,400 sq ft. garage, I was able to get 1,100mb/sec WiFi on my S21 Ultra everywhere in the house and the garage, the range on this system is INSANE. I tested 500mb/sec from SIX HOUSES away from my home. Nuts. -Easy to set up, literally plug and play with the app -No errors, no bugs, no problems during installation Cons: -App and features including admin login on the computer interface is the same as any other ORBI app and mesh system including their oldest Wifi 5 systems. I've never been able to successfully run an FTP server using Orbi systems including this one -For this much money, there should be very robust parental controls available but they utilize "Circle" which has a 1.9 rating in the app store and is complete garbage. I actually couldn't even get the Circle app to work, again, for $1,400 this is unacceptable. If you don't give a crap about router insights, thorough logging, parental controls, or money, then this system will deliver insane speeds for you and a crazy range. Personally, I'm going with two Asus ROG Wifi 6e Routers and Meshing them using AI Mesh.

Super fast router and excellent range. The App needs improvement.

Wifi signal is strong as expected and performance is great. Controls are limited with the phone app. Nice feature set but from a cost perspective it’s way overpriced.

The new Orbi 960 definitely lives up to all the hype. Coverage is awesome to all points of our sizable 2-story house. We were also hoping for coverage on our back porch and pool area, but it’s a little lacking there. We’ll try repositioning or add a 3rd satellite if needed. Installation was easy even for those not fully functional in technology. Besides the very high price, the only downfall is the new technology mesh network did not work with some of our older printers and PC’s. We however highly recommend this system if you have the spare money to flop down.