NETGEAR Orbi Ultra-Performance Whole Home Mesh WiFi Satellite Extender - works with your Orbi Router to add 2,500 sq. feet at speeds up to 3 Gbps, AC3000 (RBS50)

My system was up and running in minutes after I completed the setup. From January to the end of May 2017, it worked perfectly. The Orbi then abruptly stopped connecting to the Internet (the "magenta ring of death" appeared at the top of the device), and there was no way to fix the problem. Despite numerous attempts and workarounds, including factory-made solutions, nothing has worked so far. I tried factory resetting the device twice, changing ports, changing internet cables, and so on. It worked fine for about 3 hours after being reset, but then it started acting up again. It was unable to connect to the Internet (despite the fact that the Verizon router was never turned off). This appears to be a firmware issue, as several reviewers have already stated. related, but Netgear hasn't had the decency to inform its customers of the issue or how to fix it. Why do they make us register the product if they can't even notify us of known issues with it?br>br>However, that isn't even the worst part; the biggest issue is NETGEAR's poor technical support and return policies. If your Orbi fails after 90 days, here's what you'll have to deal with. This is what their website says:br>br>1. A valid claim must be submitted to NETGEAR with an assigned RMA number (which can be obtained by contacting technical support). br>2. HOWEVER, You only get 90 days of free basic phone support with your Orbi purchase; if a problem arises after 90 days, you must pay for technical support; andbr>3. You are responsible for the shipping costs associated with returning the defective product to NETGEAR. br>br>That's all there is to it. A promising product with poor customer service and warranty policies. It's a risky purchase.

Wynter Pratt

| Jun 24, 2021

Okay, I'm not sure how this thing is getting such good reviews, but it is. Perhaps these people haven't yet had to deal with a firmware update. br>br>Introduce yourself to the world of br>br>br>br>b I work in the field of information technology, specializing in security. I also have a strong programming background, which includes discovering various software/hardware flaws. br>br>This system has been coded and implemented incorrectly. For syncing and firmware updates, you must pray to the gods of chance. Auto- Be prepared to take a day off to deal with getting everything back online if you are updating your firmware. br>br>I have RBR- a total of 50 and two RBS- The total number of satellites is fifty. This system is a complete waste of time. It takes FOREVER for things to connect, and once they do, you have no idea how long they'll stay connected because another update will take it all down. br>br>Now, listen, I didn't just pick up this system. I've had it for over 6 months, and it's been completely shut down four times during that time. Following the trail of evidence, it was always during a firmware update. You believe you can do things by hand, but the system is still broken. Who wants to miss out on security updates, leaving their system vulnerable? It's a game in which there are no winners and no losers. br>br>In addition, you must visit the Netgear community page for assistance. Yes, that is correct. I have to pay $50 after spending over $750 on my "WHOLE HOME MESH SYSTEM" (haha). Sorry, but I'm not interested in 'Premium' support. br>br>You clearly outsourced your development to inept developers, and you can bet your 'premium' support staff isn't much better. br>br>This system is embarrassing, and the developers, product managers, and especially the QA staff should be ashamed! You're all a disgrace to humanity. How could you not put this to the test and see for yourself how bad it is? br>br>Now that the return period has passed, I'll have to scour the community forums once more in the hopes of finding something that will make everything work again. I DO NOT RECOMMEND! br>br>I DO NOT RECOMMEND!.

Callen Parsons

| Feb 23, 2021

My last few routers have all been Asus routers, and I usually buy the largest one I can to get coverage in all areas of my home. My Asus RT-AC66U is no longer in service. The AC87U router is in my man cave, which is in the basement of my ranch house and all the way to one end. Because of this, it's a little difficult to get a good strong signal upstairs and at the other end of the house. I've tried various methods to extend the wifi in the past, including using power line adapters and wifi repeaters, but they've always been a little flaky, so I always try to just buy a big router instead. br>br>I've noticed that mesh wifi routers are becoming more popular; their main selling point is that they're easy to set up and configure; you don't have to mess with setting up multiple routers in bridge mode or anything like that; you simply plug them in and they all work together to form a large wifi mesh network. I began by looking at the two that had been out for a while, Eero and Luma, both of which appeared to be fairly good but received mixed reviews. Then I noticed that NetGear had released the Orbi, their own device. I was planning to upgrade to another big honkin' router, the Nighthawk X6 AC3200, but the Orbi caught my eye and received rave reviews, so I decided to give it a shot instead. br>br>One feature of the Orbi that stands out is its dedicated backhaul, which is the connection between the main router and the satellite routers; other mesh wifi systems use the same radios that are used for user traffic for device connections. The Orbi has a dedicated radio for this purpose, which allows for better performance by separating the traffic and not using up user bandwidth. So, after reading everything I could about the Orbi and hearing nothing but good things, I decided to order the two-unit model (router satellite). br>br>When it arrived, I opened it and found it to be very well packaged; the router and satellite units are both about the same size and weight (and a little slippery). I followed the quick installation instructions, which included removing my old router, unplugging and reconnecting my cable modem, turning on the main Orbi router, connecting it to the cable modem, placing the satellite upstairs and connecting the power, and finally connecting my desktop PC to the main Orbi router's wired Ethernet port. When I plugged in the Satellite unit, it was supposed to glow amber and then change to blue once it connected to the main Orbi router, but it didn't, and it just kept flashing white despite the fact that it was only about 15 minutes old. It's a 20-foot distance away. I gave up and returned to configuring the primary router. br>br>After that, I went to, and that's when my issues began. It checks for an internet connection first, but it kept timing out and saying it couldn't connect. I double-checked the cable between it and the cable modem, turned the Orbi router on and off with no luck, and finally had to power cycle the cable modem again, which solved the problem. It went through the setup process, then asked me to register it; I entered my serial number and other information, and it said it would send me a confirmation email, which it did, but only after I acknowledged it. Because I never received the email, I simply closed the window and returned to the main Orbi admin page. br>br>Because both the satellite and the main router had fairly old firmware versions, I went to the firmware update page; it detected new firmware for the router but was stuck on "Please wait" while checking for new firmware on the satellite; as a result, the update buttons were also inoperative. I waited about 10 minutes and it was still stuck; I tried again and got the same result; finally, I gave up and called Netgear's support. br>br>Getting to NetGear's support was another fun challenge; they seem to hide any way to contact phone support on their main website, and they also want you to take a picture of your receipt that you bought the unit to get to support. I wasn't having any of it; I was already getting frustrated that this supposedly super easy process I finally found the Netgear support phone number on Google and dialed it. br>br>The first person I spoke with was your typical support guy who read from a script and didn't know much about me, so I knew I wasn't going to get far with him. He was constantly making ineffective suggestions and asking irrelevant questions. In addition to asking pertinent questions, he requested that I move the satellite closer to the router. I told him I wouldn't do it if those two units couldn't communicate effectively from a distance of 15 miles. Bringing them closer from a distance of 20 feet was pointless. Finally, I became irritated and requested to speak with a manager. br>br>The supervisor didn't appear to be any more skilled than the first guy; he said he'd have someone from advanced support call me back; I finally told him to forget it; I'm just going to return this. This was met with an immediate response of "I'll transfer you to someone who actually knows what they're talking about. " I was talking to their advanced support in a matter of minutes, and they were able to connect to my desktop remotely. They downloaded and updated the satellite firmware manually. br>br> There appears to be a bug in the previous firmware version that prevents you from updating firmware via the admin console. The satellite unit re-calibrated after this was done manually. started, and it appeared that the main router unit had automatically updated its firmware and re-started. likewise began. Everything worked after that because they were both running the most recent firmware versions. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and the problems I had setting up Orbi quickly turned my excitement for a new wireless router into frustration and aggravation. br>br>I checked my signal strength upstairs and on the opposite side of the house (see above) and it was extremely strong, far stronger than it had been with the single Asus router. Also, I now have 5Ghz coverage pretty much everywhere in the house, including upstairs and downstairs, whereas previously I could only get it downstairs in the man cave and just outside. br>br>Finally, after about an hour of frustration, everything worked. I'm only on day one with the Orbi; so far, it appears to be working well, but only time will tell. The hardware appears to be in good shape, the admin UI is a little sluggish and basic, but it has a good number of advanced networking features. There is also no need for a cloud management connection, which is required by some other mesh systems, which means that if your internet connection goes down, your entire LAN goes down with it. The Orbi has three wired Ethernet ports, which is a huge plus; I have a NetGear 24-port switch. I have a four-port smart switch that I use for a home lab, but it's nice not to have to use it if necessary. br>br>One thing I was curious about was the status of the backhaul connection between the router and the satellite, to see if they were in the best possible position. The Orbi admin UI simply states "1 Satellite connected," but provides no additional information about the connection's status or strength. When you first plug in the satellite, the LED ring on top works for a few seconds before turning off. I'd like to know if the satellite is working and how well it is working; it would be nice if the LED ring stayed on or could be turned on if desired to inform you of the status of the satellite. I also despise looking at the main router and seeing no visible indication of what it's doing; for all I know, it could be turned off. NetGear put that LED to good use and made it configurable through the admin interface. Consider using different colors for different states and varying the pulsing speed depending on how busy things are. It would also be helpful if the admin UI could provide more information about the router. A satellite connection is available. br>br>A wireless router has two major components: hardware and software; you need a good combination of both to have a great product. I won't argue that NetGear has always had great hardware, and that appears to be the case with the Orbi, but their software has always been abysmal. My previous routers have all been Asus, and if there's one thing they've nailed, it's their software. Their admin UI is feature-rich, well-designed, and simple to use, and they keep it updated. You can also get Merlin builds, which are based on stock software and take things to the next level. Coming from Asus, NetGear's UI is a huge disappointment; it's plain, basic, and lacking, and it looks like it was designed by a 10-year-old. Why can't I do everything through the web-based UI instead of having to download a separate Windows NetGear Genie app? Perhaps a network map and some basic device usage reporting could be included as well? NetGear, if you just overhauled your admin UI, you'd have a killer product. br>br>Now let's talk Parental Controls, which is an area where NetGear has always sucked, and one of the main reasons I've always preferred Asus over them in the past. I would have thought by now NetGear would have figured out this important feature for any parent and implemented it correctly. Instead, they have a half-finished product. assassinated They have poor Parental Controls in their admin UI and then say to use Open DNS if you want more, which would be fine until your child figured out how to change their DNS server. While NetGear has time controls built-in, they affect all devices connected to the router, not just specific ones, and I had full Parental Controls built-in on my Asus router, including the most important one to me, time of day access control by MAC address, so I could shut my kids internet off at night at a specific time. Is it really that difficult for NetGear to implement MAC address-based time-of-day controls? br>br>Overall, I'm happy with the Orbi so far and plan to keep it. What any wireless router must do exceptionally well is perform, and that is what matters the most when you use it every day. Things like the admin UI aren't used very often, so as long as my wifi is fast and provides adequate coverage throughout my home, I'm fine. It would be great if the admin UI, parental controls, and LED light functionality, among other things, were improved. Because the Orbi is still relatively new, I'm hoping that the software will improve over time, making me even happier. br>br>UPDATE (December 11, 2016): br>br>After spending a few days with Orbi, I can only say one thing: This thing is a kickass kickass kickass kickass kicka I have excellent coverage throughout the house and can connect to 5Ghz from any location. My iPad speed test from one of the furthest points from the main router and satellite is around 170Mbps, which is insanely fast, and my PC, which is wired to one of Orbi's Ethernet ports, tests at 232 Mbps. In the same room where I would regularly get the flashing wifi signal in Clash of Clans, indicating that I was about to be disconnected (CoC is notorious for its latency), I have never been disconnected with Orbi. I'm very pleased with Orbi's performance and would recommend it to anyone looking for whole-home WiFi. NetGear, please improve your admin interface and I'll be even happier! br>br>UPDATE 2 (December 13th, 2016): br>br>Orbi firmware version 1 was released by NetGear yesterday. 18) It was mostly minor, but it did include support for a new management app for iOS and Android that was released yesterday. My initial thoughts were, "Great, now I have to go through another painful firmware upgrade process," as well as, "Wow, there's an app that might make device management easier. " I downloaded the admin app to my iPad in the hopes of new management goodness, but when I launched it, I found it to be a bit of a joke; you can do almost nothing in the app, and it looks like it was written in less than an hour. br>br>When you first open the app, you're greeted with their dashboard, which is nothing more than a screen with a giant picture of an Orbi with the only information displayed being your Wifi network and password; if you navigate the limited menu they've stuck in the corner, all you can do is show device info (nothing more than the model, MAC address, and firmware version only for the router) and connected devices, and that's about it. My joy at having an iPad management app quickly turned to disappointment, and the app was deleted. Again, NetGear appears to be clueless when it comes to creating a useful and appealing management UI/app; they're lucky their hardware keeps me as a customer because their administration interfaces are attempting to drive me away. Advantages: br>br> Dedicated backhaul channel between routersbr> 3 wired Ethernet portsbr> Fast and strong wifi signalbr> Nice looking hardwarebr> The satellitebr> Router is pre-installed. paired with satellite unitbr> Doesn't require cloud managementbr> Has a good number of advanced networking featuresbr>br>Cons: br>br> LED light rings on top are pretty uselessbr> Crappy admin UI is pretty bland and a little laggybr> No way to see router-specific detailsbr> Satellite connectionbr> No time for MAC to schedule parental controlsbr> Firmware upgrade is buggybr> IOS app is terriblebr> Support isn't great unless you tell them you're returning itbr> Despite a rocky start, I've been a big fan of the NetGear Orbi Home Wifi System until now. I purchased the Orbi because my Asus RT-AC66U was experiencing wifi dropouts in some areas of my home. Router AC87U I play a lot of online games like Clash of Clans, and if you've ever played CoC, you know how annoying it is to see the dreaded wifi symbol while playing. That symbol indicates that your connection is bad and you're about to be dropped; I used to get it a lot with my Asus router. My wifi issues were completely gone for 7 months after Orbi was set up and running, until today. br>br>Netgear has released a 1. Last night, I installed a firmware update to my router and satellite, and this morning, I awoke to constant and frequent disconnects on both my iPad Air 2 and Galaxy S7 Edge. I couldn't go a minute without being disconnected, so I called their support, who was basically useless, and they told me to enable Implicit Beamforming, which had been disabled by default for many updates due to issues it caused with some devices. That was something I tried anyway, and it seemed to help a little with the iPad, but not with the Galaxy S7. br>br>Ironically, Netgear put a lot of emphasis on fixing wifi disconnects with this update, which has apparently plagued them from the start; if you look through the Netgear forums, you'll see a lot of threads like this and this. They've also reported issues with the Orbi losing contact with your internet device (i. e. I also have this problem with my cable modem on a regular basis, and the only way to fix it is to reboot the cable modem. Most of the previous updates didn't do much, but this one did, as you can see below: br>br>Resolves the issue with iOS disconnection. br> Resolves the issue with Dropcam disconnecting. When an Ethernet-connected device switches from one Orbi to another, the convergence issue is resolved. br> Resolves an issue where the Orbi app is unable to locate the Orbi router when it is in AP mode and using IPv6. br> The Orbi app can now display more than 20 connected devices, which was previously an issue. br> Resolves an issue where the installation assistant may not appear if the device is wirelessly connected to the Orbi network. br> Resolves the problem with the 2. If the fronthaul MU-MIMO protocol is used, the 4 GHz backhaul setting is disabled. TxBF and MIMO have been turned off. br> Resolves an issue with IPv6 devices on the guest network being able to access the Orbi router's web interface. Security fixes for the following vulnerabilities are included: br> PSV- 2016- PSV- 0133, 0133, 0133, 0133, 0133, 01 2017- PSV-0607, PSV-0607, PSV-0607, P 2017- PSV-0615, PSV-0615, PSV-0615, P 2017- PSV-0736, PSV-0736, PSV-0736, P 2017- 2190br>br>So an update that was supposed to fix disconnect issues (which I never had) actually causes them. Thank you, Netgear, for destroying my otherwise flawless wireless network. Their engineering team appears to have spent the majority of their time introducing new Orbi devices rather than fine-tuning their existing firmware. br>br>As a result, I had to downgrade both my router and satellite to the previous version, which was 1. 20 and it's been flawless. In fact, I've never had a problem with an Orbi update until now, and I'm starting to think it's because they haven't done much with any of their 11 updates so far. Take a look at their previous three updates' typical release notes: 1. br>br> 2. br>br> 3. br>br> 4. b 2 – A few bugs have been fixedbr> 2 – Bugs and security issues are fixed, and the firmware upgrade process is improved. – Improved wireless connection stability on a continuous basisbr> 1. 6 – Fixes bugs and security issues. – Supports Korea wireless regionbr>br>Now that they've finally begun to pay attention to some of Orbi's serious issues, they've apparently attempted to fix some things while breaking others. I'm not going to update past 1 at this time with this new update. 20 until Netgear gets their act together, which is a shame because I'll miss out on other potential fixes and improvements. I adored my Orbi until today, and I was just recommending it to others the day before yesterday. However, now that this update has been released, I will no longer recommend it and may opt for one of the competing systems from Ubiquiti, Google, or Eero, which is a shame because Netgear had a good thing going with Orbi. Finally, it comes down to what works best for me, and if Orbi can't provide that, then it's time to say goodbye, amigo.

Jair Vargas

| Nov 29, 2021