Deco M9 Vs Orbi Rbk50 – investing in the best mesh Wi-Fi system
Deco M9 and Orbi Rbk50 are great home Wi-Fi solutions each offering a different edge in functionality to suit different types of users and applications.
Mesh Wi-Fi network comes with a predetermined coverage range to which users adhere to as they get their homes connected with the internet. Mesh Wi-Fi is an advanced solution from the routers that ensures all the devices no matter their location receive strong Wi-Fi signals. The Wi-Fi points are thus placed in different locations within the home to cater to the expansive coverage and to enable roaming while using the internet.
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What are the differences between the Deco M9 and the Orbi Rbk50?
Model |
Deco M9 (Winner) |
Orbi Rbk50 |
Coverage |
6,500sq. ft. |
5,000sq. ft. |
Speed |
513.55mbps-Download speeds
510.89mbps- Upload speeds |
477mbps- Download speeds
24mbps- Upload speeds |
Dimensions |
12 x 8.5 x 14 inches |
6.7 x 3.1 x 8.9 inches |
Warranty |
Not available |
Limited Hardware warranty |
The Deco M9 vs The Orbi Rbk 50- How do they compare?
Speed
Wi-Fi devices normally have higher download speeds and slow upload speeds, as it is evident with the Orbi Rbk50. The latter offers users 477mbps download speeds and 24mbps upload speeds, the reason for the above is because many people download a lot of information from the internet more than they upload, and if by any chance they upload information then it isn’t much to warrant the use of too much data.
Deco M9, on the other hand, has high upload and download speeds when compared to the Orbi Rbk 50, and here you will get 513.55 download speeds and 510.89 upload speeds. The Deco M9 Wi-Fi device can, therefore, work best when adopted for office use. Why? You may ask, well if used at home then there aren’t many uploading activities that will effectively utilize the high upload speeds.
But the many activities that are run in an office setting will be executed efficiently while utilizing the higher upload and download speeds. In essence, is that you should invest in a Wi-Fi device that will cater to your needs, maybe you are into HD streaming and gaming, or maybe your activities are toned down to just emailing, browsing and downloading music.
Capacity and Design
When investing in a home Wi-Fi device many people fail to check on its capacity that is how many users the unit can accommodate at one time. The provided capacity by the manufacturer will help you decide on whether you will adopt the Wi-Fi access point for home or office use.
The Deco M9 accommodates up to 100 devices at once, however, if you have users streaming in higher bandwidth then expect the numbers to drop down significantly. There are, however, some Wi-Fi access points that have been equipped with advanced technological features, which allow a user to prioritize devices in the network, by doing this, users involved in HD streaming and gaming will not experience latency.
The Orbi Rbk 50, on the other hand, can cater to 250 users at one time but all of whom must not engage in higher bandwidth activities. In case of the above then you can expect the number of users accommodated at a specific time to drop down to 50. The Orbi Rbk 50 offers coverage of up to 5,000Sq. Ft. but with low upload speeds that make it convenient for use in a home setting. And given the high number of devices that the Wi-Fi point can accommodate you can allow guests into the network.
Design
The importance of design when it comes to the Wi-Fi points is placement, for example, the Deco M9 features a small circle like design with an aesthetic detail at the top that gives it a sophisticated outlook. The units are packed in sets of three and you can, therefore, place them in different locations within your home or office.
The operational ports are located at the back of the Wi-Fi devices making it easy to place while hiding the wires at the back, you will, therefore, get one USB port and two Ethernet ports. The three units, therefore, work together to form a unified home network. The design of the Orbi Rbk50 is pretty conspicuous thus placement might not be as easy when compared to the Deco M9.
At the top of the Wi-Fi point, there has been equipped with a circular led light that indicates if the unit has powered on. The operational ports are at the back and here you will get up to 4 ports with one sync button; the differences between the two is that the Decom m9 has fewer ports but gives users the option of using USB.
The Orbi Rbk50 on the other hand only has four ports and does not give users the option of using USB. As you find the best position to place your Orbi Rbk50 router and extender be sure to keep off unnecessary distractions such as electronic devices or placing it close to a metal wall or surface.
Application
For you to get the most out of your Orbi application, you will first have to download the application that will help you configure the units. You can, therefore, download the application from Orbi-app.com, App Store or Google Play. You will then proceed to install the Orbi satellite, as you do this keep an eye on the colors of the satellite rings.
If you see a magenta color then you should know that your Orbi router failed to sync and you will, therefore, have to move the satellite to the router and then press the sync button on both the router and the satellite. Amber color is indicative of successful syncing but the connection is fair.
Lastly when you see the blue color then you know that the syncing process was successful and the connection is good.
The Orbi application once installed isn’t going to offer you much, but you will be able to see the devices that have been connected to your network and manage content and time online on the connected device, with circle smart parental controls. You also have the option of customizing your Wi-Fi name and password.
Setting up the Deco Wi-Fi point is easy, but before downloading the application, ensure that you have connected your Deco to your cable modem and power, then proceed to download and launch the Deco application, from here configuration can be done via the in-app system.
The Deco M9 and the Orbi Rbk50- A comparison overview
The Deco M9
- Whole home coverage – cover up to 6, 500 sq. Ft. With seamless, high-performance Wi-Fi and eliminate...
- Aster tri-band speed for more devices – three Wi-Fi bands with dynamic backhaul by TP-Link one mesh...
Gone are the days that people sat close to the router just to enjoy strong Wi-Fi signals to their devices; with the development of access points people can now utilize Wi-Fi signals without necessarily positioning themselves close to the router. The Deco M9 offers coverage of up to 6,500 sq. ft. So no matter where you are within your home, either in the backyard or at the bedroom, you will still be able to enjoy strong Wi-Fi signals.
The three separate Wi-Fi bands ensure that every room in your home has been provided for with Wi-Fi signals. The Deco M9 frees up more bandwidth with dedicated wireless links between the deco units. Deco has equipped its units with a 5G-1 and a 5G-2 wireless backhaul and a 2.4G as backhaul when traffic on your network becomes too heavy. Due to the above, you will be provided with speeds of over 1,000mbps, which will work best for your gigabit fiber.
Pros
- Connects more than 100 devices
- Enables seamless roaming in the entire house
- Setting up the Wi-Fi units has been simplified
- Offers users Tri-bands speeds
Orbi Rbk50
- Ultra-performance Mesh WiFi network blankets every inch of your home in super fast and seamless WiFi...
- Eliminates WiFi dead zones and buffering - 5,000 square feet of consistent coverage - with speeds up to...
Orbi is a smart home Wi-Fi solution; because it can be integrated with Alexa thus makes management easy. The unit has been configured to work with all the Internet Service Providers, and this is inclusive of Fiber, Cable, DSL, and Satellite. Users can fully customize the Wi-Fi points to control what other users in the network interact with especially kids.
You could also set a limit for which a device will access the internet; the above however comes at a price, paid after the free first-month trial. If you decide to go with the Orbi Rbk50 then you can forget about the dead zones because the unit offers mesh coverage of up to 5,000 sq. ft. while catering to more than 25 devices.
Pros
- Features a Tri-band and backhaul
- Works with all internet providers
- Obliterates dead zones
- Has been equipped with advanced threat protection features
Cons
- Disconnects from the internet
- Firmware updating is not seamless
Mesh Wi-Fi does have comprehensive coverage and speeds to the devices connected within the network, however, before you invest in one, ensure that the design and set up of your house will resonate with the type of Wi-Fi points that you want to invest in. You will, therefore, need to ensure that the units can cater to a larger group especially if you are using it at home.
Verdict: Which is better? The Deco M9 or the Orbi Rbk50
The Tp-link Deco M9 is the better option when compared to Orbi Rbk50 because it offers wider coverage accommodates many devices and comes equipped with three Wi-Fi points that can be effectively distributed in the home to offer a mesh network. The upload and download speeds of the Tp-Link Deco are also high when compared to Orbis Rbk50, however, one should be sure to match the speeds with their Internet Service Provider.
FAQ’s
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Can I mix my Orbi Rbk50 satelite?
Orbi satellites can be mixed but you will have to ensure that it doesn’t have a slower backhaul
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Can the Deco M9 replace my router or modem?
Deco M9 can be used to replace your home router, more so if your router must use a modem to access the internet, then the Deco M9 can be used together with the existing modem.
