Netgear Orbi AX6000 Review

As our homes continue to get smarter and we continue to have more connections, you must ensure that you have reliable and consistent wifi connections throughout. A wifi 6 router like the Orbi AX6000 is designed to boost the capacity for your network and even provide more speed to all your connected devices.

Mesh systems have been growing in popularity because they’re providing you with a better-looking and easy to use system that will increase wireless coverage and eliminate wires with standalone satellites. You only share a wireless connection between the connected devices and any connected satellite, that’s why a tri-band wifi 6 device would be of great help. After upgrading most of my devices to support wifi 6, I also decided to upgrade my mesh system and an Orbi seems like a great option that will ensure all my wired devices are connected. The Orbi AX6000 is a router and a satellite unit that will ensure fast and reliable wifi speeds around my home.

Orbi AX6000 review and breakdown

NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Tri-band Mesh WiFi 6 System (RBK852) – Router with 1 Satellite Extender | Coverage up to 5,000 sq. ft., 100 Devices | AX6000 (Up to 6Gbps) , White

• Coverage up to 5,000 sq. ft. and for up to 100 devices. Extend coverage up to 2,500 sq. ft. with each...
• Ultrafast AX6000 gigabit speed with WiFi 6 technology for uninterrupted streaming, HD video gaming, and...

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The Orbi AX6000 is a wifi 6 mesh router that uses 3 wifi bands, 2.4 GHz, and 5 GHz signal frequencies to connect to devices at speeds of up to 1200 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 2400 Mbps on each of the two 5 GHz bands. This means that apart from the regular 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, there’s an extra 5 GHz band that acts as a dedicated backhaul between your main router and the satellites. This will ensure you have a very strong connection between the Orbis and also help to improve speeds over an area of 5000 sq. feet while still supporting more devices as you connect them simultaneously with a stable connection. You can easily connect up to 100 devices to your Orbi network at the same time. The Orbi router and satellite might look the same from the front, but they each have a slightly different wired connectivity.

The router has 5 Ethernet ports while the satellite has 4, however, there’s no USB port for connecting your printer. The 5^th port on the router is a 2.5 Gigabit port for WAN usage only which future-proofs the AX6000 for fast broadband because theoretically, the wifi can go faster than a gigabit wired Ethernet. There are 8 internal antennas, a 2.2 GHz quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 512 MB of flash memory. The AX6000 supports the latest wifi 6 technologies that include OFDMA data transmissions, MU-MIMO simultaneous data streaming and signal beamforming WPA3 encryption, and 1024 QAM. The AX6000 also supports Alexa and Google Assistants for voice controls that will allow you to use your voice to do things like checking your wifi settings, enable guest networking, or check your internet speeds. The user0friendly mobile app will make it easy for you to install and manage your home network.

What we liked

• Excellent speeds and range
• Plenty of Ethernet ports for wired devices
• Useful and well-designed mobile app
• The 2.5 Gbps multi-gig WAN port is very useful
• Has a quick and easy setup
• Seamless transition between the satellites

What we didn’t like

• Very expensive
• No USB connectivity
• The units are big and bulky

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Orbi AX6000 specs

Orbi AX6000 features

Design and setup

Design isn’t a top priority when choosing a new router because what you really need is speed and coverage, but this Orbi router and satellite are fairly big so you’ll need a specific place for them. They have 8 powerful internal antennas that somehow explain their large size and will provide fast wifi. These two boxes aren’t exactly ugly and they give your home a futuristic look that will make your visitors curious.

The setup process is the same as any other mesh router system. You use the app on your phone and a few simple instructions and firmware updates. The Orbi guides you through the entire setup process to help you connect your satellite to your main router.

Wifi 6

The wifi 6 is the latest technology and is backward compatible with all older wifi standards. Although it’s faster, it’s not primarily about speed. It’s designed to help you better manage your home network and all the connected devices. The wifi 6 in the AX6000 can support up to 100 connected devices simultaneously. It also helps to distribute the bandwidth intelligently around your home and if necessary adjusting it on demand. The Orbi AX6000 has a very capable and powerful mesh networking system that uses the latest wifi 6 (802.11ax) standards that allows for wireless speeds of up to 1200 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 2400 Mbps on the 5 GHz band as long as all your devices are wifi 6 compatible.

Dedicated backhaul

The AX6000 uses a dedicated backhaul connection between the router and the satellite. The second 5 GHz band is specifically reserved to relay data between the two units and unlike other routers, the data isn’t competing for space on your wifi network with your connected devices. With this, you not only get faster speeds but also a stable connection between the units with significantly faster coverage around your home. The improved speeds can cover an area of 5000 sq. feet which will allow the Orbi AX6000 to support up to 100 connected devices simultaneously.

Power and ports

The Orbi AX6000 has been equipped with an upgraded and powerful 2.2 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 512 MB of flash memory. With such monstrous specs, this unit is more future-proof than most of its rivals.

When it comes to the number of ports available, the router and its satellite both have 4 gigabit Ethernet ports and a port aggregation of up to 2 Gbps because the router has a future-proof 2.5 Gbps multi-gig WAN port. This helps to provide an internet connection of up to 2500 Mbps.

Who is it best suited for?

A mesh network is only necessary for a large house. The Orbi AX6000 is a mesh router that is best suited for large homes with lots of wired devices to provide a super-fast wireless connection to all the connected devices around your home. It will help to solve the congestion problem in your devices and also future-proof your devices so you don’t have to upgrade them to devices that support wifi 6 in a few months or years. Also if you need VPN support and a fast WAN input, the AX6000 will be the best option.

Are there any alternatives to the Orbi AX6000?

Yes. There are some great alternatives to the Orbi AX6000 that you can also check out which include the Google nest AC2200, Orbi RBK853, and Orbi RBK23.

Features of the alternative wifi 6 Orbi mesh routers

Final verdict. Should you get the Orbi AX6000?

If you already have a wifi network system that you’re happy with, then the Orbi AX6000 is too expensive of an upgrade to think of. However, this mesh system will provide you with strong speeds across a wide area and can support up to 100 devices. You will also benefit from a more reliable wifi network which can be worth every penny. So if you have a large house with lots of wired devices, you can opt to buy a mesh system so you can have your entire house covered with reliable and fast internet at all times. You can also add more satellites when they become available in the future.

FAQ

Can an Orbi be used with an existing router?

Yes, you can connect an Orbi with your existing router. The backhaul will be your dedicated wifi link that will connect the satellites using the router.

Can Orbi satellites talk to each other?

Orbi satellites don’t communicate with each other, they only send and receive data to and from the Orbi router.