Netgear orbi vs. eero – Which offers the best coverage?
Having a Wi-Fi extender is your surest bet against dead zones and having all your rooms covered with internet. Netgear Orbi and Eero are two great Wi-Fi pods full of awesome features and great range. Here we tell you which is the best.
If you have a router in your house but are still experiencing dead zones it is time you tried out a mesh network. The mesh Wi-Fi helps extend internet connectivity to your rooms so that you can experience superior browsing experience. With this device, you are assured that all your devices are connected to the same IP address and Wi-Fi signal.
The other decision you will have to make is choosing between a Wi-Fi extender and mesh router. The Wi-Fi extender is great if you considering small spaces while the mesh router will work best if you desire a whole-home coverage. Competition in this area is focused on two units – the Amazon Eero and the Netgear Orbi. This review examines key factors that make these Wi-Fi mesh units remarkable.
Table of Contents
What are the key differences between Netgear orbi and eero?
Model |
Netgear Orbi |
Eero (Winner) |
Processor |
Quad core 716MHz |
700MHz quad-core |
Speed |
5Ghz black haul band reaches 1,733Mbps, |
400Mbps for 2.4GHz and 866Mbps for 5GHz |
Range |
4,000 sq. ft. |
5000 sq. ft. |
Bands |
Tri-band |
Dual band |
Software |
Real monitoring app |
App lacks smart features |
Theoritical speed |
600Mbps |
2,200Mbps |
Netgear orbi vs. eero – How do they differ?
Design and coverage
The Orbi has undergone significant changes to what it was before. Gone are the tall pods that have now been replaced with little pods with round edges and heat vents at the top. This means you can place the pods in small house spaces. Wi-Fi extenders have undergone tremendous changes over the years. Today, they use a mesh network to communicate with each other. This means you can have as many as you want depending on expected coverage.
The orbi Wi-Fi system consists of a router and a satellite. The orbi were initially long tubes measuring 4.1 x 4.6 x 1.1 inches. The Orbi is available as a two piece kit that gives you a coverage of 4,000 square feet. You can also include satellites that expand your coverage by 2,000 square feet. The Eero Wi-Fi coverage has a range of up to 5,000 square feet. The design for the eero is better than that for the Orbi as they sleeker. The system consists of one eero pro and two eero beacon. The mesh network is powered by TrueMesh technology. The Orbi router has at its base a WAN port, three Gigabit LAN ports, and 2.0 USB.
Performance
A 700MHz quad-core processor runs the Eero devices. To ensure fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection, the eero comes with 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology and it is also dual band. It also runs on the MU-MIMO technology that allows for simultaneous data streaming, auto band steering and direct to client signal beamforming. The Eero is supported by 4GB of flash storage and 512MB of RAM. This enables the device to reach speeds of up to 400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 866Mbps on the 5GHz band. The Orbi router system contains six internal antennas that are capable of delivering a total theoretical speed of 1,266Mbps split as 400Mbps for the 2.4GHz and 866Mbps for the 5Ghz band. Since it is a tri-band the Orbi is capable of using its third 5GHz band as back haul. This allows unrestricted communication between the satellite and the router.
Installation and subscription
The eero is one of the easiest pods to install. It comes with easy to follow instructions with step by step processes. You should have the device setup within 10 minutes. The eero will automatically detect any potential issues and then it resets itself. You also can reset the eero through their app. The family profile feature allows you to create unique personas for your family and then group the devices. You can even assign them scheduled access. If you are uploading an urgent video then you can prioritize your Wi-Fi to allocate more bandwidth to it. You can also share your Wi-Fi with friends by sending them a message token instead of sharing your password. The Eero has various subscription plans starting with a $3 per month that gives you advanced parental control, better security, built ad-blocker and safe filtering. The $10 per month subscription gives you access to VPN and password manager.
Netgear orbi vs. eero – A Comparison Overview
Netgear orbi – Overview
- 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...
The new Netgear orbi has undergone some transformation such that it is not the same device that you experienced with the original Orbi. For one it is smaller, round and with air vents at the top. The hardware been used is less sophisticated but this does not compromise its performance in anyway. You are capable of transmitting at speeds of up to 300Mbps. The price is great for a mesh router for home use.
For speeds the unit still leverages on been dual band so you can connect to the 2.4GHz or 5Ghz band. What you do not have is the backhaul 5GHz band that one could use to send and receive data from the range extenders. You also do not have a USB port or extra Ethernet jacks.
The Netgear orbi offers users a coverage of up to 5000 square feet and you can connect up to 25 devices. If you have additional satellites you can boost this network coverage by 2,500 square feet. The orbi is compatible with most internet providers including fiber, cable, DSL, satellite among others. You also get parental control feature for those instances you want to filter the kind of sites your kids access.
The orbi also comes with Netgear armor that protects your router from various cyber threats. The software works as an anti-virus, anti-malware and offers various phishing security. The Orbi also comes with some of the latest router technologies like MU-MIMO and beamforming. It is easy to setup and comes with a speed of up to 500Mbps.
What we liked:
- Tri-band backhaul
- Mesh Wi-Fi with coverage of 4000square feet
- Compatibility with all internet providers
- Parental controls
What we did not like:
- Limited USB functionality
Eero – Overview
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The Amazon eero consists of two eero beacons and one eero pro. This helps convert the unit into a Wi-Fi extender, Wi-Fi router, and internet booster. It will cover most of your rooms as a mesh network with ease and you can say goodbye to those blind spots. As a Wi-Fi extender the router will connect to most of your household devices with ease. It also uses a proprietary TrueMesh technology that leverages on multiple Wireless access points.
You can connect eh Eero Pro to your Ethernet ports through an auto-detecting feature. This allows you to connect the unit to your printer or external hard drive. Been a tri-band with a very powerful 5GHz band, you can do almost anything through the unit. As a gateway the unit offers an additional 1,750 square feet.
The Eero beacons are almost the size of the pro and offer an additional 1,500 square feet of coverage. All you need to activate them is simply plug them to a socket. Another cool subtle feature is the beacon LED nightlight that acts as an automatic sensor that adjusts the brightness of the light depending on the time of the day. Connection to the eero app also gives you the ability to adjust the LED light brightness. In terms of security, the eero Pro is protected through WPA2. You also have a parental control feature that allows you to create profiles, set schedules and control internet access for your kids. While the Eero Pro has some cool features most of them are subscription based. Most of the users may initially be opposed to getting into a monthly plan only for them to realize there is little one can do without it. The fact that the pods lack a USB port is also a serious setup since it is the main way through which we connect devices.
What we liked:
- Sleek design
- Great coverage of over 5,000 square feet
- High throughput performance
- Amazing security and parental control features
What we did not like:
- Most of the cool features require one to subscribe to them
Conclusion: Which is better – Netgear Orbi vs. Eero?
Our top choice in this review is the Amazon Eero. Firstly, we were really impressed by how sleek the pods are. The beacons easily plug into a socket without the need of cables, this means you can strategically place them around the house with ease. The Eero pro comes with two Ethernet ports which will come in handy when for connecting your devices. The unit is easy to install and manage. The Eero system has a coverage of 5,000 Square feet which is quite adequate for most homes. With speeds of up to 400Mbps on 2.4GHz and 866Mbps for the 5GHz this is an ideal router for home use.
FAQ
Does one pay subscription fees for using the Eero?
Eero has a subscription plan that allows you to access some of the features. For $2.99 monthly or $29.99 per year. The Eero secure plan offers you ad blocking features, family safe browsing and protection from malicious attacks.
How good are the advanced settings for the Netgear Orbi?
The orbi comes with a host of advanced settings to enable you get the best from your router. It will come with features like VPN service, static routing, port forwarding, ability to adjust transmit power. The router also comes with parental controls and you can get personal email alerts whenever someone tries to access a blocked site.
