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Netgear's Orbi Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router System Now Available for Pre-Order

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Netgear has opened pre-orders for the latest version of its Orbi Mesh Wi-Fi System, which features 6th-generation Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax technology that supports gigabit wireless speeds.

orbi-mesh-router-wi-fi-6.jpg

For those unfamiliar with Orbi, it is a multi-node mesh Wi-Fi system, some models of which Apple sells in its retail stores. The idea behind a mesh system is to provide multiple access points throughout the home, ensuring high-speed Wi-Fi coverage in all rooms.

And with Wi-Fi 6, aka 802.11ax, the Orbi WiFi 6 System AX6000 (RBK852) promises faster speeds than any other mesh router, as well as greater network capacity, improved power efficiency, lower latency, and connectivity improvements.

The upcoming iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max all support the latest version of the Wi-Fi protocol, so the Orbi WiFi 6 System will also serve Apple's latest smartphones.

The Orbi AX6000 (RBK852) includes a Wi-Fi router and one satellite, and is designed to cover large homes up to 5,000 square feet. It packs 4x4 radios, 2.4Ghz/5Ghz fronthaul with support for up to 100 devices, and 5GHz backhaul (for connecting individual mesh routers and creating one large Wi-Fi network).

The system offers speeds and bandwidth capable of 4K/8K streaming and online gaming to multiple screens simultaneously without interruption. However, that capability comes at a significant price: The Orbi WiFi 6 System costs no less than $699. Pre-orders are open now on the Netgear website.

(Thanks, David!)

Article Link: Netgear's Orbi Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router System Now Available for Pre-Order
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2019/09/19/netgear-orbi-wi-fi-6-mesh-router-available/
Looking at the specs, I don't see any mention of WPA 3. Perhaps they just don't have it listed, but that would be odd not to do so.

Edit: Releasing it without WPA 3 would just be stupid, I don't see them mentioning a future firmware update to support that either.

Edit 2: The reason I asked specifically about WPA3 is because back in the Spring of 2019 the AX8 (RAX80) was listing only WPA/WPA2, NOT WPA3. The AX12 showed WPA 3 on their web site at the same time. Today the Netgear description still shows "WiFi CERTIFIED WPA3" for the AX12, but not the AX8 or the orbi. Consequently I am concerned that it does not (yet?) support it since neither the AX8 or orbi say "WiFi CERTIFIED WPA3" whereas the AX12 does. Perhaps it is just their web site, but worth noting.

Anyway, I wanted to get confirmation that it truly does support WPA3 and I'd recommend everyone do so prior to spending $600-$700 on this.
 
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Im currently running the Orbi system and it has always worked flawlessly for me - covers the entire house nicely.
Would love to upgrade to this newer version, but that price point puts me off. Maybe I'll stick with what I have for now......
 
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centauratlas said:
Looking at the specs, I don't see any mention of WPA 3. Perhaps they just don't have it listed, but that would be odd not to do so.

Edit: Releasing it without WPA 3 would just be stupid, I don't see them mentioning a future firmware update to support that either.
Click to expand...
WPA 3 is also part of the AX spec. It has to have it in order to be certified.
 
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mikejd1 said:
$700?!??? That has to be a typo
Click to expand...

You pay for the faster speeds. Had I not just bought an Orbi system less than a year ago I would have jumped on this. With existing systems it bottlenecks you if you have 1Gbps internet at home by better than half in most cases.

This isn’t a good baseline router system for most people. Most people just don’t care enough to need it. But for those that do desire squeezing every drop of bandwidth out of their pipe, this is a welcome addition to the lineup. And eventually the pricing on this will go down and these speeds will come to the masses.
 
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ugahairydawgs said:
You pay for the faster speeds. Had I not just bought an Orbi system less than a year ago I would have jumped on this. With existing systems it bottlenecks you if you have 1Gbps internet at home by better than half in most cases.
Click to expand...
also anything wifi 6 because its so new will be more expensive... give it time and I am sure the price will go down.
 
I love the aesthetic and ease of eero, but with Amazon owning it now, I don’t need another data mining company building profiles off of my internet traffic.

I wish Apple still made WiFi equipment. While not perfect, its the only company we can trust on privacy matters.
 
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Now that iphone has wifi 6, lets hope Apple will bring to the rest of the family - ipads and macs...Just for the iphone is waste of money
 
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When I’m transferring very large files to my NAS, I’ve found WiFi is unreliable, even with an Eero mesh system with more than adequate coverage.

Does WiFi 6 address this use case at all or am I still much much better off using Ethernet?
 
BWhaler said:
I love the aesthetic and ease of eero, but with Amazon owning it now, I don’t need another data mining company building profiles off of my internet traffic.

I wish Apple still made WiFi equipment. While not perfect, its the only company we can trust on privacy matters.
Click to expand...

What does eero have to do with anything? This is an Orbi product and owned by Netgear.

Rychiar said:
I don’t even know anyone who buys their own routers. They always come from the ISP
Click to expand...

Renting a router is a huge waste of money. You must know a lot of people who don’t know any better
 
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Rychiar said:
I don’t even know anyone who buys their own routers. They always come from the ISP
Click to expand...

Yep, when you want the ISP to know and control everything about what enters and leaves your home that works fine. Plus you get cheap low quality hardware that just barely works and pay premium price. ISPs will love you. It must feel good to be loved.
 
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Have poor experiences with the Orbi system. The Circle feature seemed like a good idea, but increased latency all around. Now I am suffering 1-10s dropouts without any failure indications, despite devices being wired into the units.

Will look into even more expensive solutions or Ethernet next time.
 
Rychiar said:
I don’t even know anyone who buys their own routers. They always come from the ISP
Click to expand...

now you do :). I buy my own routers/modems. This is too expensive and not worth the early adopter price tag. You could outfit a rather large house with the previous mesh routers for half the cost.

I’m struggling to grasp why the home consumer needs this? I have a google Wifi (AC routers) and get a solid 400mbps over WiFi throughout my house and outdoor space. Actually only pay for 300mbps speeds, but using my own equipment I’m getting more. This is with around 15 devices plus smart lights connected.
 
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This is what I’ve been waiting for! But I recently discovered that Ring users have issues with Orbi, so I’m going to see if the same is true here before pulling the trigger. Also that price! I’ve been thinking about running Ethernet upstairs and getting a commercial WiFi 6 router to blanket everything instead.
 
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incoherent_1 said:
When I’m transferring very large files to my NAS, I’ve found WiFi is unreliable, even with an Eero mesh system with more than adequate coverage.

Does WiFi 6 address this use case at all or am I still much much better off using Ethernet?
Click to expand...

You should always use ethernet for any stationary devices, only use WiFi for things like smartphones and other portables or where wires aren't feasible.
 
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mikeyteh said:
What does eero have to do with anything? This is an Orbi product and owned by Netgear.



Renting a router is a huge waste of money. You must know a lot of people who don’t know any better
Click to expand...
it just comes with it. I pay $50 a month for one of their highest tiers all included so I can't complain
 
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