This Incredible Device Can Provide Internet Access To A 4,500 Square Feet Area

For those who need quick and reliable Internet access but the regular wires cannot cover your whole living or working area, a mesh system with satellite extenders that can overspread Wifi is the way forward.

Netgear has an impressive portfolio that goes back decades focusing on mesh systems and routers. One of its products, the NETGEAR Orbi Voice Whole Home Mesh WiFi System is precisely what meet the above requirements. It comes with satellite extender, Alexa, and inbuilt Harman Kardon speaker.

Netgear Orbi comes with satellite extender, Alexa, and inbuilt Harman Kardon speaker

Here are what it can do:

Specifications

The Netgear Orbi is essentially a tri-band router, which means it broadcasts three different signals. The optimum stated speed is 3 Gbps. These two features combine to great effect making the router able to deal with many devices that use a lot of bandwidth. The company said that the device could be used in an area of 4,500 square feet. Several users have confirmed that this statement is true.

The Netgear Orbi is essentially a tri-band router

On board, there are three Ethernet sockets, where the Ethernet cables plus into to join the router to the modem. For a wired connection between other devices and extender, there are two ethernet jacks to do that. Plus, the router and the satellite have power buttons, as well as options to sync and reset.

The Netgear Orbi is with one satellite out-of-the-box, but if you want to boost its Wifi range, you can always purchase separate smart speaker satellites and add into the pack.

The Installation Process

The device is easy to set up, and the process is more straightforward than many other equivalent routers. The whole process lasts for about 10 minutes, and the app will guide you through each step to the end, from attaching to dealing with firmware. Except for those who have an extra-long cable, most users will have to put the modem and the router next to each other.

The Advantages

The Netgear Orbi Voice features a Harman Kardon speaker, which is one of the functions that give the device the edge over its competitors. The speaker brand has over six-decade experience in manufacturing audio devices and cars. So it has excellent creditability, and you may expect high quality. Amazon Alexa is onboard, so there is an option to control other smart devices in your house using only your voice with this router.

The Netgear Orbi has Alexa onboard

Here is some information on the speed of the connection the router provides with devices placed at a different distance from it:

Upload

Besides the router: 158 Mbps.

Twenty-five feet away: 348 Mbps.

Fifty feet away: 13 Mbps.

One hundred feet away: 17 Mbps.

Download

Besides the router: 235 Mbps.

Twenty-five feet away: 293 Mbps.

Fifty feet away: 13 Mbps.

One hundred feet away: 24 Mbps.

A user conducted a test on how well the router can handle several devices consuming a lot of bandwidth. He did that by connecting his PC, Xbox, tablets, and phones, nine items in total, and play videos or games on them. The Netgear Orbi worked at this task well as the videos held up their quality all along and the connections are continuous during the test.

The Disadvantages

The Netgear Orbit has parental control, but this function is not up to par with that of other devices. The first reason is you need another app for it, which mean you have to switch back and forth between the main app for the device and the one to monitor the function. Another downer is that it charges you to use features like setting a maximum time for users to be online. Lastly, it does not do a good job as blocking sites.

Verdict

The Netgear Orbit does what it needs to do well, which is to provide a steady internet connection for large areas. It can handle several devices with demanding requirements for bandwidth without a single slip. It comes with a speaker that allows you to voice control other smart appliances in the house. One of the most significant downers is the questionable parental controls, which is cumbersome and inefficient.

Pros:

Can blanket an area of 4,500 square feet

Alexa is available onboard

Fast and reliable connections

Quick installation

Cons:

Parental controls are a bit off