Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) review

Our Verdict

The Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) brings the leading mesh networking kits into Wi-Fi 6 territory, pushing a strong signal throughout a digital abode and adding an actress layer of security. It remains one of the nearly expensive mesh routing products, but information technology's worth every penny.

For

Top Wi-Fi 6 mesh performance
Malware protection
Tri-band functioning
Excellent wall and ceiling penetration

Confronting

Very expensive
Large
ninety-day support policy

Tom's Guide Verdict

The Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) brings the leading mesh networking kits into Wi-Fi 6 territory, pushing a stiff betoken throughout a digital dwelling house and calculation an extra layer of security. It remains i of the nearly expensive mesh routing products, but it'southward worth every penny.

Pros

+
Top Wi-Fi 6 mesh performance
+
Malware protection
+
Tri-band functioning
+
First-class wall and ceiling penetration

Cons

-
Very expensive
-
Large
-
ninety-24-hour interval support policy

Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852): Specs

Wi-Fi Spec: AX6000
Number of Antennas/Removable: viii/No
Ports: Router – 1 WAN/4 LAN; Satellite – 4 LAN
Processor/Memory/Storage: Quad-cadre 2.2GHz/1GB/512MB
Wi-Fi bit: Qualcomm Networking Pro 1200/
Summit 802.11ax operation: 883.6Mbps (at 15 feet)
Range: 85 feet
Size: 10.0 10 vii.5 x 2.viii inches
Estimated Almanac Electricity Cost: $22.xl

1 of the first Wi-Fi 6 mesh networking kits bachelor, the Netgear Orbi WiFi half dozen (RBK852) takes its identify at the pinnacle of the food chain, becoming one of the best mesh routers bachelor.

Netgear'due south ii-piece Orbi RBK852 hits the marker for Wi-Fi 6 homes with a mix of expert throughput, a dedicated backhaul channel for data from the satellites to the router as well as extra online security.

Far from perfect, the Orbi RBK852 is big and pricey – then expensive it may be a reach for some digital households. Only if you lot want unbeatable performance throughout your habitation, it's one of the best Wi-Fi half-dozen routers y'all tin get and one of the best mesh routers on the marketplace. Nosotros even name it the mesh systems to go among the best gaming routers. Our Netgear Orbi WiFi half-dozen (RBK852) review proves that it's the Wi-Fi six mesh organization to vanquish.

Editor'southward Annotation: We periodically update our reviews to make sure that pricing and information is upward to date. The rating and recommendations in our Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) review is unchanged from when it originally published in November of 2020.

Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) review: Pricing and availability

Information technology may seem like alphabet soup, but the RBK852 kit comes with two units: a preset RBR850 router and RBS850 satellite. They continue to use Orbi's tri-band topology where data moves to devices on either the two.4- or 5GHz bands and data travels back to the router over the system's second 5GHz channel. This defended backhaul channel can potentially reduce congestion and data packets banging into each other.

It's among the nigh expensive networking gear y'all tin can buy at $700 for the router and satellite that can cover nearly 5,000 square feet, according to Netgear. With the router and 2 satellites, the RBK853 kit costs $i,000. On its own, an extra RBS850 satellite costs $380.

The Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 system is also available in a 3-pack and 4-pack, or you can purchase additional satellite improver units individually.

2-Pack Orbi AX6000 Mesh WiFi half-dozen Arrangement (RBK852) - $699
iii-Pack Orbi AX6000 Mesh WiFi six Organization (RBK853) - $999
4-Pack Orbi AX6000 Mesh WiFi 6 System (RBK854) - $1,299
Unmarried Improver Orbi AX6000 Mesh WiFi 6 Satellite (RBS850) - $379

Bachelor in packages of 2, three or 4 units, the Orbi Wi-Fi half-dozen AX6000 system can cover a lot of area. The 2-pack seen in our review tin can comprehend up to 5,000 square feet, while the 3- and 4-unit of measurement packages embrace 7,500 and 10,000 square feet, respectively. And if you find yourself needing more coverage, you tin e'er expand your mesh arrangement with an additional Orbi satellite unit, which adds 2,500 square feet of coverage to any Orbi AX6000 system information technology's added to.

And, since all of the Orbi Wi-Fi half dozen AX6000 options are designed to operate with the same range and performance, nosotros're confident in recommending any of these options just as strongly equally nosotros do the 2-pack featured in our Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) review.

Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) review: Design

Netgear updates its Orbi mesh networking kits for the Wi-Fi 6 (aka 802.11ax) era with the Habitation Tri-Ring Mesh WiFi 6 System. It's a lot easier to call it the RBK852. Like its predecessors, the RBK852 gear is big and continues with the alpine, oval cooling tower await that makes them hard to hide. Both the RBR850 router and RBS850 satellite measure 10.0 x 7.v x 2.viii inches, making them enormous compared to the likes of the TP-Link Deco X20 or Google Nest WiFi.

Still, the RBK852 devices can sit on a bookshelf or desk, but there's no congenital-in provision for wall mounting them. However, Netgear breaks new footing past offering a wall mounting subclass ($19) for its devices, instead of relying on third party accessories.

Both the router and satellite have a single LED band near the bottom, serving as a status indicator. When the device is starting up, it blinks white and remains blue when data is freely flowing back and along. When the light is majestic, at that place'southward something wrong because it is offline and requires attention.

Inside each unit of measurement are eight smart antennas that aren't replaceable or aimable. With its Qualcomm Networking Pro 1200 chip, the router and satellite supports 4X4 streams of data. Using the latest MU-MIMO applied science to support lots of connections and beamforming to tailor the signal to each device's needs, the system is capable of moving a theoretical 6Gbps of data back and forth.

The router has a unmarried ii.5 gigabit per second (Gbps) WAN input port for use with the newest modems. Both the router and satellite take four 1 Gbps LAN ports for connecting things like a printer and NAS storage, but no USB port. Both have a recessed reset button.

Netgear Orbi WiFi six (RBK852) review: Performance

The Orbi RBK852 uses Qualcomm'south newest Networking Pro 1200 Wi-Fi chip with 1GB of RAM and 512MB of capacity for storing firmware and settings. It'south all powered past a quad-cadre processor that runs at a maximum of 2GHz. Information technology has an AX6000 rating.

Overall, the RBK852 set provided first-class throughput on most of our tests using Ixia'south IxChariot networking benchmark software, which created a busy Wi-Fi network in my 100-yr old 3,500-square-foot home. It easily outpaced Wi-Fi five (802.11ac) and many Wi-Fi 6 routers.

With only the RBR850 router gear up, it moved 883.6Mbps to the receiving device 15-anxiety away. While this is off the footstep prepare by high-performance routers, like the Netgear Nighthawk AX8 (RAX80) (at 1.389Gbps), it easily beat out other mesh kits, like the TP-Link Deco X20 (at 622.1Mbps) and the Arris SURFboard mAX Pro (at 820.3Mbps).

This throughput dropped off chop-chop to just 124.4Mbps at 50-feet, where the Deco X20 took the lead by sending 255.4Mbps to the examination system. This throughput trend held upwardly at 75-anxiety, where the Deco X20 nevertheless led with 112.7Mbps versus 85.9Mbps for the Orbi RBR850. It lost contact at 85 feet, 10-anxiety curt of the Deco X20's 95-foot range.

The Orbi RBR850 router's power to dial a stiff indicate through walls and ceilings was unequaled. It delivered 782.9Mbps through a wall 20-feet from the router and moved 670.1Mbps through a ceiling to a room directly upstairs from the router. By contrast, the Deco X20 could only manage 556.5Mbps and 320.5Mbps on the same tests.

With the RBS850 satellite online, the mesh network came close to filling my 100-twelvemonth old 3,500 foursquare pes house. To showtime, with the satellite on the same flooring simply 40 anxiety away and the receiving test machine a further l-feet away, it delivered a disappointing 39.1Mbps, versus 125.8Mbps nosotros saw in our Asus ZenWiFi AX (XT8) review. This rose to 405.5Mbps when the satellite was set up on a floor in a higher place the router and the test machine was 40-feet away. By dissimilarity, the ZenWiFi AX pushed a similar 389.3Mbps. A third Orbi device might have washed the trick at my habitation.

Over a week of heavy use, the RBK852 kit worked well for everything from watching a Twitch gaming feed to checking email to downloading large files. Information technology passed our saturation test by delivering high-quality video to an iPad Pro tablet while a Macbook Air was playing an Internet radio station, a ThinkPad T470 was viewing videos and an HP dragonfly notebook moved information onto and off of a network-fastened RAID storage system.

While the router used 11.2 watts and the satellite used ix.1-watts, the network is moderately expensive to operate. Its annual estimated toll for electricity is $24.40 a twelvemonth if you lot pay the national average of 13 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity. That's about what it costs to use the Asus ZenWiFi AX kit, but $10 a yr less than the Arris SURFboard Max two-piece kit.

Netgear Orbi WiFi six (RBK852) review: Setup

If you lot've ever set up an Orbi router, y'all'll feel correct at home with the RBK852. Like its predecessors, it uses Netgear's Orbi app. If you lot're new to Orbi, the app's illustrated steps are easy to follow. There are apps for iOS-based iPhones and iPads as well as Android systems but both are vertically oriented with no way to apply information technology in landscape mode.

I started by plugging the RBR850 router's AC adapter into a power outlet and its WAN port into my broadband modem using the included patch cablevision. Then, I plugged in the RBS850 satellite about 50-feet away. Using the network proper name and password printed on the router'south sleeve, I continued to information technology using my iPad Pro and fired upward the Orbi app. Subsequently creating an account with Netgear, I snapped the QR code on the router'due south sleeve to identify the device. Subsequently a infinitesimal, the app plant the router and satellite.

The app started its setup routine by asking me if I wanted to apply the iPad's TouchID to log in and crave two-factor authentication for an actress layer of security. Happily, the system required that I change the authoritative password. (Many don't, creating a big gap in security for users who don't know to alter their passwords when setting upwards a new router.) This password change was followed by asking two verification questions.

After restarting, the RBR850 base unit let me change the network'due south proper name and password to something familiar and updated its firmware. Finally, information technology asked me if I wanted to add together a satellite, which took a minute to notice and configure. All told, information technology took 12 minutes to create a house-wide network and both the router and satellite worked on the start try. The router put out 185Mbps while the satellite managed 165Mbps from my 200Mbps connection.

Netgear Orbi WiFi half-dozen (RBK852) review: Configuration

Like and so many mesh kits and previous Orbi devices, the center of attending for making changes is the accompanying Netgear Orbi WiFi Organisation app. Its Dashboard is easy to read and employ but the app offers less configuration potential than using a connected browser.

The app's primary screen shows the nuts with the network's online status as well as the number of satellites and connected devices. At that place's a department for what'southward connected and the included Armor security software. If you want to run across how fast it's running, tap the Cyberspace Speed section to get a Spider web speedometer.

Dig a level downwardly under the device security section and you can change the network's name and password, or share that information via a QR code. There are tools for adding a satellite and rebooting the network, and there's a identify to update the system'south firmware.

To really get into the nitty gritty of the Orbi RBK852 kit, you need to log on via a Web browser interface. At that place's a useful principal page dashboard equally well as Basic and Advanced sections. In other words, at that place's something everyone.

The categories in the basic carte include things similar Internet, adjustments for IP address, port aggregation and Domain Proper noun Server selection, as well equally Wireless for changing the network's name and password, data channels and the encryption method. The Orbi online interface lets you add an actress satellite in a stride-by-step fashion.

While many won't miss it, there'southward no provision for heavy duty optimization. In other words, forget nearly extending the data width to 160MHz channels or changing the fragmentation threshold. There'due south besides no provision for adjusting the manual signal strength.

A big plus is that the Orbi RBK852 kit comes with the visitor's Armor security package. With unlimited licenses for the equivalent of Bitdefender Full Security software, Armor can protect an unabridged family's computers regardless of whether they're PCs, Macs, Androids, iPhones or iPads. A year is included gratis, merely afterwards that it costs $70 a year.

Netgear'southward 1-year warranty is 2d best compared to the 3-years of coverage offered by competitors like Linksys and D-Link. Plus, Netgear simply provides xc-days of free customer support. Information technology should be plenty of time to get the system up and running, but pales to its competitors. You can buy ii years of warranty and support for $120.

If y'all do demand assist, the back up that Netgear provides is excellent. In addition to 24/7 access to helpful technicians, you lot tin call, conversation or email them.

At that place's also a link in the Orbi app to get help that takes you directly to the Netgear support folio, which is full of DIY aid for troubleshooting and optimizing your mesh system. From a thorough manual and lots of FAQs to problem-specific articles and how-to videos, in that location's enough help offered for free that many customers won't need to worry nigh the 90-day window to speak to live reps.

Netgear Orbi WiFi half-dozen (RBK852) review: Verdict

If you're looking for the easiest and fastest mesh networking kit on the market, the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) does the trick with excellent performance, particularly for those in older homes with lots of walls. Its tri-band design with a dedicated backhaul data channel continues to be the best mesh arroyo and the RBK852 delivers on the promise of Wi-Fi vi, although each device is huge and yous might need a third device.

The rare router that puts security first, the RBK852 combines Touch ID and two-factor authentication with malware software from Bitdefender to proceed your online domicile squeaky clean. But, at $700 for the two-part kit, the RBK852 is 1 of the most expensive ways to distribute Wi-Fi at habitation and it only includes xc-days of support.

While larger and much more expensive than Google's Nest WiFi mesh kit, the Netgear Orbi RBK852 brings Wi-Fi 6 technology and college performance simply lacks the Nest's built in smart speaker and microphone; to go Orbi's take on a mesh kit that listens to your commands and plays music you need to get the RBS40V Vox kit that, like Nest, still uses Wi-Fi 5 technology. Equally far as up to date gear goes, there are cheaper approaches from TP-Link's Deco X20 but they fall short on performance. It may be costly and big, but the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) kit is the leader in Wi-Fi 6 mesh networking by pushing data where it needs to be: everywhere.

Brian Nadel is a freelance author and editor who specializes in technology reporting and reviewing. He works out of the suburban New York City surface area and has covered topics from nuclear ability plants and Wi-Fi routers to cars and tablets. The former editor-in-master of Mobile Calculating and Communications, Nadel is the recipient of the TransPacific Writing Honour.