Netgear launches a cheaper Wi-Fi 6 Orbi mesh router
Netgear is launching a second model of its Orbi mesh router with support for Wi-Fi 6, following up on a high-end model released last fall. This new version, eloquently named the RBK752, is more of a midrange model, offering slightly decreased performance at a slightly decreased price. This is still an Orbi router, though, so it’s still expensive: $450 for a router and satellite. The high-end model, the RBK852, offers the same bundle for $700.
While cheaper, this new model is still a fairly capable mesh system. The RBK752 is a tri-band system, meaning it has a radio dedicated to serving as a wireless link between the units, and it offers four user-facing streams of connectivity with a theoretical maximum speed of 4.2Gbps. That’s down from eight streams and 6Gbps on the RBK852.
The Orbi system has consistently received high marks for its reliability and performance. It comes with some downsides, though: the mesh nodes are significantly larger than those from competitors like Eero and Nest, making them harder to hide around the house. These particular models are also a lot more expensive: you can get a Wi-Fi 5 mesh system for half the price, though it’d be a less future-proofed.
