HOL 2021 MAXIMUMPC 45
LIKE IT OR NOT, our lives are now intertwined with wireless
connectivity and access to the internet. Of course, that has come
with its own downsides. Certain unscrupulous parties have
sought to sow discord and false truths, benefitting from it in the
process, and addiction to it can be rife in a lot of unhealthy ways.
But what we’ve gained, as a species, from the world wide web
far outweighs the net negatives and the malicious actions of a
small minority, in our opinion. Everything from knowledge, to
the ability to communicate with family and friends across the
globe, to being able to enjoy the latest and greatest content
produced by the army of creatives that call this planet their
home. The internet has been revolutionary for us as a society.
Staying connected is paramount, and the humble router is a
cornerstone of that process.
We have waxed lyrical about a lot of routers over the years
in our Centerfold feature, but none of them have impressed us
quite as much as Netgear’s latest RBKE960 Mesh system. If
future-proofing had a physical representation, it would be this.
The industry’s first quad-band WiFi 6 E mesh solution, the
RBKE960 comes in at an eye-wateringly expensive price of
$1,5 00 for the three-unit starter pack, with each additional
satellite setting you back $ 600 alone. Even the single router
plus one satellite configuration costs near enough $1200, and at
first glance, it just utterly boggles the mind.
It’s without a doubt, the most expensive router system
we’ve ever looked at here at Maximum PC, but not without
good reason. The RBKE960 is a device looking forward. It has
been developed to include everything you could possibly want
and need for at least the next ten years. From a technological
standpoint, no holds have been barred in its design. – ZAK STOREYNetgear
RBKE 960
Mesh Router
System
1
10 GBPS
This setup comes
with a 1 0Gb/s ethernet
port for your WAN
connectivity as standard,
along with a 2 .5Gbps
LAN port on each router
and satellite (you can
use this 2 .5Gbps port as
a wired backhaul for the
satellites too). For
everything else, you
also get three standard
1Gbps ports per device.
2
WIFI 6 E
As mentioned, it
comes with support for
WiFi 6E via a quad-band
solution. There are three
bands used for your
devices across 2 .4, 5
and 6 GHz, plus an
additional “hidden”
fourth 5GHz band that
is dedicated to providing
connectivity between the
router and its satellites.
3
IOT
NETWORKING
A dedicated smart devices
network ensures that all
of your interconnected
thermostats, cameras, and
doorbells sit on their own
isolated network away
from your PCs and
data-sensitive systems.