[ 08 ]
HOTSPOT
YOUR GUIDE TO HOT NEW TECH[ TECHLIFE #63 ]NETGEAR ORBI RBK
(KIT OF T WO)
$
http://www.netgear.com.au
CRITICAL SPECS
Wireless: 866 Mbps
(using 2x2 MIMO) +
1,733Mbps (4x4 MIMO)
802 .11ac, 400 Mbps
(2x2 MIMO) 802.11n
WAN ports: 1x gigabit
Ethernet
LAN ports: 3x gigabit on
router, 4x on satellite
USB: 1x USB 2.0 on router,
1x on satellite[ 08 ]
[ ALL COVERED ]Can mesh networking fix
your wireless woes?
MESH NETWORKING GEAR DESIGNED FOR HOME USE HAS FINALLY COME TO OUR
SHORES — BUT ARE THEY REALLY THE ANSWER TO CREATING YOUR OWN PERFECT
WIRELESS SETUP? WE TEST TWO NEW CONTENDERS TO FIND OUT.
[ NATHAN TAYLOR ]WITH THE NEW ‘mesh networking’ router
kits slowly rolling out from major networking
companies, this month, we thought we’d
compare two of the products that you can get
your hands on right now: the Netgear Orbi
and Ubiquiti AmpliFi.
We have a lot more on what mesh networks
are in our monthly home-networking how-to
guide (see page 100), and if you’re confused
about what the technology is, there’s a heap
more detail there. The dime version is that
mesh networks let you extend the range of
your wireless network in a way that’s both
faster and more seamless than a conventional
range extender. If you have a home where
Wi-Fi coverage is spotty, mesh networks
are your best bet.HOW WE TESTED
We performed a straight file copy test from
a server attached to the router via Gigabit
Ethernet. At both 5m and 15m (with two
intervening plaster walls), we copied a 1GB file
from the server to a laptop attached to a
Linksys WUMC710 wireless bridge andrecorded the speed of the transfer. We then set
up the mesh kit with the meshpoint/satellite
in between the router and test PC — at 10m
from the router and 5m from the user. This
was to give an indication of the difference
having a relay makes to performance.NETGEAR ORBI RBK
Netgear’s entry into the world of dedicated
home mesh networks gets just about
everything right. Comprising of a router and
one or more satellites (we looked at the RBK
kit, which has one of each), the Orbi devices
look like strange-shaped vases with LED lights
at the top. Even the satellites have Ethernet
ports, either for connecting wired devices like
a bridge or linking back to the router.
As with the AmpliFi HD (see opposite),
you set the router up as your primary routing
device. Then you place the satellites around
your home as needed to expand the coverage.
As long as they can talk to the primary router,
either through Ethernet or WiFi, you have
a mesh network. What sets the Orbi apart
from most other solutions, including theUbiquiti, is that it has a dedicated wireless
back channel that’s only used for linking the
satellites and router. That’s a huge deal — it
means that your bandwidth won’t be halved
if you’re attached to a satellite as opposed to
the router. You’ll get full speed everywhere.
The backchannel network is 1,733Mbps
(using 4x4 MU-MIMO antennae), and the
two user channels are 866Mbps and
400Mbps (2x2 MU-MIMO). That limits
individual device speed to 866Mbps, but
that’s typically not a problem since most
devices only support 866Mbps max anyway.
We should note that we tested with a rare
1,300Mbps device, so the direct connection
speeds look worse in the results table than
they are. In a normal situation, with an
866Mbps device, the Netgear and Ubiquiti
would be on an even playing field.
The tri-band design made a huge difference
when testing attached to the satellite. At 15m
from the router, with the satellite placed
between the test station and router, we were
still hitting 37MB/s, which is phenomenal.
It was barely slower than connecting directlyWINNERED’s CHOICE
AWARD5