Netgear Orbi RBK762S Review: Tri-band Mesh Wi-Fi 6

The Orbi RBK762S a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system from Netgear, promising patrons Wi-Fi speeds of over 1Gbps on the newest telephones and laptops. 

Every machine within the Orbi 760 Sequence – comprising the RBR760 router and RBS760 satellites – guarantees protection for as much as 2,000 sq. toes (185.81 sq. metres) per machine, and help for as much as 75 gadgets concurrently.

Ethernet ports on the router and satellites imply that desktop PCs, set-top containers, good TVs and video games consoles might be related with Ethernet, whereas all the pieces else makes use of Wi-Fi. 

Just like the older Orbi RBK750 sequence it’s changing, the Orbi RBK760 is a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system however – crucially – it guarantees quicker high speeds on the 5GHz band – as much as 2.4Gbps, whereas the RBK750 fashions’ high 5GHz speeds topped out at 1.2Gbps. 

That is potential as a result of the RBK760 vary helps 160MHz-wide Wi-Fi channels. The probabilities are in the event you’ve purchased a brand new cellphone or laptop computer within the final couple of years, it’ll additionally help 160MHz, but when it doesn’t, then you definitely gained’t see something near these high speeds. 

As all the time, these are theoretical maximums, and real-world efficiency reveals itself in testing so we put the Netgear Orbi RBK762S (the two-pack equipment) by its paces in a two-up, two-down terraced London home to provide you an concept of what to anticipate in your actual world. 

Netgear despatched a three-pack (RBK763S) for evaluation, however as a result of the two-pack is far more inexpensive and can present sufficient protection for lots of houses, we left one of many satellites within the field for many of this evaluation.  

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Design & construct

• Items measure 211 x 168 x 64mm 
• Three Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports plus one WAN on the router
• Two Gigabit Ethernet ports on the satellites

Like all of Netgear’s Orbi {hardware}, the RBK762S items have an elliptical cross part common from white plastic with mild gray accents. They’re a bit like a cross between an air freshener and a bit of 1960’s Scandinavian furnishings. 

The antennas are all inside, which implies that the gadgets don’t take up a lot house, and weighty bases coupled with rubber toes imply they gained’t be simply knocked over. 

An LED strip mild sits on the base of every unit and can glow totally different colors relying on the power of your connection (yellow = honest, blue = higher) if the router/satellite tv for pc can’t hook up with your modem or your web service supplier (magenta), and when it’s powering up (white). If all the pieces’s regular, then the LED strip is dormant. 

The RBR760 router has 4 gigabit Ethernet ports on the again: one to hook up with your current router or modem, and three for different gadgets. The satellites have simply two LAN ports. That is par for the course and most Orbi mesh methods have the identical configuration. However contemplating the worth, you may hope for quicker ports, in addition to extra of them on the satellites. 

Apart from the ports, the gadgets look an identical. They’re smooth, unassuming, and can mix in to any fashionable residence. You may inform why Netgear scooped up a Pink Dot 2022 design gong for these. 

Except you’ve got gigabit broadband and a bleeding-edge gaming PC with a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, you in all probability gained’t want want higher wired speeds than the RBK762S already offers. For instance, I’ve a 300Mbps Virgin Media service, so I might fall into this class. 

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Setup 

• Netgear Orbi app makes setup easy
• No technical information required
• Takes round half-hour

The overwhelming majority of contemporary mesh Wi-Fi methods are easy to put in, and the Orbi RBK762S isn’t any exception. 

The Orbi app guides you thru the method with clear step-by-step directions. You’ll first energy off your modem (or router), join the RBR760 router to it utilizing an Ethernet cable, energy it on and scan the QR code on the bottom of the machine to authenticate the connection between your cellphone and the router. Alternatively, you’ll be able to hook up with RBR760 utilizing the default credentials printed on the aspect of the machine. 

As soon as executed, you’ll be able to flip your modem/router again on. When a working web connection is established, you’ll be able to then join the satellite tv for pc(s) to mains energy. They need to pair with the router mechanically, however QR codes are printed on the bottom if that doesn’t occur.

You then’ll be free to provide your community a brand new SSID/community identify, Wi-Fi password, and admin password. 

After that the system checked for a firmware replace and located one, which took one other ten minutes or so to put in. It took roughly half an hour to completely full the setup course of. 

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Options & app

• Wi-Fi with devoted wi-fi backhaul
• Netgear Orbi app provides fast entry to residence networking suite
• DNS, VPN, and port forwarding settings are accessible through the desktop management panel

The Orbi RBK762S is a tri-band system, which implies that two radio frequency bands – 2.4GHz and one 5GHz – are put aside in your gadgets, whereas a second 5GHz radio is reserved for devoted backhaul communication between the router and the satellites.

In contrast to dual-band methods, which don’t have a devoted channel for communication, the RBK762S leaves one 5GHz band completely in your gadgets to speak to one another, or the web. And that makes for a quicker, extra dependable system. 

As talked about, the {hardware} additionally makes use of wider 160MHz Wi-Fi channels (that are in any other case 80MHz or 40MHz on lesser mesh kits). This implies newer telephones and laptops will profit from quicker speeds. The RBK762S system is just not, nonetheless a Wi-Fi 6E system with an additional 6GHz radio. Should you want that, as a result of you’ve got gadgets which already help this commonplace, you’ll have to pay much more for one thing just like the Orbi RBKE963. Otherwise you’ll simply have to simply accept that your gadgets gained’t be capable of use the 6GHz band.

The RBK762S helps Ethernet backhaul as nicely, so if your house is wired for it – or you want to place the satellite tv for pc(s) additional away from the router than Wi-Fi can address, you’ll be able to route that backhaul visitors over an Ethernet connection as an alternative.  

However in the event you’re paying for a tri-band mesh system, you could as nicely profit from that devoted 5GHz radio channel.

The Orbi RBK762S’s options are fairly commonplace for mesh Wi-Fi. Together with a community structure and machine administration, there’s the power to create a Visitor Wi-Fi community, arrange profiles for parental controls, in addition to some primary analytics instruments, plus the anticipated Wi-Fi and community settings. 

System Supervisor provides you an summary of your house community, which consumer gadgets are related to which node, and which radio band they’re utilizing. Every consumer’s connection might be ‘paused’, if you wish to manually implement homework time, need to isolate a tool that’s hogging visitors, otherwise you merely get pleasure from trolling the individuals in your family.

Right here, you can even rename the router and satellites with names like ‘Dwelling Room’, ‘Kitchen’ and so forth to make it simpler to determine what’s what. 

Thomas Newton / Foundry

The structure of the Orbi app is obvious and intuitive. Dwelling networking apps might be headache-inducing and labyrinthine, and the Orbi app is neither of these items. It doesn’t take lengthy to turn out to be acquainted with the structure, and fairly quickly, you’ll know the place to go if you want to arrange momentary Wi-Fi networks for company, or change the SSID and password. 

The Wi-Fi Analytics instrument is one we don’t usually see. It enables you to measure sign power, which is helpful in the event you’re looking for a extra optimum place for issues. The WiFi Settings web page, as you’d count on, enables you to rename the SSID and alter the community password, in addition to share entry through a QR code, which could be very handy. It’s also possible to change between WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 encryption requirements. 

Nonetheless, whereas there’s a hybrid WPA/WPA2 mode, which lets legacy gadgets which don’t help WPA2 encryption, there isn’t a WPA2/WPA3 mode, which isn’t nice in case you have a mix of gadgets supporting each requirements. Should you allow WPA3 encryption, older gadgets gained’t be capable of hook up with the Web. 

If you wish to do issues like tinker with port forwarding, VPN, or DNS settings, you’ll want to move to the desktop management panel at http://192.168.1.1, and enter the admin password. 

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You additionally get trials of additional security measures. There’s a yr’s subscription to the Bitdefender-powered Netgear Armor safety suite (usually £84.99/ US$99.99 / AU$139.99 per yr) and a month’s acess to Netgear Sensible Parental Controls (usually £6.99 / US$7.99 / AU$10.99 monthly or £49.99 / US$69.99 / AU$99.99 per yr). You don’t need to enter any cost particulars and the app doesn’t nudge you in direction of signing up for both service, however if you wish to, shortcuts are proper there. 

The parental controls function is loads higher than we’ve seen on different mesh methods – which it must be at that value.

When you’ve created profiles for relations, you then assign gadgets to these profiles. You may then apply homework / bedtime hours and content material restrictions to these profiles together with the power to dam or time-restrict entry to particular apps comparable to TikTok and YouTube.

The good thing about doing parental management on the router degree means you’ll be able to apply restrictions throughout all of the gadgets your little one has entry to. Nonetheless, the draw back is that they might merely flip off Wi-Fi on their cellphone and use cell knowledge to bypass any of these restrictions… till they run out of cell knowledge.

Thomas Newton / Foundry

By default, gadgets managed with Netgear’s parental controls can have Restricted Mode on YouTube turned on (which removes the power to learn and add feedback), and you’ll handle a easy ‘not allowed’ blacklist of internet sites. In the end, you’d be higher off the very best parental management software program choices right here in case your children have smartphones. 

Efficiency

• Speeds of 1,000Mbps+ are potential
• Anticipate 600-700Mbps on older telephones and laptops
• Two nodes might present sufficient protection

The Orbi RBK762S delivered speeds according to our expectations for an AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 system. Meaning they’re very quick at shut ranges, whenever you’re connecting to them from newer gadgets that even have speedy Wi-Fi 6.

Efficiency remains to be respectable on older telephones and laptops, too.

The primary router was arrange in the lounge, related to the modem on the entrance of the home. The satellite tv for pc was put in within the workplace upstairs behind the home, roughly 12 metres away, one ground up. 

I ran various pace checks at varied areas all through the house utilizing the WiFi Velocity Take a look at Professional app on three totally different Android telephones – a Huawei Mate 10 Professional, a RealMe X50, and a Google Pixel 6. These checks have been carried out standing one metre away from the router, then 5 metres away, behind a non-load bearing wall. The third check occurred within the workplace – and the fourth check occurred out within the backyard, as much as 20 metres away from the router. 

So you’ll be able to see how including a second satellite tv for pc adjustments the outcomes, I plugged it in within the kitchen, nearly immediately beneath the workplace, and about the identical distance away from the router. 

The outcomes are averages, rounded as much as the closest megabit per second, and you’ll see how they evaluate to Virgin’s Media Tremendous Hub 3 which makes use of Wi-Fi 5. 

As you’ll be able to see, the additional node didn’t make an enormous quantity of distinction to speeds within the nice majority of inside areas. In some instances, I speeds have been barely slower. That is more likely to be attributable to the truth that the cellphone was clinging to the router’s Wi-Fi connection as an alternative of switching to one of many satellites, which might have offered quicker speeds. The handover course of is managed primarily by the cellphone (or whichever machine you’re utilizing), and that is why the speeds aren’t slower for all three telephones when the additional node was added.

General, the outcomes present that in a house of this dimension, there actually isn’t any level in shopping for a three-pack. Nonetheless, including a second satellite tv for pc did enhance speeds and protection out within the backyard, particularly on the older telephones.

With simply two nodes arrange, the Velocity Take a look at app confirmed that the telephones largely retained a connection over 5GHz on Channel 40, however on just a few events, with simply two nodes arrange, they’d typically change to 2.4GHz. However with three in play, all three telephones would all the time join utilizing 5GHz out within the backyard.

Thomas Newton / Foundry

The warmth maps above and beneath have been generated with the NetSpot app. Pink means a robust sign, inexperienced is sweet, and darkish blue means a really weak sign. You may see the development in exterior protection with three nodes, however with a slight distinction to indoor protection, as prompt by the pace check outcomes.

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Value & availability

Netgear Orbi RBK760 {hardware} is in the stores immediately from Netgear, with the 2-pack (RBK762) priced at £419.99 / US$499.99 / AU$849.

The three-pack (RBK763) prices £599.99 / US$549.99 / AU$1199 though, on the time of writing, you couldn’t purchase it from Netgear’s US web site. 

Extra RBS760 satellites might be purchased for £219.99 / US$249.99 / AU$419. 

Within the UK, few different locations at present promote the Orbi RBK760, apart from Amazon, which had the RBK762 2-pack for £369.90, and the RBK763 3-pack for £499.99. 

Likewise, within the US, it’s onerous to seek out the system obtainable elsewhere, however Costco had the RBK763 3-pack for $549.99.

Consumers in Australia can even head to JB HiFi for each the RBK762 2-pack and RBK763 3-pack, that are the identical value as from Netgear at $849 and $1199, respectively. 

Verdict

The Netgear Orbi RBK760 is a good mesh Wi-Fi system, nevertheless it’s additionally expensive.

Whilst you largely get what you pay for, in the event you don’t have 160MHz-compatible telephones and laptops, you’re not going to have the ability to get the quickest potential speeds out of the equipment. A less expensive mesh system might subsequently be a greater worth purchase – take into account trying on the Linksys Atlas 6 or TP-Hyperlink Deco PX50 and our full roundup of the very best mesh Wi-Fi methods.

Specs

• Dimensions: 211 x 168 x 64 mm
• Weight: 730g
• 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) tri-band AX5400 (2.4GHz as much as 600Mbps, 5GHz as much as 2402Mbps)
• MU-MIMO & OFDMA
• 1 x gigabit Ethernet WAN port
• 3 x gigabit Ethernet LAN ports / 2 x gigabit Ethernet LAN ports
• Distant management and administration through Orbi app (iOS, Android)
• Visitor Wi-Fi
• Parental controls
• Wi-Fi administration
• IPv4, IPv6
• WPA/WPA2 hybrid
• WPA3