Netgear Orbi RBK760 review

The Orbi RBK762S a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 system from Netgear, promising consumers Wi-Fi speeds of over 1Gbps on the most recent 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. ft (185.81 sq. metres) per machine, and help for as much as 75 units concurrently.

Ethernet ports on the router and satellites imply that desktop PCs, set-top bins, sensible TVs and video games consoles may 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 possibilities are for those who’ve purchased a brand new telephone or laptop computer within the final couple of years, it’ll additionally help 160MHz, but when it doesn’t, you then gained’t see something near these high speeds. 

As at all times, 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 offer you an thought of what to anticipate in your actual world. 

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

Design & construct

• Models 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 models have an elliptical cross part usual from white plastic with mild gray accents. They’re a bit like a cross between an air freshener and a chunk of 1960’s Scandinavian furnishings. 

The antennas are all inner, which implies that the units don’t take up a lot house, and weighty bases coupled with rubber ft 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 energy of your connection (yellow = truthful, blue = higher) if the router/satellite tv for pc can’t connect 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 units. The satellites have simply two LAN ports. That is par for the course and most Orbi mesh programs have the identical configuration. However contemplating the worth, you may hope for quicker ports, in addition to extra of them on the satellites. 

Aside from the ports, the units look equivalent. They’re smooth, unassuming, and can mix in to any trendy dwelling. You’ll be able to inform why Netgear scooped up a Pink Dot 2022 design gong for these. 

Until you’ve 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’d 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 recent mesh Wi-Fi programs 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 telephone and the router. Alternatively, you possibly can connect with RBR760 utilizing the default credentials printed on the aspect of the machine. 

As soon as achieved, you possibly can flip your modem/router again on. When a working web connection is established, you possibly can 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.

Then you definitely’ll be free to offer 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 and the Netgear Orbi app

• Wi-Fi with devoted wi-fi backhaul
• Netgear Orbi app offers fast entry to dwelling networking suite
• DNS, VPN, and port forwarding settings are accessible by way of 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 units, whereas a second 5GHz radio is reserved for devoted backhaul communication between the router and the satellites.

Not like dual-band programs, which don’t have a devoted channel for communication, the RBK762S leaves one 5GHz band totally in your units 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 shouldn’t be, nonetheless a Wi-Fi 6E system with an additional 6GHz radio. Should you want that, as a result of you’ve units 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 just accept that your units gained’t be capable of use the 6GHz band.

The RBK762S helps Ethernet backhaul as properly, so if your private home is wired for it – or you should place the satellite tv for pc(s) additional away from the router than Wi-Fi can deal with, you possibly can route that backhaul site visitors over an Ethernet connection as an alternative.  

However for those who’re paying for a tri-band mesh system, chances are you’ll as properly profit from that devoted 5GHz radio channel.

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

System Supervisor offers you an outline of your private home community, which consumer units are related to which node, and which radio band they’re utilizing. Every consumer’s connection may be ‘paused’, if you wish to manually implement homework time, wish to isolate a tool that’s hogging site visitors, otherwise you merely get pleasure from trolling the folks in your family.

Right here, you may as well rename the router and satellites with names like ‘Dwelling Room’, ‘Kitchen’ and many others to make it simpler to determine what’s what. 

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The format of the Orbi app is obvious and intuitive. Dwelling networking apps may be headache-inducing and labyrinthine, and the Orbi app is neither of this stuff. It doesn’t take lengthy to turn into acquainted with the format, and fairly quickly, you’ll know the place to go if you should arrange momentary Wi-Fi networks for friends, or change the SSID and password. 

The Wi-Fi Analytics instrument is one we don’t typically see. It permits you to measure sign energy, which is helpful for those who’re looking for a extra optimum place for issues. The WiFi Settings web page, as you’d anticipate, permits you to rename the SSID and alter the community password, in addition to share entry by way of a QR code, which could be very handy. You can even change between WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 encryption requirements. 

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

If you wish to do issues like tinker with port forwarding, VPN, or DNS settings, you’ll want to go 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 safety features. 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 per 30 days 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 the direction of signing up for both service, however if you wish to, shortcuts are proper there. 

The parental controls function is so much higher than we’ve seen on different mesh programs – which it ought to be at that worth.

When you’ve created profiles for relations, you then assign units to these profiles. You’ll be able to 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 reminiscent of TikTok and YouTube.

The advantage of doing parental management on the router stage means you possibly can apply restrictions throughout all of the units your little one has entry to. Nevertheless, the draw back is that they might merely flip off Wi-Fi on their telephone and use cell knowledge to bypass any of these restrictions… till they run out of cell knowledge.

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

Efficiency

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

The Orbi RBK762S delivered speeds per our expectations for an AX5400 Wi-Fi 6 system. Which means they’re very quick at shut ranges, whenever you’re connecting to them from newer units 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 a lot of pace assessments at varied areas all through the house utilizing the WiFi Pace Check Professional app on three totally different Android telephones – a Huawei Mate 10 Professional, a RealMe X50, and a Google Pixel 6. These assessments had been carried out standing one metre away from the router, then 5 metres away, behind a non-load bearing wall. The third take a look at occurred within the workplace – and the fourth take a look at occurred out within the backyard, as much as 20 metres away from the router. 

So you possibly can see how including a second satellite tv for pc adjustments the outcomes, I plugged it in within the kitchen, virtually 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 may see how they examine to Virgin’s Media Tremendous Hub 3 which makes use of Wi-Fi 5. 

As you possibly can see, the additional node didn’t make an enormous quantity of distinction to speeds within the nice majority of inside areas. In some circumstances, I speeds had been barely slower. That is prone to be as a result of the truth that the telephone was clinging to the router’s Wi-Fi connection as an alternative of switching to one of many satellites, which might have supplied quicker speeds. The handover course of is managed primarily by the telephone (or whichever machine you’re utilizing), and because of this the speeds aren’t slower for all three telephones when the additional node was added.

Total, the outcomes present that in a house of this measurement, there actually isn’t any level in shopping for a three-pack. Nevertheless, 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 Pace Check 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 generally change to 2.4GHz. However with three in play, all three telephones would at all times join utilizing 5GHz out within the backyard.

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The warmth maps above and beneath had been generated with the NetSpot app. Pink means a powerful sign, inexperienced is sweet, and darkish blue means a really weak sign. You’ll be able to see the advance in outdoors protection with three nodes, however with a slight distinction to indoor protection, as steered by the pace take a look at outcomes.

Thomas Newton / Foundry

Worth & availability

Netgear Orbi RBK760 {hardware} is that can be purchased 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. 

Further RBS760 satellites may be purchased for £219.99 / US$249.99 / AU$419. 

Within the UK, few different locations presently promote the Orbi RBK760, except for 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 search out the system out there elsewhere, however Costco had the RBK763 3-pack for $549.99.

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

Verdict

The Netgear Orbi RBK760 is a good mesh Wi-Fi system, but it surely’s additionally dear.

When you largely get what you pay for, for those who 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 – contemplate wanting on the Linksys Atlas 6 or TP-Hyperlink Deco PX50 and our full roundup of the very best mesh Wi-Fi programs.

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 by way of Orbi app (iOS, Android)
• Visitor Wi-Fi
• Parental controls
• Wi-Fi administration
• IPv4, IPv6
• WPA/WPA2 hybrid
• WPA3