Netgear Orbi RBK752 Review

It’s a tale as old as time. There’s that one spot in your house that just cannot get a good Wi-Fi signal, and for a while, there were solutions like adding access points or Powerline networking to the mix. And both of those came with their own technical challenges that meant you might still have problems with Wi-Fi signals. Powerline, for instance, is very dependent on the quality of the wiring in your home and could leave you with worse performance than the spotty signal. Enter mesh Wi-Fi. Via a series of devices in various points of the home, you can get a strong wireless signal wherever you are in the house. If you find a blackspot, you can always add another satellite to make up the deficit.

Out of the box, the Netgear Orbi RBK752 looks very muted in contrast to other routers you may have used previously. It has styling more in line with some abstract pieces you’d pick up in your local department store, than looking like a traditional router, with aerials popping out all over the place. All this means that the Orbi kit looks and feels smart and sophisticated, along with which it forgoes the usual flashing lights all over, meaning it’s less like Blackpool Illuminations in your living room.

Feature-wise, you get a Wi-Fi 6 capable setup, enabling up to 4.2Gbps of bandwidth to your devices, which at this point in time is more than enough for the majority of speeds you’d get with a UK ISP. Between the router and the satellite, you’re also getting up to 4,000 square feet of coverage which is what most people would consider a “mansion”. That said, there’s an increase in the popularity of houses with loft conversions as the younger generation find it harder to get on the ladder, and for me, this is where the Orbi really started to shine.

I have recently moved to a new abode, which has a bedroom at the very top of the house, a room with which my ISP provided router meant that the signal at the top was weak and spotty. However, with strategic placement of the satellite on the second floor all of the house was covered by a strong signal, even out into the garden, which also had a few weaker spots.

It was an absolute cinch to set up too. Turn the device on, open the app on my phone and scan the QR code that’s on the main unit. From there, it’s a case of following the in-app wizard, which takes you through connecting it to your modem, as well as connecting the satellite. I was up and running within ten minutes, including plugging in the satellite in another room.

Which brings us to the one stickler of the Orbi system. The price. Right now, you can pick up the Orbi RBK752 on review here for around £450 in most electronics retailers which is quite a step up from the more consumer-level routers available. However, when you factor in that one of the additional satellites cost £250, that price suddenly appears more reasonable in the fact you’re getting both the router and a satellite here in the bundle. What it comes down to is whether you’re prepared to put down the cash needed, or have a life of consistent complaints that the Wi-Fi isn’t strong enough to watch Netflix from the other half/teenager/child (delete as appropriate). I know which option I’d be choosing. The Orbi, every time.

Overall then, the Orbi is a solid solution for whole home Wi-Fi coverage, with an easy setup procedure and great coverage if you can get over the pricey looking hurdle at the gate.