Review Of Netgear Orbi Rbke963 Quad-band Wi-fi 6e Mesh

By Author: Gracee Smith
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Netgear’s Orbi RBKE963 is an incredible mesh system with huge coverage and stellar speeds. This mesh kit manages to be a jack of all trades thanks to its quad-band WiFi 6e connection, which makes real-world speeds possible with WiFi 6 alone. The spec sheet looks a lot like Netgear’s previous-generation flagship with the 6GHz band, but in practice, the speed increase is much more dramatic than the specifications suggest.

The RBR960 router and RBS960 satellites have received substantial hardware upgrades over the previous generation, including an upgrade to 10Gb Ethernet on the router and 2.5Gb Ethernet for the LAN. The satellites are also upgraded with a 2.5Gbps port which can also be used for mesh connections. With the AXE11000 an upgrade to WiFi 6, it’s one of the fastest home WiFi solutions money can buy.

The Orbi RBKE963’s nodes also look better than previous generations with a slightly different design, which eliminated the older unit’s gray plastic frame for a design with a more golden hue and less mainframe. You can also get it straight from Netgear in black, which brings some of the Nighthawk ...
... line’s aggression to the Orbi.

What are the good sides?
High-speed performance
The latest design looks amazing (especially in black)
Excellent coverage with three nodes
Support for faster 5GHz and 6GHz devices
What are the bad sides?
5GHz backhaul may limit mesh performance
Netgear Armor and Smart Parental Controls are separate subscriptions and quite expensive
No compatibility with older Orbi satellites
Price and availability
There’s no getting around it—the suggested Orbi RBKE963 quad-band mesh system with a router and two satellites is pretty pricey at $1,499.99. The system was released in late 2021 with the standard color available at retailers, while the black version is exclusive to Netgear.com. There’s no two-pack option at the time of this writing, but if you’re looking for more, get another satellite for $599.99.

The Orbi RBKE963 was the first quad-band router to compete with competitors with announcements at CES 2022. Firmware version 6.0.3.68_3.1.9 was used for this review and is currently writing.

Competition
The Asus ZenWiFi ET8 isn’t as fast as the Orbi RBKE963 with just a tri-band AXE6600 connection. This means it shares its 5GHz or 6GHz band between the device and the mesh connection. Still, this mesh handles gigabit connections like a charm and has a lot more customization in software than the Orbi. It also includes free parental controls and network protection for the product’s life. It can also be deployed in a mesh with other AiMesh Asus routers, including the blazing-fast ROG Rapture AXE11000.

The Netgear Orbi RBK852 is a tri-band AX6000 router with a dedicated 5GHz band. With only 5GHz devices, this router should perform the WiFi 6E model. So, if you want to keep up with Netgear and its services but don’t need the coverage and speed capabilities of the RBKE963, it’s a great option that still has more than enough speeds for most people.

The TP-Link Deco X90 is an AX6600 tri-band WiFi 6 mesh system with TP-Link’s AI-powered mesh tech under the hood. The system has two 5GHz bands; one is used for mesh connections and has more than enough speed for someone with a gigabit connection. TP-Link even lets its Deco units work together so you can create a hybrid mesh with smaller units in low-traffic areas.

Should you buy it?
Despite Orbi’s lofty goals, it delivers on its promise and packs in all the hardware an enthusiast would want in a top-of-the-line mesh system. This kit is designed for larger homes with 9,000 square feet of coverage from its router and two satellites. This doesn’t make sense for someone slower than someone with a gigabit internet connection or a smaller household, but it’s not supposed to.

The Netgear Orbi RBKE963 is considered the best mesh system you can buy, with the capability for every level of the device while being ready to maximize the performance of the next wave of devices operating with 6GHz. The fact is that most high-end smartphones coming in 2022 will have WiFi 6E built-in, and if you’re the type to wait for older hardware to mature a bit before buying, that’s still a lot. There are tech-tested ZenFone 8, Pixel 6 series, and Galaxy S21 Ultra options with the packing.

The Orbi RBKE963 is expensive, but it’s also in a class of its own. More quad-band and mesh systems are on the way, but Netgear beats everyone else out. It would be nice if Netgear Armor and Smart Parental Controls were cheaper, more precise, and easier to cancel. It can also cover some of the basics for free, as does TP-Link with HomeShield. The AXE11000 connection is no joke, and having 6GHz repeaters for the rest of your home makes WiFi 6E a reality for those looking for speed and stability around the house. So, if you’re willing to pay a premium for the latest and greatest wireless tech, go ahead. The router in this box will give you the fastest WiFi connection ever, and then there are still two more satellites in the box with the same speed.

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