Some types of tri-band routers split the 5GHz frequency band, using one swath of channels available in 5GHz spectrum to create a second network, and another swath of channels in that spectrum to operate a third network. tri-bandĪ dual-band Wi-Fi router operates two discrete networks, one on the 2.4GHz frequency band and a second on the less-congested 5GHz frequency band. Some smart home devices use Bluetooth, but all the routers with Bluetooth radios that we’ve seen so far use that protocol only for initial router setup.Ī beamforming router knows where its clients are located in physical space and can pack in more data by focusing the radio signals they exchange. I’d venture to say that most people who buy traditional routers never touch most of those settings or even use many of their advanced features they buy them because higher-end routers deliver faster Wi-Fi performance.Ī dual-purpose router with smart home features will have a ZigBee and/or Z-Wave radio that can communicate with sensors, smart lights, smart entry locks, motorized window shades, and lots of other devices that use the same protocols. And they typically have one or two USB ports that can be used to share a printer or USB storage with all the devices on the network. Most have built-in ethernet switches (four ports or more), so you can hardwire network devices directly to the router. Traditional routers tend to offer more granular control over your network, with tweakable settings for features such as QoS (Quality of Service), port forwarding, VPNs, FTP servers, and much more. The Netgear Nighthawk X10, for instance, has a 10Gbps ethernet port for network storage. High-end conventional routers offer high-performance features you won’t find in mesh Wi-Fi systems. Netgear Orbi Home WiFi System (RBK50) review Orbi devices, on the other hand, are among the most expensive mesh Wi-Fi components, and the RBK50 kit in particular is overkill for for smaller spaces. We also like the fact that the Orbi router has a built-in three-port ethernet switch (the satellite has a four-port switch), because those ports provide so much flexibility in terms of connecting other devices to your network, be it a NAS box for media streaming and data backup, a network printer that doesn’t support Wi-Fi, or an older ethernet-only A/V receiver in your entertainment center.Īn Orbi network can also be expanded with a smart speaker (the Orbi Voice, which supports the Amazon Alexa digital assistant) and a purpose-built outdoor satellite (the Orbi Outdoor). The secret to the Orbi RBK50’s success is Netgear’s dedicated 4×4, 1,733Mbps radio used for data backhaul between the router and its satellites (the RBK50 comes with one satellite, which Netgear says is sufficient to blanket 5,000 square feet).
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