Which Mesh Wi-Fi System Should I Buy?

Credit: Google

Netgear Orbi

Netgear OrbiCredit: Netgear
Netgear Orbi

Netgear offer one of the largest ranges of Mesh Wi-Fi systems on the market, with a total of six different mesh routers and four satellite / range extender units currently available.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the former:

Speed

  • The Orbi RBK20 is a tri-band Wi-Fi system that offers theoretical maximum combined speeds of up to 2200 Mbps.

  • The Orbi RBK23 is a tri-band Wi-Fi system that offers theoretical maximum combined speeds of up to 2200 Mbps.

  • The Orbi RBK50 is a tri-band Wi-Fi system that offers theoretical maximum combined speeds of up to 2200 Mbps.

  • The Orbi RBK50V is a tri-band Wi-Fi system that offers theoretical maximum combined speeds of up to 2200 Mbps.

  • The Orbi SKR60 is a tri-band Wi-Fi system that theoretical maximum combined speeds of up to 3000 Mbps.

  • The Orbi RBR20 is a tri-band Wi-Fi system that offers theoretical maximum combined speeds of up to 2200 Mbps.

Coverage

  • The Orbi RBK20 relies on two nodes out of the box, and offers coverage of up to 280 square meters.

  • The Orbi RBK23 uses three nodes out of the box, and offers coverage of up to 555 square meters.

  • The Orbi RBK50 is based around two nodes (one router and one satellite), and offers 465 square meters of coverage.

  • The Orbi RBK50V is a two-node system that offers 415 square meters of coverage.

  • The Orbi SKR60 is a two node system that offers coverage for up to approximately 465 square meters.

  • The Orbi RBR20 relies on a single node, and offers coverage of up to 185 square meters.

Connectivity

Regardless of the model, Netgear generally advise that their Orbi home Wi-Fi systems will offer the “best performance” for up to 50 devices concurrently. You can go beyond that, but individual device performance may be affected.

Software Features

Courtesy of a software update, almost every Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi router now features Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration. They also features smart parental controls (powered by Circle by Disney) via the main Orbi app and built-in cybersecurity via the BitDefender powered Netgear Armor app (this feature is not found in the RBK20, RBK23 and RBR20).

Satellites

Netgear also allow users to expand an existing Orbi network through a range of Wi-Fi satellite / range extender products.

  • The Netgear Orbi Whole Home AC2200 Tri-band WiFi System Satellite (AKA the RBS20) is priced at an Australian RRP of $229. It supports maximum Wi-Fi speeds of up to 2200Mbps, and offers coverage of up to 185 square meters.

  • The Netgear Orbi Voice Add-on WiFi System Satellite and Smart Speaker (AKA the RBS40V) is priced at an Australian RRP of $499. It supports maximum Wi-Fi speeds of up to 2200Mbps, and offers coverage of up to 185 square meters.

  • The Netgear Orbi Outdoor AC3000 WiFi Mesh Extender & Add-on Satellite (AKA the RBS50Y) is priced at an Australian RRP of $499. It supports maximum Wi-Fi speeds of up to 3000Mbps, and offers coverage of up to 230 square meters.

  • The Netgear Orbi Pro - AC3000 Tri-band Mesh Ceiling Add-on System Satellite (AKA the SRS20) is priced at an Australian RRP of $549. It supports maximum Wi-Fi speeds of up to 3000Mbps, and offers coverage of up to 230 square meters.

Pricing

  • The Netgear Orbi RBR20 has a recommended retail price of $229.
  • The Netgear Orbi RBK20 has a recommended retail price of $369.
  • The Netgear Orbi RBK23 has a recommended retail price of $499.
  • The Netgear Orbi RBK50 has a recommended retail price of $599.
  • The Netgear Orbi RBK50V has a recommended retail price of $799.
  • The Netgear Orbi SRK60 has a recommended retail price of $849.

Linksys Velop

Linksys Velop Mesh Wi-Fi systemCredit: Linksys
Linksys Velop Mesh Wi-Fi system

In Australia, Linksys offers three Mesh Wi-Fi packages:

Speed

The Linksys Velop AC3900 is only a dual-band system, so it offers a maximum theoretical throughput of 1300 Mbps per node. Meanwhile, the Linksys Velop AC4400 system is a beefy tri-band system with maximum theoretical throughput of 4400Mbps.

Finally, the Linksys Velop AC6600 is a tri-band system that tops out the range with a super high throughput of 6600Mbps.

Coverage

  • The Linksys Velop AC3900 is a three node system that offers up to 420 square meters of coverage.
  • The Linksys Velop AC4400 system is a two node system that offers up to 370 square meters of coverage.
  • The Linksys Velop AC6600 system is a three node system that offers up to 555 square meters of coverage.

Connectivity

Linksys say that each Velop device can handle up to a maximum of 32 clients per node.

Software Features

Each Linksys Velop mesh Wi-Fi system comes integrated with the Linksys app. This application allows you to have control over guest access, parental controls and device prioritization. You can also integrate your mesh system with Alexa, and to easily monitor your internet connection’s speed using the speed test function.

Pricing

  • The Linksys Velop AC3900 has a recommended retail price of $399.
  • The Linksys Velop AC4400 has a recommended retail price of $499
  • The Linksys Velop AC6600 has a recommended retail price of $649.

Google Wi-Fi

Google Wi-FiCredit: Google
Google Wi-Fi

Google's first mesh Wi-Fi system called Google Wi-Fi.

Speed

The Google Wi-Fi system is a dual-band AC1200 router, so it offers speeds of up to about 1200Mbps.

Coverage

According to the company, a single Google Wi-Fi node will offer up to 85 square meters of coverage. Adding a second node boosts that to 170 square meters.

Having a third node allows you to go beyond that. However, Google don’t explicitly state any sort of theoretical max range.

Connectivity

Google has not disclosed a specific limit for how many concurrent devices can connect to a Google Wi-Fi mesh system before they begin to infringe upon one another.

Software Features

Using the Google Wi-Fi app, network administrators are able to schedule a regular Wi-Fi pause on any connected devices, and for net-wary parents, block access to any explicit websites.

Pricing

A three-pack of Google Wi-Fi nodes is priced at $199, including GST.

Amazon Eero

EeroCredit: Eero
Eero

Speed

Amazon claim that a single Eero router can deliver speeds up to 550mbps while a 3-node system can hit up to 350mbps.

Coverage

Amazon claims that a single Eero node can cover up to 140 square meters of space and that a triple-pack can cover 460 square meters.

Connectivity

Each Eero Mesh Wi-Fi node offers dual-band connectivity and two Ethernet ports.

Software Features

In addition to tying into Amazon Alexa, Eero's mesh Wi-Fi hardware will also play nice with Apple HomeKit.

Pricing

In Australia, the eero mesh Wi-Fi system is available for preorder through Amazon from this week ahead of a June 24 launch. It'll cost you $199 for a single Wi-Fi node or $429 for a three-pack.

Which Mesh Wi-Fi System Should I Buy?

The short version is that you should buy the Mesh Wi-Fi system that makes the most sense for your home network. However, our above breakdowns do reveal and highlight a few things:

  • Users focused on the best speed should opt for one of Netgear’s Orbi routers.

  • Users keen to get the widest amount of coverage should look at Linksys or D-Link’s offerings.

  • If you’re looking to tie together your local network with any ZigBee “smart things”, the Deco M9 Plus is the way to go.

  • Users who require a mesh system capable of dealing with more than fifty devices at once are best served looking at TP-Link’s Deco range.

  • Users who want to invest in mesh Wi-Fi that's super easy to set up and use, should look at Google Nest Wi-Fi.

TP-Link DecoCredit: TP-Link
TP-Link Deco

This article was updated by Fergus Halliday on the 2nd of October 2020.

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Tags netgearmesh networkingTP-Linkmesh wi-fimeshEeroTP-Link DecoOrbiMesh Home Wi-FiGoogle Nest Wi-FiLinksys VelopGoogle Wi-FiVelop

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Fergus Halliday
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