Google WiFi System vs Netgear Orbi? Which is the better smart home mesh wifi system?
With Wi-Fi being the center of our home automation systems, it is crucial that you buy just the right one. Here, we are going to talk about two mesh routers – Google Wi-Fi vs Netgear Orbi. Both of them have been received with positive feedback from the public.
If you have a larger home or just one with WiFi dead zones a multi-node system is probably a better solution than the traditional wireless router with extenders. Here’s our list of the best Wi-Fi mesh network systems available today for your smarter home.
Blanket Your Smart Home With Speed Using The Google WiFi System
This was one of the first mesh kits to enter the market. It can comfortably cover about 4,500 square feet and for that price, it is quite worth it and the performance is quite reasonable. Size-wise it is small and if you don’t want it on display, it is small enough to be hidden away. The system can be bought as a single, double, or triple unit, as per your preference. The range it offers depends on the unit.
The Google WiFi System come with two LAN ports. Its rating of AC1200 is lagging behind others. The router offers a speed of about 465 Mbps, as seen on the tests conducted, which is actually quite low when compared to other options on the market. However, the good thing with the Google system is that its setup is quick and painless. It offers great security one can see in mesh routers of today. Google Qi-Fi systems use TPM for authentication and updates on the firmware.
Google Mesh WiFi System offer support for MU-MIMO. Each of the units comes with a USB Type C port for charging purposes. Do note that it does not have an integrated modem. The “Priority Device” is a boost mode that lets the user give priority to a network over the others. Expanding and setting up is very easy and a huge bonus.
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“I just LOVE how easy this was to set up. Our house is a 1400sf L shape, with the kitchen and dining on the short side of the L and the bedrooms on the long side. We have the router in the living room where the cable modem and Ooma router are, in the corner of the L. I was worried that the signal would not reach my room, which is the farthest, but I usually get the FULL signal there. It literally took me five minutes to set it all up. Now all of our devices are working well and I LOVE that I can shut off the wifi to devices individually (hello TEEN and PRETEEN children!) and have a separate Wifi signal for guests without having to give any passwords (the app handles it)” – A Regular Mom December 20, 2017
“This device has been a true godsend for me. I’ve tried Wi-Fi extenders, Wireless Access Points, and Powerline adapters with little to no success…and then Google Wi-Fi walked into my life. As soon as the device was announced I was ready to pick one up.” – Smart Home March 18, 2017
“I was in the same situation as others who have reviewed this product. We have a 2 story home and a finished basement. Prior to googles mesh system I had to have two routers to get a “decent” signal throughout my home. I tried extenders but they were worthless. I had to have several wireless networks setup. So you would have to switch networks if you wanted a decent signal in the basement. Once I hooked up this system I had a strong signal from top to bottom of my house.” – L. Young June 20, 2017
Higher Costs Provide The Highest Speeds, And Coverage, With The Orbi Whole Home Mesh WiFi System
While the other manufacturers are still on their first-generation mesh kits, second-generation Netgear Orbi is making the headlines. It features an excellent range and great performance. What makes it good is that it has a dedicated channel that sends data to its extensions. Orbi offers the customer’s choice of five models. There is a device specifically designed and manufactured for outdoor use.
The Netgear Orbi Whole Home Mesh WiFi System can be easily set up with Netgear’s app and is good enough to offer data to a 4,000-square-foot house. The more expensive models can increase their range to 5,000 square feet. The RBK30 Wall Plug Satellite is perfect for reaching out to all the hidden spots. While its smaller than the original version, it is huge compared to Google’s Wi-Fi systems.
This model, however, cannot be hidden like Google’s WiFi System. The design is spectacular which can make your guests go gaga over the device. The manufacturer has also added the MU-MIMO technology to ensure that the users stay updated with the latest technology. You can also easily customize the setting using the Netgear’s Genie app.
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“Replaced my old (but still functional) Asus RT-N66R router & multiple Wi-Fi extenders with the NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System AC3000 with a total of 3 satellites. I placed the Orbi router in the first floor office, one satellite in the first floor family room, the second satellite in the master bedroom on the second floor & the third (a Orbi Plugin) satellite in the garage. The results in increased speed & coverage have been spectacular. No dead spots or poor connections anywhere.” – SJMiller January 27, 2018
“Nothing comes close to the performance of this ORBI system. I am getting 108 to 110 MB per second down the Ethernet line, and I am getting 108 to 110 MB per second throughout 95% of my house (NO signal loss) … and in the most remote 5% of my house the signal drops only very slightly from 108 to 110 MB per second down to about 95 MB per second. Wow! I even went outside my house, across the street to the other side of the road, and I was still pulling a very impressive 35 MB per second! This is the only WiFi system to consider if you must have the very best.” – JLJ November 8, 2017
“Been using this for a month and I’m extremely happy with it. I have the router connected to an ISP-provided combo router/cable-modem which has been put into bridge mode (i.e., router & wifi disabled). Coupled with the satellite unit, we have complete coverage through the whole house — can watch videos from the kitchen, driveway, front porch, and everywhere else. The fact that the 2 & 5 ghz networks have the same SSID also makes me happy.” – Ryan Sawhill Aroha June 7, 2017
*** A Quick Breakdown Of The Competitors ***
Advantages of Google WiFi System over Netgear Orbi Whole Home Mesh WiFi System:
– Small in size
– Strong build – can last for years
Advantages of Netgear Orbi Whole Home Mesh WiFi System over Google WiFi System:
– Better range and performance
– Simple Setup apps
So, what’s the decision? Who won the smart home battle between the Google WiFi System and Netgear Orbi Whole Home Mesh WiFi System ?
Orbi looks like a clear winner with multiple models, including one designed for outdoor use. It also offers good speed and consistent performance. While Google Wi-Fi systems are not the fastest mesh systems in the market, they make sure that the service they provide is good enough and at affordable rates. If you are a networking enthusiast, then this one is probably not for you. It is for the common public yearning for an affordable and well-performing mesh Wi-Fi system.
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