No excuses for smart home dropouts with the new cellular Orbi option
Netgear has announced a 5G version of its latest Wi-Fi mesh network: the Netgear Orbi 5G WiFi 6 Mesh System (NBK752).
Full verdict: Netgear Orbi 5G WiFi 6 Mesh System NBR752 review
New flagship: Netgear Orbi 970 Series (RBE973) review
Like Netgear’s other highly regarded Orbi mesh network systems, the new system fixes issues of poor Wi-Fi reception using a multi-nodal system of satellites. They communicate with each other to flood your home with signal.
Read next: Best mesh Wi-Fi systems
However, the Netgear Orbi 5G WiFi 6 Mesh System goes a step further by including a 5G modem in the base unit; a cellular backup as per the Netgear Orbi LBR20 4G LTE, which we reviewed earlier this year.
It operates much as 5G or 4G does in your phone. There’s a slot for a nanoSIM on the back, removing the need for a classic home broadband subscription in your home, although it is still capable of receiving and broadcasting a regular wired internet connection from an ISP.
Alongside the nanoSIM slot sits two Gigabit Ethernet ports, allowing for a wired connection, and a LAN/WAN port.
It’s this last one that lets you hook the system up to a non-5G classic broadband modem.
The price of 5G
The Netgear Orbi 5G WiFi 6 Mesh System package does not come cheap, at £1,099 for the 5G base unit and one range-boosting satellite.
Netgear claims this two-unit team can spread signal over up to 4,000 square feet. Judging by our experience with Netter’s existing Orbi systems, you will have to experiment with the positioning of the boxes to get the best results.
The internet signal is spread through your home using Wi-Fi 6, which is able to handle an army of devices at the same time.
Explainer: What is Wi-Fi 6?
It uses a tri-band Wi-Fi system, which means there’s a 2.4GHz signal and two 5GHz bands, offering a solid connection to new devices and oldies that may not even have 5GHz support.
Similarly, the 5G modem does not support just 5G. It will pick up 4G/LTE signals too, although if 5G is yet to make it to your home town we’d recommend doing some network performance testing of your own before jumping in.
While the Netgear Orbi 5G WiFi 6 Mesh System supports Gigabit-speed internet, the actual results will depend on your network’s speed in your area.
The new Orbi measures 9.7 x 7.7 x 3.4in, and looks similar to other models in the series. It’s a rounded tower, less obnoxious than the average router.
You get a 30-day trial of Netgear Armor with the system too. It offers a security dashboard and antivirus protection from Bitdefender.
Pre-orders are open now.
It’s been a busy month for Netgear, with the networking specialist also taking the covers off of the Orbi Quad-band Mesh WiFi 6E System recently; the world’s first quad-band Wi-Fi 6E mesh system.
