Netgear Orbi Voice review
Our Verdict
Among the best-performing home-networking devices available, Netgear'due south Orbi Voice performs a trick that no other mesh network kit can: It combines Alexa vox control, data and sound in an extension that sets the pace in functioning and music.
For
- Excellent performance
- Alexa voice assistant congenital-in
- Defended backhaul router-to-extension aqueduct
- Born speakers and microphones
- Configure with app or browser
Against
- Muddy audio
- Large devices
- 90-day support
- Long setup
Tom's Guide Verdict
Among the all-time-performing home-networking devices available, Netgear'southward Orbi Voice performs a play a joke on that no other mesh network kit tin can: It combines Alexa voice control, data and audio in an extension that sets the stride in functioning and music.
Pros
- +
Fantabulous operation
- +
Alexa voice assistant built-in
- +
Defended backhaul router-to-extension aqueduct
- +
Congenital-in speakers and microphones
- +
Configure with app or browser
Cons
- -
Muddied sound
- -
Big devices
- -
90-day back up
- -
Long setup
Netgear Orbi Phonation key specs
Wi-Fi Spec: 802.11ac/tri-band
Number of Antennas/Removable: half dozen/No
Ports: Four 1Gbps LAN, USB 2.0, power
Processor: Quad-core 710 MHz
Retention/Storage: 512MB/4GB
Wi-Fi Chip: Qualcomm IPQ4019
Peak 802.11ac Performance: 607.2 Mbps
Range: 105 feet, router merely
Size: 8.6 x 6.v x 4.ix inches
Netgear takes a practiced thing and makes it better past adding speakers and Alexa vox control to the company's Orbi mesh router kit, already ane of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems out there. While the muddy audio can't compete with what the likes of Sonos produce, the Orbi combines enviable range with acme throughput. At $430, the Netgear Orbi Mesh WiFi System with Orbi Vocalism Smart Speaker (RBK50V) tin can make full a home with data and tunes.
Editor's Note: We periodically update our reviews to make sure that pricing and data is up to appointment. The rating and recommendations in our Netgear Orbi Voice review is unchanged from when it originally published in Nov of 2018
Netgear Orbi Vocalisation review: Design
The latest member of the popular Orbi family, the Orbi Mesh WiFi System with Orbi Phonation Smart Speaker (RBK50V) may take a mouthful of a name, but it combines the powerful Orbi RBR50 router with the new RBS40V speaker extension. Currently available only every bit a pair that sells for $430, the RBS40V speaker extension will shortly be sold on its ain for $300.
If yous idea that Netgear'south Orbi original RBR50 router was equally big as home networking gear gets, think again. The RBS40V extension is more cylindrical, measures eight.6 x half-dozen.five x iv.9 inches and is near one-third larger. It looks enormous compared to the likes of the Samsung SmartThings or Eero mesh disks and is roughly double the size of the Sonos One extension speaker, which lacks the Orbi Vocalisation's networking abilities.
Within, the RBS40V extension has not only Netgear's signature tri-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi gear, simply also a 35-watt amplifier, three.5-inch woofer, 1-inch tweeter and passive bass-reflex port. This Orbi has been tuned by engineers at Harman Kardon and is covered in an inoffensive gray textile. Along the pinnacle is an assortment of 4 microphones that listen for Alexa commands.
The colored LED band on top of the Voice satellite glows blue when everything is working well and Alexa is listening for a command. When this ring glows white, the router is fix to connect to an extension, but if the LED blinks red, something has gone wrong with the device.
This Orbi has been tuned by engineers at Harman Kardon. Along the superlative is an assortment of four microphones that listen for Alexa commands.
Each Orbi device has six antennas and loftier-power signal amplifiers to catch weak signals. The RBR50 router is rated at AC3000 and tin can work with up to iii extensions. It sets up two ten 2 streams for its primary 2.4-GHz and v-GHz bands as well as a 5-GHz 4 x four backhaul portal between the extension and the router.
The back of the RBR50 router has a power port, an on/off button, a recessed reset key and a sync button for connecting with extensions. In that location's a good assortment of ports, including 1 input (for a broadband connectedness) and three output gigabit-Ethernet connections (for downstream networked accessories). The Orbi also has a USB port for a printer or data drive, simply this port uses the older USB two.0 spec.
By comparison, the RBS40V extension gets by with a pair of Ethernet connections. The back has power, reset and sync keys, while the height has on/off buttons for its microphones and speakers. In that location'south also a button to become Alexa's attending.
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You tin can increment and decrease the volume by sliding a finger over the semicircular volume control, simply in that location's a lag of a couple seconds. On the downside, neither device has a headphone jack, RCA audio or Toslink connections to plug in off-the-shelf speakers.
Netgear Orbi Vocalism review: Performance
Based on Qualcomm'due south IQP4019 Wi-Fi chip with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage space for firmware and settings, the Orbi RBR50 sets up an 802.11ac network that can motion upwardly to 3 Gbps. This Orbi uses MU-MIMO techniques to satisfy several clients, and it uses beam forming to customize the signal to the receiver's hardware. Together, the RBR50 and RBS40V can make full a 4,500-square-foot home, according to Netgear.
Overall, this kit tore through our networking testing using Ixia's IxChariot benchmark software, which simulates a decorated network. Able to evangelize 607.2 Mbps at v feet, the RBK50V Orbi Voice kit outdoes its cousin, the RBK40, and its 543.5 Mbps every bit well as the Eero'south 573.seven Mbps, chirapsia them past xi percentage and half-dozen percent at the same distance.
RBR50 continues to pb where it counts, with 563.9 Mbps, 543.6 Mbps and 498.9 Mbps available at 15 feet, l anxiety and 100 feet, versus 451 Mbps, 450 Mbps and 250.3 Mbps for Eero. At 150 anxiety, the Orbi RBR50 had throughput of 359.9 Mbps compared to Eero's 229.9 Mbps, a 36 percent reward.
On the other hand, the Orbi RBR50 vicious short on our penetration tests, delivering 361.ii Mbps through a metal wall. The Linksys Velop kit outperformed the Orbi, with 560.0 Mbps, or 35 per centum more throughput. Similarly, the RBR50 pushed 430.five Mbps through a soundboard wall (versus 550 Mbps for the RBK40) and 376.5 Mbps upwards a flooring (compared to the Eero'south 471.ii Mbps).
With a RBS40V satellite connected, the pair pushed 355.1 Mbps in a single-hop topology. That's 25 percent off the footstep set by the Orbi RBR40 router connected to an RBK40's extension. This coverage was enough to fill my iii,500-square-foot home. The Orbi router had a range of 105 feet, slightly off the RBK40's class-leading 125 anxiety.
It ran without a problem over a week of daily utilize and easily passed our breezy saturation test, in which I played an internet radio station on a Macbook Air and videos on a Surface Pro 3 and iPad Pro tablets while a Samsung TabPro South moved information on and off a network-attached storage system. Even when I listened to music through the Orbi Phonation's extension speaker, the sound and video played without a skip, stutter or dropout.
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While impressive in terms of networking, the Orbi RBSV40'southward audio quality was muddy and lacked the midrange richness that the Sonos 1 does so well. You tin't utilize two RBS40V extensions to create stereo sound, which you lot tin do with the Sonos One, and y'all're express to using merely two extension speakers.
Netgear Orbi Voice review: Setup
Netgear continues with one of the easiest setup procedures for creating a mesh router network, merely with the Vocalization extension, the process has grown to over 15 minutes long. The pre-paired devices ease the installation and allow the apply of an iOS or Android app or a connected web browser; to get started, type, "orbilogin.com".
Netgear continues with i of the easiest setup procedures for creating a mesh router network, just with the Voice extension, the procedure has grown to over 15 minutes long.
With the RBR50 router continued to my broadband connectedness and located next to the RBS40V extension, I powered both up and started the setup procedure with the iOS app on my iPad Pro. Afterwards agreeing to Netgear'south license and deciding to utilize two-gene authentication but non my Facebook account to log in, I snapped the QR code on the router's bottom to install the Orbi app.
Once the router rebooted, I continued my iPad Pro to the router's Wi-Fi network using the password printed on the underside of the Orbi unit. The software scanned and plant the router, and I entered the number of satellites I had. After a second reboot, the software found the Vocalization extension, and a couple minutes later, it was gear up upwardly.
Because Orbi devices come with semirandom network names and passwords, for security'due south sake, information technology'southward a good thought to change these settings. I finished by answering ii security questions and declined the offer to use the same password for the network as for entry into the administrative settings.
Afterwards a final reboot, everything was set. I loaded the Circle app for parental control and moved the units to where I wanted them to live. The speaker extension worked like a charm 65 feet from the Orbi router, connecting my unabridged home.
With everything ready, I logged in to and synced the gear with my Alexa business relationship.
I asked Alexa to tell me the weather and plough the router's guest network on and off. Then, I kicked dorsum to stream music from my Spotify and Amazon Music accounts. The Orbi also works with Pandora and iHeartRadio just not with music on a telephone or a networked server.
Netgear Orbi Vox review: Configuration
As is the case with the setup, customizing and configuring the Orbi can be done either with its app or online via the browser interface. Regardless of which you use, the main dashboard screen not but shows which extensions are connected, but also has links to online clients, a network map and rudimentary Wi-Fi settings.
I peculiarly like the internet speed exam and that you tin can chop-chop change the password. Unfortunately, the app lacks more than-technical things, such as ways to conform the router'due south maximum-manual unit or perform port forwarding.
If you dig deep into the app's interface, you'll find presets for v different types of music, as well as treble and bass adjustments for the extension's speakers. A full graphic blaster would have been better for adjusting the Orbi's output.
There's also a link to Disney'due south Circle parental controls, but I was flummoxed by having to go betwixt the Netgear Orbi app (for monitoring and customization) and the Circle app (for parental control). With the free Basic edition of Circle, you can block ads, fix a profile for each member of the family unit, pause an net connection for dinnertime and set a multifariousness of types of field of study matter equally off limits for children.
If you want to track overall web usage and gear up a bedtime, when the spider web is turned off automatically, you'll need to pay $4.99 for the Premium edition. There'south a one-month costless trial of that edition.
Netgear Orbi Vocalisation review: Smart domicile integration
While Orbi lacks a consolidated home-automation interface, which is a key feature in other mesh routers like Samsung's SmartThings, it can use Alexa equally a voice interface. Afterward logging in to an Amazon business relationship, I was able to plow the router's invitee network on and off.
One of the all-time-performing mesh kits around, the Orbi Vocalization is easy to set, uses Alexa voice control, and can be configured with a browser connection or an app.
Like other network-equipment makers, Netgear includes a one-year warranty with its Orbi gear, and you can summon help from the Orbi app. On the downside, Netgear offers only 90 days of support, which is enough for all just the hardest setups. Orbi'due south competitors include at least a year of support. There's a handy Vocalism manual as well as 24-hour support technicians waiting for your call, e-mail or chat session.
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Netgear Orbi Voice review: Verdict
Netgear Orbi Voice breaks new footing for home networking by combining vox interaction with a mesh router and a speaker satellite. One of the best-performing mesh kits around, the Orbi Vox is easy to fix, uses Alexa vocalisation control, and tin can be configured with a browser connectedness or an app. Yet, the kit'southward audio is less than platonic.
At $430, the RBK50V kit is an integrated alternative to a separate data network and wireless speakers. It excels at operation and is more than adequate at listening for Alexa commands and playing music. This kit is unique in the world of home networking but remains 1 of the most expensive and largest networking devices yous tin can buy for the home.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/netgear-orbi-voice,review-5968.html
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