NETGEAR Orbi - WiFi System App

I am blown away by the Orbi system. I switched from a normal tri-band router to this 2 satellite orbi (three piece unit) because I was unable to stream two roku sticks at one time. I have a three story home with one orbi unit on each floor. Not only are my streaming devices spit fire fast, but I’ve got noticeably faster upload and download speeds to my Xbox one console, my computer, work laptop, the families laptops, our tablets and cell phones. The app is easy to use and understand allowing me to password protect the router, check on the net time and traffic, and even check my speeds and diagnose connectivity with the tap of a block. If my net is down because of the fiber optic work the phone company is doing, my 4g/lte still allows me to connect to the unit! All in all it’s a very... VERY... powerful unit for what I believe is an affordable price. I feel like I spend less time working on the families computers and more time enjoying them and our streaming services. If you’re a multi level home or a multi player household, or even if you just have lots of friends, family, or company in your home, orbi is a must have in my book.

Router & satellite are amazing compared to Google wifi Mesh. Yes I like Orbi RBK50 design, it does fit into our space nicely. Counting all the Ethernet ports Netgear gave us (7) not including port for modem which makes eight. It really does makes a difference hardwiring smart TV’s, Apple TV and other devices through Ethernet ports like PlayStation. I have notice zero refreshing while streaming cable television or watching Apple TV. All cable providers stations look visually good and thinking about it my 5.1 surround sound sound fantastic. I have 22 devices connected including security cameras etc. I haven’t experienced one single hiccup. App: It’s basic but very functional for what’s immediately important. I do question quality of Speedtest just because sometimes it gives ridicules low results compared to browser Speedtests which put Orbi off the map and beyond the stars fast. Maybe update for app will fix issue. I don’t mind having a second app called Circle to manage family members because it keeps apps much cleaner and less junky. What I don’t like is paying monthly subscription and since I don’t use Circle anyways it really doesn’t matter but I do get occasional notifications which is annoying from apps. Security: Running Bitcoin Core drives security features nuts and yet too redundant. I think to open ports and assign static addresses Orbi needs access through a browser. I haven’t needed to do this.

I had a nightmare with the setup. It didn’t recognize the satellite when it was 10 feet away. This app provides nothing but endless waiting. Search for the satellite? How about watching a spinning circle for 3 minutes? Now do that 20 times and you will start to get the idea. For some operations there is a progress bar, but for most it is just a spinner and a message to wait for several minutes. After a reset the router forgot all admin passwords (including the default!) and was inaccessible. Finally after some combination of resets and new setups and power cycles, it finally found the satellite. Ultimately I started the install around 5pm, and everything was up and running by 9pm. The router has been working well for 8 days, but the app is broken. The device list is populated, but the app says none of them are connected to the network. The network map shows both routers, but no connected devices for either of them. The web interface for the router works as expected and shows all connected devices properly. So it is clearly an issue with the app parsing the data provided by the router. Finally, the app forces you into creating an account, and demands personal information. It automatically signs you up for trials of some virus protection BS, filling my inbox with spam from a company that I never interacted with. Welcome to a world with ads ON your router. This app is pathetically poor, and 2 stars is a very generous rating.

I was wondering pretty excited about getting this WiFi router. I’ve been hearing such great things about mesh type WiFi routers. Setup was easy and comes in two flavors; the Orbi app or a web browser. I chose the Orbi app and it was easy. Our WiFi was up and running within 20 minutes. Every item we have connected easily to the router and speeds seemed great (no specific speed tests were run, just watched Netflix on each device). I have a 14 year old and needed to setup some limits. I had time limits for each day on my old router where it would allow a connection to the internet between 7am and 10pm on his devices. I also have a few websites blocked through my old router. I could not do this on the Orbi. You had to use Open DNS (separate website) along with the Orbi’s parental controls menu to setup websites or servers. You could not, however, setup times for internet access to devices. This is unacceptable to me. The Orbi has Circle Disney setup on it, which gives you more parental controls at a cost of $5/month?!?! That is also a separate login. Both Circle and what little parental controls within the Orbi router was just too complicated and lacking for me to keep the device, so we returned it and reconnected our old WiFi router. We now will be looking for another router manufacturer for our home.

I love the control and insights that are provided by the Orbi app. I can see my Network map and actually understand it. I get pings when one of us unwittingly opens a website that may be malicious. It is nice to get advanced warnings from invisible cyber threats. It is hard to know otherwise. I can perform updates without going to a website and so far all updates have been minimally intrusive. My only complaint is the Armor, Netgear, Bitdefender rabbit hole you wind up in once you pay for a device. There is no way to define/understand these individual, free standing products when they get bundled into a subscription. And good luck getting support when you get a message that your device isn’t protected when you thought it was. This can be troublesome. It gets worse when it is about to expires. Then you get emails telling you to renew...I shut off auto-renewal in all my accounts so I can be a good consumer at the end of a contract. I won’t spend money to renew if a product drops in productivity. However, in the case of Orbi, I have little concerns. If there was a way in my account that I can see Orbi, Armor, Bitdefender all in one place, I would give this 5 stars.

When I purchased the Orbi 863 package with one router and two satellites, I was extremely excited about how awesome of an experience I was going to have. These expectations were based on my past experience with Netgear, and Netgear support. (which includes this app.). Well, boy have I been let down and then some. The hardware seems to be adequate… However, it is nowhere near the asking price of over 1200 bucks. There are equal systems out there that have better software and better support. I’ll be looking to them from now on unless Netgear somehow miraculously finds a good software engineer… Along with somebody with the hospitality management training and experience to turn their support service around. Two bucks in the app one I can’t access access control on the web interface or the app. And also, and this is a big deal, I have no access to pro support that I paid for a two year subscription. All it will show me under support. Is that my original 90 day grace period that they give you with a new purchase of Orbi products is expired. Well that’s why I paid for the two year subscription so give me access to it, please. I know that nobody from Netgear has the drive or desire to succeed enough to read these reviews for customers or perspective customers beware of Netgear software and beware of their support.

I have a five bedroom and three floors home. The main source is on the top floor. I hook up the main router on the top. I have the small two that connects on the second floor one at each end of the floor. So far it is great as long as no one messes with it at the source. I love the app because I can share the password via text. Test the speed and look at the security and it has parent control and guest which I don’t use but options are there. I love the fact I can be anywhere and I can use and look at the app to see if internet is connected I do not have to be in my home. It is very easy and simple to set up. I had Orbi since April 2020. It was my first router. It was price range $200. It is well the investment. I was looking more for width. This is what I needed. My brother would get cheaper brands it always gets knocked off and he buys more and it is all over the place. It was very frustrating not being able to get connected. I hope this help. Thank you for taking the time to read my review. Best luck to you in finding what is right for you. I would recommend this . 100%

I have been trying for over 3 hours to get this device setup. It won’t connect to my existing WiFi. And there is only a little card as a quick start. No operating manual at all. I can’t go back to any previous screens on the app. There was no ‘security’ verification in the app. Orbi shows up on my settings as unsecured device. Right now it’s not worth the $200 I paid for it. I can’t get ahold of any tech support that is advertised. Troubleshooting through their website...gave all info only to be instructed to contact internet service provider. I was on the phone with internet provider for almost an hour and I got so frustrated with them saying that my modem will be turned off when I connect orbi. Well...I got to get the dang orbi connected first. 🤬. ETA…a year later and this thing has given me nothing by headaches. Every couple of weeks I have to reset everything and start over. Now I’m being told that if I want phone support, I have to pay another $140. Because they only allow 90 days of support. I’ve used more than 90 days in this last year resetting this thing. They sure do want your money for a product that is crappy. And then more money to actually help you make it work. During my last reset, all of the info from it got wiped out of the app. ??? How???

After 6 months on I will say I am impressed! I purchased this because of the WFH order but with everyone home I was struggling to actually work! I have not had one Teams, WebEx, Skype or Go To meeting lag time meeting since instillation and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Watching a moving using my Firestick and Dish has never been better! I decided not to take a star away for the lack of instal directions but to simply include them in hopes others can have a less frustrating install. -Unpack it completely and place your Orbi’s where you will use them and leave them there don’t plug into electricity. -Download the software -Go to your ISP and disable their WIFI signal. -Begin with the included directions to this point. KEY! If you have to start over.. use a pin to reset the Orbi holding it in for 5-10 seconds until the lights change. If you do not turn off your WiFi signal Peace be with you! You will go in circles! And don’t name it the same! Worst advice!

I bought the Netgear Orbi Ultra-Performance router 11 months ago. Initially when I bought it I expected to have good internet coverage throughout my home. So far, the orbi has exceeded my expectations in that regard. Not only do I have good coverage in my home, but also just about everywhere else on the property. The interior walls of my home are constructed of 4 inch concrete blocks and the exterior walls are constructed of 8 inch concrete blocks with rebar. All devices on the wireless network experience the same network speed everywhere on the property. There doesn’t appear to be any dead spots. This is especially useful for my wireless Reolink home security cameras which I have located on different corners of my home. I can also see all of the devices connected to my network through netgear’s mobile app and I can allow or deny access to any of these devices. Disney’s circle app which can be used with this device is a good free app for enabling different levels of restrictions for devices on the network. Every now and again I would have to restart the router because of a problem with my internet signal at home. Aside from this minor inconvenience this is a great product and I’m happy with my purchase.

I have 2 Satellites to have a triangulation of coverage in my two story house, which should provide excellent overall coverage. But the problem is, when a device is connected to the WiFi, which ever Hub or Satellite was closest on first connecting... that’s where it forever stays. Simply put, no matter where I go in the house, say with my phone, if I’m closer and better connected to a different satellite, the system doesn’t automatically switch my connection to the best connection. It keeps me at the first, which may be bad at the other side of the house. This is retarded and defeats the purpose of adding more satellites... other than to just extend that initial link, which is fine for a static device, but seriously, mobile devices need to be able to get the best connections always. I should also be able to manage at least manually how a device is connected with whichever base or Satellite I want. Give me the control if the system itself fails to optimize the connections automatically. This to me is a huge oversight and failure of the company and product. This needs to get fixed, if they want to be seen as a premier WiFi connection company.

I give it a perfect rating for setup and initial configuration. I bought a Netgear Orbi AC3000 router with an additional satellite. I plugged them in, followed the prompts on the app and I was up and going with excellent WiFi in no time! Once you’re in there’s not much to the app other than monitoring the speed and connection. My one critique is their insistence on downloading a separate app called “circle” to utilize most of its unique features. If you want to pause internet, set up parental controls, and manage specific devices, you must download Circle. First of all why cant all of this integrate with the Orbi app? And second, upon downloading Circle (and setting up yet another account), you must pay a monthly subscription if you want to use it. (Yes there’s a free account option but it’s extremely limited - not worth it). Call me old fashioned I assumed all this would be included with a very expensive router but I guess not. It’s not the end of the world, but the circle thing felt like a bait and switch. Over all, I give it a good rating because it works well, but not perfect because I don’t want to pay a monthly subscription.

Just moved into a 100-year old multi-story house with plaster walls that were eating my old wifi signal alive, so I switched to Orbi after seeing the great reviews. Now that it’s finally set up it seems solid, and the reviews weren’t kidding: the 500Mbps wireless throughput still blows my mind. But Netgear has got to figure out why it’s iOS setup process is so terrible. I have as simple a setup as one could: pulled the router and satellite out of the box, plugged them in, but it took half a dozen tries for them even to recognize each other. And worst of all, every time the devices refused to cooperate, the app just sat there with no help, no advice. Netgear is clearly a hardware company, not a software company. I hope they’ll do some serious, advanced testing of their app—especially the new user onboarding process—so others won’t find themselves stuck in a seemingly endless loop of failure and rebooting as I was for nearly an hour. Finally, their decision not to devote the meager resources to enabling landscape mode in the iPad version of their setup app is a slap in the face to users. I use my iPad as a mini-laptop, with a keyboard case, and their app is one of the only apps I’ve seen that stubbornly refuses to rotate the UI to accommodate my setup.

Have the xfinity xfi gateway 1gb plan and their WiFi service is not very good on its own, coverage for a big home was terrible and in an act of despair, having had multiple calls to xfinity customer service, it was recommended that I purchase the xfi xpods mesh system to help upgrade the WiFi experience; long story short, the WiFi in our home got worse, continued intermittent connectivity dropouts, family members upset bc their games didn’t work or dropped, etc. I had to reboot the XB6/gateway everyday but that really didn’t help much. Beyond frustrating! Enter the Orbi Mesh RBK753. Before plugging in the Orbi to my network, I had to first disable WiFi at the Xfinity gateway completely then put it into bridge mode. From there, I followed the directions for the Orbi router setup and placement of the two satellites with the guidance of the Orbi iOS app. I was able to get everything up and running within 10-15 minutes. No more WiFi dropouts and four times the speed throughout the house. The iOS Orbi app is stable but I wish it had parental controls included otherwise I would give this five stars.

We paid for the bitdefender security that‘s offered by netgear. Worked fine for the first year, renewed before our service ended but the renewal status has not been updated to our network in 3 months and counting. We‘ve called tech support, we‘ve done tech support chats and emails, no one seems to want to help, they do whatever they can to get you to end the call or chat and tell you someone will call back or follow up. But no one ever does. Several days go by and you have to repeat the process again and again to no avail. My last chat, I was prompted to call. I called the number I was told to call, who then told me I had me call the makers of bitdefender, so I called them. Who basically said you need to call netgear, they sold you the product, not us. In another chat, the representative said they would get the issue resolved and call me in a few hours. No one ever called! This started in July. It‘s now October 27th, netgear has been unable to activate the paid security protection on my account. But they have mastered the art of the “runaround“ and continue to “pass the buck“ to another agent. This continues with every attempt to chat, call, or email their customer service.

I have an Orbi 960 router with one satellite. I set everything up one week ago only to find The feature Anywhere Access does not work. I have read blogs, followed Netgear website instructions on updating to latest firmware, resetting, rebooting, uninstalling and reinstalling the app…. all to no avail. I keep getting the same error: “Some error occurred while enabling/disabling Anywhere Access…”. I spent an hour on the phone today with Netgear support and they tried all the same steps— we even tried unplugging everything, including my modem, and plugging everything back in to let it all reset… again, all to no avail. The most common comment I’ve read in blogs about this issue is that this occurred with your latest update. I just got this system so I wouldn’t have had any previous firmware version. Thus, it apparently had been working until this last update, allegedly. Can Netgear please send out a fix??? We really need Anywhere Access. And— it’s only able to be toggled on and off in the app. Please help. Thanks!

I would have given you 5 stars but your customer services is terrible. First I called and the. They asked for a number to call back. I did get disconnected and you staff never called back (strike 1). I called back and was on hold for over 40 mins, I step out of the room for a second and when I returned, I was hung up on (strike 2). Now I was upset. I called again and a staff member answered the call to allocate the call to the correct department. I told him I wanted to speak to a supervisor. I was told no supervisor is available at the time. He was ready to send me off to the tech support when I said no. I had already done this and did not want to wait on hold for 40min. He stated he would stay on the line with me. I was transfer and he left and again I was on hold. After 30 mins, I hung up. I purchased the extended custom service for two years. I want my money back! I was able to finally fix it myself. I will never buy Netgear items again and I will advise everyone to never buy your products. It appears as a company model, you are substantially lacking in customer service.

Well my last router I had was a eero I really liked it when I had 300 mbps plan. Than I moved to 1 gig speed but the eero could not handle the speed. Than I read about WiFi 6 and it could handle 100 devices and handle 10 or 12 devices at once without losing speed.. I had to have it. I set up Orbi very simple and set up right away. At first speed was at 500 mbps but as it settled in my iPad wirelessly running 400 mbps and my step son wired his computer into Orbi and he’s running 960 mbps.. love it finally have a router that can handle 1 gig speed.... come on 5G I am ready now!! It’s very expensive but honestly if you can afford it it’s worth it.. I was just wasting money on 1 gig speed because I just find the right router. I have it now.. we usually have 20 devices and more on our router and eero did a good job managing what devices were used but kids with Xbox pull so much from your internet also 10+ devices the eero could not hold speed.. Orbi WiFi eats up all devices and spits it out....handles it all... very happy.

I am sooooo frustrated with this app. First off I would like to say I have technical aptitude. I have tech background. This app will log me out after a few months, then when prompted to enter the admin password(s) (that I’ve changed 3 times now) it doesn’t recognize the password!!!! No I’m not an idiot who didn’t write down my password. I have had to do this 3 times since I purchased this system over a year ago. This has caused me to do a factory rest 3 times!!!!! I then have to reprogram my alarm system cameras and enter new passwords on all connected devices. If you call customer support, they want to charge you almost 200$ just to get help. I am so tired of Netgear. I would return this product if I could. The mesh system works fine otherwise. The app has some serious glitch problems. Here’s the kicker… the app works if I use it in remote connect mode!!!!! If I connect to my WiFi… it prompts me to log in. Totally ridiculous. I’m finished with Netgear.

After researching pretty extensively I decided to upgrade to Orbi. Also, I have the Zodiac iAqualink pool automation system with the iQ20 wifi receiver which I installed about three years ago. Problem is upgrading from Apple Airport Extreme to Orbi actually made things worse instead of better. Now my iAqualink system goes offline constantly. After having a pool automation expert look at it he recommended that I purchase the Orbi outdoor satellite. I did that and now have a strong signal at the pool equipment but still the iQ20 will not connect. After talking to Zodiac tech support they said that iAqualink will not work because the Orbi band steers between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz and that the Orbi needs to be set to static 2.4Ghz. There is no easy way to change to static 2.4. I ended up setting up two separate SSID’s: one for each band. Now the iQ20 will connect about 10 percent of the time. On the positive side, in the house I have great signal in all rooms and streaming shows and movies work fine. The reason the app gets 3 stars is because only the most used settings can be changed there. Have to go to a web browser for advanced settings.

8500 sq ft of steel frame, plaster lathe walls, brick, 5 floor brownstone. Router in basement next to phone, cable, Ethernet distribution system. Have had many routers - latest was tri-band nighthawk. Bought that with 5 access points. Problem was either use 1 ssid, but then your might not be logged into strongest signal. Or, have different ssid’s for each access point so you always knew which ap you were connected to, but of course that meant you had to change to closest ap to get best signal. Fine for me, but drove wife and kids crazy. Bought Orbi ac3000 router and 2 satellites at Costco for 299. Have since purchased another satellite. Router in basement, switch in media room so all lan, satellites on floors 2-3-4. Now strong signal throughout the entire house. Everyone happy as they log in once and have great connection wherever they are. Especially great now that 2 kids are working from home and using Zoom, etc., all day long for classes and work.

I’ve had the Orbi 835 series for a year now. I’m very well versed in Orbi, Nighthawk, Eeros, UniFi, and other network solutions. I really love my Orbi system. I have 5 access points. Three are the 835 series, two are the 725 series and they work seamlessly together. I wish Orbi had a WiFi 6 outdoor access point, but sadly they don’t. The app is good albiet a little slow at times. It’s also hard to switch from access anywhere vs. local access. I don’t like the VPN in bitdefender. It’s locks up your device and there is no easy way to adjust restrictions. For some reason there hasn’t been a firmware update in a while and I don’t understand why. Also the app doesn’t really work well when I want to cut access to a device. The desktop or web interface doesn’t really do anything. You’re limited to mostly the phone or iPad. The Speedtest in the app seems a little inaccurate vs other Speedtest apps that tend to have WAY DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE. All and all I like orbi and app but overall, 8 out of 10.

I've had the Orbi WiFi station with two satellite units for about ten months now. The setup presented me with a bit of a rough start but it could be contributed to my not understanding the instructions fully. Once I was done setting it up, everything worked great!! I love the app as it allows you to monitor your Wi-Fi network and it shows all devices connected to your network. The app also allows you to turn off individual connected devices. You can also see each device and which satellite it's connecting to or if that device is connected to the base station. You can also reboot the Orbi router from the app. I really like this setup and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for complete whole house coverage of their WiFi modem signal. I live in a 3100 square foot house. There is a pretty good distance between my Wi-Fi base station and other rooms in the house. I had weak signals in several areas of the house but this Orbi fixed that problem once and for all.

Orbi successfully used to cover my house in fast WiFi. There has always been a degree of dropped satellites etc, but nothing major. With the last update, the app is pretty much useless. If I’m at home and connected to my Orbi, the app can’t find the network or wants me to login as admin (not allowing me to input my actual user name, the default stays on admin and my password does nothing. If I turn the WiFi of my phone off, and connect to Orbi remotely, it works fine and I can see all of my devices . Problem is, I have very poor cell coverage at home, which is why I want my WiFi to be great. With what just be an entire company full of technology minded people, why have they allowed their product to be buggy for so long after an update. Customer service is tough to contact and even harder to get them to follow up. Hate to say it, but I’d go with a different mesh network if I hadn’t already sunk hundreds of dollars into this one.

The app is just ok as it applies to the UI. The main issue is that the status that displays in the app, is sometimes inaccurate, and is usually different than what displays on the web portal. Overall, I am VERY dissatisfied with both the hardware and the software, because I’ve only had this kit for 18 months and the satellite RBS50, is inoperable after 1.5 years of use. Netgear support admitted that the satellite is now useless and refused to address it, because I didn’t purchase the extra coverage and I am past 1 year. They did not want to discuss it with me, and longer, so they lied and said they would escalate it and email me within 48 hours. The only thing this accomplished was getting me off the phone. It is true that the customer service rep was cordial, but I really don’t appreciate being lied to, not to mention wasting money on something that should last more than a year and a half. Now, the WiFi signal on the router (RBR50) goes out about once a day. I guess Netgear expects consumers to replace technology about once every 2 years or so…Keeps them in business, I guess. But hey, I can’t hurt their business, I’m only 1 customer.

This app is a disgrace for Netgear. It allegedly lets you set up an Orbi system, but let me back up slightly. When you open the Orbi box there is no instructions on setting up, just “download the Orbi app”. Ok, I do that and go through the process ... and the wi-fi is VERY buggy. After much wasted time I figure out how to login via the internet as an admin. Of course this information IS NOT included in the app. On the admin site I discover how to set the ORBI as an Access Point. Very, very, very important step in porter to use with my cable router (for internet, TV, phone). Ok, get this going. Still have problems but I get the system sort of working. Then I discover on the Netgear site that there is a User Manual for the ORBI. Why isn’t this linked in the “Getting Started” piece of crap they include with the hardware or on the Orbi app? This is just disgraceful! As a part of my searching for information I discover there are updates to the firmware on the Netgear site, but for some reason the app and the admin site do not see these, huh? After finally getting the system essentially stable my wife accidentally unplugs the power cord. Now the system is totally unstable and the app is ZERO use. If I can, I will return the Orbi ....

Overall, the app works pretty decent. It lacks several settings compared to logging in the web portal but I suppose that's to be expected in this consumer level router. The biggest issue I see is the inability to manage NetGear Armor from any device I'm signed in to. Only the very first device that was used to set up the router can access or see the Armor settings and get notifications. No other device, even if it's properly logged in and can manage all other aspects of the router (devices, network maps, wifi settings, etc) can manage the Armor settings. It stubbornly refuses to allow access to the Netgear Armor settings with an "Error: Unknown Error". I talked to Support about it and they were unable to meaningfully assist. Range and signal strength of the router itself is great. The incidence of wireless network related interruptions has significantly decreased since installing it. I just wish the Armor portion of the app could be fixed since it's a significant part of the security on the device.

I was having all sorts of problems in working from home with 4 adults spread from the second floor to the basement. The issue was that with other systems there was coverage of the whole house, the speeds really dropped when you got away from the router. Also when I added a range extender, there was coverage but still very slow speeds. My fire sticks also reported weak signals. All solved with Orbi. The key is the very fast back haul between the two routers and the better range on each router at the fastest speeds. Even if you don’t have any or many devices that use WiFi 6 , the Orbis do use it on the back haul to connect the satellite to the main. I also upgraded my cable internet to 300 megabit and I get that speed in all but one room now. The one room that doesn’t has a 50 megabit speed. I’m going to get a second satellite and see if that solves the problem and also gives me coverage in the backyard during the summer months.

My previous WiFi setup included a router and range extender. Well that setup kept causing me grief, after awhile, my family kept telling that they couldn’t get on the internet and which I was always forced to restart my modem and router. Also, I am an IT consultant by profession and I would get the peanut gallery remarks that I could fix other systems but not ours. I was done with that! So, my next solution was a mesh network and which I researched for choices of hardware. The Orbi by Netgear was the clear choice. I checked network speeds at different points in my house with my prior network setup and after the install or the Orbi router and satellites. I was amazed to say the least! Although my upload speeds remained near the same, my download speeds were four to five times faster. I am impressed!! I’ve only had it in for a day, but I don’t expect any degradation as more of my family’s devices join the network.

This app is nothing but a screaming frustration. We have so many issues with it, and with the supposed ‘Support’ we paid for (another waste) and the admins of this app could care less. We’ve opened case complaints with them, which are NEVER followed through on. Their front line ‘support’ either doesn’t have the authority or the training to solve issues and when our case was kicked to to ‘App Team’ for resolution, it might as well have been kicked into a black hole. No one from NETGEAR has EVER responded in any fashion to our issues, and when we call ‘premium’ support they are nothing short of obstructionist, refusing to acknowledge a case has moved beyond their capacity to resolve. Our case complaints for multiple problems with this app was opened on August 29th. As of Sept 3rd, No One from NETGEAR has contacted us as promised, (originally supposed to be 24 hours. Then 48. Then - silence from them) Don’t waste your money or your time with this app - the admins/creators certainly don’t want to waste any of theirs with those of us who have purchased this system and downloaded this app - and encounter problems.

The product is amazing and it connects my smart home beautifully. I have four satellites connected and I never have an issue with any of the almost 50 devices connected at any given time. The problem is in the customer service… There is none! I somehow used the wrong email address to set up my account (it’s one letter off). I’ve lost remote access to my network because I don’t remember my password and all of the reset functions are being sent to someone else’s email. I have tried multiple times to speak to a representative to help me get this resolved but I can’t get to a single person on the phone our in writing. Guys, your products are great, but if someone messes up or has a question, there is absolutely NO support…. I would give 5 stars if your customer support was as good as the product!

We were owner of the previous WiFi router that integrated with Circle 1.0. Everything was great with Circle 1.0 as it was the ONLY parental control software that works. Since kids transitioned to more virtual learning, our WiFi has been very spotty form time to time. So when we discovered the new WiFi 6 system from Costco, we jumped onto it for the upgrade. After installing the new WiFi router system, the wireless speed was amazing. The new parental control, however, was nothing but disappointment. Since Netgear decided to integrate circle’s functionality into the orbi app, it became a different (pricier) subscription, which is ok to us. However, the interface is so hard to use now. Everything u used to do in circle with one click, now u have to do it with 2 or 3 more clicks. On top of that, even though I blocked a profile’s internet or blocked categories, my kids were still able to do everything on the internet. I am now deciding whether to cancel the parental control service and go back to crappy WiFi, or looking for a different parental control solution again….

I was having major problems with my wifi. We have a 3 floor townhouse that has cement in the walls between units and AC/heating ducts throughout the house. Needless to say the wifi in our place was terrible in the basement. Because we now work from home we built an office on the top floor. Router is on this floor because of necessity but now the 2 lower floors have very spotty wifi. I didn’t want to make a big investment so I bought a smaller extender. It didn’t work well so I returned it and bought another one. That didn’t work well either. I finally caved and spent a little more than I wanted to and I am so glad I did. The Orbi system is SPECTACULAR! It was easy to set up and I have 2 satellite components on the main floor and in the basement. I went from 34 mbps to 227 mbps. This was one of the best investments I made during the pandemic and the subsequent work from home situation.

Since I’ve owned my Orbi mesh router for the last two years, there has only been one firmware update. That’s disappointing, but I really would like a developer to do is create a dark mode for this app please, for the love of God, make this app with a dark mode, light mode selection option I want to dark mode. Please developer take this in consideration, most apps out there have a dark mode. The white and blue is incredibly boring. Please make a dark mode! There has never been an update for this app. Also, it never gets updated. I wish the developer with create an option for a light and dark mode selector so someone can choose whatever they want light mode or dark mode I personally want to dark mode! Developer get with a Nknow mostly all apps out there and give you the option from dark or light mode!

Easy to set up. App is not only simple for basic user - there are advanced tabs to get into advanced settings and adjustments for power user. Getting great speeds from main base (238) AS WELL AS from the satellite unit 218. I had signal issue in large house due to distance and walls blocking - this Orbi has Excellent speeds from base AND satellite in other end of house. I’ve tested signal all over the house with iPhone App and this Orbi System is working great. I have Velop in another house and it never worked well - signal degraded to almost zero when away from parent node - it couldn’t get signifigant signal because of a wall and it had trouble getting thru Glass Window!! But the Orbi is delivering Great signal - Netgear has some of the beat reviewed WiFi systems and the speciality in this area is apparent in this Orbi Mesh. Excellent all around. (I have been testing for 3 days - if anything falls apart I will update)

I have an Orbi system with 2 satellites. When it works, it’s fantastic. However, when it doesn’t it’s a complete nightmare. I went months without being able to login to the app, despite having the appropriate passwords. In a final effort, I tried to recover password only to have it ask me security questions I never answered. I know I didn’t answer them because the first one was “what is the name of your oldest sister”. I don’t have any sisters, so I KNOW I didn’t answer that question. NETGEAR will not help you if you are out of warranty unless you want to pay a ludicrous price for “support”. I already paid over $400 for this router, stuff your support. Finally after having the unit unplugged for DAYS during an outage I was able to reset from new and have access to the app. Last night I rebooted because speeds were slow. Now it only recognizes one of the satellites and every time I open the app it goes offline. I will never buy another NETGEAR product again, hand to God. And I’m probably going to have to replace this even though I’ve barely had it 2 years, and did I mention $400? Buyer beware.

The app is very basic and continues to try and sell you on their security future. But my biggest problem with Orbi is the fact that you do not get out of the router, the speed that go into the router. At the time I purchased this router it was the top of the line Orbi, and yet it’s still is incapable of giving me gigabytes speeds wirelessly. I will certainly not be buying another Orbi after this, because the advertisements do not live up to the reality. And I have to laugh when I see the new Orbi for more than $2000 and I cannot imagine them doing anything more than this one does, so don’t waste your money. This was over $1200 when I bought it and it is never achieved anything close to the speeds it claimed, so why on earth would I think the $2000+ one is going to be any different. And just to mention, I have three units in a Reasonably medium size apartment, and they still cannot achieve Anything close to what they claimed. And forget about customer service. That is just not even worth talking about. So if you’re not happy, you’re sort of stuck that way.

App is ok when it works but most times it is useless. I am connected via AT&T 1Gig fiber broadband and can only use the Orbi in “AP Only” mode. Therefore, all the IP addresses are allocated by the AT&T ARRIS Router DHCP service. I have a mix of CAT 5e Ethernet and WIFI connected devices. Another problem; there is no way to set up the system properly using the app in my (pretty common) use case. After talking to support, best to not connect to the internet router at all prior to completing setup. Instead, connect via a PC / Mac to Orbi internal web interface and skip over plugging into ISP Router. From a Windows cmd window, I use ipconfig command to learn the Orbi’s initial IP address and then direct browser to that IP. Using default setting that come with the Orbi, logon and go through initial setup, discover the satellites, and setup your Access Point / Guest Access Point names etc. Importantly, in the Orbi Advance Settings menu select “Access Point” mode instead of the default “Router” mode. Save/Apply the settings. The Orbi will reboot. As it shuts down, plug in the ethernet cable from the ISP’s router in the Orbi Router’s WAN port. After it comes up, reconnect your computer to the renamed Access Point. Then check for firmware updates. Should be good to go without the hassles.

First,I am not a router technician but I do know if they’re working or not and this router is very reliable (except smart home devices-see below). The set up is quite easy and coverage pretty good but I have a ranch style house and still needed one additional satellite for full coverage. I have over 25 devices on the network and it handles them well. Also, whenever there’s a power outage Orbi signs back on with no problem without any assistance from me when the power is restored. Again, I’m not a technician but it works for me. Also, one last note, if you use devices for a smart home like cameras, lights or thermostat Orby is not compatible with many of them and you should know that upfront. Read the list of devices that Orbi will not recognize. I found that my nest cameras work on the Orbi network even though it says it’s not compatible but the connection is not as stable as it is with other devices.

Recently purchased RBR/S 50 and added an outdoor satellite. While the system is new and requiring a few firmware updates, it seems to be functioning as advertised, which is to say excellent. I had to spend a great deal of time on the phone with customer support, which is a major negative, but for once in my life I can say the customer support was absolutely outstanding. Yes, it was with an IT guy in India, but he patiently worked with me (I’m NOT a computer guy) for over two hours and walked me through the step by step process to update the firmware to get the system functioning properly. My hat is off to their support team over there, it was 5:30am and his shift was ending yet he slugged it out with me and got everything up and running. Huge thanks and much appreciation. Now, if someone can figure out a way to get better internet bandwidth in Mexico, I’m all ears.

Somewhere along the line this app has changed. App was working fine until a couple of weeks ago! As shown in the description I used to be able to look at devices and see how they are connected ( wired, wireless, 2.4G or 5G ) just by hitting on devices in the app! Now it shows all devices connected or not! I then have to click on device to see how it is connected, additional step! Also when doing Speedtest I get extremely lower results than when I do Speedtest thru a separate app! Unable to change server that app connects to for Speedtest. Contacted support and was told to reload previous firmware and that would correct issues! What’s the sense in doing that, I want to be able to use latest firmware! Also was told it was issue with my Orbi RBR50 router and Orbi App! Pay a lot for these routers should be no issues with router or App!

First off I’ll start by saying that their mesh system worked fantastic for about a year and a half...now it’s nothing but issues. I updated the firmware and now my router disconnects at least 2-3 time per day. In order to get it to reconnect I have to reboot the system each time, which is annoying. You’d think I’d be able to reach out to customer support and get quick and easy help with resolving the issue...nope. They only offer a 1 year warranty and 90 day tech support, after that they just tell you to visit their community support website to look for help. I’ve done everything I’ve read to do so far and nothing helps. It’s probably a simple fix if I could just talk to the tech support people, but I can’t because it’s past the 90 days. Ridiculous.

Hardware is ok except all of a sudden we have to forget the network and log in again. Handoff from one satellite to another is fair, but not perfect. 1. If you have more than one system (home/work/friend you are helping) you want to log in to, you can’t! There is no log off button. Idiotic. I have to delete the app, download, log in. Amateurs. 2. The app frequently says nothing is connected to any Orbi WHILE USING THE APP THAT IS CONNECTED. Unbelievable stupidity. 3. You will be harassed to sign up for monthly support constantly. “Remind me later” is the only option. How about “No way I want this, so stop bothering me?” 4. No way to have more than one system on the app. 5. No updates, no improvements in years. 6. The number of clicks necessary to get to check for updates is crazy. It’s like they want to hide it from you. 7. Most of the time when you check for updates it times out. 8. The method for updating the satellites is worse than most DOS machines were. There doesn’t appear to be any automatic way to do it.

Great price on Netgear Orbi Mesh system (RBR10 with 3 satellites (RBS10’s)for $200!!! Setup was very straightforward—downloaded the app and followed the step-by-step directions on the app. Took about 10min. All satellites up and running. Used the same network name and password so all devices immediately online without having to find network again. Ran speed test and have increased 10-fold!!!!...from pitiful single digit download speeds with my old Time Capsule to now over 100Mbps! May not have quite all the bells-and whistles of Google Nest, but has got me running all devices super fast, and I rather prefer not having intrusive google embedded in my house. Not sure how much better the new tri-band systems could be, but can’t compare to this price with 3 satellites blanketing my whole house and back patio with blazing fast service!! Couldn’t be happier!!

I love my Orbi mesh networks. I have set up Orbi’s in 2 locations both w 3 Satellites. Yes me also has an outdoor satellite. They are easy to set up and thru pilot is great. I also have several Sonos ones in both locations. The first Sonos set up took minutes and went smoothly. The second setup was not a fun experience. To make Sonos work I ended up shutting down all satellites and other devices in the Orbi network. I had to factory reset my Sonos one’s and Sonos move (most likely because I tried to many time to connect each one). Once I did all that I was able to get all the Sonos speakers to connect. This may be partly a Sonos issue but the Orbi forums lead me down paths that were way off and included telnet SSID editing. Luckily I called an IT friend who gave me the idea to shut everything else down and start from scratch.

The Orbi mesh system had cured my router quest after years of frustration. I live in a 100yr old home and was difficult reaching all my streaming devices (both audio and video), and dealing with audio drops outs on the picky iTunes/Airplay system, wifi devices dropping off (cameras, switches etc), not to mention getting worse when more traffic was introduced. Fast forward and then getting my Orbi, everything throughout my home and property have worked flawlessly, including for the many that come to my home for holiday gatherings etc on my guest network don’t ever complain. Bottom-line, if you have a multitude of devices, family and friends needing wifi, this is the system you need. It will simply manage any high traffic you give it. Extremely pleased!

After having been an ORBI user for over 5 years and having changed providers, the unit and its satélites make a reliable and fast way to connect to the internet. We use the network to do a variety of activities on line and they have worked flawlessly due to the consistency of the unit and satélites. The reach is sufficient to cover the entire perimeter of my home and large outdoor areas. Positioning the satélites at different levels of the home is the key to coverage. The main unit is hardwired to the router and placed in the center of the house and the other units are at the further ends of the house. Try different locations if your system is weak in some areas. Update your firmware often and you will enjoy a fast and reliable internet throughout your home.

I am beyond impressed with the performance, speed and distance installing an Orbi router with only 1 satellite has provided. I was hesitant to make any changes to my already working yet lacking internet providers modem/router. Now able to notice the massive increase in distance, amount of devices that flawlessly connect and STAY connected. Along with the speed, consistency and transparency of my now doubled devices connected to the network. I regret not making this transition much earlier! Orbi, your product not only delivered, but far exceeded the expectations of what I had in mind. Lastly, thank you for keeping those of us who are not so confident in our tech abilities in mind! As consumers we all hear how easy a companies product will be to install and implement. However, risking downtime or loss of wifi connectivity based on that claim we have all heard and been let down on is a major deterrent. If anyone reads this, I was able setup my entire network using the Orbi app in around 15 min. You have succeeded where many have failed with ease of use for customers like me! To the Orbi team, I never write reviews but felt compelled to say keep up the great work! Thank you, Kevin McCarthy

The Orbi software is pretty fantastic for setting up and installing a new mesh system. My primary complaint is that frequently, after software updates, my credentials get lost and I have to go through the trouble of re-initiating the software. Other than that, I have two primary complaints - more about system functionality than the software: 1. Due to the nature of the mesh system, all devices see the primary WAP and satellite WAP as the same SSID and therefore the same device. It sure would be nice to be able to select a default device for immobile devices (SMART TVs, firesticks, etc) at the time of first connection. I’ve had devices located within 5 feet of the satellite default to the weak signal from the primary WAP due to power cycle events. The device will run poorly rather than reconnect to the available satellite because though the primary signal is weak, it is still available… 2. There is no way for an average user to chose wether to connect to 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz bands. I have some devices that will “connect” to the 5, but will not run properly. To get them to connect to the 2.4 GHz band involved running a string command to temporarily disable the 5 GHz radio, quickly connect, establish a static IP, etc. it is 2023, this shouldn’t be that hard…

The app it self...it’ ok. It has some neat info displays but doesn’t have the same level of functionality as the web GUI. …but here’s the big problem: you must create a Netgear login to use it and IT CONSTANTLY COLLECTS DATA AND ASSOCIATES IT WITH YOUR LOGIN if you do. While other Netgear product lines allow you to opt out of data mining and creating a Netgear account the Orbi product line HAS NO OPT OUT! It says so right on their support site. To use this product without Netgear spying on you skip this app. Just use the web GUI to manage your network and do not create a Netgear login or associate your Orbi device with it. If you want to go the extra step put the ip addresses Netgear uses for data collection into your firewall and redirect them to localhost. For a company whose business is networking and security, having an app that demands you create an online account is unacceptable. Use the local web interface which is better anyway but demand better from app makers!