Other than some slight troubleshooting, the setup is extremely simple. For instance, I use some older connected gear that still works perfectly but requires 2.4GHz connectivity in order to play nicely. This is a quad-band 802.11a/n/ac/ax router-offering simultaneous tri-band 2.4/5/6GHz coverage with dedicated backhaul-so you’ll have to ensure you connect devices correctly if you want them to work together. We got our network set up and all our devices (including a slew of smart-home stuff) connected in under an hour. Each node has a sync button onboard, so once you’ve set up the router, it’s easy to get it to talk to the satellite nodes without navigating software menus. The router has an extra port not found on the satellites. Buying direct also gets you a year of access to the Netgear Armor software, which we’ll dive into more later. The typical Orbi 960 system comes with white nodes, but you can also get the Black edition if you buy directly from Netgear itself. This is a $1,500 high-end system, so it comes in an elegant box that’s simple to unpack and includes just about everything you need to set up your network. The other two devices are satellite nodes that connect to the main router and expand coverage to a total of 9,000 square feet (depending on your structures, layout, and network interference). The router connects directly to your modem and includes the high-speed 10Gbps WAN and 2.5Gbps LAN ports. There are three individual devices inside this kit.

Verdict: Netgear’s $1,500 WiFi system offers some of the fastest and most flexible wireless coverage available, thanks to its advanced hardware and robust software. Netgear Armor software requires a monthly subscription.

Only a limited number of devices currently support 6GHz.

Easy to set up, considering its advanced nature.

Netgear Armor provides solid subscription-based security that’s easy to manage.

Offers a fast wired connection thanks to 10Gbps WAN and 2.5Gbps LAN ports, which are uncommon on home routers.

Broadcasts on the 6GHz band for devices that can access it.

Extremely fast and reliable coverage over a large area thanks to 12 internal antennas.

Netgear’s subscription-based security service offers in-depth safety features and network protection for a monthly price.

This router provides access to typical WiFi bands, but WiFi 6E hardware inside can access the newly available (and decidedly less crowded) 6GHz band.

The Orbi 960 system includes one router node and two satellite nodes that link up to cover roughly 9,000 square feet of terrain with WiFi connectivity.

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Netgear mesh