- VERDICT
The Netgear Orbi 860 Series is the ideal choice for households who want to get the most out of their broadband connection and create a wireless network that can easily meet their needs and support all their connected devices and services in the highest quality.
The new Netgear Orbi 860 Series delivers whole home wi-fi and brings the fastest home broadband speeds at up to 10Gbps to handle the demands of the modern home.
One of the most common questions we’re asked is how people can improve wi-fi in their home.
The Netgear Orbi 860 Series mesh wi-fi system is the answer.
It offers Wi-Fi 6 tri-band connectivity and can cover up to 743 square metres and connect up to 100 devices.
With this sort of quality and range users can stream 4K and 8K video throughout their homes so they can enjoy their video and music streaming service as well as online gaming anywhere in their home.
The router has a 10Gbps speed port so you can connect to the cable and fibre services between 1Gbps and 10Gbps.
The Netgear Orbi 860 Series creates a wireless network that not only has a broad range but also delivers the same download speeds across the entire breadth of your home.
What helps with the improved performance is an improved antenna array to offer up to 20 per cent better range and speed than the Orbi 850 Series.
Installing the Netgear Orbi 860 Series is easy when you use the Netgear Orbi app which will take you step by step through the process.
We had the two-pack for our review – a router and a satellite. It was the Black Edition which is available only from Netgear directly.
With the Orbi App all we had to do was scan the QR code on the main Orbi router to get started.
We connected the main Orbi mesh wi-fi router directly to our Netcomm Aussie Broadband modem, which is located centrally on the ground level of our home and placed the satellite on the first floor.
We were set up in under 10 minutes and were then able to rename our network and set our password.
There is a pre-set network name and password when you first set up the Orbi but it’s a good idea to change this using the Orbi app.
There are four Ethernet ports on the main router and on the satellite so you can connect nearby devices like smart TVs and gaming consoles with a cable.
The Netgear Orbi 860 Series can handle multiple wi-fi connections on your network including the many smart devices in your home.
Those smart lights, security camera, smart switches and other smart products all add up and, on an inferior network, can clog up your wi-fi and affect the connection of your other major devices and products like laptops, smartphones and smart TVs.
The Orbi 860 Series can handle up to 100 connections in your home without compromising your speeds.
What makes this Orbi mesh wi-fi system so efficient is the dedicated backhaul – that’s a direct channel between the satellites and the main router that allows them to communicate without affecting the bandwidth on the other channels and keeping those high wireless speeds consistent.
Also included with the Netgear Orbi 860 Series is a year’s subscription to Netgear Armor which offers an added layer of security to protect your connected devices from online threats.
Netgear Armour is built into the router so it can monitor what’s coming to and from the internet and notify you of any threats.
The Netgear Orbi 860 Series (RBK862S) Two Pack is available now and is priced at $1,499. Add on satellites are also available for $799 each. The Netgear Orbi 860 router is also available on its own for smaller homes and apartments that don’t need extended coverage for $799.
VERDICT
The Netgear Orbi 860 Series is the ideal choice for households who want to get the most out of their broadband connection and create a wireless network that can easily meet their needs and support all their connected devices and services in the highest quality.
