PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. To change your Wi-Fi security settings, share your credentials, and edit your network name, tap the Wi-Fi Settings tab. The satellite node's LED will glow blue for three minutes when it acquires a solid connection to the router and amber when the connection is only fair. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. In comparison, the RBK752’s internet speeds can be up to 600 Mbps at 2.4 GHz and 1200 Mbps at 5 GHz. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/netgear-orbi-wi-fi-6-system-ax6000-rbk852. If you want to use a 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection to the internet, there is a 177.136% increase for the newer models: 866 Mbps for the RBK50 vs. 2400 Mbps for the RBK852 and RBK853. The Orbi RBK852 supports Alexa and Google voice commands that let you speak to do things such as enable guest networking or check your Wi-Fi settings or Internet speed. © 1996-2020 Ziff Davis, LLC. Your subscription has been confirmed. The RBK852 comes with more LAN Gigabit Ethernet ports as well. I placed the satellite node in another room about 30 feet away from the router, plugged it in, and tapped Next. I created a network name and password and an administrator name and password, answered a couple of security questions to be used in case I forgot my passwords, and waited another two minutes for the system to save my settings. He then worked for the now defunct ComputerLand chain of PC dealers before joining PC Magazine in 1987. In the 30-foot test the Orbi satellite's throughput of 550Mbps trailed the Linksys by 61Mbps but showed a 46 percent increase over the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus satellite. No anti-malware, parental control, or QoS options. The RBK13 comes with basic parental controls courtesy of Disney Circle and uses Netgear's Armor (powered by Bitdefender) to protect your network and clients from malware and viruses, but the RBK852 does not currently offer either feature, although a company rep told me that both are on the roadmap to be added early in 2020. Tapping the Network Map tab displays the router and node components and lets you see which clients are connected to each node, as well as details such as firmware version, serial number, MAC address, and IP address. The router node's LED will glow solid green when powered up, solid amber while booting, blinking red when there's a problem with the firmware, and solid magenta when it's lost its internet connection. Installation was quick, easy, and identical to the setup process for the Orbi RBK13 system. The RBK852 uses the same mobile app as the Orbi RBK13 Wi-Fi 5 system, but there are a few significant differences. Here you can also pause network access for any client. The mobile app opens to a home screen that displays the Orbi status (online or offline) and number of connected satellites. Prior to joining Ziff Davis, John spent six years in retail operations for Federated Stores, Inc. before accepting a purchasing position with Morris Decision Systems, one of New York's first value-added resellers of the original IBM PC. The Orbi RBK852 turned in solid scores in our performance tests. As for the Orbi RBK852 satellite node, it managed 639Mbps in the close proximity test compared to 667Mbps for the Linksys Velop MX10 satellite. If your router is struggling to deliver wireless networking to the most remote areas of your home, a Wi-Fi mesh system like the Netgear Orbi RBK852 can help. Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. Whole-home Wi-Fi mesh systems based on Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology are finally beginning to hit the shelves, but you'll need deep pockets to afford them. On the other hand, although the RBK852's performance was pretty much in line with other Wi-Fi 6 routers, it's missing a few key features for such a costly system, including client- and application-specific QoS settings, age-appropriate parental controls, and anti-malware protection. Using my phone's camera, I scanned the QR code on the router, rebooted my modem, and connected the Orbi router to the modem using the included LAN cable. 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