NETGEAR Orbi Overview: Distint Router vs. Satellite Hadware, Dedicated Backhaul Band, and More

This post will give you an overview of the Orbi mesh family, NETGEAR’s popular purpose-built Wi-Fi system for the home.

While a specific Orbi mesh set or router’s performance depends on the particular hardware, it generally shares common attributes across all variants in the lineup. So, this post is about the core experience you’ll get from using any Orbi, along with its pros and cons.

By the end of this post, you’ll be able to determine whether the Orbi is a good fit for you among all the different mesh brands, and if you decide to get it, which one to bring home.

Dong’s note: I first published this piece on December 8, 2023, and updated it on August 20, 2025, with the latest information.

NETGEAR Orbi: It all started with the dedicated wireless backhaul concept

In October 2016, NETGEAR debuted its Orbi home mesh lineup with the launch of the RBK50. At the time, it was a clear winning alternative to the early rise of the eero.

The new mesh system consists of two types of hardware, the primary router (RBR50) and the satellite unit (RBS50), each working only in its specific role. In particular, the router unit cannot function as a satellite of another Orbi router and vice versa.

This two-hardware-types-of-specific-roles design has remained since. It’s distinctive from other flexible mesh approaches, where users can use multiple (identical) routers—each hardware unit can work as the primary router or a satellite unit.

Technically, you can mix the router and satellite units of different Orbi sets of the same Wi-Fi standard to form a system. However, that’s generally not recommended—it’s best to use the router and its intended satellites. In any case, the use of multiple types of hardware units leads to a naming convention that can be confusing. Let’s start with that.

Note: Thanks to the initial success of the Orbi line, in September 2020, NETGEAR introduced the short-lived Orbi Pro lineup with the introduction of the SXK80 and the SXK30. This product line shares a similar hardware approach but with a different naming convention, not included here.

NETGEAR Orbi: The evolving naming convention

The naming of NETGEAR’s Orbi mesh family has evolved over the years. Initially, with Wi-Fi 5 and 6 hardware, a set’s model number starts with RBK—RBK50, RBK13, RBK752, RBK852, and so on. Then, with Wi-Fi 6E, an additional E is added, like in the case of the RBKE960.

In late 2023, starting with Wi-Fi 7, that long-used convention was changed once more. Here is the breakdown of how to dissect the name of an Orbi:

NETGEAR Orbi’s model name (Wi-Fi 7 hardware)

With Wi-Fi 7, NETGEAR decided to streamline the hardware naming. Specifically, the company:

1. does away with the “K” designation—once used for “kit” as in a system of a router and one or more satellites.
2. uses only the number for the series name.
3. and differentiates the hardware type (router vs. satellite vs. mesh system) by a role-defining digit.

Take the case of the Orbi 970 Series, for example:

• Orbi 970 Series is the overall name of the new product.
• Orbi RBE97x is the name of a particular hardware variant, specifically, these letters and numbers mean, from left to right:
  • R = Regular or standard. This is standard hardware without a built-in cable or cellular modem. If the hardware has a built-in cable modem, the letter “C” will be used.
  • BE = The 802.11be Wi-Fi standard. This is Wi-Fi 7 hardware.
  • 97 = The performance grade. This is an internal number decided by NETGEAR. 97 is currently the highest.
  • x= The role-defining digit, specifically:
    • x = 0: The RBE970 is the satellite unit—it can’t work by itself and only links to a primary unit to form a mesh system.
    • x = 1: The RBE971 is the router unit—it’ll work as a standalone router or the primary unit of a mesh system, but it can’t work as a satellite.
    • x = 2 or a higher number: This indicates a mesh system with a router and an x-minus-one number of satellites. So:
      • RBE972 indicates a 2-pack mesh: a router + one satellite.
      • RBE973 indicates a 3-pack mesh: a router + two satellites.

After that, mesh sets have two suffixes: “S” for security and “B” for the black color, hinting that the hardware includes a one-year trial of NETGEAR Armor. So the RBE97SB is a 3-pack mesh in black color with built-in one-year security protection.

NETGEAR Orbi’s model name (Wi-Fi 6E and older)

With Wi-Fi 6E and older hardware, there are three telling things in an Orbi model name: The first letter, the third (and 4th) letter, and the last digit. The 2nd letter is always the same—B is for Orbi.

• The first letter (often R, C, or N, but there might be more) means the hardware’s character.
  • R: It’s a regular (standard) setup, be it a single router or a mesh system. So, for example, RBK852 means this one is a standard mesh system.
  • C: There’s a cable modem involved. For example, CBK752 is a mesh system in which the router unit has a built-in cable modem.
  • N: This is when the router unit is cellular-capable. N here is short for NR, or “new radio,” a fancy name for cellular Internet.
• The 3rd letter (often K, R, or S) means the hardware unit’s exclusive role.
  • K = Kit. This means you’re looking at a multi-unit package that includes one router and at least one satellite. So RBK752 refers to a kit of more than one hardware unit. How many? See the last digit below.
  • R = Router unit. For example, RBR750 is the router unit of the RBK750 series.
  • S = Satellite unit. For example, RBS750 is the satellite unit of the RBK752.
  • The 4th letter (if any): That’d be the letter E which stands for Wi-Fi 6E, like the case of the recently announced RBKE960 series.
• The last digit (often 0, 2, 3, etc.) shows the package’s total hardware units.
  • 0 = Single hardware unit (either a router or a satellite.) Generally, it signifies a series of hardware releases.
  • 2 = 2-pack (router + one satellite). For example, RBK752 is a 2-pack cable-ready mesh with a CBR750 gateway and an RBS750 satellite.
  • 3 = 3-pack (router + two satellites). The RBK853 is a 3-pack mesh system with one RBR850 router and two RBS850 satellite units.
• The last letter or letters (if any): Most Orbi hardware doesn’t have this last letter. For those that do, it’s intended to add some extra, such as:
  • B: This letter means the hardware is black, like the case of the RBKE960B.
  • S: It’s for “security,” like the case of the RBR860S, where the unit includes a one-year subscription to NETGEAR Armor (instead of a 30-day trial.)
• The middle digit(s) (often 5, 75, 85, 96, etc.) are NETGEAR’s in-house designations to show the hardware’s Wi-Fi specs. They are a bit arbitrary. Specifically:
  • 5: This is for Wi-Fi 5. For example, the original RBK50 is a Wi-Fi 5 Orbi.
  • 75: This is for a tri-band Wi-Fi 6 with two 2×2 bands and one 4×4 band. Example: the RBK752.
  • 85: tri-band Wi-Fi 6 hardware with all 4×4 bands. Example: the RBK850 series.
  • 86: The same as the RBK850 series with the router unit having a 10GbE Mult-Gig port (instead of 2.5GbE)—the case of the RBK860 series.
  • 96: quad-band Wi-Fi 6E with all 4×4 bands. Example: the RBKE960 series.

For example, the RBRE960 is the standard high-end Wi-Fi 6E router unit of the Orbi RBKE960 series. If you’re still confused, you’re not alone, but you get the general idea.

With that, let’s continue with how an Orbi system works.

Wi-Fi 6E (and older) Orbi: The 5GHz dedicated backhaul’s pros and cons

At its time, the RBK50 was quite revolutionary. It was the first hardware to turn the Tri-band concept (2.4GHz + 5GHz + 5GHz) into practical, effective use. Specifically, the hardware dedicated the 5GHz-2 band—the upper channels—to the job of linking the mesh units. It’s the dedicated backhaul. The system can use the other two bands, the lower-channel 5GHz-1 and the 2.4GHz, to serve clients.

Since no band has to do the backhauling and front-hauling simultaneously, there’s no 50% inherent efficiency loss, which is inevitable in a mesh system without a dedicated backhaul.

In the case of the Orbi, by dedicating the 5GHz-2 band solely for linking the mesh units, which NETGEAR calls “patented dedicated backhaul”, the company can potentially free it from third-party compatibility and other requirements—the band doesn’t need to work with any application except the link between an Orbi router and its satellite. Consequently, it can be engineered proprietarily for the best possible range and performance.

To maintain the dedicated backhaul approach, the Orbi family generally uses tri-band or quad-band hardware. The RBK13, released in late 2019, is one of the rare dual-band variants.

A quick refresher: If you’re not familiar with backhauling, the cabinet below includes some highlights.

That said, Orbi has been the performance alternative to wired backhauling and was once considered an ideal choice in homes where running network cables to link the Wi-Fi hardware units is not an easy option. For this reason, NETGEAR maintained this dedicated backhaul band in all of its Wi-Fi 6 and 6E hardware.

But as time goes by, that’s also slowly become a weakness.

To better understand the Orbi’s permanent backhaul concept’s drawback, you can liken the mesh system’s router unit to a special 4WD pickup truck with a separate engine for the rear wheels dedicated solely to the job of pulling a trailer.

This extra engine makes sense and is great when the truck has a trailer attached (a mesh system), but it becomes dead weight when the truck works just by itself (standalone router)—it’s now a full-time front-wheel-drive vehicle. It’s probably not a good idea to consider such a truck unless you intend to use it to pull a trailer at all times.

The point is that NETGEAR’s Orbi with dedicated bakchaul band only makes sense if you must use a fully wireless mesh Wi-Fi system. When you only need a standalone router or can use a mesh with wired backhauling, any Orbi would be wasteful in terms of hardware cost and energy consumption.

Tri-band mesh systems from other networking vendors might or might not dedicate one of the two 5GHz bands as backhaul, but they generally allow users to program all Wi-Fi bands to work for front-hauling.

Since late 2018, all Orbi hardware has supported wired backhauling—at launch or added retrospectively via firmware updates. In this case, the dedicated 5GHz-2 band is still unavailable for clients. Users waste the upper part of the 5GHz spectrum unless they have a mixed-wired-and-wireless backhaul setup.

It’s worth noting that the exclusion of one of the two 5GHz bands from clients in the Orbi is an issue on top of the common fact in all hardware where the 5GHz frequency is split into two bands: Each of these bands becomes too narrow to form a wide channel required for high bandwidth.

As a result, the Orbi Wi-Fi 6E (and older) hardware generally doesn’t support DFS channels. Its 5GHz bands each have only one 80MHz channel at best, further lowering the bandwidth. It’s worth noting that the 5GHz has been the most essential band since it has a longer range than the 6GHz.

A quick refresher: If you’re not familiar with band splitting and DFS, the cabinet below will give you a crash course.

Wi-Fi 7 Orbi: The transition to MLO backhaul

NETGEAR’s first Wi-Fi 7 Orbi set, the RBE970 Series, a quad-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz + 5GHz + 6GHz) solution, continues the dedicated backhaul approach.

However, considering the vastly superior bandwidth of the new Wi-Fi 7 standard and its new Multi-Link Operation (MLO) feature, a dedicated backhaul band proved to be unnecessary. In fact, it has become an apparent weakness. In the case of the 970 series, one of the 5GHz sub-bands is never available to clients, while the hardware’s MLO support renders its backhaul role ineffective.

Fortunately, since then, NETGEAR has seemed to abandon the dedicated backhaul concept. Its subsequent Wi-Fi 7 models, including the RBE870 series, RBE770 series, and RBE370 series, all replace the dedicated backhaul band with MLO.

And that’s likely, and hopefully, the way the Orbi family will proceed into the foreseeable future.

NETGEAR Orbi: Full web interface, optional mobile app, or vice versa?

Like the case of the Linksys Velop, the Orbi has a full local web user interface and the Orbi mobile app, initially available as an option.

In mid-2019, NETGEAR introduced NETGEAR Armor online protection (as well as VPN and Parental Controls) as an add-on subscription for its Orbi mobile app. Depending on the model, this is often included as a month-long or year-long trial period.

Unfortunately, since then, NETGEAR has slowly removed useful features and settings from the web user interface. In other words, it has slowly moved these once-free elements into the subscription. Nowadays, the moment you set up a new Orbi (or any NETGEAR consumer-grade router, for that matter), you’ll be coerced into signing up for a login account and using the mobile app.

Netgear’s “Advanced Router Protection”

During the introduction of the Orbi 370 Series, NETGEAR emphasized to me that all of its Wi-Fi 7 Orbi sets feature a router-level protection called “Advanced Router Protection” (ARP). This feature is similar to ASUS’s AI Protection or Ubiquiti’s Security, with some nuance.

Among other things, users have no control over ARP. They can’t turn it on or off, opt out or opt in, or monitor its performance or effectiveness. Per NETGEAR, only it has access to this information in the background to keep the consumer safe. Specifically, according to NETGEAR, here’s how ARP works:

• Real-Time Threat Detection: Using advanced AI, machine learning, and heuristic analysis, ARP continuously monitors for suspicious activity targeting the router itself—such as known vulnerabilities or attack signatures—and proactively blocks threats before they can compromise connected devices.
• Dynamic Security Updates: ARP includes a cloud-managed agent that receives real-time security updates, allowing us to respond rapidly to emerging threats. This avoids the delays of model-specific firmware rollouts and ensures protection is uniform across our product portfolio.
• Privacy First: Importantly, NETGEAR does not monitor, log, or analyze the websites customers visit. ARP is focused solely on securing the router infrastructure, not on surveilling user behavior. Our practices are fully aligned with our published privacy policy.
• Customer Choice: For technically advanced users who prefer more control, our Nighthawk product line allows customers to disable ARP. For Orbi systems, designed with families and simplicity in mind, ARP is always on to ensure a secure, worry-free experience without added complexity.

The gist is that on an Orbi system, ARP is enabled by default without users’ input, regardless of whether they want to use it. Unless you’re comfortable with not knowing, it’s best to read the fine print on what the hardware does within your network before committing to an Orbi.

As for the effectiveness, I haven’t experienced anything in particular during the extended use of multiple Wi-Fi 7 Orbi sets. But, as with security, your mileage will vary depending on your online habits.

A relatively barebones set of Wi-Fi and network settings

Without an Armor subscription and the use of a mobile app with a login account, Orbi hardware is relatively modest in terms of features and settings.

Generally, the hardware provides a limited set of network settings. Specifically, there are DHCP settings, Dynamic DNS, port forwarding, OpenVPN (in select models), etc., and that’s about it.

There’s no common stuff, part of which was once available for free, such as QoS, parental control, online protection, and remote web-based management. Additionally, you generally need to use both the local web interface and the mobile app to get things done—neither can be the complete management solution that gives you everything.

For example, the Orbi mobile app lacks port-forwarding and Dynamic DNS settings, and the web interface has no remote access, Parental Control, or online protection. In short, the tendency to turn the hardware app-operated has slowly made the Orbi and other NETGEAR routers less valuable than they once were.

In terms of Wi-Fi settings, the Orbi hardware is also limited. Specifically for the primary Wi-Fi network:

• Wi-Fi 6 and older: You can’t use separate SSIDs for the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. Smart Connect is the only option. No DFS support.
• Wi-Fi 6E: The 6GHz band can have an SSID of its own. No DFS support.
• Wi-Fi 7: Smart Connect is the only option for all bands, and the 5GHz band has DFS support.

Other than the primary SSID, all Orbi hardware comes with a single Guest SSID for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Wi-Fi 6E and newer hardware also include an IoT SSID (2.4GHz and 5GHz), which is a virtual network designed for segmenting low-bandwidth smart devices.

Orbi overall experience: easy to use, reliable performance with a decent real-world rate, expensive

In my experience via testing and using over a dozen Orbi sets, the ecosystem has proven over the years to be relatively easy to use and reliable for homes without network cables. It also has a good range.

Comparatively, the hardware is much more expensive than that of other vendors of the same specs.

In terms of performance, as you can imagine, due to the lack of the highest channel width support for the 5GHz band, all Wi-Fi 6E and older sets are generally behind their third-party rivals in real-world throughput rates.

However, Wi-Fi 7 hardware sets without a dedicated backhaul band are comparable to others in the entire Wi-Fi landscape, leaving the lack of free features and customization as the only remaining shortcomings.

Ready to make the move? The following list of the top five Orbi sets among those I’ve reviewed will come in handy.

The final thoughts

If you have gotten your home wired, any Orbi set with a dedicated backhaul band is never a good choice —you’ll lose half of the 5GHz bandwidth for nothing. So consider one of those only if you intend to use it in a wireless configuration.

Other than that, if you get an Orbi today, pick a tri-band Wi-Fi 7 set. It’ll work well in both wired and wireless situations, thanks to the support for MLO. In the latter case, if you have a 3-pack or larger, make sure to set the units in a daisy-chain topology to reduce lag and bandwidth loss.