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I should have written this Netgear Orbi RBK852 vs. Asus ZenWiFi XT8 matchup long ago. They were among the first Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems you could find, and that, by the way, was the first similarity among a few they had.
But better late than never. Netgear's recent release of the Orbi RBK860 series—similar to the RBK850 series plus a gloried 10GbE WAN port—makes this post as relevant as ever.
In many ways, the two represent the similarities and differences between the two Orbi and ZenWiFi mesh brands.
For those who have asked me to do a matchup between the Orbi RBK852 vs. ZenWiFi Pro XT12, this post will also help since I reviewed the X12 and compared it to the XT8.
Netgear Orbi RBK852 vs. Asus ZenWiFi XT8: Representing two wireless mesh concepts
As mentioned, there are more differences than similarities between the two. But let's start with their names since both contain a lot of information.
Specifically, per their naming conventions, the Orbi RBK852 is a 2-pack of the Wi-Fi 6 RBK850 series, and the ZenWiFi XT8 is a tri-band 8-stream Wi-Fi 6 set.
Understanding the model names
If you're unfamiliar with these conventions of the two mesh brands, the boxes below will help.
Netgear Orbi's 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 general convention was changed once more in a major way. 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 Netgear decided to streamline the hardware naming. Specifically, the company:
- does away with the "K" designation—for "kit",
- uses only the number for the series name,
- and differentiates the hardware type (router vs. satellite vs. mesh system) by a 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 particular hardware variant, specfically:
- R = Regular. This is standard hardware without a built-in cable or cellular modem.
- 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 deciding 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, the primary unit of a mesh system, but 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: "B" for the black color and "S" for security, 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 = A 2-pack (router + one satellite). For example, RBK752 is a 2-pack cable-ready mesh with a CBR750 gateway and an RBS750 satellite.
- 3 = A 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 digits (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 2x2 bands and one 4x4 band. Example: the RBK752.
- 85: tri-band Wi-Fi 6 hardware with all 4x4 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 4x4 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.
Asus ZenWiFi's naming convention
Asus has a good selection of ZenWiFi models, such as CT8, XT8, XD4, XP4 hybrid, XD5, XD6, ET8, XT12, ET12, etc., and there will be more in the future.
Dissecting the ZenWiFi model names
These model names include two letters and a number. Here is what they mean.
- The first letter indicates the Wi-Fi standard:
- The second letter indicates the number of Wi-Fi bands:
- D means dual-band—each hardware unit has two Wi-Fi bands.
- T means tri-band. This is for a system where each hardware unit has three Wi-Fi frequency bands.
- Q means quad-band, indicating that the hardware features four Wi-Fi bands.
- The last digit indicates the number of Wi-Fi streams each broadcaster has.
With that, we can now read each model name easily.
For example, the ZenWiFi ET8 is a tri-band Wi-Fi 6E system, with each hardware unit having eight streams, including a 4x4 6GHz band, a 2x2 5GHz band, and a 2x2 2.4GHz band.
Both mesh sets are designed to work primarily in a fully wireless setup—they fit best in large homes where running network cables is not an option. But both can also work via wired backhauling—you can use a network cable to link the hardware units.
And that's about where their similarities end, as you'll note in the table below.
Orbi RBK852 vs. ZenWiFi XT8: Hardware specifications
| Name | Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 AX6000 Whole Home Wi-Fi 6 Mesh System | Asus ZenWiFi AX XT8 |
| Hardware | Router: RBR850 Satellite: RBS850 | Two identical routers |
| Wi-Fi Grade | Tri-band AX6000 | |
| Dimensions | 10 x 7.5 x 2.8 in (24.5 x 19.05 x 7.11 cm) | 6.29 x 2.95 x 6.35 in (16 x 7.5 x 16.15 cm) |
| Weight | 2.86 lbs (1.3kg) | 1.56 lb (710 g) |
| 5GHz-1 Wi-Fi Specs (channel width) | 4x4 AX: 2402Mbps (20/40/80MHz) | 2 x 2 AX: 1201Mbps (20/40/80MHz) |
| 5GHz-2 Wi-Fi Specs (channel width) | 4x4 Wi-Fi 6: 2400Mbps (20/40/80MHz) | 4 x 4 AX: 4804 Mbps (20/40/80/160MHz) |
| 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Specs (channel width) | 4 x 4 Wi-Fi 6: 1148Mbps (20/40MHz) | 2x2 AX: 576Mbps (20/40MHz) |
| Dedicated Backhaul Band | 5GHz-2 (Permanent) | 5GHz-2 (By default, flexible) |
| Wired Backhaul | Yes Gigabit (5GHz-2 still not available to clients) | Yes Gigabit as a pack Multi-Gig as satellite |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11ac/n/g/a/b | |
| Mobile App | Orbi (Required for many functions) | Asus (Optional) |
| Web User Interface | Yes (Neutered) | Yes (Comprehensive) |
| AP (Bridge) Mode | Yes | 2.2 GHz 64-bit Quad-Core CPU |
| USB Port | None | 1 x USB 3.0 |
| Gigabit Port | Router: 4x LAN Satellite: 4x LAN | 3x LAN |
| Multi-Gig Port | Router: 1x 2.5GbE WAN Satellite: None | 1x 2.5GbE WAN |
| Link Aggregation | Router: Yes (2Gbps WAN) Satellite: None | No |
| Dual-WAN | No | Yes |
| Processing Power | 2.2 GHz 64-bit Quad-Core CPU | 1.5GHz quad-core CPU, 256 MB Flash, 512 MB RAM |
| US Price | $699.99 (2-pack) | $450 (2-pack) |
Orbi RBK852 vs. ZenWiFi XT8: It’s the ease of use and stability vs. flexibility, speed, and customization
From the get-go, the Orbi is designed for ease of use and stability. The entire Orbi ecosystem evolves around the dedicated backhaul concept.
Orbi RBK852: Ease of use, stability, and high cost
This concept is based on the fact that the hardware's 2nd 5GHz band (the 5GHz-2 of the upper channels) is permanently delegated to link the mesh hardware units, leaving the 5GHz-1 as the only band to works as the fronthaul to serve clients.
In other words, all the 5GHz-2 band does is support connections between known devices, namely the Orbi router and the Orbi satellite. Without having to be compatible with any existing clients, Netgear can engineer this band proprietarily to deliver extremely long-range with a strong signal.
That said, the RBK852, as well as any Orbi set, has excellent range and coverage—supposedly as excellent as can be for a wireless connection.
However, when you use a network cable to link the hardware units or the RBR850 as a single router, the 5GHz-2 becomes useless—it's a waste since it can't work with clients.
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 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 Netgear's Orbi 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.
Furthermore, in Wi-Fi 6 (and 6E) Orbi sets, Netgear removes the use of the DFS channels entirely to ensure stability. Without DFS, Wi-Fi 6 can use channels up to only 80MHz in width and, therefore, deliver only half the potential speed of the standard.
Consequently, the Orbi RBK852 has just half the bandwidth of its Wi-Fi 6 specs on the 5GHz band, and only half of that is available to the clients, as you might have noted in the table above.
No matter what configuration—single router or wireless/wired mesh—Orbi hardware always has only half of the 5GHz fronthaul bandwidth compared to other similarly specced broadcasters that don't support DFS or one-fourth of those that do.
Other than that, the Orbi's web interface has little Wi-Fi customization—you can't even separate the bands as different SSIDs—and over the years, Netgear has slowly removed free features to coerce users into using its Orbi mobile apps where it can charge users a premium for add-on features, such as Netgear Armor.
It's worth noting that, hardware-wise, an Orbi router (the RBR850) and Orbi satellite (RBS850) can work only in their rigid roles. To form a mesh, you need at least one router and one satellite, and then you can add more of the latter to increase the coverage. If you have just two routers or two satellite units, they can't work together.
ZenWiFi XT8: Flexibility, speed, customization, and affordability
The ZenWiFi approach is entirely different. It's the same as any AiMesh hardware.
Specifically, the mesh set includes two identical routers. Each can work as a standalone router or a mesh member. And if you need to increase the coverage, you can get more units or any AiMesh-supported hardware.
All ZenWiFi hardware can work either as the primary router of a mesh system or a satellite. And that's also the case with any other AiMesh hardware.
By default, the 5GHz-2 band is a dedicated backhaul band. However, you can easily open it to clients—effectively making it no longer "dedicated".
This approach dramatically increases the front-haul bandwidth, and when wired backhauling is used, all bands of the XT8 are available to serve clients.
Speaking of wired backhauling, when working as satellites of another AiMesh router with a 2.5Gbps LAN port, the XT8 is ready to deliver Multi-Gig wired backhauling, significantly increasing the entire mesh system's bandwidth.
But in any case, the XT8 is designed primarily to work as a fully wireless system. Over there years, there have been instances where new firmware updates caused a wired setup to fail. So the XT8 has been more buggy than the RBK852.
In return, it offers lots of Wi-Fi customization and network settings. Most importantly, you get all features for free, there's no premium add-on to consider, and the Asus mobile app doesn't require a login account, which lowers the privacy risks.
In August 2022, the XT8 had a firmware update that enabled it to support the UNII-4 portion of the 5GHz spectrum, making it even better in a fully wireless setup.
Finally, it costs about two-thirds of the RBK852's cost. That brings us to the real-world performance of the two.
Orbi RBK852 vs. ZenWiFi XT8: Performance and ranking
Netgear Orbi RBK850 Series' Rating
Pros
Fast, reliable Wi-Fi with extensive coverage
Full web interface with all common settings and features
Useful, well-designed mobile app
2.5Gbps Multi-gig WAN ports
Support WAN 2Gbps Link Aggregation
Cons
High cost
No 160MHz channel support, limited Wi-Fi customization
Not compatible with Wi-Fi Orbi hardware
No multi-gig LAN port, intermittent lags
Bulky design
Tests were done in a fully wireless setup with the satellite placed 40 feet (12 m) from the primary router.
Asus ZenWiFi XT8's Rating
Pros
Fast Wi-Fi performance and large coverage at a comparatively affordable cost
Improved and flexible AiMesh
Lots of network settings and useful features, including free real-time online protection for life
Full 4x4 dedicated backhaul band with optional wired backhaul support
Multi-Gig WAN port with Dual-WAN and WAN link aggregation
Cons
No 160MHz 4x4 support for Wi-Fi 6 clients in a dedicated wireless backhaul setup
No Multi-Gig LAN port or LAN link aggregation
Only four network ports on each hardware unit
Firmware can be buggy, especially via wired backhaul
Storage performance (when hosting an external drive) could be better
Netgear Orbi RBK852 vs. Asus ZenWiFi XT8: Which to get
Generally, you should consider the ZenWiFi XT8 or the Netgear Orbi RBK852 (or any Orbi, for that matter) when you need a fully wireless mesh system. Specifically, you live in a large home, and it's just too hard, or you're too lazy to run network cables.
Both can work with wired backhauling. However, in this case, the Orbi RBK852's 5GHz-2 band is completely wasted, and the ZenWiFi XT8 has had issues in the past.
If the XT8's wired backhauling kinks have been worked out, you should get the ET8 or one of Asus's myriad of dual-band AiMesh options for a wired home.
The two deliver similar Wi-Fi performance, with the Orbi having a slightly better range (but worse in latency) in my experience. As for features and settings, the XT8 has lots more to offer, but that also means there are more chances you can cause issues without knowing it.
Finally, the XT8 has a USB port that can work as a mini NAS server and costs significantly less.
All things considered, I'd pick the ZenWifi XT8, but if you want something super easy to use, the Orbi RBK852 has its appeal. Ultimately it's your call.
Looking to compare other Wi-Fi solutions? Check them all out here.
Hello Dong. Your head must hurt with all of that amazing WiFi and router knowledge that you have stored up there! Most of the reviews that I have read, including yours, sway their evaluations heavily towards ASUS based on perceived lower pricing/value for money (9/10 vs 7/10, one third lower pricing etc). I don’t know if it is a factor of local region pricing, but the price of the RBK852 here in Australia is about the same as the XT8 – A$959 vs A$950. In addition, many reviewers like to compare the XT8 to the RBK853, which comes with two satellites not one, and therefore costs more! Yeh, of course!! If, like me, you need three or more satellites, the Orbi pricing actually comes out even further in front down here. The RBK854 costs around A$1800 compared to A$1900 for 2 x XT8s.
The problem I see with ASUS is that you are paying for extra routers to just act as satellites connected via aimesh back to the base router with redundant capability. By comparison, with the ORBI, you only pay for one router with multiple satellites that daisy chain together to form a true mesh network environment.
Maybe there are times when you would want to connect multiple active routers into your network(??). But for the average home or small business wanting better wifi coverage, I am not sure if the advantages would be worth the extra complexity it would add, unless they are frustrated networking engineers who like to tinker to find that extra 1% performance.
So, for me, based on Australian pricing at least, and not withstanding the security software freebies on ASUS (which I haven’t used and so can’t judge the value), the Netgear Orbi seems to represent better value for money as well as being much easier to set up and use for most home or small office users.
By the way, I would love to wire-up my house, in which case there are a number of different solutions that I would look at. But I have an older-style, large two-story, solid-brick house with lots of steel beams which can only be wired by drilling holes and running cables externally (ugly!) and which is a wifi connectivity nightmare. However, I have found that a three satellite, wireless mesh set-up covers all black spots beautifully and have been doing a face off between Netgear and ASUS to decide on my next wifi network upgrade. You are also seem to be one of the few reviewers who understands that the best way to get real value for money is by not being lured into buying the latest and greatest functionality/power/wifi standard compatibility that you will never need and probably can’t use with your current devices yet anyway. And, as someone who group up with good old, international dial-up ‘networking’ systems, (running at about 500kb per hour!), I cannot blink fast enough to gain any benefits from some of the multi-gig systems becoming on the market.
Your assessment is correct, and you should unapologetically get whichever option that works for your need. More on differences between Orbi vs other mesh brands in this post.
Hi Dong
I have an Amplifi Ubiquiti which I am looking to replace.
My house is not large, but for WiFi signals do not travel well! After reading your articles I have decided on either a 3 unit Xt8 or a 2 unit X12, which system would you choose (if money was no object and it was one or the other)?
I’d go with the XT12, Kevin. As for how many units you might need, check out this post.
I currently have a GT-AC5300 and the ASUS BLUE CAVE AC2600 in AiMesh Mode.
I see Costco has a deal on Orbi right now : RBK653S-100CNS
But I also have read quite a bit about the XT8
https://www.amazon.ca/ZenWiFi-AX-Whole-Home-Tri-Band-System/dp/B083Q45V1
Is it much different from this one? I would save quite a bit.
https://www.amazon.ca/ZenWiFi-AX-Whole-Home-Tri-Band-XT8/dp/B08667C3K/
My other question is with the 2 routers I currently have in AiMesh could I still use them with either of the Asus kits listed above on Amazon?
Or should I switch over to Orbi? I presume my 2 routers won’t work with Orbi but it may give me much better range then I currently have?
Thank you for any assistance and recommendations.
I’d with the XT8, Trayton. The two links you mentioned differ only in color. More about AiMesh in this post.
So the XT8 was on sale yesterday but apparently not today.
I was able to get this : LINKSYS MX5500 VELOP AX5400 3PK
Hopefully it’s decent compared to what I currently have.
*note* after this XT8 was sold out btw -> one showed up on amazon and I was able to snag it :
ASUS ZenWiFi AX Whole-Home Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6 System (XT8) – 2 Pack, Coverage up to 5,500 sq.ft or 6+Rooms, 6.6Gbps, WiFi, 3 SSIDs, Life-time Free Network Security and Parental Controls, 2.5G Port
Hopefully they both work great but one will probably be going back unless a family member (in-laws etc.) want it.
I presume you still recommend the XT8 over the Linksys so I don’t open something I don’t need.
Thanks again for all your help and assistance – your reviews and knowledge is amazing!
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Hi Dong! I have a question about my wifi, my internet speed is 650/900mbps. How come when i do a speedtest using my asus xt8 router only mode on s22, iphone 14 pro, ipad pro I only get 250-300mbps speeds. Is there something wrong? Would upgrading to xt 12 help my speed? What should i do to increase my wifi speed? Thanks in advance.
That can be A LOT of things, Ben. More on testing in this post.
Hi Dong,
Thanks for going into the deep end on your reviews. I picked up an XT8 and moved on from eero. One of the main reasons I moved away from eero is the inability to configure nor see what is going on on your network. The Asus easily fits the bill and has been consistent with no issues.
Sure, JP. 👍
Hi Dong.
As much as you speak so highly of Asus, I purchased the Asus ZenWifi AX6600 Tri-Band Wifi Router Model XT8 in a 3pack. Now, here comes the problem. I am trying to connect it to Starlink internet service and unfortunately, they aren’t playing nice with each other.
I tried with Starlink in bypass mode and not in bypass mode, tried PoE Switch between Starlink and Asus and still no luck, keeps saying no internet found each time.
I truly would like to use this system, but am at a loss as to what to do next. I would appreciate any suggestions you could make.
I look forward to your reply and thank you.
Deb
The problem you mentioned had nothing to do with the Asus (or any router you’d use), Debra. Take my word for it. Please contact Startlink for support.
Could you do a similar comparison article comparing the Orbi RBK852 to the Asus XT12 please in a direct head to head?
Nope. Just read this post and the review of the XT12 carefully and you’ll find your answers, Angela. Start from the top of the posts.