When comparing Netgear Orbi vs NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2300 (R7000P), the Slant community recommends NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2300 (R7000P) for most people. In the question“What are the best wireless routers?” NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2300 (R7000P) is ranked 1st while Netgear Orbi is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2300 (R7000P) is:
The R7000P truly shines under busy network conditions. The load-balancing band steering automatically shifts the devices around to give work to both radios. What this means is that users will have a pleasant experience even when the network is busy.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Great performance
This tri-band AC3000 device can deliver theoretical throughput speeds of 1,266Mbps (400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 866Mbps on the 5GHz band). Third 5GHz band can reach maximum speeds of 1,733Mbps. In real life testing the Orbi router turns in a score of 480Mbps, and the satellite delivers 470Mbps. At a distance of 30 feet, the Orbi router scores 223Mbps, and the satellite scores 220Mbps.
To maximize routers performance Orbi uses a separate 5GHz band that’s used only for communications between the router and the satellite. In comparison, other Wi-Fi extenders use the same bands to extend signal, which results in a 50% signal loss each time the signal is wirelessly extended.
Pro Good covarage
The Netgear Orbi WiFi system can cover up to 6,000 square feet home. The router itself can cover 2,000 square feet and one satellite unit covers additional 2,000 square feet. It’s possible to add a second extender for a total coverage of 6,000 square feet.
The idea is that you would put the main router near your ISP's modem and then just add the extender where it’s needed the most.
Pro Simple setup
Setting up the Orbi is very easy. All you need to do is to turn on the main router, download the Orbi app, and follow few simple steps. Then you need to find a place for satellite where you can get best possible coverage. Connection between main router and satellite will be done automatically.
Pro Great performance even for busy networks
The R7000P truly shines under busy network conditions. The load-balancing band steering automatically shifts the devices around to give work to both radios. What this means is that users will have a pleasant experience even when the network is busy.
Pro You can specify the amount of bandwidth you wish to dedicate to gaming or video
Nighthawk offers two different types of traffic prioritization tools. Traffic that is sent out by the user can be prioritized for gaming, while incoming traffic can be prioritized for improved video streaming.
Pro Several custom firmwares readily available
To make greater use of the powerful component hardware, owners can easily flash any of the popular third-party firmwares like TomatoUSB, DD-WRT, AsusWRT and more using the existing upgrade page in the stock web-based control panel.
Pro Excellent USB performance
The Nighthawk achieves file transfer rates of 231.2 Mbps over USB 3.0 and 224 Mbps over USB 2.0. This means that you can connect an external hard disk drive to this router and share a 2 GB file over a Wi-Fi network in just over a minute.
Pro Easy to configure
Uses a full-featured Web interface for configuration that's easy to use for both beginners and advanced users alike.
Cons
Con Expensive to buy 1 individual satellite
If you find out that a pair of two is not sufficient, you will be paying a lot more for 1 extra satellite.
Con Expensive for bigger homes
Orbi Home WiFi System is available for just under $400. It includes a router and an extender which will cover 4,000 square feet. However if this isn’t enough for you and you need better coverage, you can get a third device for an extra $250, which makes it a total of $650.
Con Might be a bit problematic to use in crowded dorms or apartment buildings
The R7000P does not have a third band, which is something that's usually available for routers around this price range. This is not a big problem if the router is being used in a suburban home, but it can be a bit problematic if used in a crowded apartment complex or dorm where there are a lot of neighboring networks interfering.
Con You can't block non-HTTP sites
Even though you can block websites by domain name or keyword, you can only do so for websites that don't use HTTPS.