Nighthawk R6700 And/or Orbi RBK50

[brjoon1021]

Hardware:

I have a netgear nighthawk R6700 router

I have and Orbi RBK50 on order. I only paid $238 from Amazon
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I am trying to figure out what my options are with these 2 devices to cover a 2,500 sq ft single story home with thick walls. It is an English Tudor style home so it is shaped like a squared "C"- If it had a 4th "wing" it would be a rectangle with a courtyard in the middle. All of that to say that the router alone has not been able to cover some of the rooms; I believe due to the sharp angles and thick walls. No matter where I place a single router it will have to go through some thick walls at VERY steep angles the way I see it.

Presently, I do not have ethernet throughout the house (no wiring in the walls, but it could be done, we have a gross crawlspace under much of the house and a gross attic above all of it.)

I am truly hoping you will say, "give away or sell the router and love the Orbi it will be awesome for you!" However, I am seeking the truth as much as that may exist in this case. If I should run some ethernet cable to get a better result I will. I am not looking forward to paying for the ethernet cable work nor learning how to do it myself with the mice, rats and big spiders (sorry to sound like a puss, but not my dream...)

a. should I run ethernet cable and run the Orbi as Access Points from the router ?
b. should I cancel the Orbi order and buy a couple of Access points such as the TP-Link EAP225, using the router I have
c. another option I don't know about... I am A NEWB, for sure.
d. go Orbi !

Thanks in advance for your tips!
Bill

 

[thiggins]

An RBK50 for $238 is a good deal. Give it a try before you start hitting the crawlspace.

 

[brjoon1021]

Thanks for your reply! Is the orbi directional in anyway? I was thinking of putting it in the Attic without ethernet because there are no walls in the Attic the two units would be looking at each other down the length of the house and therefore have great backhaul I suppose... but should I point them upside down towards where we would actually be living- using them? Or do they put out sort of a sphere in there coverage pattern (I'm relating this to router antennas... I'm assuming basically there are routers with antennas inside the orbi units)?

 

[thiggins]

Orbi's are omnidirectional

 

[sm00thpapa]

Cancel the Orbi system and buy the eero system. Read my thoughts on the eero system.

 

[brjoon1021]

Uh-oh. I will... diagruntled orbi user?

 

[sm00thpapa]

Uh-oh. I will... diagruntled orbi user?

I used the Orbi system for 6 months and had a few issues. I put the eero system in place and now the Orbi system is collecting dust in the garage.

 

[brjoon1021]

Thanks for the heads up. My luck is not so good so if your Orbi has a redheaded stepbrother, it's on the way to my house now.

 

[sm00thpapa]

Good luck. Hope it works out for you.