Lionel Paris explains Orbi mesh networking from Netgear

The Netgear Nighthawk has been a popular choice with KitGuru readers for quite some time. If you're looking for the fastest line-of-sight wireless networking solution, then the Nighthawk series is hard to beat. But what if you have a different set of criteria? What if you want a strong signal across a huge area? What if you want to be able to extend that network without dead zones or dropped connections when you move around? Netgear Orbi starts as a pair of routers and promises to cover up to 4,000 square feet (300 paces in any direction) with a completely smooth hand over from unit to unit. Lionel Paris runs European product marketing for Netgear, so we invited him along to the KitGuru studios to explain the new approach for Orbi.

We first saw Orbi at IFA in Berlin and it was clearly creating a lot of interest. At first glance, it looks as though Netgear has targeted products like Ubiquiti and OnHub, but Lionel believes that Orbi is the first of a whole new class of products – and he expects the competition to launch similar devices in the future.

KitGuru says: Buying a pair of routers for £349.99 each is not cheap, but if Netgear manages to deliver on its promises of fast, extendable, easy to set up/use mesh networking in large, modern home environments, then that figure may not be prohibitive. We'll wait on the KitGuru Labs up-coming verdict as to whether Orbi delivers on Netgear's promises. 

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