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Reviews & Guides · Computing & Networking

NETGEAR Orbi RBR850: 800+ Mbps at home after replacing Nighthawk RAX120

I replaced my NETGEAR RAX120 with a three-node Orbi 850 system and saw over 800 Mbps throughout my home, including about 900 Mbps in the living room.

A white Netgear Orbi mesh Wi-Fi router mounted high on a wood-paneled cabinet in a clear plastic wall mount, featuring a decorative sticker on the lower left.
Screenshot of a network map interface in a mobile app showing the Internet connected to an Orbi RBR850 router, which connects to two Orbi satellites.
Screenshot of the Netgear Orbi mobile app dashboard displaying router status and quick-access management tiles.
Screenshot of an i Manager mobile network speed test report displaying a download speed of 905.19 Mbps, upload speed of 129 Mbps, and latency of 11 ms.
Three white and grey electronic accessories or covers individually packaged in clear plastic bags, packed upright inside a cardboard shipping box.

I finally bought a NETGEAR Orbi as Wi-Fi 7 was arriving. I had been reluctant to buy one before and had kept relying on the RAX120. Now I finally get speeds of over 800 Mbps in every corner of the home, while the living room reaches about 900 Mbps. That is more than enough for me.

This year, it looks as though 2.5Gbps switches have become more affordable. I will get a 2.5Gbps switch later so I can make the NAS’s link aggregation run more smoothly!

Source: 肥陶 · Xiaohongshu · 2024-10-08 · 以前一直不舍得买的mesh终于让家里网速跑满. Search this Chinese title in Xiaohongshu to find the original post.

Before You Buy

Models in your region

The source account identifies an Orbi 850-series router as an RBR850 with two satellites, but it does not name the exact retail kit SKU. The North American and UK NETGEAR RBK853 listings provide the closest documented three-unit configuration: one RBR850 router and two RBS850 satellites. The owner’s reported 800–900 Mbps results remain personal observations rather than controlled comparisons.

Model in this review Related regional model What to know
NETGEAR Orbi RBR850 NETGEAR Orbi RBK853 / RBR850 (North America) The owner used an RBR850-based three-node Orbi 850-series system; the matching North American RBK853 configuration pairs one RBR850 router with two RBS850 satellites. The exact retail kit purchased is not identified, so kit-specific details should be checked before buying.
NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX120 NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX120 (US) This is the single-router model the owner used previously, rather than the Orbi mesh replacement. The US RAX120 listing documents Wi-Fi 6, 12 streams and a multi-gig port, while the owner supplied no controlled throughput comparison against the Orbi.
Model in this review
NETGEAR Orbi RBR850
Related regional model
NETGEAR Orbi RBK853 / RBR850 (North America)
What to know
The owner used an RBR850-based three-node Orbi 850-series system; the matching North American RBK853 configuration pairs one RBR850 router with two RBS850 satellites. The exact retail kit purchased is not identified, so kit-specific details should be checked before buying.
Model in this review
NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX120
Related regional model
NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX120 (US)
What to know
This is the single-router model the owner used previously, rather than the Orbi mesh replacement. The US RAX120 listing documents Wi-Fi 6, 12 streams and a multi-gig port, while the owner supplied no controlled throughput comparison against the Orbi.

What the owner changed

The owner moved from a single NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX120 to a three-node Orbi 850-series setup and reported more than 800 Mbps in every part of the home, with about 900 Mbps in the living room. Because the source does not describe a controlled test method or the previous RAX120 results, these figures show the owner’s outcome in this installation rather than a measured product-to-product advantage.

The documented North American RBK853 configuration uses one RBR850 router and two RBS850 satellites, with a dedicated 5GHz backhaul. That three-unit layout is consistent with the source account and helps explain the product choice for whole-home coverage, but the exact retail kit SKU in the owner’s purchase remains unknown.

Ports and the planned NAS upgrade

The owner planned to add a 2.5Gbps switch for a NAS link-aggregation setup, but had not completed or tested that arrangement. The Orbi RBR850 has a 2.5Gbps WAN port and Gigabit LAN ports in the documented North American configuration, so adding a 2.5Gbps switch cannot turn those Gigabit LAN ports into 2.5Gbps ports.

The UK RBK853 listing likewise documents an RBR850 router with a 2.5Gbps WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports. Buyers planning a NAS or wired multi-gig network should therefore check the local model’s complete port layout rather than assume that a 2.5Gbps switch provides 2.5Gbps access on every Orbi connection.

NETGEAR Orbi RBK853 · UK

How the RAX120 comparison should be read

The RAX120 is a Wi-Fi 6 single router with 12 streams, an advertised aggregate speed of up to 6Gbps and a multi-gig port in the US specification. The owner’s account establishes that it was replaced, but it does not establish how the two systems compare under the same devices, locations, bands or test conditions.

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