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Mesh Wi-Fi applied science is all the rage, with just about every major consumer networking firm jumping into the fray. We've covered quite a few of the products, and one of the nigh capable continues to be the powerful Orbi units from Netgear. They take some of the all-time functioning stats, although at a premium price. Now, Netgear is extending the achieve of Orbi with a atmospheric condition-resistant model for outdoor use.

Orbi Outdoor Satellite

Netgear's new Orbi picked up an Innovation award at this year's CESThe new unit is named merely the Orbi Outdoor Satellite (model number RBS50Y; See on Amazon). Netgear says it will add together nigh 2,500 foursquare feet to your Wi-Fi coverage. That's just nigh a 30-foot radius, so I suspect that in do those with uncluttered yards volition get quite a bit more. As always, walls, wires, and other devices will consume into the coverage surface area. As with the indoor units, it tin share an SSID, providing for easier roaming inside your location.

Like the indoor Orbi Satellite, the outdoor model communicates with other Orbis over a dedicated wireless aqueduct (called FastLane3 by Netgear), and then you don't need to wire it into your Ethernet. Netgear claims that FastLane3 provides upwards to 1.7Gbps backhaul between units. Of course, yous volition need to provide the outdoor Orbi with ability. In my feel the well-nigh challenging part of outdoor electronics is running a waterproof wire to a power outlet in a non-obtrusive way.

Netgear calls the outdoor unit weather-resistant. Specifically, information technology is designed to withstand sub-zero temperatures, and has an IP56 rating for dust and water resistance. Information technology tin be mounted on a wall or placed on a stand.

New Satellite also works with Orbi for Modest Businesses

The outdoor Orbi satellite likewise works with Netgear'south Orbi for Pocket-size Businesses, and supports its more advanced features, includes the ability to separate invitee and employee traffic and providing a dedicated administration network. For those wanting to brighten things upwards at night, the unit of measurement tin can also be programmed to low-cal its LEDs on schedule, or go out them off.

The new Orbi doesn't come cheap. Information technology'southward bachelor now at an MSRP of $330. You lot'll demand to already have an Orbi Router for information technology to connect with — either the Orbi Tri-band Whole Home WiFi or the Orbi Tri-ring Wi-Fi for Small Business. If y'all don't need a wireless backhaul, then you lot can get wired mesh access points from Unifi and others for almost $100.