Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First, let me state I change my router every 18 months because my internet speed increases, I am always adding more wireless clients and then lastly wifi technology is constantly changing. Orbi, eero, Velop and Google Wifi are called mesh because you can install multiple access points that all communicate and can self-organize. There are three very important things that you need to remember about mesh,. First the Access Point can be Dual band (2 radio) or Tri-Band (3 radio), Second, a radio can be 4x4 or 2x2 (more rarely 3x3). Thirdly the radio can be high power or medium power. There is a huge difference in price when you select different options. For example, the Orbi RBK50 series are 4x4 and tri-band and they are very expensive. I bought the RBK23 that is tri-band 2x2 similar spec. as the latest eero. If your budget is infinite, buy an RBK50 series and add more satellite. Don't pay attention to the square footage listed on the product. It is totally misleading because coverage depends on the layout of the house. If you live in a 6,000 sq ft loft with open space, you probably only need one Access Point. If you live in an older house with many halls and the signal bounces around a lot, you need multiple AP and a high power radio for the backhaul. There are no secret formulas for number of access points and house sq footage. Now onto installation. It is very important that you do a survey of your house and determine where to place these Access Points. Don't place them randomly because you will end up with the purple ring of death that many reviewers have complained about. Place them strategically and ideally the satellite should be one hop away from the main router. I know that it is not always possible to do this. You may have to try different locations. This is the hardest part of the installation. The installation procedure offered by Linksys is OK and not fool proof. So, if it fails, restart the installation process. I was shocked that I had to place the Access Point relatively close to each other in order to get a good coverage in my space. I suspect that the RBK23 don't have high power radios. But I placed them strategically in such a way to get a triangle on the App. (v.s., a line) and I now have full coverage in the house. I was also surprised that it takes a long time for the Access Points to converge. I don't know what type of algorithm is used but it takes a long time to settle. I had to wait 3-5 minutes for things to settle down. Lastly if you use Apple Print, and you have another Gateway (e,g., Verizon FiOS or Comcast) then you should make the Orbi an AP not a router. Printing will not work properly if routed due to broadcast traffic. Overall, I am happy with thus purchase, I paid $200 for a kit of 3 Access Point (RBK23) and they do the job for a 3,000 sq foot space. Thank you for reading.