Orbi rbk852 is Netgear debut in mesh wifi 6 products. On the other hand, Zenwifi xt8 is Asus debut in mesh wifi 6. Are they still worth buying amid the emerging of wifi 7 products on the market? Yes they are, thanks to their price drops significantly.
In this article:
What this Orbi rbk852 does
Orbi’s successful track record with mesh wifi products based on wireless ac (wifi-5) came to a halt with the emergence of wifi-6 technology. To adapt to this change, Orbi launched its flagship product, the Orbi rbk852. This was the highest series for Orbi, followed by the Orbi Rbk752 series (a two-pack of Orbi rbk750) and other series as well. Nowadays you can find ultimate models of Orbi rbe970; Orbi rbe770; and Orbi Rbke963. The first two series are wifi7 products, and the last one is wifi 6e.
It is worth noting that Orbi distinguishes between Orbi mesh router and Orbi mesh satellite for almost all its series. Unlike other mesh wifi models such as Asus Zenwifi or TP-link Deco, these cannot be interchanged.
The Orbi rbk850 is sold in a kit of two units known as the Orbi rbk852, which includes one unit of Orbi mesh router (rbr850) and one unit of Orbi mesh satellite (Orbi rbs850). The 3-pack kit is called the Orbi rbk853, and it includes one unit of rbr850 and two units of Orbi rbs850.Top of Form.
Orbi rbk852 vs Orbi Rbk862
After the release of the Orbi Rbk850, which was the highest series from the Orbi mesh wifi system line at that time, Netgear introduced another series called the Orbi Rbk860 a few months later. What makes these two series set apart?
The Orbi 860 Series and Orbi 850 Series are both high-performance Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) mesh systems from Netgear. Each of this series can cover medium to large sized homes. However, the Orbi 860 Series is an upgraded version of the Orbi 850 Series, with several key improvements.
Table 1 below shows you spec comparison table between Orbi rbk850 and Orbi rbk860. You can see that both series come with the same wifi 6 ax6000 network segments.
Main upgrade
The Main Upgrade is the 10Gbps WAN port for future-proof internet speeds as opposed to 2.5Gbps WAN port which is limiting maximum speed. In case you anticipate the need for multi-gig internet speeds of up to 10Gbps in the future, neither of the current Orbi series would be capable of supporting the upcoming DOCSIS 4.0 technology. For an Orbi series that can meet this requirement and support the future DOCSIS 4.0 cable lab, you may want to consider the new Orbi Rbk860 series.
And the Rbk860 series comes with 1-year Netgear Armour subscription, while on Orbi rbk850 Netgear Arnour is a paid-subscription you need to pay whenever the security protection need exists.
Which One to Choose?
Choose Orbi 860 if you want future-proof networking with 10Gbps WAN support, better coverage, and free Netgear Armor security for a year.
Choose Orbi 850 if you want a slightly cheaper option with similar Wi-Fi 6 speeds but without 10Gbps WAN support.
Table 1 Orbi rbk852 vs Rbk862
| Orbi series | Orbi Rbk852 (2x rbk850) | Orbi Rbk862 (2x Rbk860) |
| Wifi technology | Tri-band ax6000 wifi 6 | Tri-band AX600 wifi 6 |
| Wifi speeds | Up to 1200Mbps @2.4GHz up to 2,400 Mbps @ 5GHZ-1 up to 2,400 Mbps @ 5GHZ-2 | Up to 1200Mbps @2.4GHz up to 2,400 Mbps @ 5GHZ-1 up to 2,400 Mbps @ 5GHZ-2 |
| Backhaul link | 2,400 Mbps @5GHz band dedicated backhaul link Optional wired backhaul | Dedicated backhaul @5GHz 2,400Mbps, optional wired backhaul |
| Antennas | Eight (8) high performance internal antennas with high-powered amplifiers | Eight (8) high performance internal antennas with high-powered amplifiers |
| Ethernet Ports | Router: 1x RJ45 2.5G BaseT for WAN; 4x RJ45 Gigabits BaseT for LAN; Satelite: 4x 1.0 Gbps LAN ports | Router: 1 x 10.0 Gbps WAN 4 x Gigabit LAN ports Orbi satellite 4 x 1.0 Gbps Ethernet LAN |
| Technical coverage | Up to 7,500 sq. ft. (3-pack) | Up to 8,000 sq. ft. (3-pack) |
| Security | NETGEAR Armor (paid subscription) | NETGEAR Armor (free 1-year) |
| Processor | Powerful Quad-Core 2.2 GHz processor with 512MB NAND Flash and 1GB RAM | Powerful Quad-Core 2.2 GHz processor with 512MB NAND Flash and 1GB RAM |
| Price | $399.99 (before $635.00 / 2-pack ) | $674.99 / 2-pack |
Wired Backhaul
The Orbi rbk850, and Orbi 860 series like other mesh wifi models, merges an Orbi mesh wifi router and one or more Orbi satellite nodes that establish communication between each other through a wifi backhaul link. Orbi sets itself apart by using a dedicated backhaul link for communication between mesh router and satellite nodes, but you also have the option to use a wired Ethernet backhaul for faster and more reliable wired connection backhaul.
How to wired backhaul
If you opt for a wired backhaul, you can use a Cat6 UTP cable with each end utilizing RJ45 connections. Wondering how to connect using this UTP cable? Please refer to the figure below for detailed instructions. There are two models of wired backhaul topology to choose from: star topology and daisy chain topology.
The star topology (fig 1) requires you to connect each Orbi satellite to the Orbi router, using two LAN ports of the Orbi router and running UTP cables to each of the Orbi satellite’s Ethernet ports. On the other hand, the daisy chain topology (fig 2) involves running one UTP cable from the Orbi router to one of the Orbi satellites, and then running another UTP cable from the first Orbi satellite (that has a connection to the Orbi router) to the second Orbi satellite.
You can also deploy with star topology using an Ethernet switch. Run one UTP cable from Orbi router to the Ethernet switch that might far away from the Orbi router unit, and then you need to run each of Orbi satellites to the switch. Note that you need to use “Unmanaged switch” instead of “managed switch” or any kind of Switch with non-green technology. Click this link for wired backhaul details.
Now, we take one of Asus mesh wifi system products to compare with Orbi rbk852.
Asus XT8 vs Asus BT6
XT8 is the first mesh wifi6 series introduced by Asus, one of the rival of Orbi rbk852 series. With the emerging of wifi7 products available on the market, this price of this asus xt8 drops significantly.
Asus introduces few zenwifi wifi7 series including Asus Zenwifi BT6, BT10 that sit on the medium network segment. While for entry level of wifi7 models, you can find Asus BD4 and BD5 that become the rivals of similar products Deco BE23 and BE25. Click here to read Deco BE25 vs Asus BD5 and see which one is worth of buying.
Today, the price of Asus XT8 is around 1/3 of the price of new Asus BT6. The price of BT6 is almost the same as Asus XT8 when it was the first time available on the market. what makes these two products set apart?
Spec comparison table XT8 vs BT6
Table 2 below represents spec comparison between the two series. The main apparent difference is that wifi generations between the two. For standard wifi network for homes, asus xt8 is still worthy, however this product will soon become obsolete.
For the future proof, asus BT6 is more advantages over legacy xt8, however you have to spend 3 times as much money as xt8. With asus bt6, you have all the benefits of wifi7 features including wider channel bandwidth, three distinct radio bands, combined wireless and wireless backhaul for faster backhaul link speed between the nodes, and also MLO feature that are absent on legacy wifi6.
Table 2 Asus Zenwif series
| Asus Zenwifi Model | Asus Zenwifi XT8 | Asus Zenwifi BT6 |
| Product segment | Tri-band AX6600 wifi 6 | Tri-band BE9400 wifi 7 |
| Signal rate | 574Mbps @2.4GHz 2×2 1201Mbps @5GHz 2×2 4804Mbps @5GHz 4×4 | 688Mbps @2.4GHz 2×2 2882 Mbps @5GHz 2×2 5762 Mbps @6GHz 2×2 |
| Channel bandwidth | Up to 160 MHz | Up to 320 MHz |
| Ethernet Ports | 1x 2.5Gbps WAN port 3 x 1.0Gbps LAN ports | 1x 2.5 Gbps WAN port 3x 1.0Gbps LAN ports |
| USB Ports | 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 | 1x USB 3.0 port |
| Operating Modes | Wireless router mode Access Point mode | Wireless router mode Access Point mode AiMesh Node mode |
| Dimension | 160 mm x 75 mm x 161.5 mm | 159 mm x 72 mm x 186 mm |
| $149.99 | $479.99 |
Orbi Rbk850 vs Asus XT8
With limited budget to build high performance wifi 6 network at home, both Orbi rbk852 and Asus xt8 are appropriate solution, even though they are not future proof as opposed to the wifi7 products. When it comes to choose between the two legacy models, which one is suitable to meet your home network?
The following table 3 is a spec comparison between the Orbi rbk852 and the Asus xt8.
Wifi signals
The Orbi Rbk852 and Asus XT8 Zenwifi are both tri-band wifi-6 mesh systems with similar total bandwidth, but there are some differences in bandwidth allocation. Specifically, there is a bandwidth difference at the 2.4GHz radio band and the two @5GHz radio bands. Orbi uses one of the @5GHz radio bands as a dedicated backhaul link between Orbi nodes, while Asus xt8 Zenwifi allows you to choose which @5GHz radio bands will be used as a dedicated backhaul.
While Asus does offer a wired backhaul option, it’s important to note that using a wired backhaul does not necessarily mean that a dedicated @5GHz backhaul can be used for device connections. Instead, the dedicated @5GHz backhaul is reserved as a fallback backhaul link in case there is a disruption to the Ethernet backhaul link. You can choose between a dedicated @5GHz @1200Mbps backhaul and a wired Ethernet backhaul option, resulting in a total bandwidth of up to 480 + 600 Mbps for connected devices.
Operation Modes
At times, the network setup in your home may not be a cable modem but a cable modem gateway, such as the Netgear cax80. Consequently, Orbi cannot function as a router in this setup, but it can serve as a wireless access point. Orbi offers the option to operate as a WiFi AP. To achieve this, you need to connect one of the Ethernet gateway ports to the Orbi router’s WAN port and modify the configuration settings by selecting Advanced > Advanced > Router / AP Mode and choosing the AP mode radio button.
Similarly, Asus xt8 also provides an option to allow the device to work as a WiFi AP like Orbi, offering various operation mode options. You can select operation mode in the general settings and choose Asus xt8 to work in wireless router mode (default mode), AP mode, Repeater mode, Media bridge, or Aimesh node. It’s worth noting that most of Asus’s recent products feature Aimesh technology, which enables this device to join other Aimesh products to create a whole-home system. For instance, if you already have the latest Asus ET8 mesh wifi 6e system, you can configure xt8 to work as an Aimesh node.
Security protection
The Orbi rbk852 provides a paid feature called Netgear Armor, which offers network threat protection against various internet threats like malware, ransomware, adware, and phishing attacks. The cost of this service is around $35 per year. On the other hand, Asus provides a free subscription of Asus AiProtection powered by Trend Micro. AiProtection offers real-time network monitoring to detect malware, viruses, and other intrusions for all devices connected to your network.
Asus AiProtection provides a straightforward way to assess the network protection of the xt8 router against all possible internet threats. To initiate the process, navigate to the General menu > AiProtection and select the network protection tab. Click on the Scan button to generate a risk security assessment report from your router. The report will offer valuable insights into the level of protection provided by your router.
One critical area to pay attention to is the default user and router password. It is advisable to change these passwords when configuring the system for the first time. Additionally, the report will indicate the strength of your password and highlight any potential threats, such as phishing, brute force attacks, dictionary attacks, among others. Please refer to the following image as an example of a risk security assessment report for your current router.
This Asus AiProtection is a free software powered by Trend micro.
Spec comparison table Orbi vs Asus
For spec comparison details, please refer to the following table 3 below.
Table 3 Orbi Rbk852 vs Asus Zenwifi XT8
| Model | Orbi rbk852 (2pk) | Asus XT8 Zenwifi (2pk) |
| Wifi technology | Simultaneous Tri-band mesh ax6000 wifi 6 with 8 streams | Simultaneous Tri-band mesh ax6600 with 8 steams |
| Wifi speeds | Up to 1200Mbps @2.4GHz up to 2,400 Mbps @ 5GHZ-1 up to 2,400 Mbps @ 5GHZ-2 | Up to 574 Mbps @2.4GHz up to 1201 Mbps @ 5GHZ-1 up to 4804 Mbps @ 5GHZ-2 |
| Coverage | Up to 5,000 sq ft / 2,500 sq ft /unit | Up to 5,500 sq ft (2pack) / 2,750 sq ft / unit |
| Backhaul link | 2,400 Mbps @5GHz band is used as dedicated backhaul link, optional wired Ethernet backhaul is also available | You have option which 5GHz radio band to configure as dedicated backhaul link, or optional wired Ethernet backhaul |
| Antennas | Eight (8) high performance internal antennas with high-powered amplifiers | 6x internal antennas |
| SSID | Single network name | Single network name or one name each band |
| Ethernet Ports | 1x RJ45 2.5G BaseT for WAN 3x RJ45 Gigabits BaseT for LAN | 1x RJ45 2.5G BaseT for WAN 3x RJ45 Gigabits BaseT for LAN |
| USB Port | N/A | 1x USB 3.1 gen 1 |
| Processor | Powerful Quad-Core 2.2 GHz processor with 512MB NAND Flash and 1GB RAM | 1.5GHz quad core processor with 256MB Flash + 512 MB RAM |
| Protection | Netgear Shield | Free Commercial Grade Security & Advanced Parental Controls powered by Trend Micro |
| Price | $239.99 (old $635.00 / 2-pack | $192.99 ($449.00 (2-pack) |
Price points
Prices are always fluctuating over time, and their prices tend to drop. Originally when the products released to the market at the first time, the price difference is around $200. Orbi’s prices are mostly more expensive than other similar products.
Click the product’s link below to see current price and shop on Amazon (#Ads):
Related products
In addition of Asus XT8, Asus added wifi 6e products and one of them is Asus Zenwifi ET8. See also Eero Pro 6e vs Asus ET8, and see which one is better value.