NETGEARRBK53-100NAS Orbi AC3000 Whole Home Tri-band WiFi System

I have a 2300 square foot home on approximately 5 acres with DSL internet service from CenturyLink. I was using the CenturyLink 2082 wireless modem/router and the WiFi signal would not reach into one end of our home. I also needed internet coverage in a metal covered barn located about 150 feet from the house. After researching the different available MESH internet router systems, I choose the Netgear Orbi AC3000 RBK53S with a router and 2 satellites and the Orbi Outdoor Satellite RBS50Y. I had some reservations due to reading some of the reviews detailing installation difficulties and dropped connections between the router and satellites. When I installed the system, I used the Orbi Login online installation method and not the mobile app. I also kept the Orbi router and the 3 satellites close to my computer until everything was set up. I connected the satellite to the CenturyLink 2082 modem with the provided Ethernet cable and turned it on. After startup was complete, I connected my computer to it through WiFi and started the the Orbi LogIn program which detected the Orbi Router. I then powered on 1 of the AC3000 satellites and it synced to the router successfully. I then powered on the 2nd AC 3000 satellite and it did not sync successfully. After 2 more tries by powering it off and then on, it synced successfully. I then checked the firmware versions on the router and the 2 satellites and they were up to date for all units out of the box. I then powered on the Orbi Outdoor satellite. It took 4 tries of powering off and powering on before it booted and I then used the sync function in Orbi Login to sync it to the router. I then checked the firmware version and it needed to be updated. However, the Orbi Login program could not complete the automatic update. I had downloaded the newest firmware to my computer in anticipation of updating the firmware manually and the process was accomplished without incident. I then completed the setup for the Orbi system with the Orbi Login program. At that point, I connected all of our devices to the new Orbi WiFi network and turned off auto-join for the CenturyLink 2082. I then moved the CenturyLink 2082 and the Orbi router to a location as close to the center of our home as possible and powered them on. I then moved the 1st satellite to the far end of the house, powered it on, it synced with the router and displayed a blue light that indicated a strong connection. I then moved the 2nd satellite to the opposite end of the house, which is closest to the barn, powered it on, it synced with the router and displayed a blue light that indicated a strong connection. Lastly, I moved the Orbi Outdoor satellite to the barn knowing that if it was placed outside of the barn it would probably be unable to send a strong signal through the metal the barn is covered with. Instead, I placed it inside the barn next to a door that faces the house and that has a window in it. I powered it on, it synced and displayed a blue light which indicated a strong signal. When I checked the Wifi coverage, I now have a strong signal everywhere in the house and throughout the 48x48 foot barn. To my surprise, I also have a strong signal outside as far away as 250 feet from the house and barn. The WiFi speed has been impressive and much better than the CenturyLink 2082 router. The system was installed a week ago and it has been absolutely reliable with no issues. In short, I am extremely pleased with the Netgear Orbi AC3000 system!

This is a fantastic mesh router! If you need more than one router in your house (and let's face it, most people do), this is the set to get.A little background here. I have an old stone house (1859) with a frame addition built in the early 90s. My office is in the basement at one corner of the old house and that's where my router sits (I need to be wired to my router for numerous reasons and have many wired devices). As such, this is a recipe for failed wifi throughout the rest of the house. So, on the first floor, I had a router acting as an extender and on the second floor, yet another. I lived with this for years, having to make sure I was on the correct router when I was using wifi throughout the house. A pain in the butt. Also, honestly, slow speeds plagued me. I live in the country and my DSL maxes out at 8Mbps, so by the time the extenders passed it along, I was doing well with 3Mbps or less in some rooms.I started reading about mesh networks back in the winter. CNET had some great reviews of different mesh routers. I very nearly bought the Google Mesh because it was cheap... but then, fortunately, thought better of it. So I took a look again at the Orbi (2-router version) and though it was more expensive by quite a bit, the performance seemed worthwhile for me. Additionally, because of the difficult nature of the house, I decided to go with the three unit Orbi. (It's designed for 7500 sq ft, or so they say, and I have about 3800.)Wow was I impressed by performance! (Oh, it was also very simple to set up, which you generally need to do with a smart phone.) I had speeds of 7-8Mbps through the house. I even had 2.5Mbps on a hillside 500 yards away. I could be mowing a field not too far from the house and my wife could text me that dinner was ready. (Another issue where I live -- I have to use an AT&T Microcell to get any cell service and we use iMessage to text via wifi.) The speeds we now get with Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Vudu to our TV are excellent. What a world of difference.I'm a professional photographer and my wife is a graphic designer, but we prefer to live in the country, so this is a technology match made in heaven for us. If you want unimpeded wifi performance in your house, BUY THE ROUTER.