You receive three WiFi bands when you have tri-band WiFi, with the third one being used for communication between your satellite and router. This results in increased speed and efficiency as well as decreased device interference and network congestion. Everywhere in the house, take advantage of the fastest WiFi on all of your devices. Get more in AX4200 WiFi mesh system (CBK752) review.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Three-band functionality
- Integrated VPN server
- Allow for 2Gbps Link Aggregation on WAN
- Multiple gigabit internet connectivity
- Dependable WiFi with a wide coverage area
- Useful, attractive mobile application
- Protection against malware
- Simple to assemble
Cons
- Security that is subscription-locked
- Not really free parental restrictions
- Even in a wired configuration, the fast 5GHz frequency is limited to backhaul use exclusively.
AX4200 WiFi mesh system (CBK752) Specs
- Wi-Fi Spec: AX4200
- Number of Antennas/Removable: 6/No
- Ports: Router – 1 WAN/3 LAN; Satellite – 2 LAN
- Processor/Memory/Storage: Quad-core 1.4GHz/512MB/1GB
- Wi-Fi chip: Qualcomm IPQ8174
- Peak 802.11ax performance: 506.7 Mbps (at 15 feet)
- Range: 85 feet
- Size: 9.4 x 6.5 x 2.0 inches
- Estimated Annual Electricity Cost: $9.80 per unit; $19.60 for the two devices
Price
The cost of two TP link CBK752 units is $334.99. 8.6 watts were consumed by the satellite and router together. Assuming the equipment is always on and you pay the average of 13 cents per kilowatt hour for power, the network should cost around $9.80 per unit, or $19.60 year, if left on continuously. That is roughly $15 less annually than using the Arris SURFboard Max two-piece kit, but it is about $5 less than the RBK852’s $24.40 in power costs annually.
AX4200 WiFi mesh system (CBK752) review
Design
The dimensions of the Orbi RBK752 are 9.4 x 6.5 x 2.0 inches. That is forty percent less than the RBK852 units. In summary, even if they are smaller, the RBK752 units are still among the biggest mesh devices on the market, dwarfing items like the Eero Pro 6.
Ports
The port strategy of the mesh kit is a mixed bag because the RBR750 router has three wired ports in addition to a WAN input. They are all restricted to 1Gbps data flow and are unable to handle the most recent 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig inputs. But no other mesh kit can match the RBR750’s ability to combine two networking ports for up to 2Gbps service.
Band
Similar to other Orbi devices, the RBK752 series makes advantage of Netgear’s well-proven tri-band architecture, which transfers data across the 2.4 and 5GHz bands and saves the second 5GHz band for data transfer from the satellites to the host.
Coverage
According to Netgear, the basic two-piece RBK752 kit reviewed here can cover up to 5,000 square feet. Additionally, there is the four-piece RBK754 set (which has, you guessed it, three satellites) that can cover 10,000 square feet and the three-piece RBK753 kit (which has two satellites) that is rated to operate with 7,500 square feet.
Memory & storage
The router includes a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 512MB of RAM, and 1GB of software and configuration storage. The set can travel at up to 600 Mbps over its 2.4GHz frequency and 1.2 GHz over its 5GHz band, which supplies data. With the additional 2.4Gbps provided by the dedicated backhaul channel, the system can transfer 4.2Gbps.
Transfer rate
With three wired ports and a WAN input on the RBR750 router, the mesh kit takes a mixed approach to port architecture. The RBR750 can combine two networking ports for up to 2Gbps service, which other mesh kits cannot do. They all have a maximum data throughput of 1Gbps and cannot support the newest 2.5Gbps Multi-Gig inputs.
VPN
With a few integrations with Amazon Alexa, you may use voice commands to turn on and off the guest network, check your internet statistics, and review your wifi settings. The RBK752 maintains Netgear’s integrated VPN server for safe internet access to your home network. You can choose to add the Armor security service, which tries to block harmful websites and identify malicious content on your network, as an optional extra for your RBK752 system. The $70-a-year cost may seem high considering that Asus offers comparable internet security for free, but Bitdefender client software is included with Netgear’s offer for all of your household devices.
AX4200 WiFi mesh system (CBK752) Performance review
The RBK752 performed well in my previous home after being used for emails, downloads, music, videos, and gaming, but it still had some dead zones. For a whole-house network, a third unit, such as the one included in the Orbi RBK753 three-pack, would have been ideal.
The Dell XPS 15 test machine received 506.7Mbps at a distance of 15 feet from the RBR750 router. This was faster than the Eero Pro 6 (436.1Mbps) and about tied with the Linksys Velop AX4200 (507.7Mbps). But none could penetrate the 833.6Mbps-moving Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 RBK852 router.
The test machine and router were separated by 50 feet, and the RBR750’s bandwidth decreased to 100.3 Mbps. While this is more than sufficient for most applications, it lagged well behind the Netgear Orbi RBK852 (124.4Mbps), Linksys Velop AX4200 (201.3Mbps), and Eero Pro 6 (239.9Mbps).
The Netgear Orbi RBR852 (85.9Mbps) was the fastest device at 75 feet, with the RBK752 moving at only 82.5Mbps, far slower than the Eero Pro 6 (208.9Mbps). In comparison, the 139.6Mbps was transferred by the Linksys Velop AX4200. The RBR752 lost contact at 85 feet, which is significantly farther than the Eero Pro 6’s 105 feet and the same distance as the Netgear Orbi RBR852.
AX4200 WiFi mesh system (CBK752) consumer review
Fast speeds, easy to use.
A little buggy, but once you’re up and running, this is an easy system to use. Software is not hard to figure out, but it definitely doesn’t have the priority management that a gaming router has. We have been able to obtain excellent speeds, BUT you probably need more than 2 Orbi’s if you have a house bigger than 2400SF, or are on more than 2 levels…especially if you have an older house. It does not love the section that has a metal roof over it, but putting an Orbi satellite out there fixed that issue. This system doesn’t love lathe/plaster walls (we don’t have wire mesh in our walls, so if you have wire mesh I don’t think this system will work for you at all). We have Spectrum internet/cable so the modem was a breeze to set up with Spectrum…but you have to sit on hold for a bit. Not a big deal. Kids have fast internet, all phones connect easily, the smart TV’s work fine with it, but the WiFi Philips lights are a little touchy, but doable. Again, you might need another Orbi if you have a big house, but if you are in an apartment or smaller house, this system will work well.
By Dinozdiem at Best Buy
