[FONT="]What makes the Orbi different from other Wi-Fi systems is that the add-on wireless extender connects to the main router using a dedicated Wi-Fi band.[/FONT][FONT="]Other Wi-Fi extenders (including the Eero) use the same bands as the routers they're extending to receive and rebroadcast Wi-Fi signals -- resulting in a 50 percent signal loss each time the signal is wirelessly extended. The Orbi system, on the other hand, uses a separate quad-stream 5Ghz band -- with a top speed of 1.7Gbps -- to connect the main router and the satellite unit. This band can't be managed by end-users and is totally separate from the other two bands the system uses to connect to wireless clients.[/FONT]
[FONT="]So what does this mean? It means that as long as you use just a single extender with the router, you won't experience any signal loss, since the router and extender are connected via their own dedicated band. The additional client bands -- 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz -- of the router are used solely to connect your devices to the network and (by extension) the internet.[/FONT]
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[FONT="]In a typical home, the service line (cable, DSL etc.) almost always enters the property at a corner. That's where you'll want to place the Orbi router, then put the satellite in the middle of your home, which should net you a signal everywhere. In my trial, for a 3,000 square-foot home, the Orbi system -- one router and one add-on extender unit -- was able to cover every corner.[/FONT]