Netgear claims an industry first with the 2-in-1 Orbi Tri-Band Wifi Cable Modem Router System (CBK40)-- a whole-home wifi router with a built-in cable modem, app setup and FastLane 3 tri-band wifi.
The Orbi is positioned as a replacement for existing cable modems and routers. It promises mesh wifi coverage reaching up to 370 square metres, with Orbi satellites expanding coverage by a further 185 square metres per satellite. It is compatible with all major cable ISPs, and should work right out of the box.
For readers curious for more technical details, the Orbi carries a Docsis 3.0 CableLabs-certified cable modem with 32x8 bonding. It simultaneously supports 32 downstream bonding channels, and pushes download speeds of up to 1.4Gbps. Meanwhile wifi speed clocks at 2.2Gbps through MU-MIMO technology and a quad-core processor. Beamforming+ further improves speed and range for both 2.4 and 5GHz devices.
A final addition is voice control-- the Orbi is compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing users to configure the modem by simply speaking to it. A companion app also allows easy network management, and comes complete with automatic Orbi software updates.
Go Netgear Debuts Industry-First Orbi Tri-Band Mesh Wifi Cable Modem Router System
