The fastest mesh router is the Netgear Orbi 6. Versus the Nest Wifi, CNET’s current top pick in the mesh category, with top wireless transfer speeds of 612 Mbps at a close-range distance of 5 feet, the Netgear Orbi 6 hit a top speed of 666 Mbps — at a distance of 75 feet. Up close, the number was 871 Mbps, which is the fastest speed CNET has ever seen from a mesh router in that test.
When I took the two-piece Orbi system home and tested how fast I was able to connect throughout my house, I saw average speeds at the farthest point from the router that were 95% as fast as my average speeds up close, in the same room as the router. No other mesh system I’ve tested has managed to get any higher than 82% in that same test. Most come in below 60%.
Still, as capable as the high-end Orbi system is, it’s overkill for most folks, especially if your internet connection isn’t at least 500 Mbps. In my home, where my fiber internet plan nets me speeds of up to 300 Mbps, my average speeds throughout the house came in at 289 Mbps with Netgear Orbi, which is better than the whole-home average of 222 Mbps that I saw from Nest Wifi, and better than any other mesh router I’ve tested.
But credit to our new speed king — if you simply want the fastest, best-performing mesh money can buy, look no further.
MacDailyNews Take: If you want to take full advantage of Wi-Fi 6, the Netgear Orbi 6 looks like the best choice right now. Read the full review, as setup also looks to be best-in-class, with the network up and running about 10 minutes after unboxing.
Wow. I’m getting 867 Mbps with my 5 year old netgear 6300 router.
Need alternate mesh networks
Never buy Netgear with their 90 day warranty
According to their online comment, NG is about to do away with the ability to split the SSID or deactivate he 5GZ band thus making next to impossible to add IOT devices which with with 2.4Ghz only. Huge caveat.
Netgear still has a crappy dated UI, lack of power features and somewhat limited firmware support. I admit they do have some excellent routers, R7800 for example.
I love my new ASUS router. ASUS have excellent power features, a great firmware interface and tons of features. They support their routers for years via firmware upgrades.
One of the best features is their routers support mesh just by adding one or more ASUS. They went back a few generations of routers and updated firmware to support their mesh system. That’s awesome. You can re-purpose their many year old AC1750 and AC1900 routers to be mesh nodes. They also have the flexibility to use wired or wireless backhaul for the mesh traffic which is excellent for power users.
They are extremely fast routers. I imagine they are fast in mesh mode too. I highly recommend.