The Best Home WiFi Solution
Linus Tech Tips
·Linus Tech Tips
·2017-05-06
·
1,378 words · ~6 min read
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last year I reviewed the Google onhub a collaborative effort between Google
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tplink and ASUS to create a truly simple
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home Wi-Fi router and they achieved that and more it was simple to use and
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outperformed a Ruckus r710 In Our testing $1,000 solution now of course we
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weren't able to get like a hundred different Wi-Fi devices on it or
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anything crazy like that where a Ruckus device would shine but that's still damn
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impressive there was only one small problem problem if your home was too
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large or had too many walls that were difficult for Wi-Fi to penetrate like
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cement you were kind of screwed range extenders are objectively terrible and
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having multiple access points with separate ssids is hardly userfriendly
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this time there's a new solution enter
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Google Wi-Fi and one of its competitors the Netgear Orbee two different Wi-Fi
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solutions that promise better coverage and smoother access point transitions
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through Mesh networking let's check
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out verdig Gear's ergonomic s and plus
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line gaming chairs make a great addition to any gaming setup check them out at
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the link below the idea behind these so-called Wi-Fi systems which include a
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router and 1 to2 additional access points is smooth uninterrupted
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transitions between Wi-Fi zones you should be able to walk around your house
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seamlessly changing what access point that you are connected to without any
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hitches in your signal while everything is handled by the wi-fi system in the
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background no need to go into your phone or laptop and change what point you're
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connected to as you walk around it does it all for you this may seem familiar if
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you've used a well-implemented wi-fi system at something like a large office
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or a school but it hasn't been very accessible for consumers until now both
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the Google Wi-Fi and the Netgear Orbee promise essentially the same thing I'm
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they even both have the same quote from CET on their respective websites saying
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that their Wi-Fi system is the best on the market though to be fair reading the
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full quote on CET of the Orbee review reveals that they actually said that it
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was the best at the time and that it may be better to wait for Google Wi-Fi tisk
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tisk NetGear physically however both devices
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are quite different the main Orbee package comes with two rather large
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units a rotor and an access point both
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of these units feature quite a bit of expandability with four Ethernet ports
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and a USB port Google Wi-Fi's main package on the other hand comes with
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three rather small units which are all identical featuring two Ethernet ports
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which can operate in a switch mode if preferred and then there's also a type-c
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USB port but that's for power the setup
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of both systems was simple and easy in their own way Google does theirs through
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an app and mostly has you just clicking next or scanning a QR code as it handles
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all of the work for you and hides most of the complicated stuff behind the
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scenes as you place the access points around your location it will constantly
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test to make sure that the signal to the base is strong and stable Netgear on the
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other hand has you connect to their network with a default password then go
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through a simple in browser setup process with slightly more revealed
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advaned options than Google Wi-Fi while it does testing and stuff in the
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background as well keeping the whole thing simple overall now at a surface
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level this may leave you thinking that the Orbee is better set for like if you
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have an access point in an office and you have a bunch of things plugged into
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it more business focused and less total Wi-Fi range and the Google Wi-Fi is more
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for just having Wi-Fi everywhere but it's not actually that simple they're
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actually quite different overall and while Google hides most of the specs for
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their unit performance should reveal what is best for you so let's try them
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out whoa It's like many days later after
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CES we took some extra time on this one because we experienced a few Oddities
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with our testing I set up both of the routers on Linus's desk which is just
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outside of the main offices area of our studio and don't worry I did this one at
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a time so they wouldn't screw with each other then during their respective
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testing sections I set up one access point in the furthest away reasonable
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corner from Linus's desk but still within the office area and for Google
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Wi-Fi I also set up a third unit way on
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the other end of the warehouse then I tested the transfer speeds of one large
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file one medium file and a ton of small
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pictures going from a Macbook which has fantastic Wi-Fi capabilities to a
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desktop that was wired into the network on that router that I set up earlier and
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vice versa I did this in three locations
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6 ft away from the router to simulate a small relatively cramped office in the
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conference room which wasn't very very close to any access points at all and in
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one of the loading Bays which was the furthest corner of the warehouse away
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from all of the access points the Orbee
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behaved sort of weird especially when the laptop was about 6 ft away from the
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router to be clear you don't want your Wi-Fi devices that close to each other
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having a laptop this close to the router is not an ideal situation but it is a
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very possible situation in cramped departments and Google Wi-Fi dealt with
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it just fine in conclusion my testing methodology
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involved a warehouse some random files that we've been using for file transfer
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tests for years now and a rather large testing area that was totally out of a
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spec at 6,000 square ft neither of them say that they can handle that at all and
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both of them did that's something to give the Orbee considering their mesh
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properties both systems did very well but still Google Wi-Fi was a rather
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clear winner in this use case but there's one last very important thing
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the creepiness level for the Orbee I
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didn't personally find anything fishy but I could be wrong on the Google side
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of things they don't even try to hide that they're collecting data it's up to
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you to decide if you're okay with what they're collecting or not look up Google
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Wi-Fi and your privacy for more information tunnel bear is the simple
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VPN app that makes it easy to browse privately and enjoy a more open internet
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with tunnel bear turned on your Wi-Fi connection is secured and your online
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activity is kept private from your internet provider some loser hacker guys
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and advertisers essentially anyone looking to track or profit from your
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data tunnel bear has a top rated privacy policy and does not log your activity
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try it for free with 500 megabytes and no credit card required and if you
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choose to get a year of unlimited data you can save 10% by going to Tunnel
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bear.com /lt thanks for watching guys if you like
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this video like it if you disliked it dislike it get subscribed all that fun stuff check it down below you can see to
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buy some Mesh networking Parts if you
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would like them also you can see where to purchase one of our shirts and
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discuss these Mesh networking ideas on the Forum if you want to check out that
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Google onhub video that I referenced earlier because maybe you have one or a
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friend has one you're thinking about adding Google Wi-Fi to it for whatever
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reason it could expand your network check that out up
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here