Why You Can Trust CNET Fill your home with Wi-Fi using an Orbi tri-band mesh router 3-pack for just $200
This router and pair of satellites is designed to cover up to 6,000 square feet at speeds up to 2.2Gbps.
Mesh routers solve the eternal problem of how to cover your home in Wi-Fi and avoid the inevitable dead zones that come with almost any router. Mesh systems are leagues better than Wi-Fi extenders, which require you to sign into a different network depending upon where you are in the house. Orbi is one of the leaders in mesh networks, and right now you can get an Orbi tri-band three-pack mesh router bundle for $200. But bear with me, because getting this deal requires more than a single click.
That link lands you on Netgear's own product page, but the $200 offer is offered directly by Amazon . To find the Amazon deal in a desktop browser, scroll down the page until you see the section on the right marked "Other Sellers on Amazon." There, you should see the $199.99 price -- click Add to Cart. If you're on mobile, you're looking for the section that begins "New & Used from." Tap it, and one of the entries in the list should be the Amazon.com deal for $199.99. Either way, it's currently out of stock, but will be back on March 22 and should ship at that time.
Is it worth all that clicking? If you've been waiting on a deal for a mesh network, yes. This is the best price we've seen in months, and comes within $5 of its Black Friday pricing.
Keep in mind that this is model RBK23, a tri-band system equipped with Gigabit Ethernet (six Gigabit ports, in fact -- two per unit) and AC2200 Wi-Fi. It offers solid performance for most homes with up to about 6,000 square feet and can juggle up to about 20 devices in total. Netgear recommends that this system is good for users with internet service that's up to about 200 Mbps.
If this isn't enough for you, you can always step up to the Orbi 6, a tri-band system that supports Wi-Fi 6. As we discussed in the Best mesh Wi-Fi systems of 2020, the Orbi 6 is an impressive feat of engineering, but priced at $700, it's a lot more than any typical home needs. The RBK23 alternative is a smarter option.
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