Eero Pro 6 vs. Netgear Orbi RBK752 Wi-Fi 6 system: Which should you buy?

Eero Pro 6 (2-pack)

Eero has taken its mesh line into gigabit territory with an AX4200 Wi-Fi 6 Eero Pro 6. Two units cover around 3,500 square feet and can be expanded with any other Eero router. Gigabit speeds are possible even when connected to a remote node thanks to a fast Wi-Fi 6 backhaul. Easily set up your Eero mesh with the Eero app and control it with Alexa.

Netgear Orbi RBK752

Netgear Orbi RBK752 is a very powerful whole-home Wi-Fi system with fast AX4200 speeds supported with a tri-band setup. One fast 5GHz band is dedicated to the backhaul allowing for consistent wireless performance across the entire network. There are plenty of open Ethernet ports available to connect your whole network at Gigabit speeds.

Both systems can provide excellent Wi-Fi speeds with enough raw power to support a full gigabit internet connection all over your home. However, Eero stands out thanks to its compact design and well-designed app. Eero also works with all other Eero routers for expansion while Orbi can only be expanded with satellite units. Orbi has much greater coverage with just two units thanks to a larger design and Ethernet ports, but Eero's easy expandability makes it easy to expand for any size home.

Make no mistake, both of these systems are extremely fast and will handle all of the traffic a family can throw at them without breaking a sweat. These are two of the best Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers you can get.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Netgear Orbi RBK752 It's all about the coverage

The RBK752 system comes with one RBR750 router and an RBS750 satellite, and together they offer up to 5,000 square feet of coverage. Eero Pro 6 routers can each cover about 2,000 square feet, with the two-pack linked here covering up to 3,500 square feet due to some required overlap for the mesh. Both systems can be expanded to cover nearly any size house so it really comes down to whether you want fewer but larger and more powerful nodes or several smaller nodes. Either way, for most homes, two will be more than enough with only larger homes needing expansion on top of that.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Netgear Orbi RBK752 Plenty of speed with either solution

Both of these routers offer tri-band AX4200 speeds. This breaks down to about 600Mbps at 2.4GHz, 1,200Mbps on one 5GHz band, and 2,400Mbps on the other 5GHz band. The 2,400Mbps band will typically be used to link the different nodes in either system leaving 1,200Mbps for your devices. Needless to say, this is more than most residential internet connections.

For a mesh system, it's important to dedicate plenty of speed to allow the base router to connect to all of the nodes for smooth network operation. While your Wi-Fi 5 devices will see max connection speeds of 867Mbps and Wi-Fi 6 devices will get 1,200Mbps, this should be more than enough for any browsing, streaming, or even remote computing. If you need full gigabit speeds on a device without Wi-Fi 6, the fast backhaul should be capable of handling wired gigabit speeds on either system.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Netgear Orbi RBK752 Expanding your coverage

If you want to expand your RBK752 kit with more satellites, you can choose between the RBS750 and the faster RBS850. The RBS750 matches the included satellite with two Ethernet ports and AX4200 speeds. The RBS850 is more expensive but might be the right fit for a home office or entertainment center thanks to its four Ethernet ports and more performant 5GHz device band. It won't be handicapped by the slower RBR750's performance thanks to the fast 2,400Mbps 5GHz link. In practice, this means some devices will have a faster connection to this satellite if they support it. More importantly, Wi-Fi 5 devices such as a MacBook Pro, which can connect at 1,300Mbps on the RBS850, will be limited to 867Mbps on the RBS750.

Eero Pro 6, on the other hand, is compatible with all existing Eeros, including the older Wi-Fi 5 devices and the slower Eero 6 and Eero 6 Extender. This gives Eero 6 customers a ton of options for expansion and even allows them to use their old Eero system to fill in some gaps. Don't expect any of the other Eeros to keep up with a gigabit connection, but if you just need enough speed for some browsing and streaming in the far reaches of your home, it can be a great option.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Netgear Orbi RBK752 The Orbi app

All Orbi systems are set up with the Orbi app. You can set up your network without touching a computer. Once you get your Orbi routers and satellites connected to the internet, they will update to the latest software. WPA3 security is available if you choose. You can also fine-tune your settings in a browser similar to other routers if you want some fine controls such as Wi-Fi channels and port forwarding.

From the app, you'll be able to manage your network and connected devices, whether you're connected to your local network or away. From here you will also be able to see the link quality between your router and satellite as well as check connected devices. Netgear Armor is available with antivirus and malware protection from Bitdefender, mobile device security, and a VPN with 200MB of data per day for $70 per year.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Netgear Orbi RBK752 Eero's app

Setup on Eero is easy, with everything done through the Eero app. Once setup is complete and your Eeros have been updated to the latest software, you're good to go. Eero can only be managed through the app and doesn't have as many overall settings as the Orbi system, though most of what the average user is looking for is available. WPA3 security is an option and port forwarding is available in the app. You can also control Wi-Fi access with Alexa and a Zigbee smart home hub is built in.

Eero has an additional subscription service available with two tiers called Eero Secure and Eero Secure+. The base-level costs $2.99 per month and includes advanced security features to block threats on your network, content filtering parental controls and adblocking. You'll also get much finer usage information for each device as well as VIP support. Eero Secure+ adds in a password manager, a secure VPN service, and Malwarebyte antivirus software for your device for $9.99 per month.

Eero Pro 6 vs. Netgear Orbi RBK752 Which one works best for your home?

If you're looking to add coverage and speed to your home network, you can't go wrong with either of these systems. The Orbi system is a bit more useful if you have wired devices that need to be connected and it also has more fine control in the web interface than Eero.

However, overall the user experience on Eero is a bit better with a simpler, yet more powerful app and more compact routers. It's also easier to expand your mesh with all Eero routers able to be used to expand the mesh instead of just a couple of satellites. Eero is also available in a three-pack with up to 6,000 square feet if you need the most amount of coverage.