Big speed and coverage
Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien
Pros
In terms of raw speed and performance, the Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien far exceeds the Orbi WiFi 6. The Alien also sports an attractive design with a nice display on the front of the main router with network statistics. The AmpliFi Teleport app also makes secure browsing on a public connection a breeze.
Multi-gig WAN
Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852)
Pros
A dedicated 5GHz band for connecting to other routers will help the Orbi WiFi 6 stay fast with demanding connections on any of the nodes. Access your gigabit connection all over the house including wired devices thanks to four LAN ports on both the router and the node.
In many ways, the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 system isn't as impressive as the AmpliFi Alien, but its thoughtful design makes it a more sensible choice for many setups. With a 2.5Gbps WAN port and a dedicated 5GHz band, Netgear's solution should provide a consistently fast connection for wireless devices even and it should easily fit into an existing multi-gig wired network.
The Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien is an extremely capable mesh system with more raw speed than most other Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems. It also has some great features to back it up, including WPA3 support and an innovative antenna design, which enables a huge coverage footprint.
Dedicated Wi-Fi Link
Both the AmpliFi Alien and Orbi WiFi 6 have two 5GHz bands for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity but the Orbi dedicates one of those bands entirely to connecting the different routers in the mesh. That's not to say that the AmpliFi Alien doesn't dedicate resources to its mesh but it isn't as consistent as the Orbi. For many people, the impact of this setup will be minimal but it can lead to more speed consistency on the Orbi.
Both of these mesh systems are very high-end for consumers. The Wi-Fi speeds are more than most people will need but can be a great benefit to someone that works from home or utilizes cloud services for backup. The Orbi is a bit more suited to a fast home network thanks to being able to handle a 2.5Gbps incoming connection.
Speed and consistency
The fact is that the AmpliFi Alien has faster wireless capabilities and will likely see higher speeds between wireless devices. One outstanding concern with the Alien is that the transfer speed from wired devices or an internet connection will always be limited to 1Gbps due to its WAN port and a lack of link aggregation. For most people, 1Gbps is plenty and the headroom in the wireless connection is good to have for multiple devices, but it's worth remembering that your internet connection speed will be limited by this port.
The Orbi has a 2.5Gbps WAN port meaning that it can support a connection to a larger network at that speed. This will be important for someone that is using the Orbi as part of an existing wired network over 1Gbps. With more affordable fast Ethernet devices becoming available all the time, such as the new Mac Mini with its 10Gbps Ethernet option, this is becoming increasingly likely for home networks. Still, this upgrade won't matter to most people for several more years.
Coverage
The Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien system has a significantly greater coverage area than the Orbi system. AmpliFi states that the Alien has double the 10,000 square feet of coverage offered by the older AmpliFi HD router. This huge coverage means that nearly any home should be able to expect great speeds from the system with few connection drops even in a very large home. For a lot of people in smaller homes or apartments, a will likely be enough.
The Netgear Orbi W-Fi 6 has approximately 5,000 square feet of coverage from its two units. While this is significantly smaller than the Alien, it should still cover most homes. Mesh systems are designed to deal with interference and challenging conditions however and in a home with concrete walls or other elements that may block the signal, careful placement may still be required for both systems.
Expansion
The AmpliFi Alien is only compatible with other Alien routers for its mesh. This includes the base Alien routers as well as the node that is part of the two-pack. This system is not compatible with the older AmpliFi Instant or AmpliFi HD systems. This does mean that there will be no speed compromises and the entire mesh will support WPA3.
Similarly, the Orbi WiFi 6 system is only compatible with other Orbi Wi-Fi 6 routers. If you find you need more coverage on your Orbi mesh, you will need to stick with only.
If you were hoping to upgrade an existing Orbi or AmpliFi system with Wi-Fi 6 equipment, you're out of luck and will need to upgrade the entire system.
Extras
Both of these routers have a capable and easy-to-use app for setting up and managing the network. You will be able to see your connected devices as well as the speed between mesh points. The AmpliFi Alien does have a screen on the router to display basic network information at a glance which is nice to have and adds to its premium feel.
The Alien also has support for AmpliFi's Teleport app, which allows you to easily connect to your home network through a private VPN from anywhere with an internet connection. This can be a great option for someone that travels a lot and wants to be sure they are browsing securely. It can also help you connect to region-locked services such as streaming video platforms from unsupported countries.
The Orbi system works with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant making it easier to control usage on your network.
Which should you get?
Netgear was one of the first companies to dive into consumer mesh networking and has built one of the largest ecosystems of compatible routers, but most of them don't work with the Wi-Fi 6 system. Orbi can still be great for some people thanks to it's fast WAN port but for the majority of people with 1Gbps or slower internet connection, it's not that important.
At the same price, the Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien delivers greater Wi-Fi speeds and WPA3 security in an attractive package. Both devices can be a great option but the Alien's balance of features and massive coverage make it the better choice for most people.
Big speed and coverage
Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien
All of the coverage you need
Huge speed and coverage capabilities make the AmpliFi Alien one of the fastest Wi-Fi 6 mesh options with an attractive design and fast wireless speeds.
Multi-gig WAN
Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 (RBK852)
Faster than gigabit
Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 has a great balance of features with multi-gig WAN support and a dedicated backhaul which makes it a sensible and fast home mesh.
Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien
Pros
- Fast combined wireless 7865Mbps speeds
- More coverage
- Color display
- AmpliFi Teleport VPN included
- Only one Ethernet on node
- No dedicated backhaul
In terms of raw speed and performance, the Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien far exceeds the Orbi WiFi 6. The Alien also sports an attractive design with a nice display on the front of the main router with network statistics. The AmpliFi Teleport app also makes secure browsing on a public connection a breeze.
Multi-gig WAN
Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852)
Pros
- 2.5Gbps WAN
- Fast AX6000 speed
- Eight total Ethernet
- Dedicated backhaul
- Slower Wi-Fi
- Less coverage
- No WPA3
A dedicated 5GHz band for connecting to other routers will help the Orbi WiFi 6 stay fast with demanding connections on any of the nodes. Access your gigabit connection all over the house including wired devices thanks to four LAN ports on both the router and the node.
In many ways, the Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 system isn't as impressive as the AmpliFi Alien, but its thoughtful design makes it a more sensible choice for many setups. With a 2.5Gbps WAN port and a dedicated 5GHz band, Netgear's solution should provide a consistently fast connection for wireless devices even and it should easily fit into an existing multi-gig wired network.
The Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien is an extremely capable mesh system with more raw speed than most other Wi-Fi 6 mesh systems. It also has some great features to back it up, including WPA3 support and an innovative antenna design, which enables a huge coverage footprint.
Dedicated Wi-Fi Link
Both the AmpliFi Alien and Orbi WiFi 6 have two 5GHz bands for Wi-Fi 6 connectivity but the Orbi dedicates one of those bands entirely to connecting the different routers in the mesh. That's not to say that the AmpliFi Alien doesn't dedicate resources to its mesh but it isn't as consistent as the Orbi. For many people, the impact of this setup will be minimal but it can lead to more speed consistency on the Orbi.
| Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien | Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 (RBK852) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total combined speed | 7685Mbps | 6000Mbps |
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11AX) | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11AX) |
| LAN Ethernet on base | 4 ports | 4 ports |
| LAN Ethernet on node | 1 ports | 4 port |
| Setup | App or web | App or web |
| Dimension | 4.5x4.5x9.6 inches | 10x2.8x7.5 inches |
| WAN speed | 1Gbps | 2.5Gbps |
Both of these mesh systems are very high-end for consumers. The Wi-Fi speeds are more than most people will need but can be a great benefit to someone that works from home or utilizes cloud services for backup. The Orbi is a bit more suited to a fast home network thanks to being able to handle a 2.5Gbps incoming connection.
Speed and consistency
The fact is that the AmpliFi Alien has faster wireless capabilities and will likely see higher speeds between wireless devices. One outstanding concern with the Alien is that the transfer speed from wired devices or an internet connection will always be limited to 1Gbps due to its WAN port and a lack of link aggregation. For most people, 1Gbps is plenty and the headroom in the wireless connection is good to have for multiple devices, but it's worth remembering that your internet connection speed will be limited by this port.
The Orbi has a 2.5Gbps WAN port meaning that it can support a connection to a larger network at that speed. This will be important for someone that is using the Orbi as part of an existing wired network over 1Gbps. With more affordable fast Ethernet devices becoming available all the time, such as the new Mac Mini with its 10Gbps Ethernet option, this is becoming increasingly likely for home networks. Still, this upgrade won't matter to most people for several more years.
Coverage
The Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien system has a significantly greater coverage area than the Orbi system. AmpliFi states that the Alien has double the 10,000 square feet of coverage offered by the older AmpliFi HD router. This huge coverage means that nearly any home should be able to expect great speeds from the system with few connection drops even in a very large home. For a lot of people in smaller homes or apartments, a will likely be enough.
The Netgear Orbi W-Fi 6 has approximately 5,000 square feet of coverage from its two units. While this is significantly smaller than the Alien, it should still cover most homes. Mesh systems are designed to deal with interference and challenging conditions however and in a home with concrete walls or other elements that may block the signal, careful placement may still be required for both systems.
Expansion
The AmpliFi Alien is only compatible with other Alien routers for its mesh. This includes the base Alien routers as well as the node that is part of the two-pack. This system is not compatible with the older AmpliFi Instant or AmpliFi HD systems. This does mean that there will be no speed compromises and the entire mesh will support WPA3.
Similarly, the Orbi WiFi 6 system is only compatible with other Orbi Wi-Fi 6 routers. If you find you need more coverage on your Orbi mesh, you will need to stick with only.
If you were hoping to upgrade an existing Orbi or AmpliFi system with Wi-Fi 6 equipment, you're out of luck and will need to upgrade the entire system.
Extras
Both of these routers have a capable and easy-to-use app for setting up and managing the network. You will be able to see your connected devices as well as the speed between mesh points. The AmpliFi Alien does have a screen on the router to display basic network information at a glance which is nice to have and adds to its premium feel.
The Alien also has support for AmpliFi's Teleport app, which allows you to easily connect to your home network through a private VPN from anywhere with an internet connection. This can be a great option for someone that travels a lot and wants to be sure they are browsing securely. It can also help you connect to region-locked services such as streaming video platforms from unsupported countries.
The Orbi system works with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant making it easier to control usage on your network.
Which should you get?
Netgear was one of the first companies to dive into consumer mesh networking and has built one of the largest ecosystems of compatible routers, but most of them don't work with the Wi-Fi 6 system. Orbi can still be great for some people thanks to it's fast WAN port but for the majority of people with 1Gbps or slower internet connection, it's not that important.
At the same price, the Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien delivers greater Wi-Fi speeds and WPA3 security in an attractive package. Both devices can be a great option but the Alien's balance of features and massive coverage make it the better choice for most people.
Big speed and coverage
Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien
All of the coverage you need
Huge speed and coverage capabilities make the AmpliFi Alien one of the fastest Wi-Fi 6 mesh options with an attractive design and fast wireless speeds.
Multi-gig WAN
Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 (RBK852)
Faster than gigabit
Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi 6 has a great balance of features with multi-gig WAN support and a dedicated backhaul which makes it a sensible and fast home mesh.