Netgear Orbi or Google mesh?

Thanks for the info. I have a few things wired from my current router. Considering the google only has 1 port out, I’m guessing that a switch in that would work.

I've got a similar system, the RBK23 and it's worked very well for me. People on this board seem to love their Google Mesh systems too. You're probably good getting either so decide based on

-Which one is cheaper
-Do you want the satellites to have the option to be hardwired in to the network and/or out to nearby devices. I did which is why I got the RBK23 instead of the RBK33 you're looking at which has wireless only satellites. I'm pretty sure the Google Mesh satellites have an ethernet port for hard wiring too.

Thanks. Running through the switch doesn’t affect speed i assume, is that correct?

I recently got the Orbi RBK40 system and I'm considering returning and trying Google. When it works, it's great, but I'm having fits with the satellite in my master bedroom. Multiple times a day the 5Ghz download speeds drop to an unusable level and nothing I do fixes it. I've updated to latest firmware (which had to be done manually...had to go buy an USB to ethernet adapter for my laptop just to do this), I've done factory resets, tinkered with the wireless settings in the web portal... I'm at a loss. Any input is appreciated

Update to my last post:

Went and got the Google 3 piece set. Super easy to set up. But I ran into the same issue, so that told me there was something wrong with my set-up if neither system was working right. Factory reset modem and did troubleshooting what seemed like all night before it finally clicked...it was my surround sound receiver causing interference. It has a pair of wireless rear speakers and I guess whatever frequency it uses to communicate with them was killing the router, which I had set up directly next to it. Since isolating that issue the Google mesh works perfect. Problem now is I presume the Orbi (which I already boxed up to return) probably works fine now too, so I'm back to Square 1 deciding between Google or Orbi .

Since I now have some experience with both I'll give some pros and cons. My house is about 2,000 sq. ft, so I won't be able to comment on performance in a bigger hosue with multiple floors:

BOTH SYSTEMS
- Both very easy to install
- Both premium, quality hardware
- Both give a ton of strong wifi coverage with hardly any degradation at the satellites (again, not a huge house so I wouldn't know how bad it gets in 5,000+ sq. ft or if you were needing to daisy chain the units instead of having one central router with surrounding satellites)

ORBI
Pros
- Dedicated triband for backhaul between units. Basically it has an extra 5 Ghz band completely dedicated to the units talking to each other, whereas the Google uses the same band to talk as it shares with your 5ghz compatible devices.
- Has a bit more advanced features that you can tinker with in the web portal. Average person probably wouldn't care, but more advanced users might need some of these options
- Most of the orbi systems have plenty of LAN ports and some have USB ports too.
CONS
- Pricier, although I've seen some of their systems go on sale periodically
- Much bigger and clunkier units. Probably 2.5 times taller and 1.5 times wider than the Google pucks
- Mobile app is slow with much fewer options than the Google WiFi app
- The units did not automatically update their firmware. Had to do it manually and make sure you do the satellite first. Once you get to the latest FW it's supposed to be better at doing automatic updates.
- I've read their customer service is hit or miss

GOOGLE
Pros
- Sleeker, smaller units
- Easier set-up, but Orbi isn't far behind
- App is superb. Lots of options, snappy
- A bit cheaper overall
Cons
- Doesn't have the dedicated backhaul channel, but I don't think I have enough 5ghz devices to cause noticeable slow-downs. Could make a difference in your situation
- Only one LAN port per unit. I can live with it. Plus you can get a switch if you really need more hardwired ports, but that's more money out your pocket if you don't have one already

When working properly, they're both great options. It's really splitting hairs. Mostly comes down to aesthetics, price and whether you need the extra power/options of the Orbi.

ETA - Think I'm going with Google. It's a damn tight race. I think the Orbi is slightly better performing when it is performing. It still has consistency issues, dropping connection, speeds dropping seemingly at random, at least in my case. Google's stability and reliability won for me in the end. Give me the car that just plain works over the one with extra bells and whistles that's in the shop all the time

Look at the Ubiquiti stuff. I use the HD Mesh router with my 3 floors. Great signal throughout the house.