American web site Orbi outdoor satellite considers the home outside.

American web site Orbi outdoor satellite considers the home outside.

The new Orbi outdoor satellite (model RBS50Y) gives you more wi-fi freedom. This is the weatherproof extension for your existing Orbi grid system, which increases wi-fi distance by 2,500 square feet and extends to your garage, pool, front porch or yard. While there aren’t many competing outdoor router extensions, you can definitely find a cheaper alternative to Orbi, which costs $330, such as tp-link CPE510 for less than $100.

Even though you’ll get a lot of money. The AC3000 Orbi satellite has a 2.4ghz band (400Mbps), a 5GHz band (867Mbps) and an additional 5GHz return channel, which connects the indoor Orbi system with a rate of 1,733Mbps. Yes, this outdoor extender is only available for the current Orbi (RBR50, RBR40, RBR20) and Orbi Pro (SRR60) models. If you don’t have Orbi, total investment is nearly $700.

The Orbi outdoor satellite is super convenient, but it may not be worth a lot of investment right now unless you absolutely need to add an extension outside. A good range of routers like the asus rt-ac86u and the mass extender will cost you half the price and give you some outdoor coverage.

Expand your network safely outdoors.

The Orbi outdoor satellite looks boxy, with an upright all-white rectangular design, slightly different from other Orbi models, with a more curved visual appeal. Anyway, for the sake of beauty and safety, you probably don’t want it to get too much attention. The U.S. network has said that it has a safe install latch, but I still don’t have a clear vision.

The lack of any LAN ports is probably the best. You don’t want anyone to be able to plug in your network, and you may not be using the old desktop computer outside. Most outdoor and mobile devices, such as cameras and speakers, should work well through wi-fi.

The satellite is weatherproof, dustproof, waterproof and waterproof to IP56. You can’t immerse it in water, but it can withstand rain, snow and -4 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. That sounds good enough, but a very cold winter or ice may complicate things.

You can also install the device on a bracket if you just want to take it out when you need it, and you can easily carry it. It does require a power socket, so unless you use a long power cord, you need to put it in your garage or on the side of your house.