Netgear Orbi Vs AmpliFi HD : Which One You Should Buy

Good Wi-Fi speed is an utmost necessity in the present time, and for a good speed, if there is anything that you need, it is a good Wi-Fi router. But how to decide which system to choose? No products found. and No products found. are among the best mesh Wi-Fi systems available as an option for you. After thorough testing for 2 weeks, we have covered similarities and differences between Netgear Orbi vs. AmpliFi HD. You can use this information to choose which one will be best for your need.

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Our Verdict

Both Netgear Orbi and Amplifi HD are excellent routers. But with a triband system, compatibility to more Wi-Fi standards, and MU-MIMO support, No products found. stands a little ahead of No products found. as a router. There is no doubt that both of these routers are capable of giving good and trustable connectivity and speed throughout your house. But with some features that Netgear Orbi has, it has a better stand in the comparison.

Netgear Orbi Vs AmpliFi HD: Comparison Chart

Differences

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To decide which router is suitable for you, you definitely need to know how they differ from each other. Here are the major points that differentiate these routers from each other.

1. Wired Connectivity

The No products found. router features 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports and also a USB 2.0 port. One of the router ports connects to the modem’s broadband, while the three are designed to connect to other devices like your smart home hub, gaming PC, etc. The router also holds a button that will help you to reset the router and synchronize it with other satellites. The USB port of a Netgear Orbi router can be used for the basic utilities, but some advanced features are not supported.

On the other hand, the Amplifi HD Router has 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and it also features an extra WAN port. Through the Ethernet ports, you can connect your router to various devices, while the WAN port can be used to connect to your router. The USB2.0 port of the router is non-functional, and a USB-C port powers the device.

Though hardwire connectivity can be used on both Netgear Orbi and Amplifi HD, the Amplifi HD lacks ports compared to the Orbi router. Thus, Amplifi HD lags behind the Netgear Orbi router due to the limited flexibility in wired connectivity.

2. Wireless Connectivity

The wireless connectivity of any router is a foremost feature to consider as this significantly affects the speed and connections of the network.

The No products found. has Tri-Band Wi-Fi radios. The first two radio bands are the primary radios, which provide the maximum throughput of 1.2Gbps of data flow. In contrast, the third radio is designed to transmit frequencies that help transmit data from the device to the Orbi satellite and vice versa. Orbi’s first band has a 2.4 GHZ connection, which transmits IEEE 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz-256QAM frequencies. The remaining two bands have 5 GHz connections transmitting IEEE 802.11 za/n/ac 5GHz-256QAM frequencies. The Netgear Orbi has been recorded to give an average of 509.6 Mbps at close range and 368.2 Mbps at 100 feet.

On the other hand, the Amplifi HD is a dual-band router that has an AC1750 rating. One of the radio bands has a 2.4 GHz connection while the other has a 5 GHz connection, and both of these have IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac radios. Thus, the router offers a theoretical speed of 450 Mbps at the 2.3 GHz band and a speed of 1300 Mbps on the 5 GHz band. The Amplifi router shows a significant drop in speed as the distance increases, which is a big drawback on the router’s part.

3. MU-MIMO

Multi-user Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO) is a feature that makes the network capable of transmitting data among multiple devices. Even without MU-MIMO, it is possible to stream data to multiple devices, but MU-MIMO gives a better connection to the devices as it permits the network’s sharing. MU-MIMO routers provide a better network with a stable and consistent network.

Netgear Orbi router has MU-MIMO technology, while the No products found. router lacks this. This is a significant drawback as the network’s speed will drop as more devices will add to it.

4. Units

The overall range depends significantly on the number of routers and satellite. You can get the idea from the fact that one router and one satellite can give a range of up to 5000 sq. feet. The Netgear Orbi supports three satellites and one router, while the Amplifi HD lacks in this.

5. Installation Of The Satellites

Both the routers differ in the way the satellites install with their routers. The Orbi satellites have a USB-C port while the Amplifi HD mesh points plug directly into the outlet.

Amplifi HD has an antenna that is inside the body and does not take up space outside. This is one plus point that Amplifi HD has over the Netgear Orbi.

6. Range

Amplifi HD is said to have a range of over 20,000 sq. Feet while the No products found. has a coverage range of only 8,000 sq. feet.

Thus, Amplifi HD is better for long coverage to need. But You definitely don’t want to share your network with your neighbors. So, the Netgear Orbi is suitable if you need a family router for your house.

7. Teleport

Teleport allows you to access your home network even when you are out of the house. You can access the various smart devices at your house and get the local broadcast even when traveling. The teleport creates a VPN, and with the help of this, you can connect to your home network from anywhere. Amplifi HD offers you a teleport facility, but no such option is available with the Netgear Orbi.

8. Parental Control

The parental control feature enables you to look at the internet usage of all the devices connected to your router. You can even limit the usage or cut the connection of any device if required. You can even schedule the connection of a device or set time restrictions. This way, you can limit your children from internet access and thus ct them from the unsuitable content present on the internet.

No products found. gives you access to this feature through the AmpliFi app, while Netgear Orbi uses a third-party App Circle for this. These features are absolutely free at the App. However, if you have a premium version of the app, you will get several additional features.

9. Hardware

No products found. has a Quad-core ARM 710MHz processor with 512 MB RAM and 4GB Flash storage. On the other hand, AmpliFi HD has a 750MHz processor with 128 MB RAM and 32 MS of storage capacity. Thus, AmpliFi HD significantly lags behind the Netgear Orbi router in terms of hardware.

10. Voice Control

With the voice control ability of the Orbi router, you can use your smart home assistant to change the settings of your router or get parental control over it. Orbi is compatible with both Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. However, the No products found. router does not offer voice control in any form.

11. Smart LCD Screen

AmpliFI HD router comes with a smart LCD screen, which positively complements its sophisticated look. The screen measures 1.6 inches diagonally, has a resolution of 240 x 240, G+F touch, and full color. You can thus get all you want about your network on the screen. Another plus point is that the screen also displays the time. Netgear Orbi has no such screen and thus lacks the AmpliFi HD router here.

12. Size

Netgear Orbi is larger in size as compared to its competitor, i.e., the AmpliFI HD router.

Orbi measures 8.0 x 6.7 x 3.1 inches, which is much more compared to the compact design of the AmpliFi router that measures 3.9 x 3.9 x 3.9 inches.

Similarities

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 1. Smart Home Support

Both the Netgear Orbi and the AmpliFi HD allow smart home support, giving your smart home and all the devices a reliable, consistent, and speedy connection. All you require is a smart Wi-Fi router and a ZigBee or Z-Wave Hub.

2. Reduce Dead Zones

Both these Wi-Fi routers will give a good and reliable network connection in every corner of your home and thus eliminate any network dead zone that previously existed.

3. Bridge mode

Both No products found. and No products found. feature bridge mode, with the help of using your router as a simple Mesh WLAN. To convert the Orbi router into a WLAN, you must manually change the settings to AO mode, while AmpliFi HD has a simple toggle for the same.

4. Easy To Install

Both these routers are easy to install, and it is quite simple to get them ready for use. The Orbi router operates through the Orbi App while the AmpliFi HD connects to your phone Bluetooth LE. Both these are very simple to use, and you can easily set them up, manage your network, set up security, etc.

5. Beam Forming Technology

Beam formation allows any signal to be beamed in a focused manner towards the connected device instead of spreading in a large area, thus reducing its effectiveness. Both these routers are equipped with this beamforming technology.

Features Of  NetGear Orbi

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• Tri-band AC3000
• 6 Antennas
• 5 Ethernet ports
• bands of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
• MU-MIMO technology
• Beamforming technology
• The maximum speed of 3 Gbps
• The coverage area of 5000 sq. ft.
• Dedicated 5 GHz band for backhaul
• Wi-Fi security – WPA/WPA2-PSK

Accessories:

• Orbi Satellite:

This will add about 2500 sq. ft. to your existing Orbi Wi-Fi system’s coverage area, thus elimieffectively nating dead zones effecreates one seamless network so that you get the same network throughout your home.

• Orbi Voice Add-on Wi-Fi Satellite and Smart Speaker

This is a speaker that has an Alexa built-in. If you use an Alexa Assistant, this can be an efficient replacement to your Echo dot or Echo devices to help you handle your smart home.

• Orbi Outdoor satellite

This enables you to take your network outside the home with you. This also offers a coverage expansion of 2500 sq. ft. Orbi Outdoor Satellite is the only weather-resistant outdoor mesh system.

• Orbi Plug-in satellite

This satellite expands your Wi-Fi coverage area by 1500 sq. ft. All you need to do is to plug into an outlet.

Features Of AmpliFi HD

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Features:

• Dual-band AC1750
• Adjustable super antenna (1) dual-band antenna, Tri-polarity
• Wi-Fi standards – 802.11ac
• Wireless security – WPA2-PSK AES/TKIP
• Operating temperature – 14 to 131-degree Fahrenheit
• Operating humidity – 5 to 95 %
• Beam formation technology
• The maximum coverage area of 20,000 sq. ft.

Accessories:

• AmpliFi teleport

The AmpliFi teleport enables you to connect to your home network from anywhere. Even if you’re traveling, you can use your own home network through your own portable VPN. If you want to see more about AmpliFi, do check out Eero vs AmpliFi HD.

FAQs

Bottom Line

Both No products found. and No products found. are excellent Wi-Fi network providers Orbi stands ahead of the AmpliFi HD in some features which gives it an upper hand in our test. Check out their specifications individually to choose the one that fits your need.