This $366 mesh Wi-Fi system provides Internet to my 4,000-square-foot home and it only took 10 minutes to set up

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• A high-quality router should be easy to set up, handle the demands of several devices at once, and provide fast and consistent Internet speeds around your entire house.
• I like the Netgear Orbi Voice Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System because it's able to meet the high demands of my household, has a smart speaker that keeps my young son entertained, and requires little fuss.
• Though it's pricier than most (currently $366.31 on Amazon), this mesh Wi-Fi system covers 4,500 square feet and achieves speeds up to 3 Gbps on its three bands.

My wife and I both work from home, and our work requires fast and dependable Internet access.

As a corporate training developer, my wife creates and uploads video content and has several video conferences every day. Meanwhile, I create videos, podcasts, and written content. And in our 4,000-square-foot home, I've found that a simple router won't cut it. We need a mesh system that blankets our home with Wi-Fi by using satellite extenders, or nodes.

With decades of experience, Netgear is one of the top names in routers and mesh systems. It recently launched the Netgear Orbi Voice Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System, which features a satellite Wi-Fi extender with a built-in high-quality speaker equipped with Alexa. I was able to test out this router for a couple of months, and here are my experiences with it.

Specs

The Netgear Orbi is a tri-band router with a maximum stated speed of 3 Gbps, meaning it can handle several devices performing high-bandwidth activities. With the satellite, Netgear claims the Orbi can provide 4,500 square feet of coverage, and based on my experience, this claim is accurate.

The main router has three ethernet ports and a USB 2.0 port. The router connects to the modem via ethernet cord. Both the main router and the satellite have power, sync, and reset buttons. The extender has two ethernet ports for wired connection to your devices.

Only one satellite comes with the Netgear Orbi Voice Whole Mesh Wi-Fi System, but you can buy extra smart speaker satellites to broaden the range of your Wi-Fi.

Set up process

The set up process for the Netgear Orbi Voice was faster and easier than any router I've tested. The app's step-by-step instructions guided me in hooking up the devices, syncing them, and updating the firmware; the whole process took about 10 minutes. I installed the main router right next to the modem, which is a must unless you have a long ethernet cord. And I initially installed the satellite on the second floor on one end of the house, but I later moved it for reasons I will get to below.

What makes it stand out

The inclusion of a Harman Kardon smart speaker in the satellite router makes the Netgear Orbi Voice stand out from other mesh systems. Harman Kardon has been manufacturing car and home audio equipment for more than 65 years, so there are decades of quality workmanship behind the brand.

The speaker is equipped with Amazon Alexa so I can essentially voice-control my house's smart devices using the router. I'm not that fancy of a guy, but my five-year-old had a blast trying to get Alexa to make fart sounds, read him stories, and play his favorite Bikini Kill songs. We ended up moving the satellite to his bedroom because it's more centrally located and keeps him entertained.

Our house has fiber optic Internet which can theoretically reach speeds of 1 Gbps when the computer is connected directly to the router by a cord, and the mesh system worked quite well within about 30 feet of the router or satellite. To test the Wi-Fi performance, I ran speed tests in various parts of the house using an HP Spectre Folio Laptop.

Here are the speeds I recorded:

• Right next to the main router: 235 Mbps download and 158 Mbps upload
• On the second floor approximately 25 feet from the satellite: 293 Mbps download and 349 Mbps upload
• The far end of the basement (about 50 feet from the router and down a floor): 13 Mbps download and 13 Mbps upload
• In front of neighbor's house (100 feet from the main router): 24 Mbps download and 17 Mbps upload

These numbers are not the best I've seen but they did get the job done, and overall, I was happy with the performance.

Another good performance test is how well the system operates when there are several devices operating with high bandwidth demands. To test this, I ran games or video on every device in the house (including phones, PCs, tablets, and an Xbox, that added up to nine). I didn't notice any degradation in video quality and there weren't any dropped connections.

Cons to consider

The parental controls for the Netgear Orbi are offered through Disney Circle, but I didn't like this for several reasons. First, you have to download a separate app, so unlike most routers, you're controlling your mesh system with two apps. Secondly, for features like tracking Internet usage and limiting how long users are online, you need to pay $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Lastly, I had trouble blocking content on my PC using the app. I would set it to block social media sites, but then I could get on Facebook without an issue - this shouldn't happen.

That said, I have yet to come across a router whose parental controls work as they're supposed to. And the Disney Circle app did allow me to block content and view the browsing history on mobile devices so there are some parameters in place.

Initially, devices on the second floor that were far away from the satellite would lose Internet for a few seconds here and there; this was always temporary but annoying. I moved the satellite to a more central location, and with the move, the Internet stopped dropping. Equally impressive, the speeds on my computer didn't change at all.

The bottom line

Overall, I'm a big fan of the Netgear Orbi Voice Mesh Wi-Fi System and it's the router I use when I'm not testing other options. I'm happy with the speeds it delivers in the heavy-Internet-usage areas of my house and don't experience down times. The speaker helps instigate impromptu family dance parties and Alexa keeps my preschooler entertained. If you have a large home and appreciate smart capabilities, I strongly recommend purchasing the Orbi Voice.

Pros: Covers 4,500 square feet, Harman Kardon speaker is compatible with Alexa, excellent speeds even when using several devices at once, quick set up

Cons: Parental controls are inconsistent and require a subscription for full functionality

Buy the Netgear Orbi Voice Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System on Amazon for $366.31 (originally $429.99)