Yep I've tried it and it works very well. The Spark router can also do Gigabit internet (unlike the Orbi) so it does future-proof you too.

michaelmurfy:

 

Yep I've tried it and it works very well. The Spark router can also do Gigabit internet (unlike the Orbi) so it does future-proof you too.

 

Did you use the mesh system?  what sort of coverage were you getting?  and did you buy one or two mesh nodes?  how far apart are yours sitting?

Thakns for the info

I have been using the Smart Modem plus 2 Smart Mesh units for 2 weeks now. They provide seamless coverage within a 230 sq m house with problematic lathe and plaster walls. I also get good outside coverage over most of our 850 sq m section by iPhone where I always have at least 2 bars wifi. Previously when i was listening to streaming podcasts outside using my old Airport Express/Extreme setup I would periodically lose the connection and roaming was hit and miss. I can now wander all over the garden and almost never drop the connection.

@mrhaboobi I've got a full on network at home with other gear so just did a quick review on it: https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=197871&page_no=21#2385019

The Spark Smart Modem + Mesh unit is now at a colleagues place where he had massive problems however has not had any since upgrading. The mesh unit can be connected via Ethernet if you've got Ethernet available at its location also. In my testing (of a few days in a lab type environment) it performed very well for a mesh kit.

Coverage wise - it will cover most large homes absolutely no problems.

Thank you for the links, in your testing do you know roughly the best distance between the router and the nodes, my orbi is about 10M / 30Feet and thats what im hoping the smart mesh is able to achieve aswell.  that gives me some good locations to put the mesh units.  I wont have a wired backhaul, would need to be wireless.. dont suppose you tested the ORBI rbr50 and can do a comparison?

Have had customers with orbi's, what a nightmare. I'd pick a potato to compete with it for reliable WiFi, both objects seem to offer about the same reliability

snnet:

 

Have had customers with orbi's, what a nightmare. I'd pick a potato to compete with it for reliable WiFi, both objects seem to offer about the same reliability 

That's not been my experience. Been using an Orbi RBK50 pair for around 12 months covering a two story house. Hasn't missed a beat (apart from one dodgy firmware upgrade which screwed the display names of connected devices).

allan:

 

snnet:

 

Have had customers with orbi's, what a nightmare. I'd pick a potato to compete with it for reliable WiFi, both objects seem to offer about the same reliability 

 

That's not been my experience. Been using an Orbi RBK50 pair for around 12 months covering a two story house. Hasn't missed a beat (apart from one dodgy firmware upgrade which screwed the display names of connected devices).

 

The three I've had to deal with have all had weird issues with being knocked offline when touched - or when someone is breathing in the room around them. Replaced countless items and all it came back to was the orbi units themselves. Faulty batch maybe? no idea. netgear weren't forthcoming. These were all across different clients too, so I summed it up to not trusting the gear. 

I'd personally recommend the mesh over orbi. Simply had too many horror stories about the orbi. (Personal recommendation, not from my employer) 

as someone who has a complex network and directly engages with the team and vendor behind the device I'll be the first to admit, Spark Smart modem isnt perfect yet, It's new to the market, New Vendor for the NZ Market etc there are a few things that unfortunately cant always be caught in testing alone.

Personally from my base modem i get just shy of 700mbit when near over wifi, and mesh is Ethernet connected back to the modem so sitting at my desk i also get upwards of 500mbit over that.

It doesn't do the extra complex things, so i do have a second AP behind it routing my vlans (delivered over an EoIP tunnel behind it) but for a standard ISP modem, I'm impressed it doesnt freak out at what i make the poor thing route.

Mine passes daily a minimum of 2-3TB a day.

Thanks for the reply :) really appreciate the insight...  Im stuck with a 500 orbi thats not working.. :(  but will get the smart modem.  and work on a mesh at some point 

mrhaboobi: Anyone know what brand and model number the smart mesh is? Thanks

It's a white label device, runs a different firmware for each provider although the same 'base'

You won't find it, a google search literally returns zero results :)

off the top of my head, Telstra is the other provider to offer the same device - Very different firmware though.

What do you want to know?