Netgear’s Orbi WiFi System (model RBK50) has been our top home router pick for more than two years, so we were intrigued when we learned that the company had partnered with the audio pros at Harman Kardon to build the Orbi Voice, an Alexa-powered smart speaker that operates as a satellite node in an Orbi-based mesh network.
The kit reviewed here, Netgear model number RBK50V, consists of an RBR50 router bundled with one Orbi Voice satellite (Netgear model number RBS40V) for around $380 on Amazon. If you already have an Orbi router, you can buy the Orbi Voice separately for an MSRP of $300 (Amazon was selling the satellite for $259 as I was writing this review). The smart speaker/satellite combo can be paired with any Orbi router, but the satellite will not work with mesh routers from other manufacturers.
