[duxup]

I run an Orbi system (although it cost far less than $1k like the one mentioned) and I like it.

I'm not sure I agree with the article about scoring and how people should make decisions. I don't think there's any magic in online reviews that actually means a router with a 90% score is objectively better than one with a 70% for anyone. I don't even much trust those scores...

>Most people buy a router once and ignore it until something breaks.

If that's true then most people are doing just fine buying their router and getting what they need.

[PaulHoule]

My understanding is that WiFi mesh networks are a scam. If you really want good WiFi performance the steps are, in order:

(1) get every device that is on WiFi that you can possibly get off WiFi and on Ethernet

(2) if your cheap WiFi router isn't doing it for you then, get some UniFi hubs and wire them up on Ethernet

https://ui.com/us/en/wifi

The more hops you send data over wireless the more interference it makes, the more chances there are to lose data from packet loss. Look, I understand it, the wives' union has obliterated home theater and people just want to have it all like Apple where it "just works" and you never have to run any wires -- except note that Apple has gotten out of the WiFi business because that ideology just can't deliver WiFi that works and Apple knows it.

[duxup]

I don't think your description here makes any sense.

[PaulHoule]

That's exactly what is wrong with the WiFi market. Wired Ethernet is completely obscure to people today. So of course people are watching TV over their WiFi and wondering why it is buffering all the time.

[gghootch]

Interesting, thanks for sharing your perspective! I’ll do some more digging into the Orbi systems.

In my experience buying a product that gets mostly positive reviews from professional reviewers gets you a far better product than one with mixed reviews. I’m surprised that’s not your experience and that you don’t much trust those scores. What else do you make your purchase decisions on then? Purely specs?

[duxup]

How do you even gauge "professional reviewers" these days?

How do you know you'll notice anything they consider?

[gghootch]

The best ones write in depth reviews, describe their thinking process and fairly weigh pros / cons.

Ultimately it’s imo more about avoiding bad products than it is about noticing whether a product is great. Criticaster collects all professional reviews to get to an average critic score, which will more quickly and more accurately get you to a satisfactory product than any other approach.

[duxup]

I feel like we're on a completely different internet or if you're just scraping up a lot of spam based on word count ... ?

[gghootch]

I regularly consume articles by whathifi, wirecutter, rtings, etcetera. Do you consider all of those spam?

What do you base purchase decisions on?

[PaulHoule]

See this one

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47170041

for a long time whenever you did a search for "Best X" Google always sent you to a short list of spammy review sites. Google kicked most of them to the curb but for some reason left the Wirecutter.

Before Google decided to hand the keys to Forbes though there was a vibrant market in competitive spammy sites for topics like that but at one point Google decided that Forbes and The Wirecutter should win all the time so since then we've had uncompetitive spammy sites and no way you can make a better spammy site and win market share.