As I began testing the Orbi 970, I noticed I have not used a mainstream router for just a few years now. In truth, the final Netgear router I used with any quantity of regularity was the Nighthawk R7000, and that is a decade outdated. With Netgear doubling down on mesh methods in that point, I used to be eager on having a look at what the model has to supply with Wi-Fi 7. The normal hasn’t been finalized simply but, however that hasn’t prevented cellphone producers from rolling out consumer gadgets, and networking manufacturers to launch routers that leverage Wi-Fi 7.The Orbi 970 is not like another router I’ve used to date. For starters, it prices a really ridiculous sum of money — a single unit retails for $899, and the configuration I examined is $2,299. You’re basically getting the quickest router on the planet, however nonetheless, that is greater than what a prosumer community prices to arrange.But the attract of the Orbi 970 is that you do not have to take care of the effort of configuring a house community from scratch; you need not fear about entry factors, switches, PoE cables, and so forth — simply plug within the router to your modem and any satellites as wanted, and you have got incredibly-fast connectivity that extends to all corners of your own home.You do not want a Wi-Fi 7 router proper now as there are restricted gadgets which are based mostly on the usual. That will change over the subsequent two years as the very best Android telephones and different gadgets begin integrating Wi-Fi 7 modems, however in the event you’re an fanatic and need to make the swap to the most recent wi-fi normal immediately, this is what it is best to find out about Netgear’s newest and best mesh system.Netgear Orbi 970 at Amazon for $1,699.99Today’s greatest Netgear Orbi 970 offersNetgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S): Specs, worth, and launch date(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Netgear launched the Orbi 970 in November 2023, and the mesh system is now out there in North America. I examined a 3-pack configuration (RBE973S) that is designed to cowl as much as 10,000 sq. ft., and it retails for $2,299. Netgear additionally sells a pack of two that covers as much as 6,000 sq. ft., and that may set you again $1,699. And in the event you want an extra satellite tv for pc, every unit is $899.The mesh system is offered in white and black fashions, with the latter unique to Netgear’s retailer.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryNetgear Orbi 970Wi-Fi specificationBE270002.4GHz band4x4, 40MHz, 1K-QAM, 1,147Mbps5GHz-1 band4x4, 240MHz, 4K-QAM, 8,647Mbps, backhaul5GHz-2 band4x4, 160MHz, 4K-QAM, 5,765Mbps6GHz band4x4, 320MHz, 4K-QAM, 11,530MbpsAntennae12, 360-degree protectionProcessor2.2GHz quad-coreMemory2GBStorage4GBPorts (router)1 x 10GbE WAN port, 1 x 10GbE LAN port, 4 x 2.5GbE LAN portsPorts (satellite tv for pc)1 x 10GbE LAN port, 2 x 2.5GbE LAN portsDimensions294.03 x 144.38 x 130.79mmWeight3.96lb (1.79kg)Protection10,000 sq. ft. (3-pack), 6,600 sq. ft. (2-pack), 3,300 sq. ft. (single node)Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S): Design(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)I have to’ve missed the memo the place router manufacturers obtained collectively and determined to make merchandise that look good, as a result of the Orbi 970 positively has quite a bit going for it by way of the design. Unlike standalone routers that may simply be tucked away in a nook, mesh methods are inherently extra seen, so it is a good factor that they’ve first rate designs now.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Orbi 970 has a white design that appears elegant, and the gold trim across the sides provides it an upmarket look — it positively seems like a high-end router. The cylindrical design homes 12 high-gain antennae which are hidden throughout the chassis, and Netgear says it makes use of a customized design to make sure every unit delivers 360-degree protection. The antennae are positioned properly above the interior circuitry in order to not trigger any sign interference.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Each unit is cooled passively, and there are heatsinks that dissipate warmth away from the internals. If you are not bought on the white aesthetic, Netgear has a black variant with gray accents that is a bit extra discreet. The satellites have the identical design because the router, and the one distinction between the 2 is the port configuration.Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S): Ports and connectivity(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Orbi 970 is a BE27000 class system, that means it will probably ship throughput of 27Gbps. It has quad-band connectivity that sees one 2.4GHz band, twin 5GHz bands, and a 6GHz band. One of the 5GHz bands is a devoted wi-fi backhaul, and Netgear is utilizing a portion of the 6GHz band in direction of this as properly, calling it Enhanced Dedicated Backhaul.This depends on a brand new mode out there in Wi-Fi 7 referred to as multi-link operation, which permits consumer gadgets and satellites to hook up with multiple band directly, main to raised throughput and decrease latency. Think of it as a wi-fi model of Link Aggregation, which mixes two Ethernet ports to ship double the bandwidth. Going this route permits Netgear to ship higher bandwidth over a wider vary, dynamically adjusting channel width.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)All radios have 4×4 streams, and the Orbi 970 is powered by a quad-core 2.2GHz chipset together with 2GB of RAM and 4GB of flash reminiscence. The 2.4GHz band goes as much as 1,174Mbps, the 5GHz band that serves because the fronthaul has 160MHz channels and goes as much as 5,765Mbps, the opposite 5GHz band has 240MHz channel width and hits 8,674Mbps, and the 6GHz band can go as much as 11,530Mbps over 320MHz.When it involves ports, the Orbi 970 router comes with a single 10GbE WAN and 10GbE LAN ports, and also you get 4 2.5GbE LAN ports as properly. The satellites have a 10GbE port along with twin 2.5GbE ports, so you possibly can arrange a 10GbE wired backhaul with out an excessive amount of of an effort. The solely quibble on this space is that because the route has a single 10GbE port, you will want to make use of a swap in the event you plan to attach each satellites.Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S): Features(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Convenience is likely one of the greatest causes for getting a mesh system, and the Orbi 970 is easy to configure. You can use the Orbi cell app to hook up with the router and set it up on your own home community, or you need to use the online interface. I went with the cell app, and rapidly encountered a shortcoming when naming the SSID — it would not let me use two phrases. This is a weird limitation to say the least, so I needed to swap to the online interface to arrange the router.You can arrange a house community, visitor community, and an IoT community that makes use of the two.4GHz band. Another annoyance on this space is that you do not get the choice to create an SSID with a specific band; all of that’s dealt with robotically, so all bands are broadcast beneath a single SSID that dynamically modifications based mostly on sign energy.Initial configuration takes about 10 minutes, nevertheless it was a trouble to arrange the satellites. I left one in my dwelling workplace, and that began glowing magenta, indicating it was too removed from the router. I used different mesh methods in the identical location and did not run into this explicit downside earlier than, and it was solely till the satellite tv for pc had line-of-sight to the router that it began working.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There have been different issues with the Orbi 970; the router would disconnect steadily, and it wasn’t till a firmware replace (construct V9.10.2.3_1.1.13) that it began delivering a secure connection. There’s no solution to change the area both, and I discovered this to be an irksome limitation.Netgear’s Armor software program has in depth safety controls, however you solely get a 12 months’s value of entry earlier than you could shell out $99 yearly to make use of the service. Similarly, Smart Parental Controls has plenty of helpful instruments that allow you to handle your youngsters’ web utilization, nevertheless it has only a 30-day trial, and you will must pay $69 a 12 months to entry every thing on supply. Given that you simply’re paying not less than $1,699 for this mesh system, Netgear ought to have bundled three years of entry to each companies as normal.Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S): Performance(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Orbi 970 is the quickest router I examined by a big margin. That was at all times going to be the case contemplating the {hardware} on supply, and more often than not I used to be utilizing the mesh system, it felt like my Gigabit web connection was the bottleneck. The Orbi 970 is designed for multi-Gigabit connectivity in thoughts, and with just a few suppliers like Comcast and AT&T now delivering 2.5Gbps plans to customers, the Orbi 970 is a superb alternative in the event you’re mulling an improve.I’ve a 10GbE dwelling community that covers the DiskStation DS923+ (with a 10GbE networking card) and two gaming rigs. The remainder of the gadgets which are related over Ethernet — TVs, PlayStation 5, and safety cameras — have Gigabit ports, and that is unlikely to alter anytime quickly. Anyway, wired efficiency of the Orbi 970 is excellent; it was capable of ship constant bandwidth when transferring giant quantities of knowledge between gadgets, and I did not see any points on this space.I might have favored two 10GbE ports on the again of the router, however aside from that, there are not any drawbacks with the Ethernet facet of issues. Switching over to wi-fi, the Orbi 7 delivered excellent protection — extra so than another mesh system I examined to this point — and I obtained higher bandwidth on all of the Wi-Fi 7 gadgets I examined. I used the OnePlus Open, Xiaomi 13T Pro, Vivo X100 Pro, and the iQOO 12 as consumer gadgets, and an ASUS Maximus Z790 motherboard that had a Wi-Fi 7 modem (paired with an Intel Core i5-14600Ok) that served because the workstation.Unlike standalone routers, the Orbi 970 makes use of Netgear’s computerized band switching tech to dynamically change bands and channel width on the fly to ship the very best throughput, and when you miss out of configurability, you get standout connectivity wherever in your own home. The Orbi 970 simply delivered Gigabit speeds all through my dwelling, going as much as 926Mbps at 20 toes away, and 500Mbps at a distance of 50 toes. The bandwidth peters out when you cross 75 toes from a node, however I nonetheless managed to see over 150Mbps.Ideally, a 2-pack ought to have greater than satisfactory protection for giant homes, and whereas it’s expensive, the Orbi 970 managed to ship significantly better bandwidth constantly than another router I used to this point. Even if you do not have plenty of Wi-Fi 7 gadgets in the meanwhile, it is best to see a distinction when switching to the Orbi 970.Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S): The competitors(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)If you are trying to improve to Wi-Fi 7 and do not need to spend fairly as a lot because the Orbi 970, it is best to check out the TP-Link Deco BE95 (BE33000). The BE95 has addressable bandwidth of as much as 33Gbps, and also you get two 10GbE ports on the again and an SFP+ port. There are two 6GHz bands with 320MHz channels, and you may simply join as much as 200 gadgets. A 3-pack prices $1,799 — $500 lower than the Orbi 970 — and a 2-pack is $1,199.Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S): Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You can buy this if:You need blazing-fast connectivity over Wi-Fi 7You want dependable protection all through your own homeYou need a mesh system that is simple to arrange and useYou want plenty of 2.5GbE portsYou should not purchase this if:You want two 10GbE LAN portsYou haven’t got plenty of Wi-Fi 7 gadgetsYou need a mesh system with valueUltimately, the Orbi 970 is a superb technical showcase of what is doable with Wi-Fi 7 right this moment. The router is not wanting points, nevertheless it excels at delivering unbelievable connectivity to each nook of the home. It is easy to arrange and use, and you will not need to consistently fiddle with the settings.My greatest quibble with the Orbi 970 is that it has a single 10GbE LAN port; this limitation means you possibly can’t arrange a 10GbE backhaul to each satellites and not using a swap, and Netgear ought to have executed higher on this space. I might have additionally favored the flexibility to arrange SSIDs for particular person bands, and not less than a three-year subscription to Netgear Armor contemplating what you are paying for the mesh system.Of course, in the event you do not really need the most recent tech, it is best to check out the very best Wi-Fi 6E mesh routers — they do a terrific job offering dependable protection, and even standalone Wi-Fi 7 routers are a significantly better worth. But when you’ve got a big dwelling and need a mesh system that covers as much as 10,000 sq. ft., the Orbi 970 is the best way to go — in the event you can justify that sticker worth.
Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S)
Today’s greatest Netgear Orbi 970 offers
The Orbi 970 is likely one of the quickest mesh methods you should buy right this moment, and it delivers excellent protection. It is straightforward to arrange and use, and if you wish to improve to Wi-Fi 7 immediately, there’s quite a bit to love.
Netgear Orbi 970: Price Comparison