Netgear Orbi 970 review: Overpriced top performance

WiFi 7-certified routers are on the rise, and so Netgear could not be left behind.

We got to work with Netgear’s Orbi WiFi 7 Orbi 970 Mesh set. One of the first on the market, the three-unit set promises blazing fast WiFi 7 performance with coverage of as much as 600 square meters. However, that performance comes with an exuberantly high price tag of 2,400 euros including VAT. Granted, for that you do get a mesh network, but can that high price be justified? We looked into it.

What’s in the box?

In the box, in addition to some manuals, you will find a base station and two satellites, equipped with power cables and Ethernet cables. Everything is packed with due care. After you choose between a European or British plug, you can install the router.

You can immediately see that the Orbi 970 exudes a premium vibe. The beautiful, sleek and white design fits well into modern interiors. Still, the size of the router and satellites stands out: the devices are 29 centimeters high, 14 centimeters wide and 13 centimeters deep. The stylish design makes up for a lot, but the large size can be a stumbling block if you want to conceal them subtly.

At the back of the router itself, you’ll find a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port to connect your existing router to, a 10 GbE port and four 2.5 GbE ports. The satellites also feature a 10 GbE port and two 2.5 GbE ports.

The Orbi 970 is a quad-band mesh router with a long range. The 2.4 GHz band provides that range, the first 5GHz band is most often used because it connects the most devices, and the second 5 GHz band provides the connection between the router and satellites. The 6GHz band connects your fastest devices, but that frequency is not yet widely supported. The Multi-Link Operation (MLO) allows you to connect devices to more than one band, so you get the fastest connection all the time.

Needless to say, the router has built-in WPA security.

Installation

Installing the Orbi 970 is very easy thanks to the Orbi app. You create an account and then the installation process begins, guiding you step by step.

After scanning the QR code on the router, briefly pull out your current modem and connect the Orbi router to it via the 10GbE WAN port. Then when you set up the modem and router, they automatically connect to each other. After five minutes of waiting, the LED light on the router stops flickering, and then you can connect your phone. That’s how you know if the set has the latest firmware. Then you set a network name and password. Finally, you pair the satellites. The whole process is very intuitive and easy for beginners to follow.

In less than half an hour, the devices were plugged in and installed. You see a dashboard in the app with pictures of the connected routers and satellites. If you open that image, you can see the network each device is in. For those who want more options, the web interface offers a more detailed overview of the connected devices and its frequency (2.4 or 5 GHz), plus additional options. The novice user can see more than enough in the app, as the additional options can be overwhelming.

The router also allows you to create different networks. For example, by default you choose between the main network and a network for your IoT devices. In addition, do you want a guest network? Then you can conveniently create that via the app.

Performance

We installed the two satellites in the rooms where we had the least coverage at home: in the living room and in the bedroom. Internet signal coverage and download speed were noticeably better. It obviously helps that the set was designed around WiFi 7. With coverage of up to 660 square meters, there was no room left without full WiFi coverage. Even in the backyard and on the square in front of our house, the connection held up.

The mesh network supports up to 200 devices which is incredibly punishing. That makes the system suitable for smarthomes with many connected devices or large office spaces.

We tested the router in different scenarios. Streaming movies on Netflix via two devices while having a gaming session is no problem for the router. The connection remains stable and fast. The download speed is also much faster than through the regular router.

We run the tests with a Proximus Maxi subscription, where the maximum speed over cable is around 30MBps. Buying this WiFi set makes sense if you have a faster Internet subscription or fiber. During testing, we almost barely achieved 15MBps more with the Orbi 970 than over Ethernet cable, which is probably the maximum speed we can get with our Internet subscription. The WiFi signal was significantly better and more stable, though, but cheaper alternatives can offer that as well.

Ookla speed test at a distance of about 9 meters from the Orbi router.

What was noticeable during testing, especially with the Xiaomi 14T Pro, was that every so often the WiFi connection would drop out. This became very annoying after a while, but the problem was quickly solved by resetting the network settings.

Price

We have to name the elephant in the room: the price. The whole system may be WiFi 7-certified and thus future-proof, but with this price they are only targeting users who are looking for top-end. Still, the added value is not immediately apparent to many users because WiFi 7 is still relatively new and supported devices are scarce.

• 2 pieces: Coverage up to 440 m² – 1,699.99 euros
• 3 pieces: Coverage up to 660 m² – 2,399.99 euros
• Additional satellite: Coverage up to 220 m² – 899.99 euros

Some features such as NETGEAR Smart Parental Controls also work only with a subscription formula. That drives the price even higher in the long run. For users who are not as demanding in terms of speed and coverage, there are much cheaper alternatives such as Orbi 770. That set, also designed around WiFi 7 with similar features, can be found online for a fraction of the purchase price (899 euros incl. VAT). You pay that with the Orbi 970 just for an additional satellite.

It almost seems like Orbi 970 was developed primarily for a niche audience: people with a very large coverage area, self-employed people who work from home, or early adopters who want the best possible speed and coverage. For that group of users, this set is the best currently available. For example, if you don’t want multi-gig, the cheaper alternatives are perfect to consider.

Conclusion

Netgear has launched an excellent router with Orbi 970, with top performance and future-proof features. The easy installation and additional satellites make it even more interesting. Unfortunately, the price throws a spanner in the works. If you are willing to pay that high price, this is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment.