NETGEAR - Orbi 370 Series BE5000 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 7 System (2-pack) - White

Easy to set up, getting speeds 5 times after and better coverage. Unplugged my old orbi mesh and installed the new one, fallowed the instructions, set the new orbi with my old name and password and all devices working lawlessly. Very happy with the upgrade. Does help I also switch to a different internet provider.

We recently upgraded to the Netgear Orbi Mesh 7 system, and the improvement has been incredible. Our entire home now has strong, consistent Wi-Fi — even in rooms and corners that were dead zones before. Streaming on multiple TVs, phones, and devices is completely smooth, and speeds stay fast no matter where we are in the house. Setup was quick and straightforward with the Orbi app, and the system has been very reliable with no drops or slowdowns. It’s a major upgrade from a single router, and the difference is noticeable every day. If you need powerful whole-home Wi-Fi, the Orbi Mesh 7 is an excellent choice.

Works really well, doesn’t get out in the yard as far as I had hoped it would.

After having problems with the nighthawk mesh system twice, we upgraded to the Orbi, we are very pleased with the results

I’m both impressed and thrilled with the performance I’ve experienced with this Netgear Orbi 370 (370) dual-band mesh router and two satellites bundle. It’s the first mesh Wi-Fi router I’ve owned that reasonably executes as advertised right out of the box. Even though it’s the “affordable” member of the Orbi Wi-Fi 7 family it confidently overperforms for this category. Speaking of cost. Up until its release “budget” options or Wi-Fi 7 mesh satellite systems were limited, largely because the standard is still relatively new. But Wi-Fi 7 is now starting to be incorporated into the latest phones, computers and TVs. At the 370’s price it only makes sense to buy a Wi-Fi 7 router even if you have no Wi-Fi 7 devices yet. It’s backwards compatible with all Wi-Fi devices. I don’t have any Wi-Fi 7 devices myself but noticed better home coverage and network stability. Plus, I’m now future-ready for when I do get Wi-Fi 7 devices. I haven’t tested any of the 370s’s entry level competitors, but I have tested other Wi-Fi 7 routers. The 370 is more than capable for most homes and use cases. It’s powerful and because it’s not over spec’d for “average” needs, reasonably priced. For non “power users,” I think it’s the one to get right now. MISSING BUT LIKELY NOT MISSED Before I get into the 370’s features and my experience with the router I’ll get the 370’s limitations out of the way in case any of these are a non-starter for you. Most notably the 370 is “dual band,” 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands router. Right now these are the bands devices use today. There is a third band, 6Ghz, that Wi-Fi 6e and higher end Wi-Fi 7 routers also include. This is a FOMO spec for most people – even me. Sure, it’s nice to have, but ultimately, it’s not a life changing one, unless, again, you are a power user or hardcore gamer. Next, the 370 is fast, but not Bullet Train fast like it’s vastly more expensive siblings. Still, most people, I think, don’t subscribe to an Internet service faster than 2 Gbps. Heck, most areas don’t even have 2 Gbps service available. So, while the 370’s bandwidth is limited to 5 Gbps unless a lot of people in your house are simultaneously steaming 4K video, transferring large files between computers and playing graphic intensive online games you likely won’t get anywhere near that maximum. Even streaming a 4K video only requires 10% of the 370’s capabilities. Finally, the 370’s ethernet port is limited to 2.5 Gbps. This may be the most problematic spec for online gaming and NAS use. I doubt it will affect most other uses though. It’s more of an emotional gut punch. Personally, I recovered once I saw it has no effect on my use, but I don’t have data hog devices connected to it either. BUILD QUALITY, FEATURES The 370’s external case is a thin, hollow, plastic shell of how older Orbi’s felt in-hand. Out of the box I wondered if it as a “dummy” display unit it felt so empty. But be assured there’s solid tech inside so don’t judge it by its cover. The 370 replaced my older Orbi. I’m neutral on the 370’s design. I appreciate the “sync” button was relocated to the front and is now easily reachable. But I don’t like the miniaturization of the status light indicator. On the old system a ring around the entire top of the case made it easy to recognize errors and booting progress. The light on the 370 is reduced to a thin line at the bottom of the case and hard to see – or impossible if you have something in front of the router. A “must have” feature for me is at least one Ethernet port on each satellite in addition to the base. That’s one of the reasons I went with Orbi years ago. The 370 continues that tradition, something not universal on entry level models. As mentioned, it’s not the fastest available, but it’s fine for my use of it. For me, this port eliminates the need to set up Wi-Fi on select individual devices. For example, one of my satellites is in my home A/V equipment closet. I just plug all my devices (receivers, AppleTV, music server, game consoles, etc) and the satellite into an Ethernet switch and instantly everything is connected to my home network and Internet. No need to enter a SSID or password in every respective device’s settings menu. The 370’s most surprising feature though is its range. I’ll get into detail about my experience below, but with the two satellites Netgear says it can cover 6,000 sq. ft. That’s bigger than “99%” of homes and a lot more advertised coverage than I’ve seen on other budget systems. My experience though is reality mutes claimed theoretical range. My home is a fraction of 6,000 sq ft but the 370’s reach in my home seems to exceed any other router I’ve set up here before. That’s the major stuff. The 370 has an option to configure a guest network and IoT network if desired, and, of course, it supports WPA3 and WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode passwords too. SET UP & APP I’ve setup a lot of routers, both for myself, friends, and family. It’s a geek’s burden I guess. Netgear has made basic set up of the 370 so painless and intuitive they might stop needing me. All you need is the app (iOS and Android) to initiate setup of a new system. Basically, power the router and satellites where you want them, use the app to scan the QR code on the router and follow the instructions on your phone’s screen. The process to me about 10 minutes including satellite syncing. Once complete you may get a notification to update the router’s firmware. The app itself is non-techie friendly. It’s a useful tool to both monitor your network and make basic settings changes like setting up or disabling a guest network or looking to see what devices are connected or offline. You can also block specific devices that you don’t want online 24/7 or don’t want the kids use them. The best feature is the ability to reboot without a visit to the router. For more technical setting changes a web browser interface is available. PERFORMANCE To be fair, the frustrating reality about Wi-Fi routers is their performance is like a snowflake in that no two homes are going to duplicate performance or experiences even with identical models. There’re so many factors affecting effectiveness like a home’s layout and construction materials, it’s location in a high rise or a home on a small lot, or one with acres between the neighbor. So, for context, I live in 4-floor, 1800sq ft open floor plan brick townhouse in urban surrounds. I have all sorts of Wi-Fi and other radio signals close by. Because of this, getting uniform Wi-Fi coverage in my house until now has been impossible. With my previous Orbi router and 3 satellites (one more than in this kit) I got 100% of my paid Internet speed on the first floor and then it dropped 15% each level up. So, 85% on the 2nd floor dropping to 55% on the 4th. I got similar results with other brands so it’s my home, not the router. That changed a bit when I installed the 370. I now get 70%+ of my paid Internet speed (300Mbps) on my upper two floors, quite an improvement. I get 100% or better on the first two floors. Further evidence of the 370’s robustness is exhibited both in the now immediate response of my smart devices when voice activated and the resolution to buffering issues I had on my 4th level with some audio apps. Let me elaborate a bit. In the past few years I’ve built up an Apple Home based smart home system. It includes AppleTVs, Wi-Fi light switches and dimmers, Hue lights, window shades, garage door opener, and more. I didn’t count the total but it’s over 35 devices. Then there’s all my other devices that require or are enhanced by Wi-Fi. This collection worked “OK” with my old router, but often laggy. Other times a particular device like my ceiling fan would lose connection for a while. It was annoying. Since installing the 370, however, all my devices respond quickly to commands. If I ask Siri noticed seen any device surreptitiously go offline. This is a huge “win” for me. Slow buffering with some radio apps was another problem I experienced with my previous system. Music would play fine for a while and then go silent for a few seconds or disconnect completely. This mostly happened on my 4th floor and, thanks to the 370’s improved coverage, has vanished. IS THE 370 FOR YOU? I have a home full of Wi-Fi devices (50+) and frequently transfer files from my laptop on the top floor to my lower level desktop. I stream 4K movies occasional, but I also have Internet-only live TV. I couldn’t be happier with the 370. So, I’d say unless you need ultra-fast LAN speed for gaming or file transfer, need the 6Ghz channel, or are approaching the 70 devices max the 370 can handle, you’ll probably enjoy it too.