Customer Ratings & Reviews

I’m returning this as its horrible. I read all the reviews and most of them sounded promising so i decided to try them out. What a mistake! I was replacing my decade old Apple Airport Extreme routers but these orbi units are pure junk. Wifi calling doesn’t hold a connection and calls keep dropping, failed connections that keep coming or going. I played around with different channels and no improvement at all. I plugged in old Apple routers and everything works as it should until I find a better solution. Don’t waste your money.

I purchased this product after having an older Orbi version. The struggles I am having is as follows: 1. With my prior Orbi my phones and other technology items never lost connection. With the Orbi 970, the phones and computers always lose connections. The wifi is no longer stable. 2. The instructions that came with the product are basically useless. 3. The Orbi 970 provides 2.4 GHZ, 5 GHZ, and 6 GHZ but there is no way to control which of your technology devices use one of these three options. I feel this product is not the upgrade they claim. If I had to do it over again, I would not buy this Wifi 7 product. Very disappointed.

Great Service and Great Products the WiFi is really great. Very Happy with purchase

Fast and easy to install. Has great connection. Best purchase!

Products Great and associate was helpful in making the purchase.

Good stuff. Way better than my eeros and I had five of them. They cost a few dollars but worth it.

Got two of these 3 pack Orbi 970s. Setup was a nightmare and buggy. Used the Satellites in wited backhaul and they kept disconnecting and losing signal. Also, the second router can only be used in AP mode without mesh technology. So you really need to buy the individual satellites if you need more than the 3 pack. For a product that cost $2000, you’d think that they would work. I ended up replacing them 2 days later for the Eero Max 7. The Max 7 has worked flawlessly.

Was having issues getting signal around my house house with At&t fiber. Set this up and we have great wifi signal in every room.

Considering its use is not under warranty very long and that the company will only update it so long, why bother? Get products from your service provider instead. And no, I don't work for any service provider. I returned this in short order

I have a great time with my mesh system, I have had no problem with the product it's worth the money!!!!!!

Did just what it is suppose to do!!! I have a large area to cover and now the signal is very strong everywhere.

Excellent connection and the fastest available. Glad I bought this, money well spent.

Awesome. Well worth it. Thanks. Recommend to everyone who needs good connection.

I AM NOT A FAN! Upgraded from their system, at least from a monetary standpoint but have had more issues with stability in one month than I had during the entire time that I owned their 6E system. I am highly disappointed. To top it off, my up and down speeds have been significantly reduced. Had to recently spend 3.5 hours on the phone as they walked me through a system reboot in the admin page and it is still not rectified. Disappointing all the way around.

Netgear has owned the high-end of WiFi Mesh since their early Orbi WiFi-6 (RBK850) system dominated the market as the best coverage, best throughput mesh wifi on the market several years ago at the height of the pandemic. Their new QUAD band WiFi 7 system only improves on this design, but has a few quirks as well that buyers laying down its MSRP for such a system should be aware of:

 Packaging/Setup: Netgear has had excellent and efficient packaging for their ORBI systems for the past few generations. When I received the box, I wasn’t ready for what lies inside - Very efficient packaging that puts the node units front-and-center - One router/core node and 2 sattelites in the case of my kit - Where the units themselves are larger than you imagine when purchasing this. Each one is over a foot tall and ~6” thick - This isn’t a discrete WiFi network! The box sort of unfolds to unveil the nodes and their power cords. There is one CAT6 ribbon cable included for the homerun from your Cable/fiber modem to the Internet portion of the core router’s port assortment, and 3 rather large AC adapters for each of the router/nodes that are all the same size and output. These are not corded on both ends, but rather the AC adapter “Brick” is integrated into the wall plug, so will require a larger clearance in any surge protectors or outlets where they are plugged in. Design: As I mentioned before, these units are BIG. Coming from the RBK850 WiFi 6 version, these nodes are even BIGGER, but instead of a large “fin” design like their predecessors, these are more of a “cylinder” - More than a foot tall and 6” in diameter - They obviously have some sort of rotary antenna design inside, formed around 3 panels (the top profile is somewhat triangular, with a back spine where the port array is). The design is tidy and looks nice in both the white/silver and Black/dark metal color offerings, but by no means will these “Blend in” to any home. I chose the white ones as I dont mind them being visible and the white better matched my home aesthetic, since they WILL be seen.
 Wired Connectivity:
The main router has a significant offering of ports along its back spine - 1 uplink port for connection to a router or cable/fiber modem (or upstream switch if this mesh is being incorporated into a larger wired network) - This system actually offers 2 uplink ports: A 10GbE Internet port, as well as an additional 10GbE port for aggregation of carriers - Or for High Availability configurations of multiple ISPs - One could potentially use this network in a small/medium office environment where two ISPs are configured and connected, and either aggregate during normal ops or fail over to one another when an outage occurs. This is an exciting feature for a “consumer” offering and makes the ORBI premium lineup seem more like a “prosumer” offering.

The main router also offers 4x 1GbE ethernet ports to act as a switch for your wired devices on the LAN in the main office location - For me, this allows connection of my smart home controllers that connect in a WIRED way and for the printer and desktop PC on my desk where the main router node lives to connect via a full 1000Mbps connection to the router and its Internet uplink. This will be helpful as I upgrade to Fiber and will be able to take full advantage of the 1Gbps bandwidth these wired connections allow for.

Each of the “Mesh nodes” looks almost identical to the router, but only offer a single uplink cable (if using in a “wired mesh” mode), and 2 Ethernet ports for downstream device connectivity. This becomes especially handy in areas like my Living Room, where I put a mesh node to allow for good coverage along the back of the house, but it also serves as an Ethernet bridge to my TV and Xbox Series S thanks to its two integrated ports. The uplink connection is rated for 10Gbps and the two bridge ports are rated for 1Gbps. Wireless connectivity and Performance: This is where the ORBI really starts to stand out - In addition to having the latest Ethernet technology and offering everything port-wise that any mesh product offers on the market today, this is one of the next generation of wireless products - Supporting full quad-band WiFi 7 connectivity on supported devices! What does that mean, well it especially means that WiFi7-capable devices will be able to take advantage of 4 separate wireless bands when communicating with these new nodes - 2.4GHz, dual 5GHz bands (one dedicated to mesh backhaul) and the 6GHz band introduced as the differentiator in WiFi 6E. Since there are hardly any WiFi7-capable endpoints out there today, this may seem like a superfluous capability, but since this is a WiFi7-native mesh network, that extra 5GHz band will come in handy to ensure better inter-node connectivity and speed on the network, benefiting devices old and new alike. This will also be the ultimate performance enhancement for devices that can take full advantage of the 6E or 7 standards, and future-proof your infrastructure for those devices as they debut - And be ready for the coming wave of improved Internet Access services out there who are pushing backhaul bandwidth to 1Gbps to 2Gbps and beyond! As far as coverage, my home is only ~2400sqft. But is very densely framed, and other wifi mesh systems have required 3 nodes throughout the house to adequately cover the house and the immediately surrounding 10ft perimeter outside the house where we might use devices on the patio, or in the garage. Only the previous Orbi system we used came even close to covering like this does! We can still connect to our wifi when next door or across the street (outside, not indoors). This system provides excellent coverage even through several walls and I notice that the node signal strength is always very good between the mesh endpoints - This results in being able to achieve my FULL backhaul speeds to the Internet throughout my home, allowing for things like immersive gaming and video conferencing in areas of the house where this has been a problem for other solutions. Even with previous tri-band Orbi solutions, the coverage was great, but the speeds suffered as the backhaul band for the mesh was a single 5GHz band, where now I can have full 6GHz WiFi 7 backhaul keeping the network at top speed. Administration/Configuration: The Orbi system primarily uses an app-based solution, available as an app for iPhone and Android - This is primarily a phone-based app, so tablet users will struggle with the UI as its not formulated for, but does scale adjust for, larger screens. The app administration will get you through 90% of what most consumers use to manage/configure their wifi networks, but if you’re like me, and want a custom DHCP range, and to specify NAT rules, priority devices, and manage static IP assignments, some of these features are better served in the web-based admin console accessible on desktop devices (or tablets in the browser) that is the same adminUI that has been on Netgear devices for years. It is updated to support the Orbi’s new features, but its nothing new, and thats not a bad thing (if it ain’t broke…)

The app and console support some interesting new features that I hadn’t seen in my previous Netgear or any other routers:
 - IoT SSID Network - A separate network for your IoT devices, that is fully accessible and shared a DCHP vLAN with your main network, but allows you to configure a more permissive WPA2 or 2.4GHz native network JUST for those stubborn legacy devices, while enabling the latest security and encryption and speeds of WPA3 and 5/6GHz for your regular network devices. I found this helpful for connecting stubborn lightbulbs and other IoT controllers that otherwise wouldn’t play nice. This does not, however, add ANY IoT security to the network, as anything that can get to your IoT network has unfettered access to your entire LAN - Just don’t go thinking this is a security feature. - Customizable IP ranges and DNS/DMZ services - If you run any kind of server or VPN for yourself or others out of your device, Netgear still gives you all of the classic tools to manage this right in the web-based console (the mobile app admin console is a bit more limited). Security: Security in a product like this is relative - Its all about how much you’re willing to configure. This router/mesh comes with Netgear’s ARMOR service which acts like a bit of a sentinel on the network detecting anomalous behavior and doing vulnerability checks on your devices as they come and go - I have seen several vulnerabilities pointed out from some IoT hubs/controllers I have connected, but in checking these out they are just POTENTIAL vulnerabilities - Beyond that I might just be dealing with hardened, secured devices at home, or ARMOR just doesn’t do much in this space. It’s also going to cost you annually to keep up on. There are multiple places on the Internet where you can get guidance on how to harden your network and prevent attacks and intrusions, but rest assured most of the tools and admin capabilities mentioned in these guides this Netgear stack is going to support. Value: This is an expensive setup. It might be DOUBLE what I ever thought I’d have paid for home network equipment, and its full value will only ever be realized once ISP bandwidth reaches near its theoretical maximums - But at any price, if you’re like me and you want the best possible technical solution for your family and home office streaming and data access needs, and you want assurance that you’re always getting the most out of whatever you ISP offers you from ANYWHERE on your network, and you need to ensure that the entire home is blanketed in strong WiFi, this is the solution for you.

About every day or two the system goes offline for 15-20 minutes unless reset. I’ve spent a quarter of the price for my previous mesh system. Speed really doesn’t matter if the connection drops.

My Wi-Fi is keep dropping every one hour and Netgear is no help make me do hard reset and still nothing

This is by far the biggest robbery of a system. NETGEAR is absolute crap at this rate. Do NOT buy this system. I don’t have the time to explain why, just trust me and save your money. Go with any other brand, and 6E is fine.

After spending $$$ for what I thought would be a quality no issues product. The setup was long, and finally getting the internet up it was down after 10 minutes. After spending 4 hours waiting on the phone to speak to someone with no answer. Reconnected my old router set up with no issues. After reading all the poor reviews they reflect my experience with this product.

The Netgear Orbi 970 represents the state of the art in WiFi mesh routers. It is operating in rarified air being one of the first WiFi 7 enabled routers. Netgear's Orbi range has been a consistent performer for me and I have always been a fan. With any WiFi router the key concern is network reliability. No one likes devices dropping off the network or overall performance taking a nosedive for no reason. After nearly three weeks with the new 970 range I can say that Netgear has mostly nailed those concerns. Notice I say mostly, but we will get to that later. Out of the box, the router and two satellites are compact and feel substantial in your hand. They appear well built and come in white and black (unfortunately, black is exclusive to Netgear direct). The main router has a 10Gbe WAN port and a 10Gbe with additional 2.5Gbe ports for adding wired devices straight to the router. In my case I attached the router to my AT&T Fiber modem and the satellites are wired in to the 10Gbe ports for a full 10Gbe backhaul. The satellites have additional 2.5Gbe ports as well. I have one satellite positioned on the other side of my house on the main floor and another upstairs in a central location. WiFi coverage is excellent and uniform throughout my house. I don't have any WiFi 7 devices, but all of my 6E, 6, and 5 devices are working great. I have approximately 65 devices on my network ranging from IoT devices to multiple NAS units. I have had nothing drop off the wireless network since I have installed the system. However, I have had some trouble with the upstairs satellite remaining connected to the network. I am not entirely sure what to attribute the issue to. I have had other mesh system in that same location without fault. This is the first satellite with 10Gbe and I am not sure if that could be to blame. I am running the satellite through various 10Gbe switches which could be causing complications. Performance as a whole has been spectacular and absolutely should be at this asking price. Netgear also comes with Armor and Parental Controls too. Armor is Netgear's version of an advanced firewall built in conjunction with Bitdefender. It comes with 1 year free and then you can expect to pay $99/yr thereafter. Armor so far has worked great in identifying threats on my network and even comes with Bitdefender licenses that can be installed on local computers for another layer of protection. I get notified through the Orbi app when a device has been detected on the network and if any threats have occurred. So far it has worked great. Only hitch I ran into was getting the service activated on my unit. After a couple of days working with technical support the issue was ironed out and appeared to be a result of an old Armor account I had conflicting with the new. The Parental Controls are a point of contention with me. Netgear does not include them in any form that are actually useful until you pay for a subscription. Seriously Netgear, given what you are charging for the package it is crazy to me that it only comes with a 30 day free trial. I suppose the logic is that not everyone needs them, but the system the Orbi replaced (Amplifi Alien) included them for free and that system was less than half the price. The Parental Controls do work well once you get the sub going and allow for setting bedtimes and view of what kind of stuff your kids may be into. You can set profiles based on age to help fine-tune what you want to be permissible on their devices which is a nice feature as well. Overall, solid controls but pricey. The Netgear Orbi 970 is a best-in-class mesh system. I have tried other WiFi 7 based brands and the Orbi is head and shoulders above them in performance, network reliability, and feature set. With time I am hoping further firmware improvements fix some of the weird satellite issues I saw when wired in. At the asking price the Orbi 970 is the most expensive consumer mesh system on the market, but if you need the best this is it. Plain and simple.