Let me start by saying—this is not a sponsored review. I personally purchased the Netgear Orbi 970 because, after years of reliable service from my Orbi 770, I wanted to see if the upgrade was worth the steep price tag. Spoiler: mostly yes, though it’s not without quirks.
Living in a 5,000 sq ft home, seamless coverage is non-negotiable. Setup took 10 minutes—custom SSID, password, network settings—all effortlessly handled through the clean, intuitive Orbi app.
What truly impressed me was backward compatibility. I connected my old Orbi 770 router as an Access Point (AP), instantly folding it into the mesh without a hiccup. That level of continuity matters, especially after years of investing in an ecosystem.
💻 Specifications:
✅ WiFi Standard: WiFi 7 (802.11be)
✅ Bands: Tri-Band (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz)
✅ Speed Rating: Up to 27Gbps combined wireless
✅ Ethernet Ports:
- 10Gbps WAN port
- Four 2.5Gbps LAN ports on the router
- 2.5Gbps LAN ports on satellites
✅ CPU: 2.2GHz quad-core
✅ Coverage: Up to 10,000 sq ft (with 1 satellite)
✅ Backhaul: 10Gbps dedicated
✅ Features: MU-MIMO, OFDMA, Beamforming
✅ Design: Sleek, cylindrical
✅ Retail Price: $1,699 (router + 1 satellite)
⚙️ Setup & Performance:
Setup was smooth—zero complications. By the time my coffee was ready, the network was live with custom configs.
Performance? Rock solid. On my Verizon Fios Fiber, I’m getting ~868 Mbps down / ~800 Mbps up wired to the Verizon extender. Across the house—basement to attic—coverage is consistent with no drop-offs. While I haven’t felt a huge speed jump from my Orbi 770, stability has improved noticeably.
📱 App Experience — Clean but Quirky:
✅ Pros: Device management is simple, firmware updates easy, and adding guest networks takes seconds.
❌ Quirk: When viewing devices on desktop, it still sometimes shows attempting connections to old 770 satellites—though the network is solid. A minor UI issue, but worth noting.
🤔 Why Not Eero or Another Brand?
I’ll be honest—I considered trying Eero or another mesh system because of Netgear’s premium pricing. But my hesitation came down to two things:
- Learning a new management system—with 30+ devices, that felt risky.
- Interoperability—Would Eero work with my old Orbi 770 routers and satellites? Unlikely.
Netgear’s backward compatibility sealed the deal for me.
🚀 Real-World Highlights:
✅ No dead zones — even outdoors
✅ Handles heavy load — 30+ devices online, no lag
✅ Future-proofing — WiFi 7, 10Gbps ports, ready for multi-gig fiber
✅ Backward compatibility — Reusing old 770 as AP saves money and time
⭐ Final Verdict: 4.5/5
The Orbi 970 is an impressive (and expensive) upgrade built for large homes and fiber users. If you’re in the Orbi ecosystem, you’ll appreciate the backward compatibility and seamless setup. While you might not see a jaw-dropping speed boost, you’ll definitely feel the stability.
I don’t regret the purchase—but know what you’re paying for: future-proofing and reliability, not miracle speeds.
