NETGEAR ORBI 970 Series Full Review | WiFi 7 | Speed Tests, Range Tests, Orbi App and Much More...

[@landpet]

Product Link(s): NETGEAR ORBI 970 Series (3 Pack): amzn.to/3Q8N9uz NETGEAR ORBI 970 Series (2 Pack): amzn.to/3S68oja As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

[@bentechgamer]

Hi one question when u say mtu size do u mean it client device mtu size or isp size need to be same?

[@yld2rob1]

Hey Lanpet. I totally agree with you on the disconnect of devices that you ran into on your demonstration. I would be watching TV on my Roku and it would just lose a connection. I’d be on a zoom call for work and it would drop the connection. Obviously this is a huge issue. The good news is that it can be fixed with a firmware update, but until that happens, I have to go back to my old system that doesn’t have any issues. as soon as Netgear fixes the disconnect issue with a firmware update, I will purchase the 970 again

[@bentechgamer]

@@yld2rob1so how long does the drop last ? And how often ? Were u able to turn off 2.4 ghz 20/40 mhz co exist off? And change MTU to 1500?

[@yld2rob1]

@@bentechgamer On the TVs using Roku it took about 2 minutes to reconnect. For Zoom calls it would drop the connection and I could rejoin right away. Yes, I had both of those settings changed when the disconnects were happening. I saw Landpet suggested that in his video review. BTW i came from a 960 orbi system with the same configuration and had zero issues

[@landpet]

@@yld2rob1 good choice

[@angelo_6ix542]

What a time to be alive, home routers now cost a mortgage payment

[@landpet]

lol

[@Paulruk]

Just think of the possibilities, your streamed movie now starts in 2 seconds rather than 3 seconds.

[@Redridge07]

@@Paulruk Dude you are missing the big picture. If you add all those saved seconds over the course of a year it could save you up to 3 minutes of time. 😄

[@annebokma4637]

​@@Redridge07it sure does pay for itself 😂

[@AaronFigFront]

@@Paulrukto be fair, there are some use cases that can be benefited, like local internet, speed it is kinda important. File access on NAS is never fast enough. And also it can benefit local stream with much higher bitrate with HDR.

[@captshadab]

You are just so awesome like seriously. The only youtuber who makes actually router review videos

[@landpet]

Thanks!

[@Marcelony1]

Love the distance table of the mesh router reviews. Please bring them back!! May be you can do both a short list and a long list one after another another for the phone users. Or a website with all the numbers of all the routers that you review. This numbers are essential. More is better than less in this case. Thank you .

[@landpet]

I appreciate the feedback, two others have commented on this as well but as of now I'm planning on my simplified approach. If I see it's not working out, then I may consider bringing it back but as of now I will be capping to 100 feet. Just an fyi, I did test this at 350 feet and it did make it to that far which is to be expected since it's the most expensive mesh I've tested.

[@evidence62er]

Man, I’m debating between this or the EERO WiFi 7…..what a time to be alive

[@landpet]

this is better but costs more lol.

[@dontech4851]

I have the Orbi 973 (970) system now Absolutely rock stable and over 50 devices connected all at great speeds !! Over 21 days no reboots or drops I don’t want to do any firmware upgrade (in the past all firmware from just about any manufacturer has downgraded or caused router / WiFi issues for me Even after factory defaulting them several times and ways! I only have one 1 6E device now.

[@landpet]

Thanks for your input, I'm glad you experienced no drops.

[@bentechgamer]

Hey , I have a doubt. Did u not update to any firmware at all . Are using firmware system come with?

[@dontech4851]

@@bentechgamer I had to update , after a month running solid , the 2 satellites locked up and I did a firmware update after a reboot Hopefully this firmware lasts longer than a month

[@yld2rob1]

I just got the 970 set up yesterday. It has been over 24 so far without any issues. I have been getting download speeds on my iPhone 15 of 1.4 GB per second on a Xfinity 1.2Gb plan. All mesh devices are using 2.5GB ethernet backhaul. So far so good.

[@landpet]

Great to hear

[@gameroomtheater]

Are you using routing as well? Considering this as I am not happy with tplink eap270 aps I have in the house. I wish this was Poe though.

[@drmiteshtrivedi]

Not sure how you got lucky. I returned mine after multiple issues with stability. Router went down multiple times a day, requiring me to restart it each time. Wife was not happy, neither was I

[@landpet]

@@drmiteshtrivedi I recently ran it for 5 days straight without issue, there was a new firmware update.

[@yld2rob1]

I thought I was lucky. I spoke too soon. The system, would just start dropping connection about every 24 hours. I took it back (again) and got the Eero Wi-fi 7 mesh system. Been running perfect for days. Just keeping this one. @@drmiteshtrivedi

[@davidl534]

OH NO!!! I live for this guy's review of Wi-Fi mesh systems and especially when he tests for distance with one mesh system and then compares with others. He actually inspired me to get the ASUS ZenWiFi Pro ET12 6E which was my best Wi-Fi mesh purchase yet. I tried Orbi 6 RBK850 series and Linksys Atlas Max 6E, and the ZenWiFi Pro ET12 beats them both for range and speed. For me, because I share internet with others and have to deal with distance that involves an interfering elevator shaft, I need a system that has great range. So...I was waiting for a review on the Orbi 970 series with Wi-Fi 7 but was very disappointed to see that the range test was capped at 100 feet. :-( I understand the rationale as to why...but NOW WHAT DO I DO??? LOL!

[@wyattmeffert7015]

Yeah, I’m going to wait for more WiFi 7 options from ASUS, including ZenWifi Pro. Looking to upgrade from a combination of WiFi 5 and 6 Velops.

[@landpet]

I appreciate the feedback, yeah I figured not everyone would be happy with my decision but it's been a long time coming and figured more people would appreciate the cleaner streamlined look, believe it or not, some have commented saying why I test these absurd ranges, lol. It should also be easier in the upcoming comparison videos to show differences visually, it gets to a point where some of the routers cap out at 180ft and I keep showing 0 until 350ft cause others can go further. Just too much info, gets hard to read. I just kept delaying but it had to be done. Just so you know, I did test this one at 350 feet just out of curiosity as it is the most expensive system I've tested. I didn't mention it in the video but here it is: At 350ft: Wifi 7: 20Mbps download, 2Mbps upload (ping: 13, jitter: 5) WiFi 6E: 21Mbps download, 5Mbps upload (ping: 9, jitter: 2)

[@davidl534]

Hey, I appreciate that info. I will still miss those "absurd range" tests, especially when WiFi 7 really gets up and running, as people out there have detached garages, workshops in their backyards, etc. Anyways, I guess majority rules. Best to ya. @@landpet

[@landpet]

@@davidl534 This pattern is not guaranteed cause there are outliers like the ET12 with absurdly good range and speeds however with most systems, if it doesn't drop too much by 100 feet, it's going to do fairly well in further range tests

[@FurryNutz740iL]

@landpet Any screw holes are mounting holes for mounting bracket thats available if user's choose to

[@Techsmartshorts]

Your review really helpful for network professional like me 😊

[@landpet]

Glad to hear that

[@eisaaltamimi3500]

hi there if you wanna do size comparison , just always remember to compare it to regular bottle of water. since its internationally same size.

[@landpet]

I'll keep that in mind, thanks

[@FurryNutz740iL]

@landpet for 20/40mhz, that only applies to the 2.4Ghz radio.

[@tylertrillo4624]

how mane sattellites are you using? I have a 3,000 sq foot house how many should I use for best coverage?

[@landpet]

I would use 3 at that point for optimal coverage. 2 would work also but I would opt for 3 for super coverage

[@MarcosViniciusGuarese]

@landpet Which optical network terminal do you use? After the optical network terminal, does the network cable go to the netgear orbi network or is there a router? I wanted to know where the switch would go because I have cameras in my house and I need more network inputs for the cameras! I'm going to make a map to clear up doubts on how to make the correct network, you tell me if it's right or not! 1 Optical network terminal -> router -> mesh network -> switch 2 Optical network terminal -> router -> switch -> mesh network 3 Optical network terminal -> mesh network -> switch

[@landpet]

I use the ONT provided by my ISP. Mesh wifi is a router and 2 satellites in this case. So ONT -> Orbi Router -> Switch -> Orbi Satellites

[@MarcosViniciusGuarese]

@@landpet What would be ONT and ISP?

[@scottlewis2653]

The MediaTek Filogic 860 operates on a highly efficient 6nm chip with a Single-MAC MLO design. This means better processing power and faster data transmission with features like OFDMA RU, MU-MIMO, and extensive MAC entries.

[@lennartwoermer]

Hi, I do have a basement, a ground floor and a 1st floor, each around 50 square meters respectively 540 square feet). My modem is in the basement, so the Orbi 970 router would have to be there. I do have MOCA 2.5 connection to the ground floor and to the first floor for wired backhaul. There is underfloor heating which blocks WiFi very successfully between basement and ground floor. Therefore, an Orbi 970 satellite in the ground floor would be necessary from my experience. My home office is in the 1st floor and I do need very good internet speeds. Do you think I should place a second Orbi 970 satellite in the 1st floor (wired backhaul via MOCA)? Or would I oversaturate my WiFi network then? The house is built stone on stone with very thick reinforced concrete ceilings. Would love to hear your valued opinion, thanks a lot! 🙂

[@landpet]

I think since they're all on different levels, it wouldn't be oversaturated. One thing I would recommend is to plug your computer directly to the Orbi Satellite (regardless if it's in wired or wireless backhaul configuration). I've done a separate video demonstrating connecting my computer via wifi to an Orbi satellite (in wireless backhaul) vs ethernet connected to the same wireless Orbi Satellite (kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2WXgKxoqKuMa9E). Now is the third Orbi necessary, I think you could get away with just having 2 and running a second MoCA directly to your PC in your 1st floor office and have the other stuff rely on the wifi from the Orbi Satellite. But in terms of over saturation, I don't think it will be and I think you will get better speeds with an additional Orbi satellite (so one on each floor).

[@lennartwoermer]

Thanks so much for your very much valued opinion, @@landpet ! Then I’ll go with two satellites, one each floor.

[@DaBlackPharaoh]

Thanks for all the great work. Wanted to upgrade to a wifi mesh system. As of now I'm undecided, I'm torn between ORBI 970 and the TP link BE95. Which mesh system do you feel is the better out of the two?

[@landpet]

I haven't tried the BE95, only the BE85. I'm going to do a comparison video between the BE85, Orbi 970 and eero Max 7 this week. I have to look at the data and the prices to see because the simple answer is that they're all amazing.

[@DaBlackPharaoh]

@landpet thank you for your insight. Can't wait to see that comparison video. Happy holidays to you & your family

[@jarretthicks1980]

Not super technical but I moved to a WiFi mesh system out of frustration with WiFi extenders from AT&T. Went with the ASUS ZenWifi ax6600. Barely got 90 Mbps with it no matter where I was in the house. 1 router with 3 satellites. $800 bucks and multiple issues with set-up. Moved to Orbi 970. Up and running in 20 mins. Getting 970 Mbps of my 1 GB fiber connection over WiFi with my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Super expensive system but between frustration and mid level purchase of ASUS. Feels pretty future proof to me. Talked myself into this as investment for 50 devices connected, work from home and streaming.

[@DaBlackPharaoh]

@jarretthicks1980 Thanks bro.. I understand your frustration. I'm dealing with the same issues. my house has great coverage except for in the master bedroom. I have 3 levels and instead of opening walls, I'm thinking about going with a mess system. I just want the best & most reliable system/unit

[@landpet]

@@DaBlackPharaoh I've been running this for the past 5 days and it's been solid, there was a recent firmware update.

[@bloomzzy]

I have a question because i seen so many routers that are high prices but do you need a internet service provider like a company for example spectrum to use these? Like do i still need to pay monthly while also buying these or are these satellites/routers there own modem/router built together without needing to play monthly. I dont know if i have to pay the money to buy the orbi itself AND paying at a company monthly

[@victorhernandez-nj2xx]

It's obvious you still have to pay for Internet service.

[@bentechgamer]

Hi one question when u say mtu size do u mean it client device mtu size or isp size need to be same?

[@landpet]

MTU for ISP

[@bentechgamer]

@@landpet and how to find what MTU isp uses?

[@coporofrito]

Do you think it’s better than the Tp link BE85?

[@landpet]

I would need to look at all the info to see, they are both amazing off the top of my mind. I plan on making a wifi 7 comparison video in the future that will have this Orbi, the BE85 and the eero Max 7. Trying to see if I can get a few more before I make the video but if it takes too long, I will make the video comparing the three I have. I just finished filming the eero Max 7 today, so video should be out by Sunday.

[@Saywhat1877]

​@@landpetI have a 973 and have 5 up and down as well. Looking forward to this comparison to see if I should stick with orbi or switch to deco. I'm still within my return window.

[@Penguin-pb8mz]

Had an issue with my rs700 with dropping connections and switched from default mac address to the pc mac and dropping out has stopped so far!

[@landpet]

oh, thanks for the heads up! The Orbi 970 has been solid so far, there was a firmware update as well in the meantime.

[@kelleybarrymedia]

Great review! What are your thoughts compared to the TP-Link Deco BE85?

[@landpet]

Both amazing routers. I'm planning on doing a comparison between them and the eero Max 7. I am trying to get my hands on a few more wifi 7 mesh systems but if it takes too long, I'll do a review just on the 3 I have.

[@JQURNEY]

My house is 3500 sqft should I get the 2 pack or 3 pack and am I missing anything something if I went two? Also comparing these to the tp be85 which one do you recommend?

[@landpet]

as long as you don't have too many thick walls, 2 should be fine, 3 will provide better speeds throughout but 2 should give fairly good speeds either way. This or the BE85, that's a tough decision, I need to look at the numbers to know but you can't go wrong with either one. I remember the BE85 being phenomenal as well.

[@atorbtech]

I am using Tp link Deco M4 for the past 2 years. It suddenly stopped working. The main deco which is kept downstairs is working but the other 2 Decos on the top floor are not giving internet. The deco app shows no error. But the internet keeps on disconnecting every 5 to 10 seconds or it just stops. The wifi signal is there but no data on the top floor Decos. I have not changed the positions of the Decos. Have done nothing new. Why would this happen, what should i do ?

[@landpet]

I would try rebooting everything including your main Deco. I would also reboot your modem. If this doesn't work, try checking to see if there is a firmware update available, sometimes the new versions are better. You can also try a factory reset if all else fails but that requires much more effort.

[@born2beng]

I just bought them could you kindly show how to connect to VPN with one of the satellites?

[@an2ny79]

I just bought this.. the screws at the bottom are for wall mounting kit. Can you link backhaul to a 8x10GB switch so they communicate at 10G?

[@landpet]

Yeah I have an 8 port 10Gbps unmanaged switch, and that’s how I connect mine. Important part is to go from modem to router, then you can go from router to switch and from switch to satellites Thanks for the heads up on the wall mounting kit

[@an2ny79]

I just setup my Orbi today. i linked my 2 satellites and router using 8x10G switch! I didn’t daisy chain because satellites in my opinion act like AP. NetGear tech support didnt even know if my setup would work but I’m happy to announce it worked as expected. As long router is in the same VLAN or network, it could detect the satellites in the same network segment. I will call NetGEAR to share what I have discovered.

[@idjr2654]

I have an Orbi 960, do you think it’s worth the upgrade?

[@landpet]

Only if your speeds are greater 2.5 gigabits or you have over gigabit internet speeds and you want to get faster speeds at the satellite (assuming you’re on wireless backhaul). In short: 970 is better but only if you need the extra speeds

[@idjr2654]

@@landpet Thank you. The top internet speed in my area is 2GBs which is what I have. I'll stick to the 960 with 3 satellites for now until fiber reaches my location. Thanks again.

[@afrojojo9475]

My Ubiquiti system consists of a UDM Pro, Switch, 6 wifi6 access points, and 2 cameras. This all costs way less than this and provides way better coverage than 3 AP's. I do understand it's new and wifi 7, so it needs to cost a lot. But as of right now, wifi 6 is more than capable of providing appropriate speeds. Wifi 5 can still hold it's own right now.

[@landpet]

Agreed! It really depends on the person as I usually mention in the end of each router/mesh video. If your current setup is working great for you and handles your ISP speeds, I see no reason to upgrade. With that said, I just want to mention that on top of WiFi 7, this thing also supports 10Gbps speeds, so for me that has 5Gbps Internet speeds, I like these types of faster routers not just because of their wifi capabilities but because of the faster ports. In addition, some people want very fast speeds throughout the homes but don't want to wire ethernet, so again it really just depends on your situation.

[@anthonyb.9336]

I am using an old RBK50 3 satellite system and so far it seems to perform fine even with the 4 phones, 3 tablets, 4 TV's, 3 computers and 6 cameras and a smart things hub with a all z wave switches accessing it. I may upgrade it but, only if there is a good black Friday special. Yes orbi is expensive but my current router system is 7 years old. What other system can guarantee that type of performance and reliability for so long?

[@samirchpk1]

Can you do compare this with 6E model. I have the 6E and want to see if it’s worth paying premium price

[@landpet]

I plan on comparing this to the RBKE963, RBK863S in the future. I plan on making this video by December. I am going to make an ASUS comparison and an eero comparison as well. So Orbi is on my todo list.

[@samirchpk1]

Thank you. I just need to know if this will make a difference or not? Typically we have 1gig up and down speeds on fiber

[@landpet]

@@samirchpk1 there's not going to be much of a difference for those speeds if you already have the RBKE963

[@canadianbear6009]

So which router is better? The Orbi 970 or the ASUS ROG Rupture GT - BE98 ?

[@landpet]

I haven’t tried the Asus. Testing another Asus right now. Orbi for sure is amazing, ran it for another month no drops no nothing solid performance. I’m sure Asus is great as well but I haven’t tried it

[@reviewguy5140]

Please do a comparison btw the orbi 973 and the gt be98 🙏

[@manjulanextable]

What internet provider do you use

[@landpet]

Frontier

[@drmiteshtrivedi]

I'm thinking of getting the 5GBps fiber, have they been stable for you?@@landpet

[@RonaldEpstein]

Netgear Orbi 970 or TP-LINK BE95?

[@landpet]

Orbi = better range BE95 = better wireless backhaul speeds They’re both amazing

[@ted-b]

The satellites should have had 2 -10 Gbit ports, so you could daisy chain them hardwired.

[@landpet]

Yeah, that would be more ideal. I have a 10 gig unmanaged switch, so one port is enough for me but you're correct, can't daisy chain these at full 10Gbps.

[@abbasraza9993]

I had this system and returned it. When you connect a pixel 8 pro or non pro device to this system, the Internet just keeps on dropping randomly. And you will see the router reboots itself. Also when I enabled the guest network, I would only have Internet access on it only if I was close to the router. If I was close to the satellite then there was no Internet at all.

[@landpet]

Interesting, that didn't happen to me specifically. I also have a Pixel 8 Pro connected to it, granted as I mentioned in the video, there were a few random drops for me as well until I modified those settings. If that's not the issue, hopefully future firmware up addresses it.

[@abbasraza9993]

​@@landpetopened a bunch of cases on this with Netgear. They told me that they had a beta firmware for me to try out but unfortunately I returned the device back to them already and got the deco be85 instead.

[@vnitto]

This is way too expensive to be a beta tester

[@Saywhat1877]

I was having this issue as well. I turned off adaptive connectivity on the pixel 8 pro and my connection has been stable. Not sure if that fixed it or the orbi 973 needed time. But first day, I was there with you. Constantly dropped and Network disappeared. I ordered a deco 85 just in case lol but I might stick with 973 now that it is working.

[@don.newlon]

The pricing of wifi 7 mesh is high right now, but in particular Netgear is inhaling laughing gas. I don't care how much disposable income you have, it never makes sense to overpay. Find another option - there are some good ones that are still high but not outer space.

[@landpet]

lol, I appreciate the feedback.

[@twosawyers]

My $500 netgear nighthawk graphical user interface looks horrible in comparison to the orbi interface. It’s easy to see they’re pushing these mesh systems for the money!

[@landpet]

Really? I just reviewed the Nighthawk RS700 and the UI looks almost the same as the Orbi. Did they just get a new update?

[@twosawyers]

@@landpet I have 4 RAX120v2s and they all has the older interface.

[@BigSharkFreak]

I have the 6e system, and it’s likely my last Netgear. Software is terrible, app spams you on their armour service, and satellites likely to fall “out of sync”. WTH - why can’t they sync automatically?

[@landpet]

I didn't have problems with the 6E and used that for a lot longer than this. I did have some drops with this one early on, may still be there, I didn't use it for a long time but if it is, hopefully it gets fixed with a firmware update. The thing is that I get comments on just about every mesh system I test with people saying this thing drops. Some people say, eero was terrible and I went to nest and everything was great and vice versa. Same with ASUS and NETGEAR. One thing I can recommend is that if you have had bad experience, then you should try another brand for sure.

[@captshadab]

Sorry but am not paying 2300 usd for those speeds in speed tests. It wasn't that great

[@mr.c6674]

Buy what works for you. Others will buy what works for them.

[@bentechgamer]

actually he only test with one system. when u use all 3 system u will get 2000 to 3000 mbps on wifi 7 devices anywhere in house

[@captshadab]

@@bentechgamer I guess he did wireless and wired backhaul

[@landpet]

I don't believe there is a wifi device that can get anywhere near those speeds even with MLO. I can see this happening in the future but the fastest I've seen was at almost 3900Mbps download on WiFi.

[@Rave-agent]

What do they take us for? These prices are insulting.

[@mr.c6674]

You should buy something you can afford. I do own a Honda CRV. I never complained about the price of a Rose Royce. It's not insulting at all.

[@Rave-agent]

@@mr.c6674 and a Rolls Royce is a luxurious top end brand. Please tell me how Netgear compares. You might also want to spend a few moments thinking about whether you are part of the problem.

[@aperxmim]

this is only suitable for a huge house, other then I would not need this for a small square footed house.

[@landpet]

This would be ideal for huge houses. It’s also great for wireless backhaul speeds and faster internet speeds.

[@geheimnisvoll]

noooooooooooooooooo. I love all the range test numbers. RIP

[@landpet]

Lol, well ill keep the 100 ft range tests so should give a good idea of what to expect based on the drop in speed.

[@andrew121410]

Yeah crazy expensive for no reason at all

[@marksapollo]

You need a lot of justification to spend this much!

[@Topdim79]

Its extremely expensive 🙄

[@landpet]

It is but offers a lot

[@tbozeman]

Can you come hook mine up lol

[@landpet]

Lol, I have some setup guide videos, mesh wifis are all pretty similar in setup.

[@brenttitus2134]

$2,300 😆 only a 🤡 would buy this. More money than sense and a total waste.

[@landpet]

It is expensive

[@rod1575]

I just upgraded to 100/20 and you have 5gbps up and down. Lol.

[@landpet]

lol, well I was on 400 down and 20 up for many years. Nothing faster was available.