Netgear Orbi 970

This ultra-premium mesh is loaded with potential, but Wi-Fi 7 isn't mature enough to justify the huge price

-  DARIEN GRAHAM-SMITH

Whenever a new Wi-Fi standard comes along, you can expect Netgear to be one of the first companies out of the traps with high-end hardware that showcases the potential of the new technology. You can expect something else, too: that its products will come at a price guaranteed to scare off all but the most ardent early adopters.

Indeed, we’ve already seen the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S (see issue 353, p76) – the first standalone Wi-Fi 7 router to reach these shores, yours for a mere £800 once you factor in VAT. Now Netgear has followed up with the Orbi 970, a premium Wi-Fi 7 mesh that sets a couple of records for the PC Pro labs.

Big design, big budget

The Netgear Orbi 970 makes a striking first impression: these units are physically the largest Wi-Fi stations we’ve ever encountered. Each one stands 294mm tall, with a triangular footprint that extends to a maximum of 144mm. That sheer size makes them hard to hide away: they do, however, have mounting holes on the bottom, so you can attach them to a ceiling or a wall, and you can choose a low-key black casing rather than the futuristic white design I tested.

And you probably don’t need to fill your house or office with Orbi stations. A twin-pack is supposedly enough to provide Wi-Fi coverage over an area of up to 610m2, while three units will cover up to 930m2, which should only be necessary for mansion dwellers, those with particularly unusually shaped apartments or small businesses that have a surprisingly large building.