Hardware
Netgear Orbi 970
Get ready for a Wi-Fi 7 future with this premium mesh system
£2,199.99 FROM netgear.com FEATURES Quad-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh system, 27Gbps; 294x144x131mm, 1.8kg
High-end wired connectivity includes both 10Gb Ethernet and 2.5Gb ports.
The Orbi provides a top speed of 27Gbps that blows away all previous generations of Wi-Fi
I t’s more than a year now since we ran a ‘How It Works’ article on Wi-Fi 7 technology (#MF391), but it’s only since the start of 2024 that this new standard has started to arrive in a small number of routers and mesh systems. And most Apple devices are still using either Wi-Fi 6 or 6E, so most of us don’t really need to rush out and buy a new router with Wi-Fi 7 just yet (although we do have our fingers crossed for the Apple’s latest iPads – see p6).
But, if you’re interested in seeing the future of Wi-Fi technology then Netgear’s new Orbi 970 is a good place to start. Like other models in the Orbi range, the Orbi 970 is a mesh Wi-Fi system that is designed for larger homes and offices, and can cover a much larger area than a single conventional router on its own. It’s also a good option for public locations such as hotels, or schools and colleges that need a really far-reaching Wi-Fi network.