Orbi 770 Series Tri-Band WiFi 7 Mesh Router Review

Netgear are one of the biggest names in the world when it comes to networking, from humble and affordable home products, to flagship networking behemoths that can deal with the latest connection technologies for large homes and many users, they've got a bit of something for everyone. While the Orbi 770 Series Tri-Band WiFi 7 Mesh we're reviewing isn't the top model of this range, it's still pretty high up the list, offering the latest WiFi 7 and 2.5GbE, so it's hardly lacking in features. However, we'll be exploring what the more extreme Orbi 990 edition has to offer in the near future too! The Orbi 770 Series promises to take your home networking to the next level, with it being a feature-packed tri-band WiFi 7 powerhouse, it can deliver incredible speeds of up to 11Gbps. Because it's a mesh unit, meaning there are multiple routers that work together, three in this case, it can blanket your entire home with flawless WiFi. No more dead spots in your signal, so if you want to stream high-resolution video to the bathroom or the end of the garden, well, that shouldn't be an issue. You no longer have to be near "the" router for the best WiFi as you'll have three of them flanking your home for extreme network performance. Beyond raw speed, the Orbi 770 is engineered for the modern digital home. A 2.5 Gig internet port unlocks the full potential of multi-gig internet plans, while multiple 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports provide wired connectivity for demanding setups and offer the option for a supercharged wired backhaul. Advanced security features, including NETGEAR Armor, provide peace of mind by safeguarding your network and connected devices from online threats. Many homes now have access to 1Gbps fibre or faster, so this is going to help unlock the full potential of those networks. Features Up to 11Gbps Speed: Unleashes WiFi 7 speeds up to 11Gbps for flawless performance and coverage for your whole home. Tri-Band Technology: Tri-Band technology with Enhanced Backhaul ensures WiFi stays fast across all devices simultaneously. Reimagined Speed & Reliability: Whether multi-gig cable or fiber, get the fastest speeds available today with a 2.5 Gig internet port. 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports for wired connections and 2.5Gbps wired backhaul option. 8k Streaming, Gaming and More: From 8K streaming to video conferencing, gaming, VR, and more, Orbi ensures your family can accomplish it all at once. Extensive Coverage: 360-degree whole-home WiFi coverage up to 9,000 sq. ft. 360° WiFi Coverage: Elegant, new design and high-performance antennas provide exceptional 360° WiFi coverage across every corner of your home, no matter the layout. Simultaneous Device Support: Handles up to 200 devices without compromising performance. Powerful Security: NETGEAR® routers have security features enabled out of the box with exclusive Advanced Router Protection, automatic firmware updates, and industry-leading safety features to help protect you and your family. Essential All-In-One Internet Security: NETGEAR Armor™ software provides an automatic shield of security for your WiFi and connected devices (PC, phone, camera, TV, etc.) for real-time protection. 30-day trial included. Easy Set Up with Any Service Provider: Simple to plug Orbi into your modem and set it up with the Orbi app. Sleek and Modern Design: Seamlessly integrates into any home decor. Mesh WiFi System: 3-pack ensures comprehensive coverage for large homes. How WiFi 7 Works WiFi 7, also known as 802.11be, is the latest generation of WiFi technology that elevates your home network to new heights. Unlike its predecessors, WiFi 7 utilises all three available bands – 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz – concurrently. This tri-band operation allows your devices to dynamically switch between bands, avoiding congestion and maximising speed. So rather than picking one WiFi, it just crams them all together for maximum speed. One of the key innovations in WiFi 7 is "multi-link operation," which allows devices to send and receive data across multiple bands at the same time. This not only increases overall throughput but also significantly reduces latency, making it ideal for demanding applications like online gaming, 8K streaming, and VR. WiFi 7 also introduces wider channels and improved modulation techniques, further enhancing speed and efficiency. Packaging The box is nice and clean, with a very minimal front that features and extreme-close-up photo of the router, but otherwise, not a lot else here. On the other side, we can see that it's the Orbi WiFi 7 and see three routers on the front of the box, this is a triple pack after all! Some of the key features are clearly listed, such as the speeds and coverage. The outer cover can be removed, and you'll find a more durable inner box inside. Everything is very well packaged, with international plugs and adaptors all secured into multiple layers of cardboard. The power adaptor is a universal one, where you can clip on the UK/EU/US head to suit your needs. There's also a single flat network cable included in the box to hook it up to your modem. A Closer Look So with this setup, you get three routers, which isn't particularly common for most users, as I'm sure most of you simply have had or currently have a single router in your home. However, the benefits of mesh are pretty fantastic, as you'll have a single router as your primary unit, this is the one that you connect to your modem and this will then communicate with the other two routers which you can place throughout your home. This means you get much stronger WiFi coverage over a much larger area, and if you've ever had WiFi dead zones in your home, which I'm sure you have, this is a great way to deal with that. You can put one router in your living room, one in the kitchen, one up stairs, for example, so you're never far from a router and a strong signal. They're really nice looking units too, I think the problem with a lot of enthusiast and gaming focused routers is that they're quite big and ugly. Mine has ARGB lighting and eight massive antenna sticking out of it, and it's huge too, so it stands out in the room it's placed in. However, with these, they're quite understated, more compact, and all the antenna are hidden on the inside, so you can place them around your home without them being a distraction to the room aesthetic. They're very simple to work with too, on the back you'll find a power input, 2.5 GbE input and three more 2.5 GbE LAN ports, so setup isn't complicated. Of course, on the two additional units, they only have the power port on the back. In terms of controls, they're very simple, with just a sync and reset button on the back, again, very basic but user friendly. It's all largely just plug and play ready, so just plug them all in, they should pair up easily, and you're good to go. On the bottom, there's a firm rubber grip so they don't slide around or scratch up your tables. There's also some mounting holes, should you wish to secure them or add a bracket of some kind. Software One of the biggest aspect of any router is the operating system, and while it's uncommon to need to use it very often, it's a big part of the initial setup process. Thankfully, while there's a new Orbi logo in the corner, this front end looks basically identical to previous NetGear router settings pages we've seen for over a decade now, so if you're used any of their products before, even their cheaper models, this will feel very familiar to you. The front page shows all the key information, such as connection status, SSID, passwords, and attached devices. If that's a little basic for you, the advanced page offers up all your IP addresses, connectivity modes, and statistics too. The internet setup will likely complete automatically for most users when you connect your modem, but if you want to specify IP addresses, DNS, or DHCP, you can do that too, and again, it's all very straight forward. There's also an easy to use port forwarding page, so if you're running a Plex Server, Minecraft server, or playing on consoles that need a port open for online gaming, you can do that here and quickly apply the settings without having to reboot the router. For added security, there's Access Control, allowing you to white list and black list devices from your network, you can basically setup all your computers, phones, laptops, etc, then fully lock it down so no new devices can be added, giving you a lot of extra security. You can see the status of all attached devices, allowing you to easily identify what's what, and how they're all connected. Another welcome feature is the guest network. This allows your visiting friends and family to use your WiFi, but locks them off from things like connecting to your smart devices, network storage, printers, etc, unless of course you enable those too. There's a setup page walking you through tips on placing the satellite devices around your home. They need to be far enough apart to provide a benefit, but not so far that they lose performance. A three story home, you would have one on the ground, first and second floors, or if you have a very long and wide house, you would have one at each end and one in the middle, pretty straight forward really. If you need to make changes and want to ensure you don't screw something up, you can always backup and restore settings from the backup page. There's also a built in speed test, and with that we got out maximum line speed of around 75/18.5Mbps, not the best, but we're in a new office right now and working on upgrading that in the near future. Performance From right next to the router, we got our maximum line speed on both upload and download, not that we would have expected anything less. At 5m, again, flawless performance, and while that doesn't sound like a lot, I encourage you to go test your home router right now, I bet most of you have a performance drop off in the signal strength at this range. At 10m away, again, the performance is flawless, while we know we're not maxing out the speed of the router with our internet, that wouldn't matter as it's signal strength that matters here, and so far, it's very strong even at 10m. It's only once we got 5M outside of the building that we saw some drop off in download speed, but keep in mind, we're in a big warehouse with big metal doors and walls, so the fact we have any signal is impressive. It wasn't until we got 20M away from the building that we lost the signal, which is to be expected given the router is about 80 feet away and behind a metal wall at this point. If that faraday cage of a building wasn't there, we'd have a signal for a lot longer. Finally, we tested the router from up stairs, then again from downstairs, and both tests showed that it worked perfectly through the floor. How Much Does it Cost? The Netgear Orbi 770 Series (RBKE773) 3-pack currently retails for around £899 directly from Netgear or on Amazon. This places it at the higher end of the WiFi 7 mesh system market, obviously, but while there are more affordable options available, the Orbi 770 Series offers some of the best speeds and connectivity on the market, so you're getting what you pay for. Of course, keep in mind, it's more like £300 for the Orbi 770, but this is a triple pack and you're paying for all three to provide coverage for larger homes and spaces. Conclusion The Netgear Orbi 770 Series is a powerful and reliable tri-band WiFi 7 mesh system that delivers exceptional performance and coverage. Its sleek design, easy setup, and advanced features make it an excellent choice for users who want to upgrade their home network to the latest technology. While the price may be a barrier for some, the Orbi 770 Series offers a compelling combination of speed, reliability, and security that makes it a worthwhile investment for those who demand the best while also dealing with larger home spaces and large amounts of devices. WiFi 7 WiFi 7 represents a significant leap forward in wireless technology, offering faster speeds, lower latency, and improved efficiency compared to previous generations. The Orbi 770 Series takes full advantage of WiFi 7's capabilities, delivering multi-gigabit speeds and seamless connectivity for demanding applications like streaming, gaming, and big downloads at high speeds. However, it's worth noting that to fully utilize WiFi 7 speeds, you'll need compatible devices. Older devices will still connect to the network but at slower speeds such as WiFi 6, and there aren't a lot of WiFi 7 devices on the market, with high-end motherboards being one of the few examples I can think of. Tri-Mesh Connectivity The Orbi 770 Series' tri-band mesh system, with its dedicated backhaul, ensures consistent and reliable WiFi coverage throughout your home. This eliminates dead zones and provides a strong signal even in large or multi-story houses. The three units work together seamlessly to create a unified network, allowing you to move freely without experiencing any drop in performance. Perfect for adding one to your kitchen, living room, a bedroom, the office, your garage, etc. Performance In our tests, the Orbi 770 Series delivered outstanding signal performance, achieving our admittedly low maximum internet speeds and maintaining a strong signal even at considerable distances both inside and outside the office. The mesh system effectively eliminated any drop-off in performance throughout the building. But of course, a triple router system only makes sense if you have a larger space that needs it. If you have a small apartment or office, a single router system would suffice. Design The Orbi 770 units boast a sleek and modern design that blends seamlessly with any home decor. Their compact size and understated appearance allow them to be placed discreetly without drawing attention to themselves. I would have liked a built-in power supply though, as the mains adaptor is a bit bulky, making it tricky to plug in if your sockers are behind a piece of furniture. However, the design is a welcome departure from the bulky and often garish designs of some gaming routers, making the Orbi 770 Series a more aesthetically pleasing option for the home. Should I Buy One? If you're looking for the best possible WiFi performance and coverage and have the budget to match, the Netgear Orbi 770 Series is an excellent choice. It's only limitation is the 2.5GbE WAN and LAN ports, and if you have need for 10GbE networking for faster internet and network storage, then you'll want to look at the models further up the range, which we'll be reviewing in the coming weeks. Overall, It's ideal for large homes with multiple users and a high online activity environment. However, if you're on a tighter budget, this obviously isn't ideal for you, but you have to appreciate this is a triple router system with support for the latest WiFi standards.