Netgear Orbi 770 Mesh Router Review
The performance and number of ports on the Netgear Orbi 970 router are impressive, but it comes with a hefty price tag starting at $1,699 for a router and one satellite.
This cost may be too high for some users looking to upgrade their home network from Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7. That’s where the Orbi 770 comes in, offering a more affordable option at $699 for a router and one satellite.
It is understandable that Netgear had to make some concessions in order to offer a lower price than the Orbi 970, but the majority of consumers in the intended market will probably be accepting of the cutbacks in features.
The appearance of the Netgear Orbi 770 is sleek and modern
The Orbi 770 review unit provided by Netgear includes one router and two satellites. All three devices are made of plastic with a matte white finish.
The only distinctive feature in the design is a LED light located below the Orbi logo on the front, which changes color to indicate the status of the router or satellite. Although the design is simple, the devices appear more dominant compared to the smaller satellites.
Upon first observation, the routers and satellites may appear to be the same, however, a closer look at the rear panel reveals that only the two satellites are identical.
The router is equipped with a single 2.5 Gbps WAN port highlighted in yellow, three 2.5 Gbps LAN ports, a specific power port that is compatible with a barrel-style plug, and a Sync button. On the contrary,
The two satellites only have two 2.5 Gbps ports, a Sync button, and a power port at the back. Neither the router nor the satellites have USB-A ports for connecting external storage devices.
Netgear Orbi 770 Mesh Router
Specifications of the Netgear Orbi 7 Mesh Router
| Wi-Fi Standard | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Wi-Fi Bands | 2.4-GHz: 2×2 (Tx/Rx), 688 Mbps |
| 5-GHz: 2×2 (Tx/Rx), 4,320 Mbps | |
| 6-GHz: 2×2 (Tx/Rx), 5,760 Mbps | |
| CPU | Quad-Core 1.5 GHz Processor |
| Memory | 4GB Flash, 2GB RAM |
| Ports | Router: 1 port with a speed of 2.5 Gigabits for both WAN and LAN, along with 2 ports with a speed of 2.5 Gigabits for LAN. Satellites: 2 ports with a speed of 2.5 Gigabits for LAN. |
| Coverage | 8,000 square feet |
Installing the Netgear Orbi 770 system
Manufacturers of routers have simplified the process of configuring new routers straight out of the packaging. Just like other companies, Netgear offers the option to set up the Orbi 770 using a smartphone application.
The Netgear Orbi app, which can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices, guides users through the setup of their new mesh network and also facilitates the maintenance of the network by allowing firmware updates to be installed. Nonetheless, the app is more geared towards average consumers who may not require access to every single configuration option available.
Individuals who desire increased authority over their networks have the option to utilize a web browser to establish the router and adjust all available settings.
This was the approach I took when setting up the Orbi 770. Following the connection of the Orbi 770 router (located in my upstairs home office) to my current modem using the provided patch cable, I linked my server to a vacant 2.5 Gbps port.
Netgear Orbi 770 Mesh Router
Subsequently, I activated the two satellites, positioning one in an upstairs bedroom and the other in the living room downstairs.
Next, I navigated to orbilogin.com using my browser, where I was guided through the setup process. The system automatically identified my internet connection, and I set up an admin login with a password.
The setup also located the two satellites needed for the mesh network. After that, it checked for any firmware updates but none were available at that time.
Software of Netgear Orbi 770
After completing the initial setup, I was able to access the standard Orbi interface. Having owned a first-generation Orbi RBK50 Wi-Fi 5 mesh router before, I noticed that the interface has remained largely unchanged over the course of eight years.
The Basic tab only offers five tiles – Internet, Wireless, Attached Devices, Guest Network, and Security. However, the Advanced tab caters to those who like to tweak their network settings.
The Advanced homepage provides a quick overview of all network parameters, connection status, wireless details, guest network status, and more. There are additional submenus for Setup, Security, Administration, and Advanced as well.
Within the Setup menu, you have detailed controls for managing wireless, WAN, and LAN settings, as well as the ability to run a speed test to gauge your internet connection.
The Security menu offers Access Control to restrict device access to your network. The Administration menu provides access to connected devices, router logs, settings backup, and firmware updates for both router and satellites.
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Lastly, the Advanced menu grants control over numerous features such as port forwarding, UPnP, IPV6 settings, VPNs, Dynamic DNS, and additional options.
The Orbi 770 comes with a complimentary 30-day trial of the Netgear Armor security suite software. In comparison, the Orbi 970 offers a full one-year subscription. Netgear Armor aims to safeguard your network and devices against DDoS attacks, password theft, ransomware, and other malicious activities carried out by malicious individuals.
Performance of Netgear Orbi 770
The Orbi 770 showed steady performance throughout, but it couldn’t reach the same highs as standalone routers such as the Asus RT-BE96U.
The unit provided by Netgear for review included one router and two satellites, offering coverage for 8,000 square feet. This is more than I need for my home, which is less than one-third of that size.
As usual, I utilized for evaluating throughput, operating on a Windows 11 server with a 10 Gbps ethernet port. The server is linked to an available 2.5 Gbps port on the Orbi 770 router. Tests for Wi-Fi performance are conducted at distances of 6 and 25 feet from the router and nodes.
Initial tests are conducted under conditions of low network usage. Subsequent tests involve adding extra traffic to replicate multiple users in a household using the network (such as streaming 4K YouTube on three devices, streaming local 4K media on two devices, and downloading a large game in the background).
An Acer Swift Edge 16 ultrabook with Wi-Fi 7 capability was used as the client for iPerf3 and ping tests.
The performance of the 6 GHz band was noticeably lower than the latest Wi-Fi 7 routers I have tested. It reached a peak speed of 1.65 Gbps at a distance of six feet and 1.1 Gbps at 25 feet.
In comparison, the Asus RT-BE996U achieved speeds of 3 Gbps and 1.9 Gbps at the same distances. The Orbi 770’s speeds decreased to 1.2 Gbps and 912 Mbps at six feet and 25 feet, respectively, during periods of high network traffic.
The Orbi 770 performed similarly to the other routers when using the 5 GHz band, achieving speeds of 1.1 Gbps at a distance of six feet and 554 Mbps at 25 feet when the network was not congested.
Although there was a slight decrease in speeds with congested traffic, it was not significant. Importantly, the decrease in performance was not as noticeable as it was with the two Asus Wi-Fi 7 routers.
The 2.4 GHz activity was comparable to that of other Wi-Fi 7 routers when tested at distances of six feet and 25 feet with high traffic. Nevertheless, the Orbi 770 experienced a more significant decrease in performance at a distance of six feet compared to its competitors.
During testing, the Orbi 770 consistently had ping times around 16 ms, with a maximum of 22 ms on the 2.4 GHz band.
I also conducted a separate test on a satellite that was positioned on the first floor, approximately forty feet away from the router. The satellite’s performance was found to be about half as fast as the router in all aspects.
The maximum iPerf speeds recorded were 832 Mbps at 6 GHz, 684 Mbps at 5 GHz, and 109 Mbps at 2.4 GHz. The ping rates remained consistent at around 16 ms.
Afterwards, I conducted tests on the wired performance between the router and the satellite. I used a WaveLink 2.5 Gbps USB-C ethernet adapter connected to the Swift Edge for the tests.
When plugged into the 2.5 Gbps LAN port on the Orbi 770 router, iPerf reached a maximum speed of 2.37 Gbps. However, the performance decreased to only 1.26 Gbps when utilizing the 2.5 Gbps LAN port on the Orbi 770 satellite.
Conclusion
The Orbi 770 is the newest addition to the increasing selection of Wi-Fi 7 routers available, providing reliable performance at a significant price point.
Priced at $699 for a router and one satellite (or $999 for a router and two satellites), the Orbi 770 is not a purchase made on a whim, despite being $1,000 cheaper than the higher-performing Orbi 970.
Although it lacks the 10 Gbps ports found in the more expensive Orbi 970, the Orbi 770 comes with four 2.5 Gbps ports on the router and two on each satellite.
I experienced excellent performance with both uncongested and congested traffic and was particularly impressed by how easy it was to set up.
To emphasize, the main drawback for customers seeking full Wi-Fi coverage throughout their homes is the high cost of $700. It is disappointing that the Netgear Armor security suite is only provided for 30 days, compared to the one-year option with the Orbi 970.
If you need a mesh router for your Wi-Fi network, it is advisable to opt for more affordable Wi-Fi 6E options until Wi-Fi 7 routers become more cost-effective.
