The Netgear Orbi 870 Series runs tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with MLO support and 2.5Gbps wired backhaul on every unit. PCMag's John R. Delaney reported strong signals. Dong Knows Tech reviewer Dong Ngo called it an excellent buy for anyone needing 2.5Gbps bandwidth, but knocked the absence of true 10Gbps support and a price above the ASUS ZenWiFi BT8. It fits buyers who want high-end Wi-Fi 7 features and don't want to pay what the 970 series costs.
Full review
10GbE on the router, 2.5GbE everywhere else
The router node carries one 10 Gigabit WAN port and four 2.5 Gigabit LAN ports; each satellite adds four more 2.5 Gigabit ports, per Trusted Reviews. Backhaul between nodes runs over that 2.5Gbps wiring or over the air. It is a good spread for a mesh kit, but the absence of a second 10Gbps port means a household on a 10 gigabit line cannot pass that speed through to a wired machine, which is the main complaint about the wired side.
No USB port on either unit
Like the Orbi 770 Series before it, the 870 has no USB port on any node. Tom's Hardware treats the omission as a real loss rather than a rounding error at this price, since it rules out attached storage, Time Machine backups and smartphone tethering without another box on the network. The units themselves are the familiar Orbi towers, 10.6 by 5.7 by 4.4 inches, in black or white, with an LED that reports connection quality by color.
Fast close in, weaker at range
Tri-band with MLO gives the 870 a strong result at close and medium range, with PCMag recording high throughput for a Wi-Fi 7 mesh, and a clear falloff further out. Tom's Hardware was less impressed overall, rating the system below its price. Peak radio rates are 688Mbps on 2.4GHz, 8,640Mbps on 5GHz and 11,520Mbps on 6GHz. Satellite placement matters more here than on a system with a dedicated backhaul radio.
Security and parental controls stop after 30 days
Both the network security and parental control packages arrive as 30-day trials and then ask for money, PCMag notes. Settings are also split between the mobile app and the web console, so finding a specific option means guessing which interface holds it. Installation itself is quick and app-driven, and the LED status colors make a failed satellite obvious without opening anything.
A $1,299.99 three-pack against cheaper rivals
The three-pack lists at $1,299.99, well above the similarly specified ASUS ZenWiFi BT8. PCMag scored it 4.0 out of 5 while pointing at the eero Pro 7, which costs roughly half. The 870 earns its place only if the 10 Gigabit WAN port and the multi-gig LAN ports on every node are things that will actually get used; on coverage and speed alone, cheaper kits get close.
Strengths
- +Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 support with MLO for improved performance
- +2.5Gbps wired backhaul throughout the mesh system
- +Strong signal coverage and reliable mesh networking
Watch-outs
- −No true 10Gbps support in router unit
- −Only 2.5Gbps ports on satellites limit upgrade potential, per Dong Knows Tech
How it compares
The Netgear Orbi 870 offers strong tri-band Wi-Fi 7 support with MLO and 2.5Gbps backhaul, but it's less expensive than the ASUS RT-BE96U and lacks 10Gbps support. Compared to the TP-Link Archer GE800, it doesn't feature dedicated gaming ports or Game Acceleration, making it less appealing for gamers.
Rating sources
Our 3.9 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
