NetgearWi-Fi 7 mesh system2023
Netgear Orbi 970 Series
Retailer links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission. Specs and rankings are never affected by them.
- Wi-Fi 7Wi-Fi standardQuad-band · BE27000
- 11,530MbpsFastest band27,089 Mbps across all bands
- 10,000sqftCoverage3-pack
- 10GbpsInternet portMax WAN speed
- 6portsWired Ethernet2× 10 Gigabit · 4× 2.5 Gigabit
Key capabilities
- WireGuard VPN — not listed
- Parental controls
- Guest network
- WPA3 security
means the manufacturer doesn't list it, which isn't the same as the product lacking it.
OpenWrt
No support found. Checked against OpenWrt's own Table of Hardware, which carries no qualifying row for this model. That is a weaker statement than "this router cannot run OpenWrt" and a much stronger one than silence.
No ToH row for any current Netgear entry. The Netgear models OpenWrt does cover, such as the R7800, are older and none of them are in this lineup.
Checked 2026-08-06. How every router here was checked.
Pack sizes
- 1-pack$799.99
- 2-pack$1,499.99
- 3-pack$1,999.99
Specifications
Wireless
- Standard
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bands
- Quad-band
- Speed class
- BE27000
- Fastest band
- 11,530 Mbps
- All bands combined
- 27,089 Mbps · 18,442 available to clients
Connectivity
- Uplink
- Ethernet
- Internet port
- 10 Gbps
- Wired ports
- 2× 10 Gigabit · 4× 2.5 Gigabit
- Port map
Hardware & physical
- Form
- Mesh system
- Coverage
- Up to 10,000 sqft (3-pack)
- Weight
- 1,790 g
- Dimensions
- 294.03 × 144.38 × 130.79 mm (5,552 cm³)
- Power
- DC power adapter
- Released
- 2023
- Model number
- RBE973S
Manufacturer details
- Processor
- Quad-core 2.2 GHz
- Memory
- 2 GB
- Storage
- 4 GB
- Power
- 19V/3.16A power adapter (per unit)
- Max connected devices
- 200
- Satellite ports
- 1x 10GBASE-T LAN, 2x 2.5GBASE-T LAN (no WAN port)
Radios
| Band | Max link | Streams | Channel width |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 GHz | 1,147 Mbps | 4×4 | 40 MHz |
| 5 GHz | 8,647 Mbps | 4×4 | 240 MHz |
| 5 GHz | 5,765 Mbps | 4×4 | 160 MHz |
| 6 GHz | 11,530 Mbps | 4×4 | 320 MHz |
All features · 15
Firmware
- Automatic firmware updates
Wi-Fi features
- Multi-Link Operation (MLO)
What is Multi-Link Operation (MLO)?
Worth comparing29 of 79 listed here
A Wi-Fi 7 device uses two bands at the same time over one connection, instead of picking one and living with it.
Look at instead: whether your phone and laptop are Wi-Fi 7 — nothing older can use this
Full entry → - 160 MHz channels
What is 160 MHz channels?
Table stakes47 of 79 listed here
A double-width channel that roughly doubles throughput when the airwaves are clear enough to sustain it.
Look at instead: whether the band has room for it — on 5 GHz that almost always means DFS
Full entry → - 320 MHz channels
What is 320 MHz channels?
Worth comparing23 of 79 listed here
Wi-Fi 7's double-again channel width, available only on 6 GHz, where there is finally enough spectrum to fit it.
Look at instead: whether you own 6 GHz devices, and whether they will be in the same room as the router
Full entry → - Dedicated wireless backhaul
What is Dedicated wireless backhaul?
Worth comparing3 of 79 listed here
A radio reserved for traffic between mesh nodes, so your devices are not sharing airtime with the mesh itself.
Look at instead: whether you can run Ethernet between the nodes — wired backhaul beats every wireless arrangement
Full entry →
Networking
- Dynamic DNS
- Access point mode
- Wired backhaul
Security
- WPA3
- Built-in threat protection
Management
- Parental controls
- Guest network
- Mobile app management
- Local web UI
Hardware
- Fanless