# Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S): specs and price

**Price (US):** $1999.99 at netgear.com, as of 2026-07-26. A sourced, dated price of record — other retailers (incl. Amazon) may be lower. Among the 17 mesh wi-fi systems we track it is the most expensive; category median $219.99.
**Brand:** Netgear
**Released:** 2023-11
**Deskmark:** Silver Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 50/100, #7 of 19 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026 (last change 2026-07-26: $1799.99 → $1999.99)

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $1999.99 |
| Brand | Netgear |
| Released | 2023-11 |
| Wi-Fi standard | wifi_7 |
| Max speed (Gbps) | 27 |
| Bands | quad |
| Coverage sqft per pack | 10000 |
| Ethernet ports per unit | 5 |
| Pack size | 3 |
| Dedicated backhaul | Yes |

## Where it stands

At $2000, the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) is the most expensive of the 17 mesh wi-fi systems we track, where the median is $399.99. On the spec sheet, its coverage sqft per pack of 10000 is the highest of the 17, its ethernet ports per unit of 5 is the highest of the 18, and its pack size of 3 is the highest of the 19. By release date, it is among the newer of the 14 we date.

## Price over time

Since 2026-06-27, the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S)'s price has risen 11.1%, from $1799.99 to $1999.99. The lowest we have recorded is $1799.99 (2026-06-27).

## What reviewers say

Three whitelisted testers (Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, TechRadar) hands-on reviewed this exact Orbi 970 (RBE973S). All rate it among the fastest Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems ever measured, but unanimously flag its ~$2,299 three-pack price as extreme. TechRadar's throughput test was capped at 150Mbps office broadband, so its speed numbers are not device-representative. (Based on 3 reviews, 2 lab-tested, 2024-02-14–2024-12-13.)

Praised: Class-leading Wi-Fi 7 speed; first to break 2 Gbps, near the fastest mesh throughput ever measured; Wide-reaching coverage and range from the three-node mesh, no dead zones in large homes; Easy setup and strong wired connectivity (10G plus 2.5G ports on router and satellites).
Flagged: Extreme price (~$2,299 for the three-pack), hard to justify vs cheaper rivals; Limited network configurability: no per-band SSIDs, sparse controls, and no USB port; Ongoing subscriptions for Armor security and parental controls after the first year; Performance falls off at long range, weaker than close-up.
Disagreement: On long-range performance the sources split: Tom's Guide (testing out to 90 ft) found it 'less effective over long distances,' losing to the cheaper TP-Link Deco BE85 at 50 and 90 ft, whereas Tom's Hardware (testing only to 25 ft) rated it near class-leading and even beating the Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Pro on 5GHz at 25 ft (723 vs 611 Mbps). TechRadar could not verify the speed claims at all, as its throughput was capped by a 150Mbps office broadband line.
Sources: Tom's Guide (2024-02-14, tomsguide.com), Tom's Hardware (2024-12-13, tomshardware.com), TechRadar (2024-04-16, techradar.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S)?**

Three whitelisted testers (Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, TechRadar) hands-on reviewed this exact Orbi 970 (RBE973S). All rate it among the fastest Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems ever measured, but unanimously flag its ~$2,299 three-pack price as extreme. TechRadar's throughput test was capped at 150Mbps office broadband, so its speed numbers are not device-representative. Praised: Class-leading Wi-Fi 7 speed; first to break 2 Gbps, near the fastest mesh throughput ever measured; Wide-reaching coverage and range from the three-node mesh, no dead zones in large homes; Easy setup and strong wired connectivity (10G plus 2.5G ports on router and satellites). Flagged: Extreme price (~$2,299 for the three-pack), hard to justify vs cheaper rivals; Limited network configurability: no per-band SSIDs, sparse controls, and no USB port; Ongoing subscriptions for Armor security and parental controls after the first year; Performance falls off at long range, weaker than close-up. (From 3 tester reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

**How much does the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) cost?**

The Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) has a US price of $1999.99, as of 2026-07-26.

**How does the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) compare on price?**

At $2000, the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) is the most expensive of the 17 mesh wi-fi systems we track, where the median is $399.99.

**Has the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S)'s price dropped?**

No — since 2026-06-27 the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) has risen 11.1%, from $1799.99 to $1999.99; the lowest we have recorded is $1799.99 (2026-06-27).

**What is the lowest price the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) has been?**

The lowest we have recorded for the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) is $1799.99 on 2026-06-27.

**Is now a good time to buy the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S)?**

The Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) is currently $1999.99; the lowest we have recorded is $1799.99 (2026-06-27). Every price is dated, so you can judge it against its own history.

**When was the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) released?**

The Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) was released 2023-11.

**What are the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S)'s key specs?**

Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) (Netgear): wifi standard wifi_7, max speed gbps 27, bands quad, coverage sqft per pack 10000, ethernet ports per unit 5. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-19.

Source: https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/mesh/rbe973sb/ (netgear.com, accessed 2026-06-19)
Corroboration: https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/routers/netgear-orbi-970-wi-fi-7-mesh-router-review (accessed 2026-06-19)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/mesh-wifi-systems/netgear-orbi-970-rbe973s/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the Netgear Orbi 970 (RBE973S) price of record was $1999.99 as of 2026-07-26 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/mesh-wifi-systems/netgear-orbi-970-rbe973s/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl