Netgear’s new Wi-Fi 7 mesh system is its most affordable yet

Netgear has launched the Orbi 370, the latest and most affordable addition to its Wi-Fi 7 mesh router portfolio. At $349.99 for a three-pack (which includes a router and two satellites), it costs a fraction of the price of Netgear’s other Wi-Fi 7 systems, like the high-end Orbi 870 and 970, or the $999.99 Orbi 770 series it released last year.

A two-pack containing a router and a single satellite is available for $249.99 for those in smaller households, and additional Orbi 370 satellites can be purchased for $149.99 to expand mesh network coverage. Netgear says the Orbi 370 is compatible with any service provider and supports Wi-Fi speeds of up to 5Gbps.

Both the router and satellites include integrated 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports, allowing wired connections to be used with more demanding devices like gaming systems and smart TVs. The Orbi 370 supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, which can be combined using Multi-Link Operation (MLO) to potentially provide faster downloads, less latency, and a more stable connection to Wi-Fi 7 devices.

The more affordable entry point is targeting growing households, or those with “moderately demanding Wi-Fi needs,” according to Netgear, but will also likely appeal to anyone who was looking for an excuse to upgrade from older wireless network standards.

You still need Wi-Fi 7-compatible devices — which are fairly uncommon — to actually use Wi-Fi 7 features, but the Orbi 370 is backwards compatible with Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E. The added stability that the MLO feature can provide to wireless connections may carry over to devices that use older Wi-Fi standards too, providing something that users can benefit from immediately if they’re futureproofing with the mesh router system.