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NETGEAR today announces the availability of its fourth Wi-Fi 7 mesh system, the Orbi 370 series. Previously, the company had offered a trio including the 970 series, 870 series, and 770 series.
The first thing to note about the new Orbi 370 Series is that it costs significantly less than its predecessor, $350 for a 3-pack. While that doesn’t make it the least expensive Wi-Fi 7 system on the market, nor “cheap”, it has enough to make fans of NETGEAR happy.
Or does it? Let’s find out more!
NETGEAR Orbi 370 Series (vis. TP-Link Deco BE25): Dual-band hardware with limited wired backhauling options
Out of the box, the new Orbi 370 Series shares the same cylindrical design as the previous model but is significantly smaller. Specifically, it is approximately one-third the physical size of the top-tier Orbi 970 Series.
The new hardware is also not mount-ready out of the box—you need a surface for it. However, that can be fixed relatively easily via a common piece of mounting accessory available for $39.99 per unit.
What can not be “fixed”, however, is the fact that the Orbi 370 Series is the most modest Wi-Fi 7 Orbi on the inside, as suggested by its model name, per NETGEAR’s naming convention. The significant drop in the numerical value of the Orbi 370 Series system (versus 970, 870, or 770) is telling. Indeed, among other things, it’s the first dual-band Wi-Fi 7 Orbi that doesn’t have the 6GHz band.
Tip
The Orbi 370 Series is the second dual-band set in the history of the Orbi ecosystem, following the Orbi RBK13, which features Wi-Fi 5 and was introduced over six years ago.
However, that doesn’t make the Orbi 370 Series unique. Hardware-wise, it’s the rival to other dual-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems, most notably the TP-Link Deco BE25. The two share similar specifications. The table below shows their hardware details.
NETGEAR Orbi 370 Series vs. TP-Link Deco BE25: Hardware specifications
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | NETGEAR Orbi 370 Series | TP-Link Deco BE25 BE5000 Dual-band Wi-Fi 7 Mesh System |
| Model | Router: RBE371 Satellite: RBE370 RBE372 (2-pack) RBE373 (3-pack) RBE374 (4-pack) | Deco BE25 (identical units) |
| Processing Power (router unit) | Quad-core 1.5 GHz CPU, 512 MB flash, 1 GB RAM | Quad-core 1.1 GHz CPU, 128 MB flash, 512 MB RAM |
| Pre-Synced Hardware | TBD | Yes |
| Possible Dedicated Backhaul Band (default) | None | |
| Wired Backhaul | Yes | |
| Dimensions | 8.02 x 4.72 x 2.95 in (203.7 x 120 x 75 mm) (router or satellite) | 5.91 × 5.91 × 2.44 in (150 × 150 × 62 mm) |
| Weight | Router: 0.791 lbs (359 g) Satellites: 0.78 lbs (354 g) | 1.12 lbs (508 g) |
| Wi-Fi Bandwith | Dual-band BE5000 | |
| 2.4GHz Band (channel width) | 2×2 BE: Up to 688Mbps (20/40MHz) | |
| 5GHz Band (channel width) | 2×2 BE: Up to 4324Mbps (20/40/80/160/240MHz) | |
| Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) | N/A (only applicable to the 6GHz band) | Router: 2x 2.5Gbps Satellite: 1x 2.5Gbps |
| Multi-Link Operation (MLO) | Yes | |
| Backward Compatibility | 802.11ax/ac/n/g/a/b | |
| Guest Network | Yes (one SSID assigned to one or both bands) | |
| IoT Network | Yes (one SSID assigned to one or both bands) | |
| Mobile App | Orbi (vendor-linked login account required) | Deco (vendor-linked login account required) |
| Web User Interface | Full (without remote access) | Simple (status only, no local management) |
| AP Mode | Yes | |
| USB Port | None | |
| Gigabit Port | None | |
| Multi-Gig Port | Router: 2x 2.5Gbps (WAN+LAN) Satellite: 1x 2.5Gbps LAN | 2x 2.5Gbps (auto-sensing) |
| Dual-WAN and Link Aggregation | No | |
| Firmware Version (at review) | Not yet reviewed | 1.0.13 Build 20241108 Rel. 48139 |
| U.S. Release Date | July 29, 2025 | November 19, 2024 |
| Power Specs | TBD | Input: 100-240V Output: 12V 0.8A |
| Real-World Power Consumption (per 24 hours) | TBD | ≈ 195 Wh (router) ≈ 135 Wh (satellite) |
| U.S. Launch Price (Compare street prices!) | RBE374 (4-pack): $449.99 RBE373 (3-pack): $349.99 RBE372 (2-pack): 249.99 RBE370: $149.99 | $299.99 (3-pack) $199.99 (2-pack) $129.99 (single router) |
The single-port blue on the satellite unit
As shown in the table above, the new Orbi 370 Series, like all Orbi sets, features a distinct router unit (the RBE371) that can host one or more satellite units (the RBE370) to form a system.
Like all Wi-Fi systems, the best way to utilize these hardware units together is via wired backhauling, where network cables are used to connect the hardware. For the Orbi 370 Series, this is only possible out of the box with a 2-pack.
Fronthaul vs. backhaul
When you use multiple Wi-Fi broadcasters—in a mesh Wi-Fi system or a combo of a router and an extender—there are two types of connections: fronthaul and backhaul.
Fronthaul is the Wi-Fi signals broadcast outward for clients or the local area network (LAN) ports for wired devices. It’s what we generally expect from a Wi-Fi broadcaster.
Backhaul (a.k.a backbone), on the other hand, is the link between one satellite Wi-Fi broadcaster and another, which can be the network’s primary router, a switch, or another satellite unit.
This link works behind the scenes to keep the hardware units together as a system. It also determines the ceiling bandwidth (and speed) of all devices connected to the particular satellite Wi-Fi broadcaster.
At the satellite/extender unit, the connection used for the backhaul—a Wi-Fi link or a network port—is often called the uplink. Generally, a Wi-Fi broadcaster might use one of its bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz) or a network port for the uplink.
When a Wi-Fi band handles backhaul and fronthaul simultaneously, only half its bandwidth is available to either end. When a Wi-Fi band functions solely for backhauling, often available traditional Tri-band hardware, it’s called the dedicated backhaul.
Generally, for the best performance and reliability, network cables are recommended for backhauling—wired backhauling, which is an advantage of mesh Wi-Fi hardware with network ports. In this case, a satellite broadcaster can use its entire Wi-Fi bandwidth for front-hauling.
Unfortunately, as the new Orbi has a limited number of ports, you’ll need to resort to a switch if you want to use wired backhauling starting with the second satellite. There’s no way to daisy-chain the units or add more wired devices to the router. And this is the most significant drawback of the Orbi 370 Series compared to the TP-Link Deco BE25, which has two 2.5Gbps ports per unit, in a wired home.
In a fully wireless (mesh) setup, however, NETGEAR states that the Orbi 370 Series utilizes MLO for its backhaul link, which supports up to 5Gbps of bandwidth, a feature generally found in typical dual-band Wi-Fi systems. That said, in an ideal hardware setup, you can generally expect gigabit speeds or more of sustained speed from the hardware, as long as you use the star topology.
Tip
Gig+, or Gig Plus, denotes a speed grade that is faster than 1Gbps but slower than 2Gbps. So, it’s 1.5Gbps, give or take a couple hundred megabits per second, and it’s not speedy enough to qualify as Multi-Gig Ethernet or multi-Gigabit. Intel coined the term to describe its Wi-Fi 6E client chips, the AX210 and AX211, in terms of their real-world speeds.
Gig+ primarily applies to the sustained speeds of Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7, via a 2×2 at 160MHz connection, or broadband internet speeds.
Likely a familiar Orbi experience
Despite the hardware specs, the Orbi 370 Series is slated to be a familiar Orbi set that shares the setup process, web user interface, mobile app, and feature set as the rest of the Orbi family.
Specifically, you can expect the following (to be confirmed):
- Limited Wi-Fi settings and SSID options. Specifically:
- There’s one primary MLO-enabled SSID for both bands, of which the only customization option is for the channel width
- There is one IoT SSID for both bands. You can use both bands or just one of them.
- There’s one Guest Network SSID for both bands—there’s no option to make this SSID work only on one band.
- The hardware units are pre-synced, or you can quickly pair a satellite unit to the router unit via the Sync button on their backs.
- While NETGEAR recommends that you use the Orbi mobile app for the setup process and ongoing management, you can also use the web user interface, accessible via the router unit’s IP address, for the tasks, the way you would with any standard router.
- The system has the standard set of WAN and LAN settings for the Internet and local networks. Keep in mind that there’s no Dual-WAN or link aggregation in the Orbi family, and the 370 Series simply doesn’t have enough network ports for these.
- The hardware has a modest set of network features, including Dynamic DNS and port forwarding. (Since mid-2021, all NETGEAR routers no longer feature web-based remote access.)
After that, to access more features, including the online protection feature NETGEAR Armor, users need to pay for add-on subscriptions and use the Orbi mobile app mentioned above or the NETGEAR Armor app. Both require a NETGEAR login account. It’s worth noting that earlier this year, NETGEAR added extra perks for Armor users and a new Armor Plus option with a higher service tier, as shown below.
| NETGEAR Armor | NETGEAR Armor Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription Cost | $99.99/year | $149.99/year |
| Local Protection (at router level) | Yes | |
| On-the-go Security (via app or software) | Yes | |
| Extended Warranty (*) | Yes | |
| 24/7 Tech Support (*) | Yes | |
| Unlimited VPN | No | Yes |
| Unlimited Adblocking | No | Yes |
| Unlimited Anti-Tracker | No | Yes |
(*) Newly added features for existing subscribers.
NETGEAR and your privacy
Associating the hardware with a login account with the vendor generally translates into privacy risks.
Here’s NETGEAR’s Privacy Policy.
Managing your home network via a third party is generally not a good idea, but privacy is a matter of degree. Data collection and handling vary vendor by vendor.
Netgear’s Advanced Router Protection
While showing me the new Orbi 370 Series, NETGEAR emphasized that all its Wi-Fi 7 Orbi features include a router-level protection called Advanced Router Protection (ARP). This feature is similar to ASUS’s AI Protection or Ubiquiti’s Security, with some nuance.
Per NETGEAR, here’s how ARP works:
- Real-Time Threat Detection: Using advanced AI, machine learning, and heuristic analysis, ARP continuously monitors for suspicious activity targeting the router itself—such as known vulnerabilities or attack signatures—and proactively blocks threats before they can compromise connected devices.
- Dynamic Security Updates: ARP includes a cloud-managed agent that receives real-time security updates, allowing us to respond rapidly to emerging threats. This avoids the delays of model-specific firmware rollouts and ensures protection is uniform across our product portfolio.
- Privacy First: Importantly, NETGEAR does not monitor, log, or analyze the websites customers visit. ARP is focused solely on securing the router infrastructure, not on surveilling user behavior. Our practices are fully aligned with our published privacy policy.
- Customer Choice: For technically advanced users who prefer more control, our Nighthawk product line allows customers to disable ARP. For Orbi systems, designed with families and simplicity in mind, ARP is always on to ensure a secure, worry-free experience without added complexity.
The gist is that on an Orbi system, ARP is enabled by default without users’ input, regardless of whether they want to use it.
NETGEAR Orbi 370 Series' PRELIMINARY Assessment
Pros
Wi-Fi 7 with entry-level Multi-Gig support
Aesthetically pleasing design
Affordable compared to other Wi-Fi 7 Orbi sets
Cons
No 6GHz band, limited number of network ports
No or web-based remote management, thin on free networking features
Expensive compared to competing hardware of similar specs
Pricing and availability
The new NETGEAR Orbi 370 Series is now available for purchase, with a suggested retail cost of $449.99 for a 4-pack (RBE374) $349.99 for a 3-pack (RBE373), or $249.99 for a 2-pack (RBE372). You can also get the add-on satellite unit alone for $149.99 (RBE370).
You can buy yours today or check back in a while to see how its real-world performance pans out.
Ill see them in 2years in the bargain bin at woot. Dual band and no 320mhz and 349 nah. Plenty of legacy wifi 6 6e stuff going on clearance for a fraction of the price.
And you’re probably not wrong.
Orbi products are unnecessarily overpriced, but they do have few features not found in the nighthawk routers. Wifi 6E isn’t legacy by the way.