Customers are enthusiastic about the Orbi 960 Series' impressive coverage, ease of setup and use, and strong performance. Many appreciate the system's extended range and reliable signal strength, consistently delivering fast speeds throughout their homes. However, some users find the price point to be high and the physical size of the units to be a drawback. Concerns were also raised regarding the parental controls and app functionality, with some users experiencing issues with connectivity and the app's reliability.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 526 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Setup, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Pricey But Well Worth the Money!!
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I originally purchased a Orbi AX4200 unit as I had recently upgraded my internet connection to 1.4Gbps and needed a new unit that supported Gigabit connections. The AX4200 showed on the box that it supported up 4 to 5Gbps but found out in the end that it does not, maybe router to satellite but not actual internet speed. It supports UP TO 1Gbps, if your connection is over 1Gbps you are out of luck, at best you will get is around 950Mbps or less, so I returned the AX4200 and purchased this unit (AXE11000).
Setup, same as the AX4200 was a breeze and the nice thing was I did not have to remove the old unit from the app, I just tapped setup new Orbi system and setup did the rest. I've seen several complaints regarding the Orbi setup, but I did not have any issues; unplug internet modem, plug in modem and let it boot up, plugin ethernet cable into the ethernet port into your modem, plug ethernet cable into Orbi router (Gigabit port yellow ethernet port), connect power cable to Orbi router and plug it in. Give it a few minutes to boot up, open the app and follow the instructions to finish router setup and connect satellite(s), it's as easy as that!
After setup I ran a speed test, download speeds were between 1.4 to 1.5Gbps, upload side around 40Mbps +. My primary workstation is a PC with external drives connected that are shared over the network that is plugged into the Orbi routers Gigabit ethernet port. One external drive has a lot of video files on it. From my laptop, I accessed the drive via file manager, double clicked an mp4 file and the video started playing almost instantaneity. Anything internet relate is super-fast!!
Make sure in setup (orbilogin.net or go to the IP to login in a browser), go to Wi-Fi, make sure you enable Wi-Fi 6. What this does, if you have a device that supports WiFi6e, when you scan for available networks, it will show in available networks and is much faster than WiFi6.
Another thing, if you are connected via Wi-Fi and are connected to the router, a speed test will show very high speeds (same as your internet connection), if you are connected to a satellite, speeds will be slower. Example my connection is 1.4Gbps down, speed test showed 750Mbps down when connected to the satellite, upload side was not affected. Of course, anyone considering buying one of these units will have internet speeds in excess of 1Gbps; I am saying this because if you have less than 1Gbps you are wasting your money buying an AXE11000 as there are other Orbi units that support up to 1Gbps that cost much less.
I hope this review helps anyone who is considering purchasing a 960 unit. Yes, these unit(s) are very pricey, but in today’s world you get what you pay for. Bottom line I highly recommend the AXE11000. One final note, Orbi support is great, they are 24/7, very helpful, and they actually know what they are talking about!
This review is from NETGEAR - Orbi 960 Series AXE11000 Quad-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6E System (2-pack) - White
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Range, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Worth every penny!
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is the most I've paid for a wireless system, and it has been worth every penny. I am getting full coverage and strong signals with just a router and two satellites throughout the house. My previous Orbi system, which was the top of the line prior to this one, required four satellites to provide full coverage. My smartphone uses Wi-Fi6E, and the speeds I'm getting are as fast as my wired desktop. I have one satellite using the wireless backhaul and the other a wired backhaul, and both work without any complications. Highly recommended!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Range, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Best coverage available
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Talking with an ADT installer inquiring about good mesh systems for larger houses, he had recommended Orbi as the product that came to mind. After extensive web surfing and product reviews I too came to the conclusion that Orbi was top of my list. After reviewing three systems ranging from $500 - $1200 I decided because of my square footage (8000) and the way my house is laid out (3 stories with some slabs and concrete block) I decided to go with the AXE11000 6E for range and use of the new frequencies of the 6E. I’ve used it now for over two weeks and undoubtedly made the best choice. Not only does it cover the entire house at speeds near what my router can max at (400mb) but It extends into the yard and detached garage near those speeds as well. Yes it’s expensive, but given the fact that using another brand I couldn’t even connect the satellite on the third floor, this product blew the competition completely out of the water. You get what you pay for and I needed fast Wi-Fi everywhere and that’s exactly what I have. Highly recommend
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Range, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Enterprise grade performance, pro-consumer price.
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Xfinity/Comcast User:
Fantastic upgrade from the original AmplifiHD mesh system I was using. Getting near full gigabit speeds off the Router and from 500-800mbps off my wireless devices that support 802.11AX (wifi-6). Using the separate IoT network for my security and smarthome devices is a very nice feature which has reduced congestion for my end user devices. This covers my home fully out -and past- my property line (over 7000sf). It handles the 40+ devices, multiple VPNs, live-feeds and other data heavy apps I run with fast load times and no lag. This is an enterprise grade system at a pro-consumer price point.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Setup, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Best WiFi system I’ve ever purchased!
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I’ve owned many WiFi systems in the past. Spent a lot of money on complicated systems that didn’t really get a good value for. With Netgears Orbi 6E mesh system, hands down the best! So easy to setup, used iPhone app to get it running within minutes. I’m able to run hardline on each satellites which is awesome. Fastest speeds I’ve ever gotten on WiFi. 755mbps down and 40.8mbps up! I ended up buying 2 of these systems to replace my business and home WiFi. NETGEAR all the way!!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Coverage
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Expensive but worth it
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I’ve been using mesh Wi-Fi systems since they first came out and this system hands down is the best. There is a speed drop between satellites when you do the wireless back haul, which is to be expected, but the drop in speed is not as severe as other brands on the market. I have over 500mbps anywhere in my house, back porch, and front porch over Wi-Fi. Coverage is phenomenal. The transition from one satellite to another is seamless as you are moving around the house.
My only issue, which really isn’t too much of an issue, is that the admin portal when you do the ip login vs the app doesn’t offer a whole lot of control with advanced setups. Again it’s not really a big issue considering most people will not need to change anything after the initial setup has been done.
Other potential down sides are that you have to pay an extra subscription for the parental controls. I myself do not need this feature. However, the bitdefender armor security is not free and will require a subscription. You’ll be given a 30 day trial after setup is complete, and this is something I would suggest subscribing to for a little added protection to your network. You just made a $1500 investment so why not protect it as best as you can.
If you’re into the smart home devices, this system does off an IoT network to keep your smart devices separated from the main network which in turn helps free up your bandwidth for other things such as video streaming and online gaming.
All in all it’s an expensive system but worth it if you can shell out the money.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Coverage, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Extremely Fast
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I purchased the Netgear Orbi AXE11000 Mesh system to replace my older nighthawk mesh system which had exceed the simultaneous 50 device streaming limit. The speeds I get are consistent throughout my home (basement, first, second floor, garage, and patio) and coverage is optimal. I highly recommend the AXE11000 mesh system to anyone who has many devices connected to their network, want amazing coverage, and no compromise in speed.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Pricey but worth it so far
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I didnt exactly want to shell out $1,200.00 for some wifi routers as i remember the days of my linksys wrt54g getting it done……I had the Velop in my 6k sqft house for years but the wifi performance was never stellar………. We have at&t gif intennet but never getting more than 20mb up/down was insane…….I was constantly dropping calls on Zoom and Teams meetings and my son was getting slaughterd on COD because he couldn’t keep a good connection…… Setup on the Orbi was super simple, just dont be a dunce like me and try to hook a satellite to your internet router…….Getting great pings and throughput up and down all over the house. Below are some acreenshots from my iphone in places it previously just didnt work well in my house…..one Orbi per floor. Basement, main, upstairs. Works freatnso far. Lets hope it stays that way.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Parental controls
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Don't count on Tech Support
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The AXE11000 is top of the line for Wifi Performance. But I have not been able to take advantage of that as I have 1000 mbps coming into my home through fiber and the WAN connection is maxing out at 500mbs. A call into Tech Support and my router has been reset and they are asking me for floor plans and to test the wifi by moving around the house.
If the issue was with the Wifi I could understand. But the issue was explained as an ethernet connection to the router versus directly to the internet.
The parent filters are worse on this version (even though it is still through a separate paid service). The parent controls are so bad that you wonder if no one on the team has children. See attach. You get a thumbs up or down...can't seem to add something particular or like "My kid doesn't need XXX but needs Google Meet for school".
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Netgear Support
Posted .
Hi mbcizmar,
Thank you for your review, we appreciate your feedback and we want you to know that your experience is important to us. We're sorry to hear that you are still experiencing issues with your RBKE963, and we would like to look into your case and see what additional help we can provide. Please email us your contact information along with your case number and a link to your review to [email protected], and we will be happy to help you.
Regards, NETGEAR Team
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Orbi 960 Series
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Posted . Owned for 6 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Orbi just continues to make amazing routers! Its all i have used for years. This is another example of on point technology created by Netgear Orbi products have robust security and you can feel confident your data is secure, i highly recommended this 960 series or the newest drop.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
wow
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Google fiber 2gig service. The speed test is on an iPhone 13 pro, only capable of wifi 6. Results have more than doubled in every Room. We've seen the fastest speeds with multiple streams simultaneously. Satellites/ access points drop off a tiny but but speeds are still more than twice as fast than old google mesh.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Setup
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Orbi quadband Wi-Fi 6
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Switched out from my previous Orbis, the coverage and speed of these are simply amazing. Setup takes a little patience, but after that, it just works. I also use their wall mounts and love those.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Range
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Amazing Wifi
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great option for wifi in a 7000 sqft house. Love it
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Ultra fast speeds
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Expensive but worth it, no more slow internet in ny house, with multiple devices connected still runs great and high speeds.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Worthy purchase
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I simply like it's so easy to setup and blend into my home background. Also, the satellite provide more backhaul cable connection, awesome.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Coverage
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Wi-Fi extenders / mesh network
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Easy set up, good coverage and connection and visually nice.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Orbi wifi 6
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Posted . Owned for 9 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
My wifi connection has never been this great. High speeds over wifi. You cant beat it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Hands down the best!
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I have tried many of the big name mesh routers and this Orbi system hands down delivers. Speeds are phenomenal, there is no buffering, the parental controls are great and easy to use, and the app is very user friendly. Highly recommend and worth the price.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Expensive but worth it?
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This writer is not cheap but with over 40 smart devices in my home I needed something with the ability to handle all of it. Haven’t had a problem so far.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Range, Setup, Speed
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Simple setup and solid network connection
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This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
About five years ago, I installed my first Orbi system in my home. Since the technology behind WiFi networks has changed pretty dramatically since then, we’ve ended upgraded our wireless routers a couple of times in the meantime. The newest Orbi AXE11000 is the latest addition to our network.
Orbi does a great job of making the installation of this router system extremely user-friendly. To get started, you download the Orbi app and make sure you have an account with Netgear setup. Once that’s in place, you can proceed with the rest of the setup. You will want to place your router near your modem because it connects directly to it. The main router unit as well as the two satellites have Ethernet ports so that you can hardwire devices into them. The WiFi speed can be up to 10,800 MB/s while the Wired connections around only around 10,000 Mb/s.
Even though the app provides on-screen directions, I’ve found that it goes much smoother if you go ahead and place the satellites where you want them in your home or office. They have a range of 9,000 square feet (with the 3-pack), which is 4,000 square feet more than our original Orbi system. Each additional satellite covers 3,000 additional square feet In our home, which is also our offices, we have the main router in the main office located in the front of the house.
The first satellite is placed in the second office space, which is down the hall from the main office and it's on the north wall of the house. The second satellite is installed in our living room, which is located at the back of the house. When it’s all said and done, the three units sort of form an obtuse triangle. We structured them this way because it hits all the places that we typically need our Internet signal to reach clearly.
Now, I do want to point out that our home is only 1,500 square feet in size. So, this system seems as though it is overkill for the space. But, we’ve found that having an advanced, dedicated mesh WiFi router is the way to go - even if you don't have 9,000 square feet to cover. We never find ourselves with a dead zone in our house and because the Orbi reaches so far, our network even extends into our yard.
I'm excited that this system supports WiFi 6 even though a lot of devices haven’t caught up to that technology. We actually have two laptops - the MacBook Air M1 and the MacBook Pro M1 Max - in our home that can take advantage of WiFi 6 speeds. I was able to verify that the network is actually compatible with the technology, by looking up my laptop’s current network information in the System Profiler. The PHY Mode shows 802.11ax, which is WiFi 6.
One of the big benefits of using a stable WiFi system like this is its ability to handle smart devices. Years ago, we started adding smart devices to our house. We started small with just a few lightbulbs, but suddenly, we were swapping out ALL our bulbs for the smart ones. We now have 67 different devices on our network. This includes devices on the WiFi network and those hardwired into our switcher. This also includes many different smart home products including light bulbs, hubs, speakers, controllers, and other sensors. This Orbi system supports up to 200 devices on the network.
We have not had any issues with how the system handles all these devices. Better than that, the setup couldn’t have been easier. Aside from the initial Orbi system setup, if you have an existing WiFi network as we did, you can simply rename your new Orbi network with your old network name and password. All your old devices should reconnect within a few minutes. Since we had so many different items, it did take about 30 minutes for everything to reappear, but most of the major devices popped up right away.
Even though there is a considerable monetary investment for a system like this, I think, based on my experiences with this and other Orbi (and non-Orbi) systems, that it is extremely worth it. Our house will never end up going back to a non-mesh network.