The most practical reason to choose the Orbi 870 may be in the room away from the modem. Each satellite supplies four 2.5 GbE sockets, enough for a wired return path plus several local devices. That changes what a mesh can do for an office, a media cabinet or a gaming room.
In depth
NETGEAR Orbi 870 review
Published
Best forHomes that need a tri-band mesh and several fast Ethernet connections at the satellites.
At a glance
- Wi-Fi generation
- Wi-Fi 7
- Wireless bands / radios
- 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz
- Ethernet ports
- 2-pack / 3-packRouter: 1 × 10 GbE WAN and 4 × 2.5 GbE LANsatellite: 4 × 2.5 GbE LANAdd-on satellite4 × 2.5 GbE LAN ports
- Mesh support
- 2-pack / 3-packOrbi 870 meshAdd-on satelliteRequires an existing Orbi 870 Series system
Pros
- Three radio bands and optional wired backhaul.
- Four multi-gigabit LAN ports on each satellite.
Cons
- A single wired client is limited by its 2.5 GbE LAN connection.
- Wireless backhaul shares radio capacity.
Wireless
- Wi-Fi 7
- 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz
Compatible equipment can use 6 GHz near a node. The system can use 5 and 6 GHz for its wireless link between nodes, but has no fourth radio reserved solely for that link. Ethernet between the nodes frees that traffic from the air.
Wired Connectivity
- 10 GbE WAN
- Four 2.5 GbE LAN ports per unit
A 10 GbE internet socket is useful for distributing a fast connection among several clients. Dong Knows Tech highlighted the absence of a matching 10 GbE LAN socket in the RBE873 kit. One workstation connected by Ethernet cannot use the full 10 GbE WAN rate on its own. 1
Size & Installation
- US two- and three-unit starter kits
- Separate add-on satellites
A starter kit includes a router. The add-on RBE870 satellite needs a compatible existing system. For a home office with Ethernet in the wall, connect a satellite there and use its remaining sockets for a desktop, a dock and another fixed device.
Alternatives
The Orbi 370 is a much leaner option when the priority is coverage and each satellite needs at most one wired connection. Keep an existing mesh if it already serves the entire home reliably and neither the 6 GHz radio nor the extra sockets solves a current problem.
Verdict
Choose a starter kit if you need a router and want fast wired connections in more than one room. If you already own an Orbi 870 system and need coverage in one more room, the add-on satellite gives you that coverage and four Ethernet ports.
About this review
This is a research-based review. The Fasit has not physically tested this product.
Sources & Research
1 reference
Independent sources cited in this article.
- Dong Knows TechNETGEAR RBE873 Orbi 870 Series Review: Almost Excellent (opens in a new tab)https://dongknows.com/netgear-orbi-870-series-review/
WAN and LAN speed mismatch in the three-unit RBE873 kit.