Netgear introduces various models of wifi7 products, and the Orbi series leveraging wifi7 standards compete tightly with well known eero 7 series. How good Orbi vs eero 7 series perform?
In this article:
- Orbi products vs eero 7 series
- Eero 7 series
- Orbi 370 vs eero 7
- Orbi 770 vs eero 7 pro
- Orbi 870 vs eero max 7
Orbi mesh wifi 7 vs eero
WiFi 7 is now widely available, and all major networking brands have launched products built on this latest standard. TP-Link was one of the first to bring WiFi 7 devices to market, ahead of other brands such as Netgear, Asus, and Amazon with its popular eero lineup.
Unlike Netgear, TP-Link, and Asus – which offer a wide range of WiFi 7 models – Amazon has kept its lineup simple, releasing just three eero 7 series (plus an outdoor model). In this section, let’s focus on the Orbi 7 series, which is often compared directly with the eero 7.
Eero7 series
eero is a well-known networking brand, especially for its mesh Wi-Fi systems that are designed to deliver smooth and reliable coverage across homes and offices. It became popular thanks to its easy setup and simple app-based management, making it a great choice for people who want hassle-free Wi-Fi.
The brand is known for keeping things simple while still offering stable performance, even in larger spaces with many connected devices. eero systems generally perform well and handle multiple devices without much trouble. That said, eero products are usually priced a bit higher compared to similar options from brands like TP-Link and Netgear.
Eero 7 Lineup Series
Netgear offers various models of Orbi 7 series, while so far Amazon offers three series of eero products leveraging wifi 7 standards that represent lower end; middle range and high end tier each.
- Eero max 7 as the high end product
- Eero 7 pro as the middle range tier
- Eero 7 as the lower end category.
Eero 7 comparison
So, what differentiates the three series? Broadly speaking, the eero 7 pro costs twice as much as the eero 7 (entry-level), while the eero max 7 costs twice as much as the eero 7 pro. You might expect the performance to also double at each higher tier. Frankly speaking, the aggregated bandwidth is double at each higher level, so is the internet speed it can support. Orbi 7 series are almost the same.
The entry level is dual band system, while the other two series are tri-band mesh system. Take a closer look at the following spec comparison table for the three eero series.
Table 1 eero lineup comparison
| Eero models | Eero 7 | Eero 7 Pro | Eero Max 7 |
| Wifi technology | Dual band BE5000 | Tri-band BE10800 | Tri-band BE20800 |
| Signal rates | 688 Mbps @2.4GHz 2×2 4324 Mbps @5GHz 2×2 | 5765 Mbps @6GHz 2×2 4324 Mbps @5GHz 2×2 688 Mbps @2.4GHz 2×2 | 11,530Mbps @6GHz 4×4 8,647Mbps @5GHz 4×4 688 Mbps @2.4GHz 2×2 |
| Ethernet Ports | 2x 2.5 Gbps | 2x 5 GbE | 2x 10.0Gbps 2x 2.5Gbps |
| Maximum Internet Plan | Up to 2Gbps | Up to 5.0 Gbps | Up to 10Gbps |
| Processor | 1.1 GHz quad-core processor Memory: 1024 MB; 4 GB flash | 1.5 GHz quad-core processor Memory 1024 MB; 4GB flash | Quad-core A73 processor, 2GB RAM, 4GB flash storage |
| Prices | $279.99 (3-pack) | $549.99 (3-pack) | $1,189.99 (3-pack) |
Click here to see eero 7 series on Amazon (#Ad)
See also the previous models eero 6 pro vs Orbi; eero leveraging wifi 6 standard and Orbi.
Available 6GHz adapters
In the present landscape, the wifi 6e and wifi 7 products come with 6GHz radio band (not all models come with this new 6Ghz band), and the question is always arise: are there any wifi adapters that support 6GHz radio band? Yes, you can notice few vendors introduce their wifi adapters that support 6GHz radio band such as Tp-Link Archer Tbe401uh BE6200 Tri-Band, or you can find Netgear A9000 BE6500 USB adapter, or budget friendly adapters Brostrend BE6500 adapter half the price of Archer. You can upgrade you computers / laptops that come with USB 3.0 port to use this wifi 7 adapters.
See also comparison between eero 7 vs deco series, similar products with large price gaps. Or you may also like to see Asus mesh 7 vs eero 7 products, comparison dual WAN capable routers versus eero with built-in Zigbee smart home.
Orbi comparable products
As we have figure out eero series in each of category, Netgear introduced comparable products as rivals on the market with its Orbi series.
One thing to note is that Orbi is different; it is not like eero, deco, nor Asus which are interchangeable in nature, each unit can either as router or satellite. Orbi differentiates between router units and satellite units. So, only the Orbi router unit that comes with WAN port, so the satellite units only come with LAN ports.
Table 2 Orbi 7 series comparison
| Orbi series | Orbi 370 | Orbi 770 | Orbi 870 |
| Network segment | Dual-band BE5000 | Tri-band BE11000 | Tri-band BE21000 |
| Ethernet Ports | Router: 1x 2.5G WAN port 1x 2.5G LAN port Satellite: 1x 2.5G LAN port | Router: 1x 2.5G WAN port 3x 2.5G LAN port Satellite: 3x 2.5G LAN port | Router: 1x 10G WAN port 4x 2.5G LAN ports Satellite: 4x 2.5G LAN ports |
| Processor | Quad-core 1.5 GHz processor; Memory: 512 MB flash and 1 GB RAM | Quad-core 1.5GHz processor; Memory: 4GB flash and 2GB RAM | Quad-core 1.5 GHz processor; Memory: 4 GB flash and 2GB RAM |
| Price | $289.99 (3-pack) | $699.99 (3-pack) | $889.99 (3-pack) |
In terms of price points, both low end and middle range products are competitive. However, the price gap for the high end tiers is quite large. Let’s start with the entry level category.
Entry level Orbi vs eero 7
Both the entry level of eero 7 and Orbi 370 series are tagged with competitive price. The features are almost the same, including the aggregated bandwidth, the port interfaces, and the quad core processor. The embedded processor is the same, but the memory capacity is different. Eero series all come with larger memory to manage and control high traffic and simultaneous multiple loads and other complex algorithm for eero Truemesh technology.
Built-in Zigbee
The main difference between the two is the Zigbee feature. All the eero system feature built-in Zigbee smart home that allow you to connect and control low-power smart home devices with Alexa without needing a separate, dedicated hub. On the other hand, all Orbi series don’t have this feature. So, when built-in Zigbee matters to your business, eero 7 series would the best option.
Table 3 Entry level Orbi vs eero 7
| Entry level wifi7 | Orbi 370 Series | Eero 7 series |
| Network segment | Dual-band BE5000 | Dual band BE5000 |
| Signal rates | 4324 Mbps @5 GHz 688 Mbps @2.4 GHz | 4324 Mbps @5 GHz 688 Mbps @2.4 GHz |
| Coverage | 6,000 sq ft | 6,000 sq ft |
| Ethernet Ports | Router: 1x 2.5G WAN port 1x 2.5G LAN port Satellite: 1x 2.5G LAN port | 2x 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN |
| Built-in Zigbee | N/A | Yes |
| Processor | Quad-core 1.5 GHz processor; Memory: 512 MB flash and 1 GB RAM | 1.1 GHz quad-core processor Memory: 1024 MB; 4 GB flash |
| Price | $289.99 (3-pack) | $279.99 (3-pack) |
The demand for this low-end product category is quite large, so it is no wonder that all vendors are introducing their products with better performance and affordable prices.
Middle range Orbi vs eero
Now let’s switch to middle range category products, which the price tagged are double as much as the low end ones. Table 4 below represents spec comparison table between Orbi 770 series and eero 7 pro. Both products are tri-band products deliver the same aggregated bandwidth be11000, come with 6GHz radio band as the nature feature of wifi7 standards.
See also comparison between Orbi 770 series vs Deco.
Port interfaces
The entry level of Orbi 370 come with only one LAN port (two for router unit), while this middle range product Orbi 770 series come with 3 multi-gig LAN ports and 2.5Gbps WAN port for the router unit. On the other hand eero 7 pro comes with only two ports. However, eero is ready for high speed internet speed up to 5GHz as opposed to Orbi which supports only up to 2.5Gbps internet speed.
Table 4 Orbi vs eero 7 pro
| Entry level wifi7 | Orbi 770 Series (3-pack) | Eero 7 pro series (3-pack) |
| Network segment | Tri-band BE11000 | Tri-band BE11000 |
| Signal rates | 5765 Mbps @6GHz 2×2 4324 Mbps @5GHz 2×2 688 Mbps @2.4GHz 2×2 | 5765 Mbps @6GHz 2×2 4324 Mbps @5GHz 2×2 688 Mbps @2.4GHz 2×2 |
| Coverage | 8,000 sq ft | 6,000 sq ft |
| Ethernet Ports | Router: 1x 2.5G WAN port 3x 2.5G LAN ort Satellite: 3x 2.5G LAN port | 2x 5G |
| Built-in Zigbee | N/A | Yes |
| Processor | Quad-core 1.5GHz processor; Memory: 4GB flash and 2GB RAM | 1.5 GHz quad-core processor Memory 1024 MB; 4GB flash |
| Price | $699.99 (3-pack) | $549.99 (3-pack) |
The price gap between these two middle range products is quite large. Prices are fluctuating over time, you may like to check the current price on Amazon and get the best deal.
Click here for Orbi 770 series on Amazon (#Ad)
Orbi 870 vs eero max 7
The high end Orbi 870 series is supposed to compete with eero max 7. Eero max 7 is the first eero product leveraging wifi 7 standards before finally introduced two more series each for low end and middle range tier products.
So what sets them apart? Take a look at the comparison in Table 5 below.
Both models fall into the same high-end category at the be21000 network segment with tri-band system. All the three bands are evenly matched, both 5GHz and 6GHz bands offering 4×4 data throughput. In practical terms, if you have two devices with 2×2 MU-MIMO, the router can send two data streams to each device simultaneously.
Ethernet Ports
On the port interfaces, both the Orbi 870 series and eero Max 7 include multi-gig 10GbE Ethernet ports. eero max 7 offers 2x 10G ports you can either use it for WAN / LAN connection. On the other hand, Orbi 870 series only come with one 10G WAN port on the router unit, the satellite only come equipped with 4x 2.5G LAN ports.
This means both systems can handle multi-gig 10Gbps internet speed, and is ready for the future DOCSIS 4.0 infrastructure. If you require super fast 10G LAN connection eero max 7 come equipped with the 10G port that support this speed. You can connect to high speed NAS with 10G port such as Ugreen NASync DXP4800.
Table 5 Orbi 870 vs eero max 7
| Entry level wifi7 | Orbi 870 Series | Eero Max 7 series (3-pack) |
| Network segment | Tri-band BE21000 | Tri-band BE21000 |
| Signal rates | 11,520Mbps @6GHz 4×4; 8,640Mbps @5GHz 4×4; 688Mbps @2.4GHz | 11,530Mbps @6GHz 4×4 8,647Mbps @5GHz 4×4 688 Mbps @2.4GHz 2×2 |
| Coverage | 9,000 sq ft | 7,500 sq ft |
| Ethernet Ports | Router: 1x 10G WAN port 4x 2.5G LAN ports Satellite: 4x 2.5G LAN ports | 2x 10.0Gbps 2x 2.5Gbps |
| Built-in Zigbee | N/A | Yes |
| Processor | Quad-core 1.5 GHz processor; Memory: 4 GB flash and 2GB RAM | Quad-core A73 processor, 2GB RAM, 4GB flash storage |
| Price | $1,299.99 (3-pack) | $1,189.99 (3-pack) |
Best deal on Amazon for limited time is $899.99 (3-pack) for Orbi 870 series, Amazon eero max 7 is still the same. However, the price might dropped over time, especially when the new products introduced to the market.
- Click here for eero 7 max on Amazon (#Ad)
- Or you may like to see Orbi 770 series on Amazon (#Ad)
Related products
For standalone routers, you may also consider Asus vs Archer be3600, see if you need to upgrade your legacy ax3000 routers to entry level BE3600 routers. Or you may also consider upgrading your legacy mesh wifi6 Deco X60 to be3600 system. See Legacy Deco x60 vs Orbi.