- Competitively priced mesh
- Web portal or app management
- Excellent device identification
- Artificially elongated setup
- Need the three-pack for whole-home WiFi
- Reliability concerns
While WiFi 7 is better than WiFi 6 (and all other predecessors), you're still likely to encounter similar WiFi woes with newer tech if you're in a larger home or one prone to wireless interference. The most straightforward networking solution nowadays is a mesh WiFi system. And while you can easily pay thousands for a high-end WiFi 7 mesh system, thankfully, there are cheaper options, including the Netgear Orbi 370. Hot off the back of reviewing the similarly priced Amazon eero 7, I was keen to see if the slightly cheaper Netgear Orbi 370 could snatch the eero 7's budget mesh WiFi crown.
But before I get into my review of the Orbi 370 three-pack that Netgear sent me, here's a look at popular best NBN plans from our database.
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#1
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Tangerine Telecom
FTTP, HFC
Speedy Max NBN 500/50
$59.90/mth
Min. cost $59.90
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#2
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Superloop
FTTP, HFC
Family Max nbn500/50
$74/mth
Min. cost $74
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#3
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Aussie Broadband
FTTP, HFC
Fast Fibre - Unlimited
$79/mth
Min. cost $79
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#4
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More
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value Plus NBN
$100/mth
Min. cost $100
Link not supplied
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#5
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Swoop
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn® Home Everyday
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
Link not supplied
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Home networking equipment is tested in a first-floor apartment with thick WiFi-interfering walls using an FTTC NBN 100/20 connection. The networking device is deliberately placed at one end of the apartment (instead of a central location) to test wireless range and penetration. Basic speed tests are performed at multiple locations inside and outside the apartment, first with a Synology RT6600ax router and then with the networking device being reviewed for comparative results. Everyday, internet tests are also performed with relevant results mentioned for streaming, web browsing, online gaming, video and voice calls, as well as downloading large files and transferring them across devices on the local network.
What we like about the Netgear Orbi 370
The first big win for the Netgear Orbi 370 is its price. It costs either $459 for a two-pack Orbi 370 or $649 for the three-pack version. You can also purchase additional individual satellites for $229 RRP apiece. At the time of writing, the Orbi 370 two-pack and three-packs were discounted to $359 and $499, respectively, which is an even better price to pay and sets a precedent that it's worth waiting for a sale for better value.
I like the two-pack and three-pack base configurations here. Mesh WiFi systems tend to offer a standalone router or three-pack as the main options in Australia, but having at least a second unit is critical for mesh coverage. It also offers a better shot at superior WiFi coverage in the home.
The Orbi 370's best-case 3.6Gbps speeds are more than enough to cover every NBN plan in Australia, including NBN 2000. Critically, the Orbi 370 is built on a 2.5Gbps Ethernet logic, meaning internet and local network ports are all capable of those beyond-gigabit speeds.
When I unboxed the Orbi 370, I was impressed to find snap-on power outlet connectors for every major region. It's more of a 'nice to have' than essential, but it means you can feasibly emigrate and take the Orbi 370 with you without needing an adapter. Whether you get the two-pack or three-pack version, the Netgear Orbi 370 router and WiFi extender/s (aka, the satellites) do look identical, but they are clearly marked to help differentiate.
Download the Netgear Orbi companion app for iOS or Android before you get started, and you can tap your way through guided setup, which covers everything from power cycling to optionally renaming your WiFi network. Once online, you can use the companion app for basic monitoring or tweaks. For more involved changes, use the Orbi web portal, which is an appreciated rarity among mesh WiFi systems.
Netgear's device identification is a step above its peers, with meaningful names and icons provided for all connected and remembered devices. This makes it easier to set parental controls or troubleshoot individual devices, and it's absolutely appreciated over the typical headache of having to manually identify devices via lengthy numerical MAC addresses.
Over more than two weeks of testing, the Orbi 370 did a mostly excellent job of tackling whatever internet task I threw at it. Initially, the lack of Quality of Service (QoS) settings in the app and web portal was concerning, but after an initial hiccup, it was clear the Orbi 370 was adapting. Soon after, I was able to stream video on multiple devices at full resolution without quality degradation while performing unthrottled downloads on other devices. That's exactly the type of convenience you want from QoS in a mesh WiFi system.
I have a soft spot for Quality of Service. That's because, at its best, QoS automatically recognises priority internet tasks and allocates finite download/upload speed to latency- and bandwidth-sensitive tasks. If you like to play games online or stream videos in undisturbed full resolution, QoS kicks in when someone starts trying to download a file at full speed. Their total download speed will be capped relative to the bandwidth required for full-resolution streaming and undisturbed online gaming.
With a three-pack Orbi 370 configuration, my devices enjoyed full 5GHz coverage inside my apartment, including rooms that are typically prone to WiFi interference. Speed tests for downloads, uploads, and latency were all impressive and speedy inside my apartment building. For those with WiFi 7 devices, it's also great to see support for Multi-Link Operation, for better WiFi speeds and network reliability throughout the home.
QoS is one of the best user-friendly features for all WiFi users, but MLO is a new user-convenience feature that's new to WiFi 7. Short for 'Multi-Link Operation', MLO lets WiFi 7 devices on a WiFi 7 network connect to multiple wireless bands simultaneously. The benefit for these devices is that they get faster speeds, lower latency, and better reliability whereas older WiFi devices can only connect to the 5GHz or 2.4GHz band (WiFi 6E devices can also connect to 6GHz).
Routers, modem-routers and mesh WiFi systems are compatible with most NBN connections, including FTTP, HFC, FTTC, Fixed Wireless and Sky Muster satellite. All of these NBN technologies use respective network termination devices (NTDs), which is a fancy term for “connection box” or “modem”. If you live in an FTTB or FTTN home, you’ll need a modem-router to get online. You can still connect a router or mesh WiFi system to a modem-router, but the modem-router first needs to be in bridge mode so it can then connect to a router or mesh WiFi system.
What we dislike about the Netgear Orbi 370
Outside of the identifying tags on the Netgear Orbi 370 that help separate the router from the extender, the other easy way to tell them apart is to check out the ports. The Orbi 370 router has two Ethernet ports, while the mesh extenders only have one. That's incredibly light-on, even in terms of port trends for mesh WiFi systems, and it feels like a missed opportunity for the satellites to at least have a second Ethernet port.
While the Orbi 370 isn't exactly bulky, it is tall and built for vertical orientation, which may cause placement issues. It's certainly not as compact as the Amazon eero 7 or the TP-Link HB210 Pro. The guided setup is great for everyday network users, but the overall process is far from streamlined. All in, it took more than 20 minutes to set up the Orbi 370 router, then up to around 15 minutes per Orbi 370 satellite. That's comparatively slow in the mesh world, especially when under 10 minutes is the gold standard for initial configuration and mesh expansion, at best, is achievable in under five minutes.
It doesn't help that an available firmware update wasn't part of the initial configuration. While it only took a couple of minutes of installation time per unit, I still had to find and perform the update manually. Strangely, the automated firmware update was seemingly ticked in the web portal, so it's odd it didn't kick off automatically. Ultimately, a lot of the initial configuration feels like the elongated ETAs are hiding sluggish background tasks.
Once everything was set up and updated, there were some Orbi app oddities where it would tell me it was still trying to connect, despite already being online. The speed tests I performed immediately after initial configuration were less impressive, particularly for those using the two-configuration Orbi 370. While you can technically use the Orbi 370 as a standalone router, it was mostly reliant on the slower 2.4GHz network in my tests. At best, 2.4GHz took a respectable 14% hit to download speeds; at worst, it was a 77% downgrade inside my apartment.
Things improve with a two-unit Orbi 370 mesh configuration. But even then, half of my apartment was relegated to the slower 2.4GHz band instead of the speedier 5GHz band. With a three-unit configuration, the results inside the apartment were better, but 2.4GHz tests outside my apartment building were still noticeably slower.
While everyday internet-ing with the Orbi 370 was mostly seamless, the reliability fell apart after two weeks of testing, but only for certain devices. There were no issues with WiFi streaming on two TVs and my Google Pixel 10 Pro was still on WiFi, but two Windows 11 laptops, a Google Nest Hub, and a RedMagic 10 Pro smartphone were paradoxically offline. The day before, those problematic devices had been connected without issues. One of the satellites went offline inexplicably, too.
Various troubleshooting steps on the devices did nothing to fix the issue, and nor did restarting the Orbi 370. To make matters more confusing, things were back to normal the following day for the affected devices and the temporarily offline satellite. I checked whether an ill-timed firmware update was to blame, but that didn't seem to be the case. While I was glad to have my internet fully functional again, as an ex-tech support person, these types of 'self-repairing' network issues don't instil confidence that they won't randomly happen again.
Netgear also follows the unfortunate trend of paywalled full functionality. Admittedly, you can get away without a Netgear Armor subscription. There's also a 30-day trial that starts automatically once you get online, without having to provide payment details. That said, if you want to pay for Netgear Armor, it's typically $139.99 per year for the cheap version or an eyewatering $229.99 every year for Netgear Armor Plus (after 12 months of initial discounted pricing). Considering the number of Netgear Armor notifications I dismissed, and the occasional overly protective false positive that blocked sites I've safely accessed for months, it's hard to see the ongoing value when you can buy a virtual private network (VPN) for a lot cheaper each year.
Like most mesh WiFi systems, the Netgear Orbi 370 has a companion app for WiFi extender setup, network/device monitoring, and basic tweaks. But unlike most mesh WiFi systems, the Orbi 370 also has a full-fledged web portal. The basic view has a lot of meaningful options, and network tinkerers can find even more with the advanced view. But it is a shame that there aren't any settings for QoS (even just monitoring), and you seemingly can't update the Orbi 370 router's IP address. If you do want to access the Orbi 370 router web portal, log in using the http://orbilogin.com website.
Netgear Orbi 370 – Final Thoughts
The Netgear Orbi 370 is far cry from being a bad entry-level mesh WiFi system, but it's also a none-too-short shot from being the best. If I hadn't just reviewed the truly impressive, similarly priced Amazon eero 7, the Orbi 370's detractors may not have loomed so large. But given functionally the same RRP for a three-unit configuration, you're better off considering the eero 7 for easy setup, straightforward monitoring, excellent performance, and great reliability.
If cost is an issue, you can consider the Orbi 370, particularly if you're in a smaller, interference-free home where the two-pack configuration will work best. That value also increases with discounted pricing, sol hopefully Netgear keeps the lower promo pricing. But given I bought an eero 7 three-pack for cheaper than the RRP for a two-pack Orbi 370, you're really better off waiting for an Amazon sale and grabbing one of those instead.
We consider several factors when reviewing networking equipment, including:
- Type: Router, modem-router or mesh WiFi system. Supported NBN technologies and plan speeds.
- Design: Size, weight and standing options. Internal or external antennae. Available ports, WiFi version, and single, dual or triband wireless.
- Setup: Plug-and-play configurations vs laborious setup. Companion apps and guided setups are a plus.
- Performance: Ethernet and WiFi speed tests for downloads, uploads and latency. Real-time latency test for online gaming, VoIP and/or video calls. Plus, everyday use like downloading, uploading, browsing and streaming.
- Versatility: Band steering (single SSID), quality of service and other features. Ease of configuration, plus mesh expansion.
These are the most popular NBN 50 plans with WhistleOut users this week:
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#1
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Dodo
All Fixed Line nbn®
Editor's Pick
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$57.99/mth
Min. cost $57.99
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#2
|
amaysim
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN50
$45/mth
Min. cost $45
|
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#3
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Tangerine Telecom
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value Plus NBN 50/20
$64.90/mth
Min. cost $64.90
|
|
#4
|
TPG
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$69.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
Link not supplied
|
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#5
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Aussie Broadband
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value nbn - Unlimited
$70/mth
Min. cost $70
|
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#6
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Superloop
All Fixed Line nbn®
Extra-value nbn50/20
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
|
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#7
|
iiNet
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Liimitless
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
Min. cost $79.99
Link not supplied
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#8
|
Belong
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
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#9
|
Kogan Internet
All Fixed Line nbn®
Silver Unlimited
$69.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
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#10
|
Flip
All Fixed Line nbn®
Unlimited Family nbn50
$68/mth
Min. cost $68
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Nathan Lawrence
Freelance Contributor
Find a better internet plan
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