NETGEAR Orbi 970 (RBE973SB) vs TP-Link Deco BE95
Two of the mesh wi-fi systems in our best mesh wi-fi systems comparison, lined up spec by spec. Every figure comes from the manufacturer pages linked below, and the scores use the same published formula as the full ranking.
Affiliate disclosure: We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our rankings, which come from the published scoring formula. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more.
Best for: Wi-Fi 7, official 27 Gbps official combined class, quad-band, 6 official Ethernet ports, up to 10 Gbps
Check price at AmazonBest for: Wi-Fi 7, official BE33000 class, quad-band, 4 official Ethernet ports, up to 10 Gbps
Check price at AmazonSpec-by-spec comparison
Green marks the better published figure. "Not listed" means the manufacturer doesn't publish it.
| Spec | NETGEAR Orbi 970 (RBE973SB) | TP-Link Deco BE95 | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official Wi-Fi generationThe official Wi-Fi generation published on the maker's specification table (Wi-Fi 5, 6, 6E or 7). | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 7 | 20% |
| Official combined PHY rateThe official BE/AX/AC class number (for example BE10000 = 10,000 Mbps). If the class token is not listed, we add the official per-band PHY rates and label that figure computed. eero's 'wireless speeds up to' claims are not this field. | 27000 Mbps | 33000 Mbps | 35% |
| Fastest official Ethernet portThe fastest official Ethernet port on the main unit (router or primary node), from the maker's port table or official technical-spec PDF. | 10 Gbps | 10 Gbps | 30% |
| Official Ethernet port countHow many official Ethernet ports the main unit has. Satellite-only ports on a mesh pack are not added to this count. | 6 ports | 4 ports | 15% |
| Official Wi-Fi class (spec table or official title) | 27 Gbps official combined | BE33000 | info |
| Sum of official per-band PHY rates (computed) | 5000 Mbps | 32855 Mbps | info |
| Official radio bands | Quad-band | Quad-band | info |
| Official spatial streams | 16 | 16 | info |
| Official Ethernet wording | • Create separate WiFi Networks: matter the layout, from the front door to the - (1) 10 Gig internet WAN port3 backyard. - Main Network: Primary network for your - (1) 10 Gbps Ethernet LAN port family's devices • Unleash Incredible Speed—Whether Multi-Gig - (4) 10/100/1000/250… | • 1x 10 Gbps• 1x 10 Gbps SFP+/RJ45 Combo• 2x 2.5 Gbps*Per Deco Unit Supports WAN/LAN auto-sensing | info |
| Source note | Ethernet port count and speed taken from the official technical specification (PDF or support article) for this model. | Not listed | info |
| Wi-Fi encryption (official table) | Not listed | WPA-Personal WPA2-Personal WPA3-Personal | info |
| USB (official table) | Not listed | 1x USB 3.0 Port FTP ServerMedia ServerSamba Server | info |
| MeshPick score | 10.0/10 | 9.4/10 | 100% |
Where each one comes out ahead
NETGEAR Orbi 970 (RBE973SB)
Better published figure on: Official Ethernet port count.
What we like
- Official table lists Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
- Official table lists a quad-band radio
- Official table lists a 10 Gbps Ethernet port
- Official table lists 6 Ethernet ports on the main unit
Watch out for
TP-Link Deco BE95
Better published figure on: Official combined PHY rate.
What we like
- Official table lists Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
- Official table lists a quad-band radio
- Official table lists a 10 Gbps Ethernet port
- Official combined class or PHY rate is 33000 Mbps
Watch out for
Verdict
On published specs, the NETGEAR Orbi 970 (RBE973SB) scores higher (10.0 vs 9.4). Specs don't capture sound character or feel, so weigh the pros and cons above too.
- Choose the NETGEAR Orbi 970 (RBE973SB) if this sounds like you: wi-Fi 7, official 27 Gbps official combined class, quad-band, 6 official Ethernet ports, up to 10 Gbps.
- Choose the TP-Link Deco BE95 if this sounds like you: wi-Fi 7, official BE33000 class, quad-band, 4 official Ethernet ports, up to 10 Gbps.
- NETGEAR Orbi 970 (RBE973SB): NETGEAR official technical specifications PDF: RBE973SB_TS
- NETGEAR Orbi 970 (RBE973SB): NETGEAR official technical specifications PDF
- TP-Link Deco BE95: TP-Link official specifications: Deco BE95