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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Netgear Orbi 370 router has some of the best signal strength we’ve ever tested in low D&I bands.
- Its coverage area rivals router competitors from Eero, TP-Link, and others.
- Performance is subjective to distance and interference.
For those who work remotely, a reliable Wi-Fi router is essential for maintaining a solid connection not only for video calls, but for streaming movies and games after work. But how do you really know how good a Wi-Fi router is without testing it first?
At ZDNET, we’re all about backing up our recommendations with data, which is why we vigorously test products in our lab to truly see which ones we can confidently stand behind. We recently tested 15 Wi-Fi routers and their signal strength, and while the Netgear Nighthawk RS700S won a Lab Award for widest coverage, there was another router that also stood out in our testing.
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For our second Data Byte series, the Netgear Orbi 370 had the best coverage for the low Distance and Interference (D&I) range at a signal strength of -27.2 dBm in a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection. Low D&I is described as up to 25 feet from the router with up to one wall of interference. It scored in the “excellent” dBm range (−15 to −30 dBm), which means it is a great router option for just about any use, providing a very strong signal and maximum throughput.
To get these findings, our unique testing consisted of measuring signal strength across 61 chosen locations throughout our 12,500 sq. ft. lab that consists of over 20 rooms. For our testing, values closer to zero indicate a stronger signal.
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ZDNET lab’s product testing manager, Gianmarco Chumbe, said, “The study is designed to characterize performance not only near the router but specifically as distance and physical obstruction increase, since far-field behavior is where router units most meaningfully differentiate.”
Heatmap for the Netgear Orbi 370 router’s coverage across 61 locations in our lab.
Samantha De Leon/ZDNET
As you can see from the heat map above, the Netgear Orbi 370 had the most green area out of any of the 15 heat maps we created. It performed particularly well close to the router’s location, which means this would be a great router for a home office, gaming room, or living room to stream TV shows and movies.
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The Netgear Orbi 370 comes in a two-pack for $250, and can reach up to 4,000 feet of coverage. What’s unique about this router is that it utilizes dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz for streaming, gaming, and video calls (although we only focused our testing on 2.4 GHz).
ZDNET’s verdict
The Netgear Orbi 370 is an affordable Wi-Fi router system that has some of the best signal strength we’ve tested in low D&I bands. It still performed in the “good” range for the medium (25 ft to 75 ft from router) and high (75 ft and beyond) D&I band tests. However, these bands are interpretation guides rather than hard pass or fail lines, since actual performance also depends on factors such as noise and interference, not signal strength alone.
