WiFi 7 has been the premium WiFi technology to consider, and while it still is, new routers are popping up that bring the price down considerably.
Faster network access could be within reach of more people, particularly those keen to save some cash in the coming months, as WiFi 7 starts to see price drops. Capable of more bandwidth and performance, WiFi 7 could change things at home, provided you have the hardware and devices.
It wasn’t too long ago we saw WiFi 7 hitting blistering prices of several thousand dollars, with both the $3K Amazon Eero WiFi 7 mesh system and the $4300 Netgear WiFi 7 mesh setup being the priciest around.
This year is seeing price drops already, handy given how many WiFi 7-enabled devices are making their way out: the iPhone 16 supports the technology, as does the Pixel 9 Pro XL, and a whole bunch more laptops and tablets and other devices are getting support, as well.
Now, the biggest conundrum is how owners of a WiFi 7 device can turn their network setups into a WiFi 7-supported system, with the likely logic being an upgrade to a new router. The good news, however, is we’re seeing more WiFi routers this week aimed at getting the price down.
Specifically, Netgear has three, covering a $399 and $799 WiFi 7 router, and a $1399 mesh system carrying the Netgear Orbi mesh name and design.
In the low end, you’ll find the $399 RS200, a surprising dual-band router that loses the 6GHz band commonly associated with WiFi 7 supporting a maximum speed of 6.5Gbps and covering 185 square metres, while the $799 RS600 ups the tech to the usual three bands supporting 18Gbps of speed over 250 square metres max.
Perhaps more interesting is the Netgear Orbi 770, a mesh system supporting the regular three WiFi 7 bands — 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz — over 11Gbps of speed and up to 540 square metres provided three Orbi 770 routers and satellites are used.
Three Orbi 770 units comes out at $1399 in Australia, while a two pack drops back to $999, providing some flexibility dependent on how much space needs to be covered.
Netgear notes that it includes parental controls across the system, as well as a built-in security service, though the latter is one you’ll need to pay for past a 30 day trial, using AI to block and alert for threats.
“Netgear’s latest Nighthawk RS600 and RS200 routers, and the Orbi 770 mesh system give more households access to the connectivity benefits of WiFi 7 while also delivering robust network security to protect their homes and digital lives,” said David Henry, President and General Manager of Connected Home Products and Services for Netgear.
The Netgear WiFi 7 additions are available in Australia now.
