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Firewalla Gold Pro SE — Layer-7 firewall · 10 GbE · No subscription
Firewalla

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Layer-7 firewall · 10 GbE · No subscription

90
/ 100
From $729
VS
Firewalla Gold Pro SE wins by 2
NETGEAR Orbi 960 — Wi-Fi 6E · AXE11000
NETGEAR

NETGEAR Orbi 960

Wi-Fi 6E · AXE11000

88
/ 100
From $1,499
Specdex verdict

Firewalla Gold Pro SE takes it — here’s why.

In our weighted Specdex score, Firewalla Gold Pro SE lands at 90 and NETGEAR Orbi 960 at 88. That puts Firewalla Gold Pro SE ahead by 2 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.

Pick Firewalla Gold Pro SE if…

  • ✓10 GbE WAN + LAN
  • ✓Best layer-7 protection without subscription
  • ✓On-device Family Mode + DNS filtering

Pick NETGEAR Orbi 960 if…

  • ✓Current-gen Wi-Fi
  • ✓App-driven setup
  • ✓Parental controls (brand-dependent)
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Winner by scenario

Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate test

Features

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Compared on the features sub-score

Firewalla Gold Pro SE leads on features (100 vs 86).

Throughput

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Compared on the throughput sub-score

Firewalla Gold Pro SE leads on throughput (96 vs 88).

Range

NETGEAR Orbi 960

Compared on the range sub-score

NETGEAR Orbi 960 leads on range (86 vs 70).

Value for money

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Specdex score per dollar at MSRP

Firewalla Gold Pro SE more score per dollar ($729 vs $1,499).

Firewalla Gold Pro SE 90
vs
88 NETGEAR Orbi 960

Score breakdown

Firewalla Gold Pro SE
90
throughput 96
range 70
features 100
ease 84
value 0
NETGEAR Orbi 960
88
throughput 88
range 86
features 86
ease 0
value 82

Specs side-by-side

Firewalla Gold Pro SE versus NETGEAR Orbi 960 — full spec comparison
Spec Firewalla Gold Pro SE NETGEAR Orbi 960
CPU
Quad-core ARM Cortex-A76
—
RAM
8 GB
—
Storage
128 GB
—
Ports
10 GbE × 2 + 2.5 GbE × 4
—
Concurrent connections
500K+
—
Standard
—
Wi-Fi 6E
Throughput
—
AXE11000

Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Pros
  • +10 GbE WAN + LAN
  • +Best layer-7 protection without subscription
  • +On-device Family Mode + DNS filtering
Cons
  • −Steeper learning curve vs eero
  • −No built-in Wi-Fi (need separate APs)
  • −Mobile-app-centric setup

NETGEAR Orbi 960

Pros
  • +Current-gen Wi-Fi
  • +App-driven setup
  • +Parental controls (brand-dependent)
Cons
  • −Advanced features sometimes subscription-gated
  • −Range varies
  • −Firmware stability improves over time

FAQ: Firewalla Gold Pro SE vs NETGEAR Orbi 960

Which is better, Firewalla Gold Pro SE or NETGEAR Orbi 960? +

Firewalla Gold Pro SE scores 90 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 2. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.

Is Firewalla Gold Pro SE worth the price? +

At $729, Firewalla Gold Pro SE delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in features.

Is NETGEAR Orbi 960 worth the price? +

At $1,499, NETGEAR Orbi 960 delivers a Specdex score of 88 — strongest in throughput.

Does Firewalla Gold Pro SE or NETGEAR Orbi 960 last longer? +

Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.

Which is better for features, Firewalla Gold Pro SE or NETGEAR Orbi 960? +

Firewalla Gold Pro SE — leads on features (100 vs 86). Compared on the features sub-score.

Which is better for throughput, Firewalla Gold Pro SE or NETGEAR Orbi 960? +

Firewalla Gold Pro SE — leads on throughput (96 vs 88). Compared on the throughput sub-score.