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NETGEAR Orbi 960 — Wi-Fi 6E · AXE11000
NETGEAR

NETGEAR Orbi 960

Wi-Fi 6E · AXE11000

88
/ 100
From $1,499
VS
Firewalla Gold Pro SE wins by 2
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
Specdex verdict

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

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

Pick NETGEAR Orbi 960 if…

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

Pick Firewalla Gold Pro SE if…

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

NETGEAR Orbi 960 88
vs
90 Firewalla Gold Pro SE

Score breakdown

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

Specs side-by-side

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

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

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

FAQ: NETGEAR Orbi 960 vs Firewalla Gold Pro SE

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

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

Is NETGEAR Orbi 960 worth the price? +

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

Is Firewalla Gold Pro SE worth the price? +

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

Does NETGEAR Orbi 960 or Firewalla Gold Pro SE 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, NETGEAR Orbi 960 or Firewalla Gold Pro SE? +

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

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

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