I have had the orbi 973 system since it came out ...
Absolutely love it ... I did have one issue with the router last year and netgear replaced it... I installed a fan on it and never had a problem since.
I did purchase a 800 series orbi about 3 years ago and returned it, nothing but problems . This 973 orbi is the best..
Before this orbi 973 I had the Asus et12 that is also a great router but only wifi 6E not 7
Routers and wifi are very difficult today ....
I have lots (45 plus) of devices on the orbi 973, no problems at all....
Your diagnosis is right, the R6700v2 is too old and too small for a 2-story 2100 sq ft home. The dropping 5GHz, daily restarts, and inconsistent speeds are all classic signs of a dying router, not a Cox issue.
You want a **Wi-Fi 6 mesh system (2-pack)**. Three solid options:
- **TP-Link Deco XE75** (~$200–230) - best value, Wi-Fi 6E kills the 5GHz interference problem
- **Eero Pro 6E** (~$250–280) - easiest setup, very reliable if you just want it to work
- **Asus ZenWiFi Pro ET12** (~$350–400) - best for gaming, has QoS traffic prioritization for PS5
One thing to check: if you're using a Cox-provided gateway, put it in **bridge mode** after setting up the mesh or you'll get double-NAT issues that hurt gaming latency.
Aussie broadband. Asus XT12 (wifi 6), ET12 wifi 6e, BQ16 (wifi 7). XT and ET have unrivalled range. BQ16 a close second with quad band support. All mesh systems. Coverage with one centralised router is outstanding with all 3.
You can’t beat Aussie broadband no matter how hard people nut hug on leaptel, launtel and Neptune. I’ve tried all four.
I would recommend the Asus Zenwifi Pro ET12. You can get one off eBay for a cheaper price. A 2-pack should be sufficient coverage. You can compare price with the TP-Link XE75 and Eero Pro 6E. Any of those 3 are good with wireless backhaul, and the Asus has the best coverage among all 3.
Asus gives the best features available without any additional pay wall, Eero is the simplest to use but has additional features behind a pay wall and TP-LINK is the best on budget and comes between on coverage.
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