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Forum Discussion
2nd Orbi Router connected to Spectrum Modem?
I have Spectrum Broadband. There is modem in the closet where the cable comes into the house. That closet also has a panel ... the house is pre-wired with Cat-5 running to every room. Currently, the Spectrum modem is connected to a pre-wired cat5 cable that runs to a closet outside of my office. In that closet, the other end of that cat5 connects to our Orbi Router. The Orbi has 2 satellites that help the network to cover most of the house.
Problem: There is one room upstairs that gets a weak signal (due to distance from the router and walls). My thought is that I should be able to use one of the additional connections on the Spectrum modem to connect the cat5 (in the panel) that runs to that room, and place another Orbi component in there ... but I'm not sure if that's possible. I'd like to have a great signal, but also don't want to lose Mesh.
Can I do that? if so, would I need another router?
Thanks!
21 Replies
You can add another RBS thats connected behind the RBR, wireless or ethernet,
What is the Mfr and model# of this ISP modem?
eriksande wrote:Problem: There is one room upstairs that gets a weak signal (due to distance from the router and walls). My thought is that I should be able to use one of the additional connections on the Spectrum modem to connect the cat5 (in the panel) that runs to that room, and place another Orbi component in there ... but I'm not sure if that's possible. I'd like to have a great signal, but also don't want to lose Mesh.
Can I do that? if so, would I need another router?Alas, no. If the Spectrum modem has more than one ethernet jack, then it is a combination modem/router (and possibly also WiFi). Anything can be connected to one of those ports, but it will NOT become part of the Orbi "mesh". If there were two ethernet cables running from the office to the patch panel, then an Orbi satellite could be connected in that room with the connection running from the room to the patch panel and then to the Orbi. But, you don't have two cables.
Although that room may be too far from the router for a satellite to get a good signal, is it too far from one of the existing satellites to get a good signal? Orbi supports "Daisy Chain" configurations where a satellite connected to another satellite rather than directly to the router.
That would maintain the Orbi "mesh".
If the need in this room is for something "permanent" that does not need to network with anything else in the house, then it could be pluged directly into the Spectrum device with no additional equipment. It sounds, however, that what you want is WiFi in that room when you happen to go into it (roam). Another Orbi satellite is the only solution.
Thanks CrimpOn ...
If I were to move the Orbi router to the closet with the panel (and connect the Spectrum modem to it there), could I then use the pre-wires in the house to connect them to Orbi Satelittes? ... so I'd then have a hard-wried satellite in the closet outside my office, and another hard-wired satellite in the "problem" room upstairs? If so ... would I maintain signal strength in those satellites? (more than if they weren't hard wired to the Router)
Thanks for the help ... much appreciatedYes that can be done. You'll need to connect the wires going to the remote RBS behind the RBR as seen in the link provided is all. You can use a patch panel or switch behind the RBR to connect all wired rooms to if you seem to be running out of ports on the back of the RBR.
