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Can Orbi cause problems for Virgin Media SuperHub 3?
Problem: I am using a Virgin Media Superhub 3 in modem mode, connected to a Netgear Orbi RBR50 router. Periodically (sometimes every 5 minutes or so, sometimes once an hour), the Superhub loses its i...
I wasn't able to open that spreadsheet (I don't have Excel, and tried in Google Spreadsheets without success). Also, the Superhub 3 lost its connection again this morning while running in router mode and connected to the Orbi. However, I had another (a third!) visit from Virgin Media today. The engineer switched my hub, giving me a Superhub 4 to replace the Superhub 3. When the engineer tried to put that Superhub 4 in modem mode, with the Orbi connected, nothing worked. When he tried putting it in router mode, and disabling wifi via the Superhub 4's control panel, everything did work. I've had a stable connection for the intervening 3 hours or so. I'll cross my fingers that it all continues working, though I'm still baffled as to what went wrong originally, or *why* this approach would work. Thanks for helping me with all this!
struan99 wrote:
More info: I had assumed the problem was with Virgin Media, but Virgin Media hasn't been able to fix my issue (though they haven't yet tried replacing the Superhub). I'm now wondering if it could be the Orbi? When I put the Superhub into router mode, and disconnect the Orbi, the router seems to work OK.
In addition to leaning on Virgin Media to explain why their Superhub keeps restarting itself, how about trying this experiment:
Leave the Superhub in router mode and reconnect the Orbi. There are two choices for the Orbi:
- Leave it in router mode. Thousands of customers do this every day. They unbox their new WiFi (of any brand) connect it to the existing ISP box, use the WiFi credentials printed on the label, and never look back. This works fine unless the customer relies on some very specific applications, such as port forwarding, VPN into the Orbi LAN from the internet, and certain types of internet gaming.
https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT
This way, anything you had the Orbi set to do (besides those specific items) remains in place, such as assiging IP's to devices, defining custom DNS servers, using Armor or Circle, etc. - Change the Orbi to access point (AP) mode. This allows those applications to be hosted on the Superhub (not the Orbi because it is no longer a router).
This experiment will be a step toward ruling out the Orbi as the "problem."