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Forum Discussion
Cannot access devices across different wifi channels on Orbi
I have a setup in my business where I placed Orbi routers. I have all 3 channels going, and a guest network. However, I cannot access anything on the network from channel 2 or 3 like printers, securi...
Just to clarify, the second "issue" I write about is no longer an issue. The network no longer crashes, but the dashboard for the Orbi shows many many devices as attached to it when it is simply a wireless AP. It shows devices hardwired to it, when they are hardwired into other switches on the network. However, this doesn't seem to affect things so I have learned to just let that go and live with it.
Orbi routers report devices being "wired" when they appear on one of the ethernet ports. It has no way to know how many switches packets have gone through on the way to the Orbi.
I am a bit confused about "I have all 3 channels going, and a guest network". Would you do me a favor and report the model number that appears on the bottom of the router? If this is Orbi Pro, there are restrictions on what devices can do based on which of the WiFi SSID's they connect to.
Nothing goes into any of the ethernet ports on the Orbi. There is a line from the Orbi to the Hitron modem.. that's it. All other devices in the facility travel through other switches and come back via fiber to an edgeswitch in the rack, which has a single line to the Hitron. So somehow the orbi is seeing IP's on the network and thinking they are hardwired. There re literally 30+ devices showing as being hardwired.
SRK60 is the setup we bought. Wow would have been nice to know if there were restrictions across SSD's especially when being touted as a business system.
Actually I correct myself. The Orbi goes to teh edgeswitch as well.. single line. SO it's simply a wireless AP that reports numerous hard connecitons.
Thank you for the response. It is a bit surprising, I agree. The Orbi (in access point mode) sees a lot of devices in the same IP subnet. The packets come through the WAN ethernet port, so by definition the are 'wired'. Were the Orbi in router mode, the Orbi would never see packets from them and would not display them as anything.
The Orbi Pro line has many firmware differences from the 'residential' product:
- It features a ceiling mounted access point, which is almost ubiquitous in business environments
- It offers multiple WiFi SSID's
* Administrative SSID
* Employee SSID
* Internet of Things (IoT) SSID
* Guest SSID - There is an option on page 88 of the User Manual "To allow your employees to see each other on the Wireless 2 network, and to allow
them to access resources on the local network, select the Allow employees to see
each other and access my local network check box"
Perhaps that option will address the problem of access to printers, etc. - On a technical note, I believe the Pro model might also create different IP subnets for some of the SSID's.
(Do not have access to one, so no way to experiment.)
I'll try that and see what settings there are. It doesn't create a subnet.. It did at the start but I shut that down to simply allow it to act as an AP.