Hi, I recently purchased a NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Mesh WiFi System (RBK13) 1 Router & 2 Satellites. Installed the Orbi app and followed all the steps for setup of this new system. I put one of satellite in on of my bedroom and the other in the basement.I am not sure why I am not able to connect my devices to the Orbi satellites, I have tried all the options of updating the firmware, syncing up the router and satellites rebooting the route and satellites. I was hoping when to see that my mobile phone to connect automatically or manually to one of the Orbi satellite placed in the basement bedroom and this is not happening. The Network map on the Orbi map shows both the satellties and none of the satellite shows any devices connected. What is the best way of getting the devices connected to satellites? Thanks,Baba

What Firmware version is currently loaded?What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too? What is the size of your home? Sq Ft? What is the distance between the router and 📡 satellite(s)? 30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS📡 to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected. Netgear has set up a community forum specifically for the Orbi AC products. Most of the people who watch that forum are more likely to have experience with Orbi (WiFi5 RBK10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 Series). Might be more likely to find someone who has a solution if the question is posted there:https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/bd-p/Orbi Please use this link to the main forum product list to review and choose where to make your posts. https://community.netgear.com/t5/NETGEAR-Forum/ct-p/en-netgear Thank you.

Hi,I have the firmware V2.7.3.22. I have xFinity as my internet service provider and I am using the NETGEAR C6900-100NAR Nighthawk Dual Band AC1900 Cable Modem Router. The size of the home is 2500 sft, upper floor 1250 sft and the finished basement is of 1000 sft. So the setup i had was the Orbi router placed next to the Modem-Router, One of the satellite in the basement bedroom and the other satelllite placed in between the basement bedroom satellite and the Orbi router. Thanks,Baba

BabaOrbi wrote: Hi, I have the firmware V2.7.3.22. I have xFinity as my internet service provider and I am using the NETGEAR C6900-100NAR Nighthawk Dual Band AC1900 Cable Modem Router. Is the modem in router or modem only mode? Modem only mode is recommended. The size of the home is 2500 sft, upper floor 1250 sft and the finished basement is of 1000 sft. So the setup i had was the Orbi router placed next to the Modem-Router, One of the satellite in the basement bedroom and the other satelllite placed in between the basement bedroom satellite and the Orbi router. What is the distance between the router and 📡 satellite(s)? is the modem and RBR in the basement or on the main level?

I saw the Netgear community and they do not recoommend to put the Router-Modem in modem only mode. The distance between the router and satellites in not long, because I was testing to if distance was the issue by placing all the satellites with in a 20 feet distance from the router. And the Orbi router and my cable router-modem are on the first floor sitting side by side to each other.

BabaOrbi wrote: The Network map on the Orbi map shows both the satellties and none of the satellite shows any devices connected. What is the best way of getting the devices connected to satellites? The way WiFi networking is engineered, the device scans the radio spectrum looking for WiFi access points and exchanges "management frames" with each to determine which access point seems to be the "best fit". The device then issues a connection request. (This process is a bit technical. For example, this explanation: https://netbeez.net/blog/how-wifi-connection-works/ The point is that it is the device that asks to connect.) The discussion is further complicated because the people who engineered the WiFi software in devices made lots of different choices. Devices that are clearly intended to be mobile (phone, tablets, laptops) usually scan the WiFi networks almost constantly looking for indications that a different access point would be a better connection. Devices that are definitely not intended to move around (TV's, refrigerators, garage door openers, security cameras, speakers) may 'stick' on whatever WiFi access point they connect to and quit looking. Nobody publishes details about how their device is programmed. The best way to get devices connected to a satellite is to: Have the device closer to the satellite than the other Orbi units. "Forget" the Orbi WiFi in the device network settings. When the list of available WiFi networks refreshes, select the Orbi SSID, enter the password, and connect. Device connections do not update instantly on the Orbi Attached Devices web page or on the Orbi 'app'. (It can take several minutes.) Are there any other devices which can be (temporarily) relocated close to one of the satellites? Maybe a Nest Mini or Amazon Echo Dot, Sonos One, etc. What happens when one of them is relocated and plugged in? Are there any portable devices that can be connected to WiFi using WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) See page 15 of the User Manual: https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBK12/RBK12_13_14_UM_EN.pdf Instead of using the WPS (which labelled 'sync') button on the router, use the WPS button on the satellite.

Devices not connecting to Orbi RBK13 Satellite

12 Replies

FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
Feb 07, 2022
What Firmware version is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and 📡 satellite(s)? 30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS📡 to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected.

Netgear has set up a community forum specifically for the Orbi AC products. Most of the people who watch that forum are more likely to have experience with Orbi (WiFi5 RBK10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 Series). Might be more likely to find someone who has a solution if the question is posted there:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/bd-p/Orbi

Please use this link to the main forum product list to review and choose where to make your posts.
https://community.netgear.com/t5/NETGEAR-Forum/ct-p/en-netgear

Thank you.
- BabaOrbi
  Aspirant
  Feb 07, 2022
  Hi,
  I have the firmware V2.7.3.22. I have xFinity as my internet service provider and I am using the NETGEAR C6900-100NAR Nighthawk Dual Band AC1900 Cable Modem Router.
  
  The size of the home is 2500 sft, upper floor 1250 sft and the finished basement is of 1000 sft. So the setup i had was the Orbi router placed next to the Modem-Router, One of the satellite in the basement bedroom and the other satelllite placed in between the basement bedroom satellite and the Orbi router.
  
  Thanks,
  Baba
  - FURRYe38
    Guru - Experienced User
    Feb 07, 2022
    BabaOrbi wrote:
    
    Hi,
    
    I have the firmware V2.7.3.22. I have xFinity as my internet service provider and I am using the NETGEAR C6900-100NAR Nighthawk Dual Band AC1900 Cable Modem Router. Is the modem in router or modem only mode? Modem only mode is recommended.
    
    The size of the home is 2500 sft, upper floor 1250 sft and the finished basement is of 1000 sft. So the setup i had was the Orbi router placed next to the Modem-Router, One of the satellite in the basement bedroom and the other satelllite placed in between the basement bedroom satellite and the Orbi router. What is the distance between the router and 📡 satellite(s)? is the modem and RBR in the basement or on the main level?
CrimpOn
Guru - Experienced User
Feb 07, 2022
BabaOrbi wrote:

The Network map on the Orbi map shows both the satellties and none of the satellite shows any devices connected.

What is the best way of getting the devices connected to satellites?

The way WiFi networking is engineered, the device scans the radio spectrum looking for WiFi access points and exchanges "management frames" with each to determine which access point seems to be the "best fit". The device then issues a connection request.

(This process is a bit technical. For example, this explanation: https://netbeez.net/blog/how-wifi-connection-works/ The point is that it is the device that asks to connect.)

The discussion is further complicated because the people who engineered the WiFi software in devices made lots of different choices. Devices that are clearly intended to be mobile (phone, tablets, laptops) usually scan the WiFi networks almost constantly looking for indications that a different access point would be a better connection. Devices that are definitely not intended to move around (TV's, refrigerators, garage door openers, security cameras, speakers) may 'stick' on whatever WiFi access point they connect to and quit looking. Nobody publishes details about how their device is programmed.

The best way to get devices connected to a satellite is to:

Have the device closer to the satellite than the other Orbi units.

"Forget" the Orbi WiFi in the device network settings.

When the list of available WiFi networks refreshes, select the Orbi SSID, enter the password, and connect.

Device connections do not update instantly on the Orbi Attached Devices web page or on the Orbi 'app'. (It can take several minutes.)

Are there any other devices which can be (temporarily) relocated close to one of the satellites? Maybe a Nest Mini or Amazon Echo Dot, Sonos One, etc. What happens when one of them is relocated and plugged in? Are there any portable devices that can be connected to WiFi using WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) See page 15 of the User Manual:

https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBK12/RBK12_13_14_UM_EN.pdf

Instead of using the WPS (which labelled 'sync') button on the router, use the WPS button on the satellite.

Forum Discussion

Devices not connecting to Orbi RBK13 Satellite