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Forum Discussion
itGeeks
Sep 26, 2016Apprentice
Feature Request: Orbi Satellite Ethernet Backhaul
As good as Orbi looks on paper I don't understand Y you would cut yourself so short and not support Eithernet backhaul for the satellites, I have 5 locations needing a system like this but without su...
- Apr 26, 2017
Let me acknowledge that our customer base has been clamoring for this feature for a while, and we are trying to be responsive to their needs. To provide context on why it's taking a while to get it out, during the first quarter, the Orbi Engineering team was focused on bringing out the two new products (RBK30 & RBK40) to market. Now that it's accomplished, we're actively working on bringing this feature and a couple of other interesting, market-requested features to you.
Orbi Product Team
myrison
Jun 29, 2017Guide
Clarifying more... I run 3 WAPs in my house all with the same ID for a 2.4Ghz band, and a second SSID for the 5GHz band. I'll give it a whirl with one SSID across all of them.
st_shaw
Jun 29, 2017Master
myrison wrote:Clarifying more... I run 3 WAPs in my house all with the same ID for a 2.4Ghz band, and a second SSID for the 5GHz band. I'll give it a whirl with one SSID across all of them.
I have two dual-band Unifi APs and use one SSID for 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios. Four radios and one SSID. You can add as many APs as desired. Devices roam seamlessly, prefer 5GHz, and will transition to 2.4GHz outside the house, where 5GHz becomes too weak. Works beautifully.
It should work on ASUS also, but I can't be sure.
Use the same SSID for all radios, 2.4/5GHz. Use the same security settings and password for every radio. Use a different channel for each AP, or at least make sure neighboring APs are on different channels. Set channels manually--don't use auto. Use 20 Mhz bandwidth and only channels 1, 6, or 11 for the 2.4 GHz band.
- truepuddingJun 29, 2017Star
> Devices roam seamlessly, prefer 5GHz, and will transition to 2.4GHz outside the house
That's a nice feature about switching to 2.4 ghz for long distance. You will have a little bit of packet loss between switching access points, though, by definition of how that system works. It has to disconnect you from one and re-connect you to another. If it didn't have any packet loss at all, there would be no point in a mesh network in the first place. However, this does not matter for 99% of people unless you pace back and fourth and play competitive games on your phone. :)
If anyone experiences issue with channels and doesn't want to deal with manually setting them (I 100% agree with this), check out the Portal (you can find it on amazon). They have a patented system that auto-selects the best channel for you (and it works beautifully).
I have spent far too much time researching this topic. Sorry to bombard the rest of the Orbi users, I hope this information is helpful to someone.
- st_shawJun 29, 2017Master
You might lose a few packets, but I've tested roaming between APs while on a Facetime WiFi call and had no significant issue. Maybe a brief blip in the call, but nothing disruptive.
- truepuddingJun 29, 2017Star
Agree, definitely shouldn't be what makes or breaks the deal. :) What breaks the deal is no ethernet backhaul. :P
- peteytestingJun 29, 2017Hero
lack of research and or reading before buying a device leads to these sorts of threads , expectations lead to disapointment if due dilligance isnt followed and in this case the orbi never has suggested in any way , shape or form that it has ethernet backhaul
if it not having ethernet backhaul is a deal breaker for you then so be it but the orbi claim to fame is whole home wifi via 5 gig backhaul
- myrisonJun 30, 2017Guide
Do you feel better now after lecturing the Internet? Kind of a harsh approach for a superuser/moderator, isn't it? "Go away all you pesky commenters!"
How about if we actually did research, and we did know it didn't have backhaul, but counted on the fact that the device says it covers up to 5000 sq ft, so we decided to give it a try? That's what I did, and unfortunately it doesn't quite get there for my house.
I realize every house is different, so there was only one way to find out. But since this is a product/feature request thread, I decided to let Netgear know that if it had this feature, it'd work better for me. In the meantime it works great for lots of other folks, and I'm happy for them.
- peteytestingJun 30, 2017Hero
no its just plain fact and keeping it in perspective
if the orbi doesnt cover your house with wifi then by all means you have a case to complain or return as you are not wanting anything but what is advertised , although you must have some very difficult local experimental conditions with regard to wifi propagation if that is the case , however complaining because the device doesnt have an "expected" feature and making it a deal breaker is not the fault of the device or its design
yes it would be nice if it had it and yes its been asked for quite a lot as you have seen in this thread , will it ever have it ? who knows , it has been suggested it may be im the long term plan but i certainly wouldnt be waiting for it to eventuate
- truepuddingJun 30, 2017Star
I had a garden variety wifi setup that looked exactly like the picture on the box. It didn't work as advertised.
I've purchased Netgear products for over a decade (almost exclusively for networking), and I was surprised that this feature did not exist. I don't think it's fair to define what the "perspective" should be in a thread titled "Orbi Satellite Ethernet Backhaul". The customers returning the products and not saying a word about it seems like it would be worse for Netgear in the long run than people voicing their concerns and trying to hang on to the product in a box in the closet, waiting to see if they will fix it.
I tried to help by contributing on this forum. I don't understand the moderation of this thread - I was attacked with "don't hold your breathe" about Netgear when I was positive and excited about them saying it might be coming, then I was attacked when I gave up on waiting - by the same person. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Good luck to the rest of you out there! If you want a wireless/AP setup, scroll a few messages back and read about @st_shaw's setup - that's about as good as it gets. If you want a mesh system, checkout portal, google wifi, velop, Ubiquiti, eero. These are the competition, and 100% of them have ethernet backhaul.
- ghost_zl1Jul 02, 2017Star
The lack of respect from the moderators in this thread tells me all I need to know as a prospective customer.