I just purchased a robotic vacuum and it turns out it will only connect to 2.4 MHz networks. The latest firmware for my Orbi will not allow selection of 2.4 vs. 5.0 SSID's. I am aware there are sophisticated Telnet approaches to temporarily address this issue which I don't care to venture into. I'm looking for a way to request Netgear to include a way for administrators to temporarily select a "2.4 MHz" mode so that robotic vacuums and other devices people have asked about on this forum which are dependent on 2.4 MHz modes will work. Does anyone know how to best voice this enhancement from a firmware standpoint?

Many times in a situation like this it is only the setup that requires the mobile to be on 2.4GHz, then afterward one can go back to whatever is normal. In the case of Rooba, it is necessary to have the mobile device on 2.4G a couple of places during setup. Try Adbanced and Wireless setting on the GUI to turn the 5GHZ transmission to absolute minuimum during Rooba set up. (move away from routers and satelites). See if your mobile then is connecting on 2.4GHz in Attached devices. Go through Rooba set up if it is. After you can turn the 5GHz back up.

I am up to date. You may have just missed it. The Orbi mobile app is pretty much useless to control much of anything. Use the web based user interface. I prefer using a laptop rather than a mobile going through Chrome and selecting Desktop Site to view the web based GUI. Everything is a pain that way. Best to do it where it is easily handlable Anyway, on the web GUI: AdvancedSetup> Wireless Setting> There are two blocks of information that come up on the page, one for 2.4GHz the other for 5.0GHz. At the end of each block is the Transmit Power Control expressed in percentage (%). This is what you work with.

What FW is currently loaded?What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too? What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.What security mode are you using? Try open first to see if the device will connect. The try WPA and test. Then try WPA2 and AES only. Try disabling the following and see:MIMO, Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).If you updated to recent FW v.210, try enabling Daisy Chain. Some have mentioned that this seems to be working in reverse order, enabling means disabled actually. Hoping NG support can have a look at this. So try this out as well. https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Firmware-2-2-1-210-and-connection-problems-Skybell/m-p/1649275/highlight/true#M43001

Yes, I follow your logic and attempted to go down that logic path earlier today by turning off my satellite and moving both the Roomba and my phone far enough away from the router so it would only grab the 2.4MHz signal (which tends to have better range). However, I was not able to get away entirely from the 5MHz signal. Now, if I could turn the power down on the 5MHz signal like you mention, this approach would be easy and probably work; however, I see now way in the Advanced settings of the router to control the power transmission of the 5MHz signal in any way. I have the most current firmware (V2.2.1.210) - maybe you have older firmware that allows this and/or maybe I'm overlooking it somehow - can you tell me more specifically how to turn down the power on the 5MHz signal in Advanced settings?

More specifically: Advanced>Advanced Setup>Wireless Setting. Find Transmit Power Control . Put in 0. Go to top of page and APPLY. You can go back and fix this after you have set up Roomba. Stay away from your devices, and check that your phone is connected to router on 2.4GHz.

Getting ORBI to work with Roomba | NETGEAR Communities

13 Replies

FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
Oct 20, 2018
What FW is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
What security mode are you using? Try open first to see if the device will connect. The try WPA and test. Then try WPA2 and AES only.

Try disabling the following and see:
MIMO, Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).
If you updated to recent FW v.210, try enabling Daisy Chain. Some have mentioned that this seems to be working in reverse order, enabling means disabled actually. Hoping NG support can have a look at this. So try this out as well.
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Firmware-2-2-1-210-and-connection-problems-Skybell/m-p/1649275/highlight/true#M43001
JoeCymru
Virtuoso
Oct 20, 2018
Many times in a situation like this it is only the setup that requires the mobile to be on 2.4GHz, then afterward one can go back to whatever is normal. In the case of Rooba, it is necessary to have the mobile device on 2.4G a couple of places during setup. Try Adbanced and Wireless setting on the GUI to turn the 5GHZ transmission to absolute minuimum during Rooba set up. (move away from routers and satelites). See if your mobile then is connecting on 2.4GHz in Attached devices. Go through Rooba set up if it is. After you can turn the 5GHz back up.
- randerton
  Aspirant
  Oct 20, 2018
  Yes, I follow your logic and attempted to go down that logic path earlier today by turning off my satellite and moving both the Roomba and my phone far enough away from the router so it would only grab the 2.4MHz signal (which tends to have better range). However, I was not able to get away entirely from the 5MHz signal. Now, if I could turn the power down on the 5MHz signal like you mention, this approach would be easy and probably work; however, I see now way in the Advanced settings of the router to control the power transmission of the 5MHz signal in any way. I have the most current firmware (V2.2.1.210) - maybe you have older firmware that allows this and/or maybe I'm overlooking it somehow - can you tell me more specifically how to turn down the power on the 5MHz signal in Advanced settings?
  - JoeCymru
    Virtuoso
    Oct 20, 2018
    I am up to date. You may have just missed it.
    
    The Orbi mobile app is pretty much useless to control much of anything. Use the web based user interface. I prefer using a laptop rather than a mobile going through Chrome and selecting Desktop Site to view the web based GUI. Everything is a pain that way. Best to do it where it is easily handlable
    
    Anyway, on the web GUI: AdvancedSetup> Wireless Setting>
    
    There are two blocks of information that come up on the page, one for 2.4GHz the other for 5.0GHz. At the end of each block is the Transmit Power Control expressed in percentage (%). This is what you work with.
FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
Oct 21, 2018

Try disabling the following and see:
MIMO, Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).
If you updated to recent FW v.210, try enabling Daisy Chain. Some have mentioned that this seems to be working in reverse order, enabling means disabled actually. Hoping NG support can have a look at this. So try this out as well.
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Firmware-2-2-1-210-and-connection-problems-Skybell/m-p/1649275/highlight/true#M43001

Try this as well:

Advanced Wireless Settings both 2.4GHz and 5GHz changed CTS/RTS Threshold to 2307.
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Orbi-RBR40-RBS40-V2-1-4-16-mesh-network-drops-connection-to/m-p/1601598/highlight/true#M35230
Change the CTR/RTS threshold values for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (2341 and 2345 respectively), changed preamble modes to long preamble, and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only.

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Getting ORBI to work with Roomba