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Forum Discussion
Help - Orbi outdoor satellite issue
I have an Orbi mesh system connected to a TP Link Archer VR600v modem router (has VoIP phone connected) with wifi disabled. I have Orbi RBR20 with 2 x RBS20 satellites indoors. I have 2 outdoor satellites RBS50Y. All this has been operating reasonably satisfactorily for the last 18 months until now. With great difficulty and many hours spent with multiple attempts to sync the satellites, I have now got the 2 x SBS20 satellites synced and working but I cannot get the 2 x outdoor satellites to sync. I have brought them indoors into close proximity to the router but to no avail. They show in the network map as offline. I have a large 2 storey house on an 1820 sqm block in Western Australia. I've tried to login to the orbilogin.com website but can't seem to do this (I have the Android app, but this is limited in functionality). I’ve tried clearing the cache and different browsers with no luck. I think the problem may be the sync button is disabled on the 2 x outdoor satellites but can't successfully login and re-enable.
Also, how can I check if firmware is up to date when I cannot conect the satellites?.
12 Replies
madobe wrote:I have an Orbi mesh system connected to a TP Link Archer VR600v modem router (has VoIP phone connected) with wifi disabled. I have Orbi RBR20 with 2 x RBS20 satellites indoors. I have 2 outdoor satellites RBS50Y. All this has been operating reasonably satisfactorily for the last 18 months until now. With great difficulty and many hours spent with multiple attempts to sync the satellites, I have now got the 2 x SBS20 satellites synced and working but I cannot get the 2 x outdoor satellites to sync. I have brought them indoors into close proximity to the router but to no avail. They show in the network map as offline. I have a large 2 storey house on an 1820 sqm block in Western Australia. I've tried to login to the orbilogin.com website but can't seem to do this (I have the Android app, but this is limited in functionality). I’ve tried clearing the cache and different browsers with no luck. I think the problem may be the sync button is disabled on the 2 x outdoor satellites but can't successfully login and re-enable.
Also, how can I check if firmware is up to date when I cannot conect the satellites?.
At first, this description seems contradictory. For the RBS50Y satellites to show as "offline", they would have to have been connected at some time. Have they ever been part of the Orbi network?
I agree (wholeheartedly) that the Orbi "app" is pretty much useless. Can you please describe the issue with opening the Orbi router web interface? orbilogin.com (or orbilogin.net or routerlogin.com) are resolved internally by the Orbi router to point to the Orbi router itself. So, when a computer is attached to the Orbi router (not the TP-Link router), a web browser pointed at orbilogin.com should bring up the Orbi web interface login box which asks for the user name (which is always "admin" and cannot be changed) and the web password.
Is this what happens? Do you not know the Orbi web password? (It is not the same as the WiFi password).
My take is that the key issue is gaining access to the Orbi web administration. With that problem solved, getting the satellites connected is straightforward.
p.s. I am sure you already know that the RBS50Y has two different firmware versions, (1) to connect to ANY brand of WiFi router as an "extender", and (2) to connect to a Netgear Orbi system as an integrated "satellite".
I have managed to login to orbilogin.com Orbi web interface now, and the 2 x RBS50Y show as attached devices but "disconnected". I selected the option to remove and have tried multiple times to connect to them. I have been trying one at a time and they both perform the same. Power on then wait for solid white light which doesnt happen. They continue to blink slowly then briefly turn blue then revert to slow blinking white. If left in this state, they turn magenta. I have been pressing the sync button on the satellite just after it returns white from blue and then pressing the sync button on the screen (or router). Message says will take up to 6 minutes. The result is always solid magenta. Both these units have been functioning ok since I first purchased and connected them. One was bought new March 2020. The other was bought new September 2020. They are both registered on the netgear portal as "my products" and are under warranty. The internet went down and when I rebooted the modem and router, I could not reconnect these RBS50Y's. My 2 x RBS20 indoor satellites are working fine and show that the firmware is up to date. I would love to check the firmware on the RBS50Y's but dont know how I can do this without connecting them. As you would be aware they do not have ethernet ports so cannot hardwire connect.
I realize this is a chore, but have you considered temporarily relocating a satellite to the same room as the Orbi router (where you can observe both at the same time) and doing the web interface "Add Orbi Satellite" process?
It is essential that the RBS50Y firmware be in "Orbi Mode", rather than in "Extender Mode".
I believe that the two models of RBS50Y may have different firmware options. The first model, does not mention anything about Extender Mode:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBS50/RBS50_QSG_EN.pdf
whereas the 2nd model clearly shows two modes:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBS50Y/RBS50Y_QSG_EN.pdf
I'm having a simiar issue, internet went out and Outdoor never came back on properly....all other units are working fine, I tried re-syncing the outdoor unit, brought it in to my office where the router is followed the directions and got the flashing magenta. Realized the sync was locked out by reading the manual, but followed the directions to re-enable sync button and the web interface doesn't show the sync button status i've seen screen shots of it but it doesn't appear on mine. I've used 2 computers, 2 different browsers, cleared cache and cannot get that part of the page to display allowing me to enable sync.....HELP....any ideas? will factory reset re-enable sync?
Sschochet1 wrote:I'm having a simiar issue, internet went out and Outdoor never came back on properly....all other units are working fine, I tried re-syncing the outdoor unit, brought it in to my office where the router is followed the directions and got the flashing magenta. Realized the sync was locked out by reading the manual, but followed the directions to re-enable sync button and the web interface doesn't show the sync button status i've seen screen shots of it but it doesn't appear on mine. I've used 2 computers, 2 different browsers, cleared cache and cannot get that part of the page to display allowing me to enable sync.....HELP....any ideas? will factory reset re-enable sync?
That's what I would try.
