Hidden Orbi QOS settings. Do they work?

Question

Once you are logged into your Orbi router webpage, http://orbilogin.net, the UI on the web pages does not seem to include any options for QOS settings. There is a link For "QOS Setup" If you click on "Advanced" and then "Setup" but the page it brings you to only has the option to run an OOKLA speed test and nothing esle.

However, once you are logged into your Orbi router if you manually type this address into the URL, http://orbi login.net/QOS_main.htm, you can get to several pages that have more options for setting QOS priorities.
My questions is, do these priorities even work? I have set several priorities, from "normal" to "highest", for various MAC addresses and the LAN ports but I don't know if they are even doing anything on my Orbi router. Are they?

On the first page you can seemingly enable or disable WMM and turn "Internet access QOS" on or off. WMM is ebabled by default and Internet access QOS seems to be turned off by default. I left WMM enabled and turned Internet access QOS on becuase I assumed that if I did not turn it on the priorities I set would have no effect (assuming that they might work at all).

There is also an an option to "Enable upstream QOS" which does not seemingly work.

At the bottom of the page is a "SETUP QOS RULE" link which brings you to another page where you can delete or edit 30 QOS priorities that are already seeminlgly in place and where you can create new priorities.

I would really appreciate someone from Netgear explaining what is going on with these semingly hidden QOS settings on the Orbo roouter.

Breggen · Answer

I understand that "You can always get a router that has the QoS features you need and use the Orbi system in AP mode. " but it is disappointing&nbsp;that the Orbi does not have easily configurable&nbsp;QoSs settings. It is an expensive router.The Orbi is the most powerful mesh router that is made. The Linksys Velop is probably in second place in terms of range for a triband mesh&nbsp;system. I wanted the most powerful mesh router system so I got the Orbi.&nbsp;Also, the Orbi has has more LAN ports on the router and the satellites&nbsp;than the Velop system does, and the Orbi has a USB port.However the Velop has a much better app and a better&nbsp;browser management page. They have better UI's and more features, like QoS settings.With the Velop app you can easily prioritize devices and&nbsp;in the browser management&nbsp;you can set a variety&nbsp;of QoS priorities.The Velop app also tells you which satellite&nbsp;or router that each device is connected to and which band it is connected on (2.4 or 5). The Velop app has many other "advanced features" that can be set in the app. The Orbi app is close to useless.QoS settings&nbsp;are an industry standard for most mid level routers in 2018. Orbi is a 370-1000+ dollar mesh system. For those prices it should include the features that are industry standard for even mid priced routers. Also, there is no reason that the Orbi app needs to suck as much as it does.Netgear needs to hire the few more coders and technicians necessary&nbsp;in order to make a decent app and implement the expected features on the Orbi. The Orbi is a flagship product for them. They are a multi-national company worth more than a billion dollars. If you google the problems that&nbsp;Orbi has had you will see that for a long time wired ethernet backhaul was either not implemented or not working correctly and the USB ports were not functional.&nbsp; There were also many users who experienced connectivity issues for several versions of the firmware.&nbsp; It took Netgear a long time, like more than a year, to fix these issues and turn on these promised features.Imagine the cost involved in research and development and marketing and advertising for any new router or product being sold at this scale, much less one utilizing new tech like mesh networking.What kind of dysfunctional&nbsp;corporate bureaucracy&nbsp;must be taking place in Netgear's management&nbsp;for them to highly damage the reputation&nbsp;of one of their flagship products by not giving it the support it needs after launch?&nbsp;Hire the people you need and stop ruining your own products!

Breggen · Answer

If anyone does go down this road of setting QoS priorities on these hidden pages it might be important to remember to set the MAC address of any Orbi satellites at the highest priority.Even though the satellites supposedly have their own dedicated backhaul channel you can find them listed as one of the connected devices. In the Circle app they are bunched up in the same list as all the other devices and shows their MAC address just as it does with all the connected devices. In the Orbi app they have their own page in the app; which only tells you that they are connected and gives no other info&nbsp;(pathetic). And in the Orbi&nbsp;web login page they have their own separate row in the connected devices list and the status of the backhaul channel is described as "Good" or "Poor" or "None".My one great fear with all of this is that turning on the QoS and setting priorities would somehow mess up the backhaul communication system.If the Orbi app or web login page gave info about which band devices and satellites were connected to and at what speeds they connecting then that fear could be put to rest.

FURRYe38 · Answer

Probably just a place holder or a common template used for all NG routers. I see Setup QoS rules takes you to the speedtest app and not the more advanced QoS settings to input values. Something NG may or maynot bring to the Orbi. Will be up to them. Users have asked about more advanced QOS features. Up to NG though.&nbsp;

FURRYe38 · Answer

I believe someone did some sort of test a while back and posted that even though it seemed that QoS wasn't realy working, he found it was. I presume the QoS feature on the Orbi is probably fairly basic and probably does some form of minimal QoS. It sesms to be doing something as my Orbi in router mode is doing a fairly good job of handling two game consoles, video streaming and cameras withg out a hitch since I installed it. Installed my friends RBK50 (router mode) and he's got 3 game consoles there.&nbsp;Working for him.
&nbsp;
Who knows what NG put in these things. Thats IP and problably won't get any more info from NG regarding it.&nbsp;

FURRYe38 · Answer

WMM differs from QoS. WMM is QoS for wireless devices only.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
I wouldn't be bothered by QoS, use it for what it is and don't read into it. It is was it is and for the Orbi system, it's meant to be simple as the Orbi is meant for simplistic use and users. If you want or need more advanced QOS features, then the Orbi may not be for you. You can always get you a router that has the QoS features you need and use the Orbi system in AP mode.&nbsp;

Forum Discussion

Hidden Orbi QOS settings. Do they work?

9 Replies