Hi everyone, as suggested by a fellow user in the "Orbi" Forum, I repost my question here trying to get an well informed answer from the community. I've got an issue with my LBR20 configuration. I want it use the 4G/LTE connection as a failover of my cable broadband connection. I believe I configured it correctly (failover mode is enabled), however when the broadband connection fails, the router takes a long time (several minutes) to switch to the 4G/LTE connection (when it does, sometimes it doesn't switch at all). And then, when the cable broadband connection comes back up, the LBR20 never switches back to the cable broadband connection. It's stuck with the 4G/LTE connection until I reboot the LBR20 and the cable modem. Any idea about how I can :Make it work in a way that the LBR20 switches flawlessly between the two connections ? (I would like it to take around 1 minute to detect the loss/recovery of the broadband connection and switch the connection)Tweak the way the LBR20 should check the connectivity of the broadband connection (on my previous router, I had an option where I was able to set the IP to check and the frequency (in seconds) it should poll that IP to check whether the connection is working) Thank you for your help.

Hi clemtys The expected failure switch time is 2.5 mins. To verify, is this how you setup Failover: 1. Please make sure that you have the latest firmware v2.5.2.20. 2. Enable WAN/LAN port as WAN port only Go to Advanced TAB > LAN Setup > uncheck "Enable WAN/LAN1 port as LAN port" > click APPLY to save the changes. 3. Enable failover mode Go to Advanced TAB > Setup > Internet Setup > Mobile Broadband Settings > Select "Use WAN Ethernet with mobile as back up in case of failure" You will see the warning message "you have enable WAN/LAN1 PORT as LAN function when mobile mode, please disable it first". Click OK to continue. 4. Setup WAN Go to Advanced TAB > Setup > Internet Setup > Internet Setup Page. Please input the WAN type and click Apply for setup Regards, Blanca Community Team

I am testing the LBR20.. latest firmware v2.5.2.20 The time it switches from wires to Mobile from 2:15 - 3:15 minutes (need to do more testing). When i reconnect the wired internet connection, it is not switching over. The only way for it to switch is to power cycle the LBR20. This is not acceptable. if there is limited data server on the mobile internet connection, it could technically stay there for weeks if it's not monitored. I'll continue tinkering with the for the rest of the week, otherwise, I will have to return this product.

Thanks a lot for your answer. Let me answer your questions. Hope this helps. Was this purchased new or used? If new, you could always contact Netgear and get a replacement.It was purchased brand new from Amazon on July 31st. Maybe I'll contact Amazon or Netgear. A few questions?Of course. Who is your ISP and what equipment did they provide?It's SFR (France). They provide the Sagemcom f@st 3686 v1b cable modem. I put it in bridge mode to let the Orbi do the routing and DHCP part. What is the current firmware on your Orbi device?V2.5.2.20. Apparently, it's the last available firmware version. What device is your Orbi router connected to?It's connected to the cable modem on the WAN port and to a patch panel distributing the entire house (RJ45) Is your Orbi router in router mode or AP mode?It's in router mode (the AP mode is not available (greyed)). Do you have any protection features enabled on the LBR20?Not as far as I know. But I'll give it a check out this evening.I refused Circle, disabled Armor, IPv6 is greyed. Concerning the other advices you give (Disabling Daisy Chaining, Fast Roaming, etc.), I'll check this evening. Those settings don't ring a bell right now ;)Did you reboot your ISP modem/router, before starting the Orbi router install?I'm not sure, I did a lot of reboots then :) Have you changed the network cable connected from the ISP device to your Orbi router?Yes, I changed the cable just to eliminate it as a responsible of the dysfunction. Are your satellites wired or wireless?I've one satellite, it's wired through the patch panel. Thanks a lot for your help. I'll try to follow your advice and restart the configuration from scratch.

Seconded on this question. A failover time of over 2 minutes is not useful, and the inability to revert to ISP connectivity automatically is even more disqualifying -- it would be far too easy to blow through an LTE bandwidth allocation without realizing it!

If it may help, after a few months with the LBR20, I can confirm that the switch to 4G when the main link fails can take up to 3 mns, I suspect I miss it sometimes but when you watch Netflix or similar, you can't miss it and this can be long, especially when the main link gets back up and down a few times in the evening. However I have to say that I can't confirm that it doesn't switch back to the main link when it's up again. I can take some time (a few minutes) but it always switch back to the main link when available. Dear Netgear team, it would be really useful to be able to manage the default detection time/frequency to be something closer to 30/45 secs.

LBR20 - 4G/LTE as failover doesn't work flawlessly

15 Replies

Mstrbig
Master
Sep 21, 2020
clemtys wrote:

I believe I configured it correctly (failover mode is enabled), however when the broadband connection fails, the router takes a long time (several minutes) to switch to the 4G/LTE connection (when it does, sometimes it doesn't switch at all).

And then, when the cable broadband connection comes back up, the LBR20 never switches back to the cable broadband connection. It's stuck with the 4G/LTE connection until I reboot the LBR20 and the cable modem.
Thank you for your help.
Was this purchased new or used? If new, you could always contact Netgear and get a replacement.
A few questions?
Who is your ISP and what equipment did they provide?
What is the current firmware on your Orbi device?
What device is your Orbi router connected to?
Is your Orbi router in router mode or AP mode?
Do you have any protection features enabled on the LBR20?
Did you reboot your ISP modem/router, before starting the Orbi router install?
Have you changed the network cable connected from the ISP device to your Orbi router?
Are your satellites wired or wireless?

I would try these settings:
Disable Circle, Armor, Daisy Chaining, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and uncheck 20/40Mhz Coexistence.
Enable WMM, Implicit BeamForming, Mu-MIMO
Set Short preamble mode. Save settings, reboot Orbi.

If none of this help, I would start from the very beginning and factory reset the LBR20 and, if possible, configure as a router.
- clemtys
  Star
  Sep 21, 2020
  Thanks a lot for your answer. Let me answer your questions. Hope this helps.
  
  Was this purchased new or used? If new, you could always contact Netgear and get a replacement.
  It was purchased brand new from Amazon on July 31st. Maybe I'll contact Amazon or Netgear.
  
  A few questions?
  Of course.
  
  Who is your ISP and what equipment did they provide?
  It's SFR (France). They provide the Sagemcom f@st 3686 v1b cable modem. I put it in bridge mode to let the Orbi do the routing and DHCP part.
  
  What is the current firmware on your Orbi device?
  V2.5.2.20. Apparently, it's the last available firmware version.
  
  What device is your Orbi router connected to?
  It's connected to the cable modem on the WAN port and to a patch panel distributing the entire house (RJ45)
  
  Is your Orbi router in router mode or AP mode?
  It's in router mode (the AP mode is not available (greyed)).
  
  Do you have any protection features enabled on the LBR20?
  Not as far as I know. But I'll give it a check out this evening.
  I refused Circle, disabled Armor, IPv6 is greyed. Concerning the other advices you give (Disabling Daisy Chaining, Fast Roaming, etc.), I'll check this evening. Those settings don't ring a bell right now ;)
  
  Did you reboot your ISP modem/router, before starting the Orbi router install?
  I'm not sure, I did a lot of reboots then :)
  
  Have you changed the network cable connected from the ISP device to your Orbi router?
  Yes, I changed the cable just to eliminate it as a responsible of the dysfunction.
  
  Are your satellites wired or wireless?
  I've one satellite, it's wired through the patch panel.
  
  Thanks a lot for your help. I'll try to follow your advice and restart the configuration from scratch.
  - Mstrbig
    Master
    Sep 21, 2020
    clemtys wrote:
    Thanks a lot for your answer. Let me answer your questions. Hope this helps.
    
    Are your satellites wired or wireless?
    I've one satellite, it's wired through the patch panel.
    What patch panel are you referring to, what brand, and is the patch panel before or after the LBR20, or in between the LBR20 and satellite.
    Which brings up another question, is your LBR20 directly connected to your ISP modem/router or is it connected to a switch or patch panel?

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LBR20 - 4G/LTE as failover doesn't work flawlessly