NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
UnCapitano
Mar 19, 2020Apprentice
Netgear drops the ball... again. RBR50 on FW2.5.1.8
I'm a longtime Orbi user. I bought the system as soon as it was available. I'm also fairly knowledgeable with tech devices. The Orbi worked flawlessly for me since he beginning. Like most of you,...
SW_
Mar 19, 2020Prodigy
UnCapitano , was there anything in the logs that would be out of place?
I've also had the first generation Orbi RBK53 on v.2.5.1.8 and it's been working okay so far. However, my setup is quite different than a would be normal Orbi setup. I've already given up trying to get Orbi to function as a proper Router + Disney + Armor, because it's nothing but trouble. To get Orbi to a stable state, I have to disable practically everything that I could disable, including its internal DHCP client. I'm currently keeping Orbi for its WiFi capability and delegate all other router functions to my DIY PC pfSense Router Firewall for Gigabit speed.
Everyone of us in CA are in a similar situation, Shelter-At-Home, with heavy WiFi usage. It's the worst time for Orbi to fail. I'm lucky that my Orbi setup is still holding up...
- UnCapitanoMar 19, 2020ApprenticeBut isn’t that the issue? I mean, I don’t have Disney or Armor enabled due to the issues I had ( mostly with Armor). I literally only have my home devices ( various iPhones, gaming systems , MacBooks and iPads ) online.
The only recent changes were adding Xfinity security, which runs wired and a video doorbell, which is also wired.
The orbi just loses connection to the internet and I can’t tell why. I will check the logs to see why it may interrupt.- SW_Mar 19, 2020Prodigy
Yes. Orbi FW is buggy to say the least, regardless of versions. I just have to deal with it.
I have Nest Doorbell + Nest thermostats + Google Home Mini, etc., Those IoTs can also cause problem if their DHCP lease time is less than 24hours. My past experience has been that whenever my Orbi network is unstable, i.e. Orbi rebooting itself, leading to brief WiFi connectivity issues, I would have to reboot/power cycle the entire network to get rid of stale/sticky IP, which I eventually gave up, resulting in my current setup.
FWIW, this current setup will be the last straw, i.e., if Orbi can't hold up during Shelter-At-Home period, I will likely go with a single vendor, Google Nest WiFi.
- UnCapitanoMar 19, 2020ApprenticeExactly my point. Nest Wifi seems to have less power but I guarantee that they also have less issues.
Now, that said, I’ve had long windows where things went just fine. But it’s unacceptable to see this many threads chronicling the same exact network behavior and have no answer at all from Netgear.