NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.

Forum Discussion

QuakerWildcat's avatar
Apr 05, 2020

New RBR20 - Affecting Ethernet in house?

Is there some reason that my new Orbi would interfere with my wired ethernet?

 

Background: I had decent connectivity in my house, with ethernet throughout, but with the demarc point (and FiOS router) in one corner of the house, WiFi was spotty on the far end. I had a TP-LINK access point on the that far end of the house, but that was dropping a lot, and so I sprung for the Orbi Mesh Router. 

 

This morning I set up the Orbi in the center of the house, and the satellite directly above it on the 2nd floor. For everybody's convenience, I gave it the same SSID as the FiOS router, and then turned off WiFi on the FiOS router. WiFi now seems to be working great at all corners. 

 

What's weird: the PCs connected via hard wired ethernet connections throughout the house all say "Unidentified Network: No Internet".

 

What's weirder: The Orbi itself is connected via ethernet through a switch to the FiOS router, so I know ethernet is working for the Orbi. 

 

I'm not a networking expert. What am I missing?

5 Replies

  • The Orbi default mode is as a "router", which means it will respond to DHCP requests. When devices broadcast a DHCP request, any DHCP server on the network can respond and the device talks to the first one that does.  I would switch the Orbi to Access Point (AP) mode.

    • QuakerWildcat's avatar
      QuakerWildcat
      Aspirant

      CrimpOn, thanks for the quick reply. This makes a sense, BUT:

      1. About an hour after setting up the Orbi RBR20, all of the devices in the house that were hard-wired via ethernet to the FiOS router started working again, so I'm wondering if I should just leave well-enough alone.
      2. I had simply followed the setup instructions and used the Orbi app, and I don't see any settings in the app for router vs. access point. Where/how would I do that?
      3. What other nifty features won't I find on the app?

      Thanks. This bit is a pain but overall I AM seeing improved WiFi performance and coverage.

      • FURRYe38's avatar
        FURRYe38
        Guru

        You'll find more user features if you use a web browser and log in to the RBRs web page. 

         

        Glad is working now. 

         

  • Is the Orbi system operating in Router or AP mode?

    Is your FIOS router bridged or in router mode? 


    What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch in the configuration if one is being used?

     

    Is Daisy Chain enabled? If so, disable it on the RBR and check. 

    Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings


    QuakerWildcat wrote:

    Is there some reason that my new Orbi would interfere with my wired ethernet?

     

    Background: I had decent connectivity in my house, with ethernet throughout, but with the demarc point (and FiOS router) in one corner of the house, WiFi was spotty on the far end. I had a TP-LINK access point on the that far end of the house, but that was dropping a lot, and so I sprung for the Orbi Mesh Router. 

     

    This morning I set up the Orbi in the center of the house, and the satellite directly above it on the 2nd floor. For everybody's convenience, I gave it the same SSID as the FiOS router, and then turned off WiFi on the FiOS router. WiFi now seems to be working great at all corners. 

     

    What's weird: the PCs connected via hard wired ethernet connections throughout the house all say "Unidentified Network: No Internet".

     

    What's weirder: The Orbi itself is connected via ethernet through a switch to the FiOS router, so I know ethernet is working for the Orbi. 

     

    I'm not a networking expert. What am I missing?