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Forum Discussion
Orbi - why can't we change channels on satellites?
Wireless design best practice when installing multiple access points in an area is to have non-overlapping channels. So if you have 3 APs (RBR50, 2-RBS50) in an area, for 2.4 GHz, one AP would be cha...
On Orbi systems, you can pick primart non overlapping channels.
Users need to remember that the reason why you can't pick channels on the satellites is that they are acting as REPEATERS/Extenders, thus when repeating, they have to be on the same channel as the source wifi signal channel. This doesn't work if the satellites was on a different channel from the source wireless. Repeatersand Extenders work on the same channel for this configuration.
FURRYe38 wrote:
Users need to remember that the reason why you can't pick channels on the satellites is that they are acting as REPEATERS/Extenders, thus when repeating, they have to be on the same channel as the source wifi signal channel. This doesn't work if the satellites was on a different channel from the source wireless. Repeatersand Extenders work on the same channel for this configuration.
This is circualar reasoning? WHY are the satellites acting as Repeaters/Extenders? It's by design choice of Netgear, I assume.
Circular reasoning for sure. Furry, time to take you team Netgear hat off and give up.
EIther by NG or the chipset developer or both. Again, for the average home user, simplicity is desured. The less users have to do with there systems, the better. I most cases, there is no need to change channels on the satellites. This is handled by the router.
molec wrote:
FURRYe38 wrote:
Users need to remember that the reason why you can't pick channels on the satellites is that they are acting as REPEATERS/Extenders, thus when repeating, they have to be on the same channel as the source wifi signal channel. This doesn't work if the satellites was on a different channel from the source wireless. Repeatersand Extenders work on the same channel for this configuration.
This is circualar reasoning? WHY are the satellites acting as Repeaters/Extenders? It's by design choice of Netgear, I assume.
So extensive co-channel interference is a feature, not a bug, for NG.
If that is the case, then NG should make that clear in their documentation so us advanced users do not waste our money on a poorly designed product.
Please feel free to post about that here:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Idea-Exchange-For-Home/idb-p/idea-exchange-for-home
Good Luck.
molec wrote:
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This is circualar reasoning? WHY are the satellites acting as Repeaters/Extenders? It's by design choice of Netgear, I assume.
Anyone who says that Orbi is a repeater/extender does not know how Orbi works. It's simply not a correct statement.
The orbi Satellites work as access points (APs) in a mesh network and the Orbi Router is the main controller which manages the whole network and controls the roaming of devices between the APs.
This is the main idea of all mesh systems. Some vendors chose to have different channels for every AP but Orbi chose to have one single channel for every band.
The main reason -I think- why Netgear chose this option is to reduce the number of roaming events. Orbi is made for home users and -usually- you will have multiple APs in a relatevely small area so the overlap between the APs is -usually- quite big and therefore devices will keep hopping between the APs if they have different channels (because devices will keep comparing the levels of the signals between the 2 bands of the APs and hop to the AP which has higher level) which will affect the performance of mainly the mobile devices (and consequently the battery life of the devices) and also the performance of the whole netwrork.
By choosing to use the same channel the devices will not need to do too many roaming activities.
On the other hand, in enterprise solutions, the AP's are usually assigned different channels because usually a radio planning is done and the coverage is well studied in advace to make sure the overlap is just enough to cover the whole enterprise.
It's very simple for Netgear to set a channel for every band in Orbi. In fact I tried to set a channel for every satellite in my Orbi (using telnet commands) and had it for couple of hours and I noticed the amount of roamings the devices needed to do. In certain locations of the home one of my static devices made up to 3 roamings per minute while not moving!
So in summary, assigning channels for every AP is good only when you have good radio planning, but otherwise having one single channel is much more effective.
I believe that Netgear can make this as configurable settings, which will mainly benefit those who have big areas to cover, but can give negative impact for people who will use this functionality without enough radio knowledge and tools.
"..and therefore devices will keep hopping between the APs if they have different channels (because devices will keep comparing the levels of the signals between the 2 bands of the APs and hop to the AP which has higher level)..."
Except they don't. I have cameras literally within a few meters of the satellite and they connect to the main router or satellite 15 meters away through two walls. They don't transition unless I power cycle them. Same with other devices as well. That would lead me to believe I don't need any satellites at all and should never have bought the damn thing - I expected better. It works OK, but seems to be nothing but overkill.
astrojohn wrote:
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Except they don't. I have cameras literally within a few meters of the satellite and they connect to the main router or satellite 15 meters away through two walls. They don't transition unless I power cycle them. Same with other devices as well. That would lead me to believe I don't need any satellites at all and should never have bought the damn thing - I expected better. It works OK, but seems to be nothing but overkill.
This is a device issue (your cameras), nothing to do with Orbi. Those devices are called 'Sticky Devices" and have old bad design that assumes that home users will only have one AP and do not support any type of roaming. I think that new devices are more able to handle the relatively new home mesh systems.
ekhalil wrote:
molec wrote:
...........
This is circualar reasoning? WHY are the satellites acting as Repeaters/Extenders? It's by design choice of Netgear, I assume.
Anyone who says that Orbi is a repeater/extender does not know how Orbi works. It's simply not a correct statement.
The orbi Satellites work as access points (APs) in a mesh network and the Orbi Router is the main controller which manages the whole network and controls the roaming of devices between the APs.
This is the main idea of all mesh systems. Some vendors chose to have different channels for every AP but Orbi chose to have one single channel for every band.
The main reason -I think- why Netgear chose this option is to reduce the number of roaming events.
Is this the reason why I'm sitting next to one of the satellites still connected to the base station at -65dB and a latency of 3 seconds?
> By choosing to use the same channel the devices will not need to do too many roaming activities.
but I WANT them to!
> I believe that Netgear can make this as configurable settings, which will mainly benefit those who have big areas to cover, but can give negative impact for people who will use this functionality without enough radio knowledge and tools.
what's wrong with CHOICE? I think the NG devs are just lazy and/or incompetent at this point.
molec wrote:
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Is this the reason why I'm sitting next to one of the satellites still connected to the base station at -65dB and a latency of 3 seconds?
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Yes, it's the devices' choice
molec wrote:> By choosing to use the same channel the devices will not need to do too many roaming activities.
but I WANT them to!
......
Again, it's the devices choice to move or not to move! For devices that choose to move it's better to minimize the roaming events as much as possible. For sticky devices the router has not much to do.
molec wrote:
......what's wrong with CHOICE? I think the NG devs are just lazy and/or incompetent at this point.
Yes, giving the choice can be good!
