NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Orbi and Ethernet Switch / Backhaul Setup
After reading this topic https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Orbi-and-Ethernet-Switch-Backhaul-Setup/td-p/1688979 I have some questions about my setup: Router -> Netgear switch GS108PEv3 -> Or...
These are the connecion senarious that you can connect RBS to the RBR:
Direct or with using a switch in the middle between the RBR and RBS.
NO idea why NG hasn't made the Orbi more compatbile with green ethernet features. Must be some reason. No idea if or when they will change that. So we just know, that some switches don't work well for Orbi systems. Some have posted that some green ethernet switches seem to work. Kind of a mixed bag.
Where is the Orbi router located (physically) relative to the ISP router?
The Orbi router expects satellite(s) to be connect either via WiFi or to one of the Orbi LAN ports.
If the ISP router and Orbi router are "next to each other", then the simple fix is to connect the satellite to the Orbi rather than to the switch.
Router and Orbi router are on the same floor, however distance between them around 15 meters (CAT7 cable directly from router to Orbi router)
Router and switch in the same space, from switch CAT6E cable to 2nd floor (around 25 meters) where Orbi satelliet is positioned.
So, you think because satellite is not directly connected to the Orbi router, that can be a problem? I think it should not matter that between them there is a switch and a router.
Yes. The RBS needs to be connected directly to the back of the RBR or if you need a switch, the switch needs to be connected behind the RBR then the RBS connected to the switch. BE sure to use a non managed non green ethernet switch.
Netgear switch GS108PEv3 is a managed switch (not sure green or not). So what is exaclty the problem with that, and can it be solved by disabling some features of switch?
Yes, disable ALL IGMP protocols on this switch. Seems to cause some problems if it's enabled and the switch is in between the RBR and RBS.
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Orbi-MR-2-1-Update-3-23-18/m-p/1553749/highlight/true#M30673
Green Switch: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/switching-requirements-for-ethernet-backhaul/m-p/1653718/highlight/true#M43817
dixkom wrote:Router and Orbi router are on the same floor, however distance between them around 15 meters (CAT7 cable directly from router to Orbi router)
Router and switch in the same space, from switch CAT6E cable to 2nd floor (around 25 meters) where Orbi satelliet is positioned.
So, you think because satellite is not directly connected to the Orbi router, that can be a problem? I think it should not matter that between them there is a switch and a router.
There are several potential issues. Netgear describes ethernet backhaul in this web article:
Notice that in every example, satellites are connected to one of the router LAN ports, never to the Orbi WAN port.
Just to double check, the Orbi web interface Attached Devices page does show the satellite connection as "Wired", not WiFi?
As FURRYe38 mentioned, there is an additional complication that some switches do not work for ethernet backhaul, even when placed according to example three in the Netgear article. There are many possible explanations for the problem, including IGMP snooping, being "managed", and being "smart". To my knowledge, Netgear has never (a) described the specific characteristics required of the switch, or (b) provided a list of switches that are known to work.
What I think definitely would work is another ethernet cable between the Orbi location (LAN port) and the switch location, where instead of going into the switch, it would be patched directly to the cable going to the satellite. This would create "example 1". My guess is that this is horribly inconvenient or impractical.
Yes, Orbi web interface Attached Devices shows connection as "Wired" and Backhaul status "Good", only on iPhone app the satelite has magenta color, and lights on satelite are also magenta. But everything looks working.
Just moved RBR connection from router to switch. Now both, RBR and RBS are on the switch, however RBR on WLAN port, otherwise it has no internet:
RBR (WAN) -> switch -> RBS
Off-topic: some other issue is till today my switch provided only 100MB connection to RBR, while directly to the router it was 1000MB. Today it was first time also only 100MB, but last time it increased to 1000MB. And it is not possible to select manualy speed per port. Today disabled "IGMP Snooping Status", maybe that is why.