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Orbi dropping internet connection finally resolved!
Hi Everyone, So I've had countless issues with my Orbi RBK50 where I've been frustrated, called support, sent a number of support messages, with no response. Support even initially asked me to ta...
The Orbi should either be:
1. It's own firewall and router with its own IP directy to the provider (DMZ). It should not be routing behind the Spectrum router. It should only use the Spectrum modem for its internet connection.
2. A wireless access point that takes the Spectrum routers LAN and extends it using its wifi mesh capabilities.
in my case, it was in the wrong mode in 1. (It was routing behind the AT&T router) and was dropping connections.
I believe I have it set up as described in #2, “A wireless access point that takes the Spectrum routers LAN and extends it using its wifi mesh capabilities.” I’m still dealing with frequent dropped connections.
Should I switch it to #1? And if so... um, how do I do that?
Should I switch it to #1? And if so... um, how do I do that?
- (And if there’s anything I should screenshot that might help you determine what’s going on, let me know. I’m so frustrated. I’ve been trying to figure out what’s wrong for months.)
Sadly this is not new and not unique to you either. I would encourage you to review this thread
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Orbi-satellite-dropping-connection/td-p/1338235
With 557 replies to date
TL;dr The orbi system for many people works as advertised but for a subset of users it is unstable, disconnects both wireless and wired connections at random and no amount of resets, updates, changes to the settings will resolve it.
The only "working" solution appears to be forcing a reboot of the whole device every 24 hours. Well-intentioned people on this forum will weigh in with questions on your configuration, suggested changes to settings and even going to Netgear support to start an RMA (be warned this is a *huge* time drain, 3 hours in one instance, thanks to the offshore call center and support that is limited and refuses to acknowledge the flaws in the stability of the system that dates back to 2017). I've tried it all and never resolved the problem and was refused a return for a refund on my "business" class Orbi system as I had foolishly failed to troubleshoot and confirm the functionality within the 30-day return window. Which for an intermittent problem that you might not notice especially if you are predominantly using wireless where dropouts happen and can go unnoticed for weeks.
When it works its great, but if you need a reliable network you are better off finding an alternative industrial-grade solution - depending on your tech expertise I can personally recommend Ubiquiti Amplifi for simple easy and reliable Msh network with some limitations on speed
OR
A full-on Ubiquiti Unifi system but it is a significant technical lift if you are not networking fluent (but there is an outstanding support forum and Ubiquiti technical support)
Good luck
What FW is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?
Is the Orbi system operating in Router or AP mode?Modem Combo Units:
Couple of options,
1. Configure the modem for transparent bridge mode. Then use the Orbi router in router mode. You'll need to contact the ISP for help and information in regards to the modem being bridged correctly.
2. If you can't bridge the modem, disable ALL wifi radios on the modem, configure the modems DMZ for the IP address the Orbi router gets from the modem. Then you can use the Orbi router in Router mode.
3. Or disable all wifi radios on the modem and connect the Orbi router to the modem, configure AP mode on the Orbi router. https://kb.netgear.com/31218/How-do-I-configure-my-Orbi-router-to-act-as-an-access-point and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7LOcJ8GdDo&app=desktop
What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between them to begin with depending upon building materials.What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?
What WPA security modes are you using?Satellite there havn't been much satellite issues and most are configuration issues. Users are having good working systems with recent versions of FW.
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Firmware-2-2-1-210-released-as-of-10-3-18/m-p/1649157/highlight/true#M42960
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Firmware-2-2-1-210-released-as-of-10-3-18/m-p/1648321/highlight/true#M42695
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Firmware-2-2-1-210-released-as-of-10-3-18/m-p/1649172/highlight/true#M42966
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Firmware-2-2-1-210-released-as-of-10-3-18/m-p/1649389/highlight/true#M43029
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Your-experience-with-Firmware-2-2-1-210-released-as-of-10-3-18/m-p/1649401/highlight/true#M43034
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Your-experience-with-Firmware-2-2-1-210-released-as-of-10-3-18/m-p/1650323/highlight/true#M43206
livefastdieold wrote:
I believe I have it set up as described in #2, “A wireless access point that takes the Spectrum routers LAN and extends it using its wifi mesh capabilities.” I’m still dealing with frequent dropped connections.
Should I switch it to #1? And if so... um, how do I do that?- Thank you so much for the detailed reply. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
*The Orbi firmware is the latest version.
*The Spectrum modem is an Arris. I don’t know the model number, but I can look it up later tonight if that would help.
*The Orbi is in Router Mode.
*All radios are turned off of the Spectrum modem, and more recently, I set it to Bridge mode (or at least, I think I did; I didn’t talk to anyone in customer support, but I found an option for Bridge mode in the Arris settings).
The size of the building is big but not enormous. Two floors, around 2700 sq.ft. each. I have the Orbi hub on the first floor towards the back of the building, and the satellite upstairs, towards the front. I would estimate there’s 30-40 feet between the two.
The problem, I believe, is the old brick walls, which is why I turned to mesh networking. For the first several months, the Orbi worked great. It was after an AT&T tech plugged it into a Uverse router temporarily that the problems started.
I’ve played around with the Orbi’s radio channels, but no luck there. The WiFi network is using WPA/WPA2.
It’s an urban setting, so there are a number of networks within range (usually five to 10+).
A couple of other potential clues (or red herrings, I don’t know):
*The problem seems way more pronounced on iPhones than on any other device. I’m able to use multiple PCs & stream to a smart TV without much trouble. I also have a PS4 connected; if the connection were dropping, I don’t believe I’d be able to play games, but I can play them without incident. On iPhones, the problem is very frequent; it drops the connection frequently, regardless of how recently I reset the devices.
*Occasionally, my iPhone will claim I’ve entered the wrong password to the wireless network. If I just try to connect again, without changing anything regarding the password, it works fine. Yes it would be helpful to know the model# of the ISP modem. Just checking to see if it had a built in router or not. Helps in troubleshooting as well.
livefastdieold wrote:
Thank you so much for the detailed reply. I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
*The Orbi firmware is the latest version.
*The Spectrum modem is an Arris. I don’t know the model number, but I can look it up later tonight if that would help.
*The Orbi is in Router Mode.
*All radios are turned off of the Spectrum modem, and more recently, I set it to Bridge mode (or at least, I think I did; I didn’t talk to anyone in customer support, but I found an option for Bridge mode in the Arris settings).
The size of the building is big but not enormous. Two floors, around 2700 sq.ft. each. I have the Orbi hub on the first floor towards the back of the building, and the satellite upstairs, towards the front. I would estimate there’s 30-40 feet between the two.
The problem, I believe, is the old brick walls, which is why I turned to mesh networking. For the first several months, the Orbi worked great. It was after an AT&T tech plugged it into a Uverse router temporarily that the problems started.
I’ve played around with the Orbi’s radio channels, but no luck there. The WiFi network is using WPA/WPA2.
It’s an urban setting, so there are a number of networks within range (usually five to 10+).
A couple of other potential clues (or red herrings, I don’t know):
*The problem seems way more pronounced on iPhones than on any other device. I’m able to use multiple PCs & stream to a smart TV without much trouble. I also have a PS4 connected; if the connection were dropping, I don’t believe I’d be able to play games, but I can play them without incident. On iPhones, the problem is very frequent; it drops the connection frequently, regardless of how recently I reset the devices.
*Occasionally, my iPhone will claim I’ve entered the wrong password to the wireless network. If I just try to connect again, without changing anything regarding the password, it works fine.- Cool. It’s an Arris DG1670A.
Your modem does already have a built in router and wifi:
Modem Combo Units:
Couple of options,
1. Configure the modem for transparent bridge mode. Then use the Orbi router in router mode. You'll need to contact the ISP for help and information in regards to the modem being bridged correctly.
2. If you can't bridge the modem, disable ALL wifi radios on the modem, configure the modems DMZ for the IP address the Orbi router gets from the modem. Then you can use the Orbi router in Router mode.
3. Or disable all wifi radios on the modem and connect the Orbi router to the modem, configure AP mode on the Orbi router. https://kb.netgear.com/31218/How-do-I-configure-my-Orbi-router-to-act-as-an-access-point and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7LOcJ8GdDo&app=desktop- I haven’t had any luck with options #1 or #3. The modem in Bridge mode & Orbi in Router mode gives me the same problems. Is it worth trying #2?
Also: In my iPhone WiFi settings, under IPV6 Address it reads “2 addresses.” Is this unusual? Looks like Orbi is setup for IPV6 support. Unless you need that for some reason, I would try turning that off. It's under Advanced, Advanced Setup, IPV6.
Disable IPv6 as suggested...
You can try Option#2...
livefastdieold wrote:
I haven’t had any luck with options #1 or #3. The modem in Bridge mode & Orbi in Router mode gives me the same problems. Is it worth trying #2?
Also: In my iPhone WiFi settings, under IPV6 Address it reads “2 addresses.” Is this unusual?
