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Forum Discussion
Orbi Ethernet Backhaul causing broadcast storm
I have just upgraded my Orbi router and satellites to V2.1.1.12 hoping to take advantage of the recent Ethernet backhaul feature. I use the Orbi router as my main router with a 24 port switch servic...
I too had this problem with V2.1.4.16 and ethernet backhaul. I am running in AP mode behind a R7800 router.
The ethernet backhaul network must be dedicated to your ORBI devices. If you have a switch between your main unit and satellites, no non-ORBI devices can be connected to that switch. When ORBI devices see packets on the backhaul network segment that they didn't originate, those packets are forwarded to their other non-backhaul network interfaces. If your switch is connected to both the backhaul and non-backhaul networks, you've created a switching loop and the network grinds to a halt.
In my house, I have a long ethernet cable run from where the ORBI router is to where the Satellite is located. That cable is connected to ethernet switches on both ends where I connect other wired devices. When I connected my ORBIs to each switch with a single cable, I created two backhaul networks: one provided by the ORBIs and the other provided by the switches.
To fix, I just connected the ORBIs between the switches instead of "outside" them like so:
Router -> Switch -> master ORBI WAN port -> master ORBI LAN port -> Long dedicated ethernet run -> Satellite LAN port -> another Satellite LAN port -> Switch -> other ethernet devices
The important thing is that each ORBI unit has two ethernet cables connected. One for the backhaul network and the other for non-backhaul traffic.
My bandwidth tests with iperf3 show no performance hit between my two switches with the ORBIs in the middle. Wireshark confirmed a happy network.
I think the Netgear wiring diagram cited by the OP did not expect anything else to be connected to the switch between the main ORBI unit and the satellites.
I hope this helps...
Broadcast storms can be also seen if the DHCP service on the Orbi mis-takenly hands off 1 IP address to 2 different devcies. Seen this before as well. Users are encouraged to set up IP address reservations ON the main host router for each device, includeing satellites so that each devcies gets it's own IP address when turned on and should avoid IP address conflicts.
Direct connection of satellites to base Orbi is recommended however switches can be used between and or after the satellite. I use switches in between the main router and satellite for my system.
Be sure your using a non managed switch as well.
I discovered that my issues was not as assumed. My topology had switches between the Hub and Satellites which is not a problem until I had an issue with an ethernet connector that caused intermitten connection. When the satellite lost connection to the hub because of the cable fault, it would bring up the wireless connection back to the hub. So the intermittent connection would cause intermittent loops. I think a good solution to my problem would be to have the option to disable the wireless backhaul.
LAN cables can be also a cause as well. Glad you found the problem.
Glad you got it fixed.Enjoy. :smileywink:
skirby67 wrote:
I discovered that my issues was not as assumed. My topology had switches between the Hub and Satellites which is not a problem until I had an issue with an ethernet connector that caused intermitten connection. When the satellite lost connection to the hub because of the cable fault, it would bring up the wireless connection back to the hub. So the intermittent connection would cause intermittent loops. I think a good solution to my problem would be to have the option to disable the wireless backhaul.
FURRYe38 wrote:
Broadcast storms can be also seen if the DHCP service on the Orbi mis-takenly hands off 1 IP address to 2 different devcies. Seen this before as well. Users are encouraged to set up IP address reservations ON the main host router for each device, includeing satellites so that each devcies gets it's own IP address when turned on and should avoid IP address conflicts.
In my case the ORBI system was in Access Point mode so the DHCP server was disabled.
Direct connection of satellites to base Orbi is recommended however switches can be used between and or after the satellite. I use switches in between the main router and satellite for my system.
The problem is not caused by using a switch between the ORBI router and satellite(s). That works fine. The problem is caused by connecting non-ORBI devices to that same switch and introducing foreign traffic to the backhaul network.
Understand. However I also have non Orbi devices connected to the in between switch on my system. Only issues I saw when a storm happend was a IP address conflict. Setting up an IP address reservation helped resolve this. Something to look out for in this kind of configuration. Non managed switches work well in between and hind the satellites along with non connected devices. Just make sure the IP addresses are good and reserved.
