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Forum Discussion
Orbi firmware update v2.1.4.16 availability
We’ve been monitoring issues that some customers have experienced in OrbiOS 2.1.4. In response, we’re releasing firmware that provides a permanent fix for the homekit issue along with various other f...
cheshbr wrote:
I have an Orbi RBK50 system running in AP mode on FW v2.1.4.16 in perfect working order, using a wired backhaul with all devices connecting to their nearest Orbi device in 5Ghz mode if it’s capable of 5Ghz, or 2.4Ghz where that’s all they allow, eg Lifx globes only function on a 2.4Ghz network. Ever since FW v2.1.4.16 has been available, I have used it without any issues whatsoever. Apple HomeKit works, LIFX works, TP-Link and Wemo switches work perfectly, Apple HomePod, Amazon dot and Google Home all just work, as do assorted iPhones, iPads and Macs, and the devices of visiting family and friends.
So I repeat, what problem? What needs to be fixed?
Could it be that those of you who have less than satisfactory experience with Orbi should have another look at their skill levels, their configuration, their internet source, or other devices and peripherals that may be interacting poorly? Perhaps they assume that Orbis are simple to set up. They are not.
There is a need for basic network knowledge and fundamental skills, eg understanding IP addresses, MAC addresses, DHCP, reserved IP addresses, etc. Orbis are not Plug n Play. And there’s a need for ongoing maintenance to keep everything working optimally.
Try running your system NOT in AP mode, and see if you experience issues. I have had nothing but problems with this system, even after RMAing a satellite, there are times where devices connect, but the only way to get the system working is to unplug the satellite and plug it back in, or reboot the system. I don't know whether there are routing issues or not, but there is still something wrong with the firmware or the devices themselves.
It looks like you are running yours in AP mode and have no issues. I have 27 devices on the network, and running wireless backhaul on the satellite. I'm going to try running this thing in AP mode, as I just ordered a Ubiquiti ER-X. I hope that fixes all of my issues. Time will tell.
No, I can’t run my Orbis in router mode because I have a basic DSL service requiring a modem, and mine, a Billion 7800VDOX modem/router, handles the routing. I mearly disabled WiFi, hooked up the Orbis in AP mode and experienced a great outcome first time (although the wired backhaul fought me at first). I bought Netgear Orbi for its mesh and coverage functions, and when I do get some new high speed broadband (yes folks, we here in Australia are being dragged kickin’ and screamin’ into the 21st century with new fibre infrustructure to be made available across the nation by 2020) I may try the Orbis in router mode as I won’t need the Billion. I could still use the Billion as a router only, but it’s a bit dated, and I too like the sound of the Ubiquiti Edgerouter X. I’d love hear about your experience with it. Good luck.
I recommend using the DMZ on your ISP router, which ever one you get for the Orbi if you want to run it in router mode if your ISP modem can't be bridged...
cheshbr wrote:
No, I can’t run my Orbis in router mode because I have a basic DSL service requiring a modem, and mine, a Billion 7800VDOX modem/router, handles the routing. I mearly disabled WiFi, hooked up the Orbis in AP mode and experienced a great outcome first time (although the wired backhaul fought me at first). I bought Netgear Orbi for its mesh and coverage functions, and when I do get some new high speed broadband (yes folks, we here in Australia are being dragged kickin’ and screamin’ into the 21st century with new fibre infrustructure to be made available across the nation by 2020) I may try the Orbis in router mode as I won’t need the Billion. I could still use the Billion as a router only, but it’s a bit dated, and I too like the sound of the Ubiquiti Edgerouter X. I’d love hear about your experience with it. Good luck.
Thanks, but i’m Happy with my AP setup. And despite your suggestion of running dual routers and DMZ, I don’t want to make my relatively simple setup more complex, and you know my views on the danger of deploying DMZ permanently.
Once my broadband is up to scratch and I no longer need a modem, I will try my Orbi in router mode, or I could stay in AP mode and reconfigure the Billion to be just a router, or buy a Ubiquiti Edgerouter X. Others appear to be interested in the latter, too, so i’m Hoping they will keep us up to date with their experiences.
i do appreciate your advice and knowledge, and I think I have some value to add too. Isn’t that the purpose of a forum?
I only mention DMZ if you have a modem that you can't bridge or still need to use as a main host router.
Again, don't discredit DMZ, it has a safe use when you have two routers on the line.Of course. Also to educate as well.
cheshbr wrote:
Thanks, but i’m Happy with my AP setup. And despite your suggestion of running dual routers and DMZ, I don’t want to make my relatively simple setup more complex, and you know my views on the danger of deploying DMZ permanently.
Once my broadband is up to scratch and I no longer need a modem, I will try my Orbi in router mode, or I could stay in AP mode and reconfigure the Billion to be just a router, or buy a Ubiquiti Edgerouter X. Others appear to be interested in the latter, too, so i’m Hoping they will keep us up to date with their experiences.
i do appreciate your advice and knowledge, and I think I have some value to add too. Isn’t that the purpose of a forum?
This is getting crazy, it's 2 hours i'm trying to get internet back in my house.
It all started when it prompted me to update to 2.1.4.16, i did it and hell broke loose.
I have Orbi in AP mode (router mode never worked), with one satellite via lan. Now the router is on the correct firmware, while satellite is on "2.1.4.16ww", whatever "ww" is, and i've been updating it for the third time. Each time it tells me "update successfull", and then asks me to update again from "2.1.4.16ww" to "2.1.4.16".
Bleah.
Have you downloaded the FW file and applied it directly to the satellite with a wire connected PC?
vannibombonato wrote:
This is getting crazy, it's 2 hours i'm trying to get internet back in my house.
It all started when it prompted me to update to 2.1.4.16, i did it and hell broke loose.
I have Orbi in AP mode (router mode never worked), with one satellite via lan. Now the router is on the correct firmware, while satellite is on "2.1.4.16ww", whatever "ww" is, and i've been updating it for the third time. Each time it tells me "update successfull", and then asks me to update again from "2.1.4.16ww" to "2.1.4.16".
Bleah.
So all issues have been resolved? No need for a new Beta then? I find that very odd.
- Exactly my point. They aren't listening to us. There is a laundry list of issues. But since I'm outside of the standard support window, thru won't do a thing for me and nobody from Netgear responds with any solutions. I'm very much considering taking this back to Costco as they have a liberal return policy. It's a damn Shane, because again this hardware is stellar but the firmware it's garbage and no plans from Netgear to fix it
I can sense the frustration, I've had it too.
I think some improved updates on these moderated boards would go a long ways towards lowering the stress levels here.
I brought up the Apple homekit issue with them some months ago. I too had frustration opening a ticket as I wasn't going to pay an annual support fee to fix a problem created by Netgear. I pressed them through their twitter account and eventually got them to open a ticket when I pressed the matter.
From what I can see, the homekit issue has been resolved. The only other issue that's come up for me is the issue of the IPV6 having to be refreshed every two days or so in order to work. It is not an ISP problem from what I can tell (and I've actually tested this) - also others have the issue.
They opened up a second case for the IPV6 issue and and progress has been slow, admittedly but I have transmitted them captures of it when it is working and when it is not.
I am not having any other issues - I have a 150 / 15 connection - and an RBR50 with two RBS50 Satellites. I've got wired connections off one of the satellites (like my home office) as well as a couple of dozen wireless devices. iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, Chromebook, Windows computers, Apple computers, Android tablet, HP printer, homekit devices etc. There's also another router doing a double NAT for an alarm system. After the latest Chromebook update, it is no longer working in IPv6, but I think that might have been due to the Chromebook update. Other than that, and the aforementioned time out of the IPv6 operations, everything else is working for me.
I am not entirely happy about the situation, but I am not quite prepared to throw in the towel yet. I am helping with troubleshooting a couple of times a week and resetting the IPv6 every couple of days. What I am saying is it is liveable now...it wasn't before, with the Apple Homekit frustrations.
I am unable to recommend Orbi at this time (and I used to) but I am also not ready to throw it away and replace it.
I am using a version that is several numbers higher than 16, so they are working on versions....but at the same time, from my perspective, the version I'm using isn't any different than what 16 was...
There is a limit to everything.. This useless Firmware has been Beta tested by us over a year now for $400 I would imagine by now after a year they would step up ...I am running out of bent paperclips and patience !!
- I have a safety pin sitting on the stand where I keep my modem and orbi for the daily resets that are required. It's getting to be very ridiculous.
What's the next gizmo they want us to Beta test for them for a year? I'm ready I have a pile of $400 in cash stacked up ready to set on fire..bring it on next useless Firmware device!
It is unbelievable that you have to do this.
I and others are having none of the problems you appear to be experiencing. In 4 months of Orbi use I have never had to resort to using a paper clip, so unless yours are faulty, i wonder what other factors are at play here.
I run mine n AP mode, so my Orbi router is cable connected to another (primary) modem/router that connects to my ISP, and its WiFi is switched off. Thie primary router also handles DHCP, the table of which lists around 30 devices with reserved IP addresses. A cable from a lan port on the primary router connects to the yellow WAN port on the Orbi router. AP mode means your Orbis are passive WiFi distribution points only. Of course the success of your Orbis in this setup depend on the quality and configuration of the primary router.
There must be something that can be done to ease your pain
- I've experienced much better stability in AP mode. It goes a week or so without needing reset
I've had the Orbi system for a year and a half, and have not once had to resort to a paper clip.
I have documented my one remaining issue, but something else is wrong if people are having to hit the reset button .....
- For me, the issue is my speeds suffer after a week or so. My connectivity is intermittent also. The only way I get wired back haul to work is the paper clip
Cmol, about your paper clip regime, in an earlier post I made some suggestions. Did you look into them to see if they help? Why not try just a little harder?
- It seems to have stabilized the last couple days. Speeds are consistent and signal is good. I'm going to try an edgerouter this week and see if some of my issues may have been related to using an airport for my router as I'm told they don't have the greatest routing capability.
You'll have a lot better time resolving orbi issues if the Orbi is the router and the AP. Mixing things up, especially discontinued routers, is an invitation for trouble.
Bill____ wrote:
You'll have a lot better time resolving orbi issues if the Orbi is the router and the AP. Mixing things up, especially discontinued routers, is an invitation for trouble.
My experience differs. My Orbi system works better behind my Asus AC68U router. IMHO, the less your Orbi has to do, the more likely it is to succeed.
Cmol, now you are talking. An Apple AirPort Extreme is a capable, basic router, that has few extras beyond reserved IP addresses in DHCP. A family member has one on a pure fibre 100Mbps service, and it works ok for him in a modest sized house. One thing it does, though, is provide proof of concept - if it works then there’s nothing wrong with your ISP or internet connectivity.
I favour the Ubiquiti Edgerouter X too, but before you take that step, please consider the following...
- As you are in AP, the Airport is serving up IP addresses for the Orbi router and satellite(s). Do you know these IP addresses? Unless you reserve static IP addresses in the Airport DHCP for each Orbi, they will most likely change each time you restart them. Thereafter you can access the Orbi web interface using the reserved (fixed) IP address. Do you know how to do this? Check out my last paragraph below for more information
- Once you are in the Orbi router’s web interface you can change some of the settings under Advanced. How are these settings on your Orbi?
- Do you want to do a wired backhaul? If so, I discovered instant success by plugging the cable into the satellite first, then into the router, with both devices powered on. This happened so easily after many frustrated minutes of magenta ovals with the cables the other way round, ie, cable already connected to an Orbi router LAN port, then into the satellite. This always failed.
- Do you have the Netgear Genie app installed? This, and the Netgear Orbi app are valuable troubleshooting tools, particularly the device map which shows connect d devices, signal strength, etc.
If if you are an Apple user, download the Net Analyzer app, which connects to your WiFi network, and maps with tiny symbols the attributes of connected devices. Go to LAN, then scan, and look for an item with a small white “W” in a light blue box. Touch tat item, and on the next screen you will see “Web Interface. Yes” with a green dot. This will give you the IP address of your Satellite and Router, and if you touch it, it will open the web interface
good luck
- Yep. I've done all of that. The last step I took that got things more stable was the static assignments. I always plug into the satellite first then the router, but my wired back haul is always still spotty. I usually must do it about 4x before it works. I guess it's completely possible I have a defective orbi, but I found it works a bit better after I reflashed firmware via wired connection yesterday.
- RBK50 running in AP mode, just 2 issues so far...
1. Only the web app correctly shows connected devices, The Orbi phone app doesn't ever seen to show a full list of devices... Is there any way to fix this?
2. When I'm at the fringes of the 5ghz network using my phone , bandsteering switches between 2.4 and 5ghz, and this causes WiFi drop-outs. I'm guessing the only way to stop this is to go through that process that separates the SSIDs? Or does anything else help? If not, has there been any news on Netgear simplifying that process through the UI?
Many thanks for your help. 1. I do very little Orbi interaction using my iPhone. Instead I use my iPad, with the Netgear Genie v 3.1.52, and the Netgear Orbi app, v 2.2.0.57. Both are useful, and on the Orbi app it shows my Orbi router and satellite separately, and on each, it displays connected devices in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Make sure you look along the top of the screen for the column headers, one of which lists attached devices. I also use the Netgear Genie’s Network Map to check signal strength. If you cannot see these lists, then there may be an issue with the IP address setup you are using
2. The reason I bought a mesh network is to have a common network name and I think it’s a mistake to have different SSID names. Interesting article on band steering here
I have not experienced the issues you describe of band steering causing dropouts, but if you use the Netgear Genie app to Network Map your devices where they are, you can see signal strength per device.
Good luck
- Thanks Chesh,
Re. Point 1, in the Orbi app I click attached devices and I get a list, but when I click the orbi icon and then the satellite (or router) pictures, I click on connected devices and nothing ever shows up (see attached pic). I'm using the Orbi in AP mode if that makes a difference?
The Web app confirms everything is as it should be, but the app itself just won't update - I'm using a galaxy S7 with Android Oreo, potentially an android issue? I’m on holidays at the moment, and my Orbis are 2,000km away, so I’m relying on memory.
I have attached a snapshot of the login screen of the Netgear Genie. It calls for the IP address of your router, and thereafter the Network Map lists all connected devices. I can’t recall what happens with the Netgear Orbi app, but I suspect it too will ask for the IP address of the router.
Because you are in AP mode, your Orbi devices are on the same network subnet as your primary router. To set the scene, hypotheticaly your primary router is on, say, 192.168.6.1, your Orbi router is on 192.168.6.40 and your satellite is on 192.168.6.41. Look at the snapshot I sent you, particularly the left hand bottom corner where it wants an IP address. Because the default setting for your Orbi is router mode, it will assume the IP address is 192.168.6.1, which is the primary router’s IP address, not that of the Orbi.
You should enter your equivalent to 192.168.6.40 in the Netgear Orbi and Genie apps, not the root IP address of the subnet which belongs to the primary router
i hope this helps
