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Forum Discussion
Orbi RBR20 static route issue
Is this the right group for the RBR20 router? I'm having an issue where I setup a bunch of static IP address (with MAC address) under Setup / LAN setup, and then under Security / Access Control I have it set to turn on access control & Block all new devices from connecting. The issue is that sometimes the router will block one of the devices that I have setup under the static IP which seems like a bug. Has anyone run into this and knows how to fix it?
4 Replies
The title on this post is incorrect. Static Route refers to a router setting to direct connections to a specific IP range to a specific port. This is often used when the router is connected to a company network using a different internet connection. Using the LAN Setup to reserve specific IP addresses within the IP subnet for devices is called device reservation.
The first thing to check is that the device continues to present the same MAC address when it attempts to connect. Apple, Android, and many laptops now include a feature whereby devices present different MAC addresses under some circumstances. It is important to set the device not to do this when connecting to the home WiFi system.
The first thing to check is that the device continues to present the same MAC address when it attempts to connect. Apple, Android, and many laptops now include a feature whereby devices present different MAC addresses under some circumstances. It is important to set the device not to do this when connecting to the home WiFi system.
FWIW, Windows 10 and 11 laptops will randomize their MAC addresses when connected to "public" wifi networks. So maybe double-check that your Windows PCs have their network connections set to "private".
There are a couple of other similar scenarios to the one CrimpOn gave you.
One is that many devices (docked laptops, desktops, all-in-ones, printers,...) have more than one NIC (usually one ethernet and one wifi). Each NIC has its own MAC, so if a device connects using an interface you didn't expect it might be blocked.
Another is that WiFi extenders often will change the MAC address of the clients connected to them. This isn't very likely if you are already using an Orbi mesh, but if you are using a non-Orbi extender then it is possible that the blocked clients are connecting to the extender wifi.
What all these have in common: The blocked device will show a different MAC address from the entry in the static reservation.
then under Security / Access Control I have it set to turn on access control & Block all new devices from connecting.
Are you doing this for security? Or is there another purpose (like parental controls)?
I'm asking because while MAC addresses are often useful for device management purposes (like IP reservation), MAC filtering doesn't offer much (if any) extra security. One of many articles on the subject is here:
- https://smallstep.com/blog/mac-address-filtering-and-hiding-ssid-dont-work/
So if added security is your rationale, then I suggest just turning the MAC filtering off.
p.s. Yes, this is the correct Forum for the RBR20 product.
Yes sorry I'm using device address reservation not static IP, and the devices aren't changing their respective mac address or IP address. So I asked this question to AI and explained what is happening and got the message below showing it is a known firmware bug.
On the Orbi RBR20, Netgear's Access Control firmware functions by actively tracking the connection states of recognized devices. When a device drops offline for a week or two, a glitch in the background code causes the router to handle its state incorrectly:
1. The State Desync: When your device went offline for two weeks, the router marked its profile as "offline." However, the firmware failed to properly retain its original "Allowed" state flag in the offline cache.
2. The "New Device" Trigger: When the device woke up after a couple of weeks, it requested its reserved IP address from the DHCP server. Because the Access Control backend code had corrupted its historical profile status, the firewall processed the incoming connection as a brand-new, unknown device.
3. The Automatic Lockout: Because your Access Control is configured with the strict global rule to "Block all new devices from connecting," the Orbi automatically applied a block to the device's MAC address—overriding your active IP reservation list.
This confirms your original suspicion: it is absolutely a firmware bug. The router should look at your permanent IP address reservation and remember the MAC address, but the Access Control sub-system loses track of the device's validation state during prolonged inactivity.
