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Orbi RBR50 + satellite
I have an Orbi RBR50 & satellite wifi network setup at home. Working OKish but dead spot in gamer son's bedroom. Bought a Nighthawk X4S Range Extender to try and boost the signal there. Can start up the X4S and connect to Orbi but it does not have a connection through to the internet.
Are range extenders not compatible with Orbi system?
Should I be configuring the connection differently? (I've tried with and without having the same network name and password)
Happy to reconfigure entirely from start, if I know the steps to follow.
Thanks in anticipation, John
That makes it a repeater by my reckoning, a subset of the extender range. Most extenders can repeat and do genuine access point.
Why does Netgear insist on confusing people with its inconsistent nomenclature?
Might not be the best choice in these circumstances, given that the user already has Powerline.
11 Replies
You might get better answers in the Orbi section:
There is a manual for the Orbi somewhere at the end of this link:
>>>> Orbi RBR50 | WiFi System | NETGEAR Support <<<<
Which Nighthawk X4S Range Extender?
Your better bet would be to add another Satellite near your son instead of a EX7500. The EX7500 needs separate SSID wifi names to conect to. I believe the ORBI system uses Smart Connect that combines both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz SSID names into one already. I have an ORBI system and works well. Also have two game consoles connected however they are LAN cable wired to the router. I have a DISH Joey that streams to the Satellite at that end of the house. I only have one Satellite for a 5000Sq ft house. System range is great.
You may need a 2nd if your house is fairly large or building materials are heavy like brick or concrete...
Yet another approach, if the son has any wired devices Powerline Ethernet with a combined access point could fill the bill.
For example:
PLW1000 | Powerline | Networking | Home | NETGEAR
That would feed off the original router, with no need to get the Orbi involved.
Another option would be to get Powerline plugs minus the AP and use that to feed the extender.
XAVB1301 | Powerline | Networking | Home | NETGEAR
The advantage of this approach, which I know from experience, is that it removes possibly dodgy wifi links from much of the chain.
Thanks for both replies, Michael. I'm already running a TP-Link Powerline AV500 adaptor with ethernet cable to his room but the signal is very weak, which is why I was trying to boost the wifi signal to that area, as it works well in other locations around the house. We have fibre optic to the house and a router connects to the fibre optic box. Both the Orbi system and the Powerline are connected to that router, that's the Access Point, right?
I didn't understand your two connection plans, if I work in the other direction this is what I think I have:
fibre optic box (internet to house) > router (access point) > Connection 1: Orbi home system / Connection 2: Powerline AV500 adaptor (for son's room). The adaptor is not in his room as the signal is too weak, I have to run the ethernet cable across the lounge floor! The router was supplied by the ISP as their top oif the line, also connects the phone. House has standard plaster walls with wooden frame but is quite large, wifi signals always seem to get blocked somehow.
Hi Furry,
I did try and place an Orbi satellite close to his room but the signal was very weak and not worth the effort, which is why I then tried a TD-Link Powerline AV500 adaptor near his room and ran an ethernet cable to rest of the way. Internet connection speed is still pretty low. I was hoping the Nighthawk 7500 extender added to the Orbi system might give the boost needed. But can't get the Nighthawk to connect to the internet through the Orbi, it connects to the Orbi OK but has no internet connection. That's why I was looking for some help to see if what I was doing was never going to work together or I hadn't made the right connection?
What is the sq footages this this house.
Whats this house built of? Wood and dry wall?
Mines a 5000sq ft house two story, I currently have my Orbi AC2200 router set up on 2nd story of one side of my house and the Satellite at the far end of the house and after getting up and running, the range and performances are wonderful. I'm only using 1 Satallite. I have a NG wireless bridge connected to the Satellite at the far end that services a DISH Joey for my mom in law and Bro in laws PC LAN connected to the back of the Satellite. IT's not using any ethernet currently however i do have LAN there if needed.
One thing about the EX7500, they rely on having separate SSID names coming from a host router. The orbi uses Smart Connect for this mesh system. I don't know if the EX7500 will work correctly with the Orbi system. I've tired this EX on a few other smart connect supporting routers and had issues with the EX if Smart Connect was enabled on the main host router. I had to disable Smart Connect to make the EX work better. I don't know if the EX is fully compatible with the Orbi system. Thus I haven't tried to connect my EX to the Orbi system.
Is there any way you can run a LAN cable from the Remote Satellite to the sons room?
