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Forum Discussion
Orbi RBR50 and Slow WiFi Problems with iOS Devices
I’ve been experience a very strange problem with slow WiFi speeds on my iOS devices for a few months now and was wondering if anyone might be able to point me to something to try to fix it. It se...
Its very possible that IOS is contributing to this Orbi connection issue. My router & satellites are running V2.1.4.10, its also possible that the number of connected devices plays a role in this, it would explain why some systems dont experience issues. My home is fully wired with CAT5e so I have a lot of wired connections as well as wi-fi, my connection count is >50 devices including 2 satallites. Post the number of connections on your systems, lets see if there is a relationship.
I am running right around 50 devices depending on what’s turned on at the time. About 8 of them are wired.
The problems I’m experiencing under V2.1.4.10 are impacting all devices now, not just the iOS devices. You go to access the Internet and it is either dead or very slow. Connecting directly to the cable modem shows no problem with the incoming connection and it is working well, but the Orbis are not. Now, it’s necessary to restart all of the Orbis to get a good working connection again.
The majority of my systems are recent and take advantage of MU-MIMO and other features that many are recommending be turned off. I don’t want to cripple my network because Netgear can’t get their act together.
I grew too weary with the Orbi’s problems yesterday, so I took them out and replaced them all with a Linksys Velop system, which is up and running now. If it makes it for a couple of weeks without incident, I’ll probably keep it and try to dispose of the Orbis.
Could try this when you get a chance:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/OrbiOS-2-1-4-Homekit/m-p/1565698/thread-id/31140
Bandito wrote:
I am running right around 50 devices depending on what’s turned on at the time. About 8 of them are wired.
The problems I’m experiencing under V2.1.4.10 are impacting all devices now, not just the iOS devices. You go to access the Internet and it is either dead or very slow. Connecting directly to the cable modem shows no problem with the incoming connection and it is working well, but the Orbis are not. Now, it’s necessary to restart all of the Orbis to get a good working connection again.
The majority of my systems are recent and take advantage of MU-MIMO and other features that many are recommending be turned off. I don’t want to cripple my network because Netgear can’t get their act together.
I grew too weary with the Orbi’s problems yesterday, so I took them out and replaced them all with a Linksys Velop system, which is up and running now. If it makes it for a couple of weeks without incident, I’ll probably keep it and try to dispose of the Orbis.
Bandito Keep us posted on how the Linksys Velop works, I bought my Orbi system at Costco so it should be easy enough to return and make a switch. Too bad Netgear is just ignoring the issue with their product, maybe some lost sales and lots of returns they will get the message.
That temporary firmware is for those with specific HomeKit issues, so does not apply to my situation. Besides, I’m done with troubleshooting the Orbis. If I was a consultant for Netgear and could charge them for my time working on these things, I’d be a wealthy man.
I’ll keep you updated with what happens. Even though I’ve had the Orbis for several months now, I also bought them at Costco, so I may still try to return them and see what happens.
Thought I'd pop in with an update here to let you all know how things are going so far.
The Velop system has performed flawlessly so far without a hiccup or any drops in speed over the last week. I am hopeful that this will continue to be the case.
The Velop system is definitely not as fast as the Orbis are when they are functioning correctly. With the Orbis, I would almost always get a good full speed from Speedtest throughout all but the farthest reaches of the house, where it would only drop off slightly. For the most part I was always able to get the full 150 Mbs Internet service that I have with Xfinity and the distant points would only drop to about 125 or so. With the Velop system, I'm gettting an average of 100 Mbs in most of the house and only achieving the full speed within about 10-12 feet of the main router.
It's a bit tough to see the speed loss, but the reliability is probably worth it. In reading the specs for the Velop system, I'm not sure why I'm seeing such a drop in speed when everything should be capable of running faster. I may have to spend a little time to see if I can determine why this is the case, though I shouldn't have to tinker with any of these systems.
Maybe when the next firmware update comes out I'll try the Orbis again to see what happens, but I'm not too confident that Netgear will really get them fixed and reliable anytime soon.
So far, the Velop system is at least very reliable even if a bit slower. At least it's not like when the Orbis slow down to 2-3 Mbps or cannot reach the Internet at all on a regular basis.
