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Forum Discussion
Orbi RBR50 Router Firmware Version V2.7.2.102
A new Router Firmware Version V2.7.2.102 installed automatically during the night. So far so good!
CrimpOn , Does your App not have the Parental Controls Block? For me this used to be Circle but since late summer it changed to Parental Controls. If I add more than 1 profile it asks me to subscribe.
GMoGoody8 wrote:CrimpOn , Does your App not have the Parental Controls Block? For me this used to be Circle but since late summer it changed to Parental Controls.
A good question. Since 2.7.2.102 is loaded on my "experimental" Orbi, I have not connected the Orbi "app" to it.
I see that FURRYe38 has posted a screen shot of his Orbi app on 2.7.2.102, showing no block for Parental Controls.
- Orbi app not showing the parental control block for me either. Here's the big surprise though, I'm not home and wasn't expecting to be able to connect because Anywhere Access should have been off and according to the web interface it is off. Orbi app shows that it is turned on and is confirmed working since I just connected remotely.
aaronka wrote:
Orbi app not showing the parental control block for me either. Here's the big surprise though, I'm not home and wasn't expecting to be able to connect because Anywhere Access should have been off and according to the web interface it is off. Orbi app shows that it is turned on and is confirmed working since I just connected remotely.
The web interface "Remote Access" is totally different from the Orbi "app" "Anywhere Access". The (literally) have nothing to do with each other in any way.- That's good to know, but this firmware or maybe the last Orbi app update turned on Anywhere Access.
- Thanks everyone. I tried to uninstall and reinstall the app. parental controls wasn’t there. As soon as I logged into my RBR it came back. I must have something residual lingering from a previous FW. Don’t really want to do a factory reset.
I updated my firmware to v102 the other day and just did a factory reset this morning. I still have parental controls. The app still shows parental controls and opens Circle app when I select it. It's wierd that it's available to some and not others when on the same FW version.
CrimpOn wrote:
aaronka wrote:
Orbi app not showing the parental control block for me either. Here's the big surprise though, I'm not home and wasn't expecting to be able to connect because Anywhere Access should have been off and according to the web interface it is off. Orbi app shows that it is turned on and is confirmed working since I just connected remotely.
The web interface "Remote Access" is totally different from the Orbi "app" "Anywhere Access". The (literally) have nothing to do with each other in any way.Can Anywhere Access be turned off at the RBR50's web interface? I don't want _anyone_ to have access to my Orbi's settings unless physically connected to my LAN.
Too bad that WiFi access to the settings cannot be disabled. Ideally, I'd turn off every access mode except by web interface using a wired Ethernet connected device on my LAN.
alokeprasad wrote:Can Anywhere Access be turned off at the RBR50's web interface? I don't want _anyone_ to have access to my Orbi's settings unless physically connected to my LAN.
Too bad that WiFi access to the settings cannot be disabled. Ideally, I'd turn off every access mode except by web interface using a wired Ethernet connected device on my LAN.
No, Anywhere Access can be turned off only on the Orbi "app". The web interface knows nothing about Anywhere Access.
A number of people have expressed interest in restricting access to the Orbi web interface to only "wired" devices. With laptops no longer providing ethernet jacks, I fear this is not likely to happen.
There are three types of "Remote Administration" for an Orbi system. Each has definite strengths and weaknesses.
- Anywhere Access. The Orbi smartphone "app" can connect to the Orbi remotely by going through the Netgear "Cloud".
I find the Orbi app to be like a ditzy blonde. Pretty, but basically brain dead. (Not like the blonds I know who are smart and articulate.)
The app just doesn't do very much. But, if you want only simple things, it works. It has nothing to do with the other two methods. - The Orbi web interface offers an entirely different Remote Administration on the Advanced Tab, Advanced Setup.
It requires that you set up DDNS using one of three services (so that you "know" which IP the Orbi has without manually tracking it. Would be a bit of a bummer to be away from home and your ISP change the Orbi IP to something you don't know.)
Setting it up (after the DDNS bit) is simple.
This also "works" and allows access to the entire Orbi web interface.
The drawback to Remote Access is that it opens one port to the internet. The default is 8443, but it doesn't matter because internet trolls are constantly scanning every IP address in the world looking for open ports. If you chose 8765 or 5678, they would find it eventually.
What annoyed the heck out of me was that every day or so some (blankety blank dumbell) would try to hack my remote login and fill up the Orbi log with failed attempts. My Orbi password is 30 characters long with lots of goofy characters, so by trying one login per minute it will take about 4 billion years to break in. But I hated having the log fill up with trash.
If you don't care about the Orbi log and have a really good admin password, it works fine. - What I did was set up OpenVPN on the Orbi (also using the same DDNS). For some reason, the log does not fill up with failed VPN connection attempts.
Setting up OpenVPN is not trivial. There is a much steeper learning curve than ordinary Remote Admin.
I have OpenVPN Client software on every laptop, tablet, and smartphone that I own. So I can be anywhere with internet access and open a VPN connection to my Orbi. Once connected, I can access any device on the Orbi LAN, including the Orbi itself.
Works just fine. It even allows me to access the internet from the Orbi. This has the effect of encrypting everything I do remotely inside a VPN tunnel (to the Orbi). Of course, it is "regular" from the Orbi to the internet, but I am more concerned about "sniffing" in random WiFi locations than when connected to my ISP.
So, three methods. They all work. If you never carry a laptop, I'd stick with the Orbi App remote admin. Otherwise, do what you are comfortable with.
- Anywhere Access. The Orbi smartphone "app" can connect to the Orbi remotely by going through the Netgear "Cloud".
CrimpOn wrote:
alokeprasad wrote:Can Anywhere Access be turned off at the RBR50's web interface? I don't want _anyone_ to have access to my Orbi's settings unless physically connected to my LAN.
Too bad that WiFi access to the settings cannot be disabled. Ideally, I'd turn off every access mode except by web interface using a wired Ethernet connected device on my LAN.
No, Anywhere Access can be turned off only on the Orbi "app". The web interface knows nothing about Anywhere Access.
Which is dumb. Anyone with access to my Netgear password (passwords do get leaked or guessed.. maybe not mine :smileyhappy: but there are people who use easy to guess passwords) can then turn it on and muck around with my network.
A number of people have expressed interest in restricting access to the Orbi web interface to only "wired" devices. With laptops no longer providing ethernet jacks, I fear this is not likely to happen.
Sadly, you are right. Thank goodness that the RBR and RBS's have ethernet ports at the back! Eero satellites don't, which is astounding for such an expensive product.
Thx for the explanation.
"The Orbi smartphone "app" can connect to the Orbi remotely by going through the Netgear "Cloud".
Thats the reason I want to have nothing to do with it!! Companies get hacked and passwords get leaked or guessed.
For someone like me, who has no need for remote management of anything, it is nice that I can disable remote administration (and not open ports on the NAT), not enable VPN. As for Anywhere Access, it is what it is. But I wish it wasn't.
Ideally, if someone wants to administer my router, switches, they should need to physically connect to my LAN with Ethernet cable. There should be a way to set things up that way.
But it isn't :smileysad:
alokeprasad wrote:
CrimpOn wrote:No, Anywhere Access can be turned off only on the Orbi "app". The web interface knows nothing about Anywhere Access.
Which is dumb. Anyone with access to my Netgear password (passwords do get leaked or guessed.. maybe not mine :smileyhappy: but there are people who use easy to guess passwords) can then turn it on and muck around with my network.
I have never seen an explanation of how Anywhere Access works, but my impression is that it can be turned on only when the Orbi app is connected to the Orbi over the local LAN. I have a vague impression that the Orbi serial number is involved in the Cloud connection. So, a hacker knowing the Netgear login for someone could not load up the Orbi app and connect to the Orbi remotely.
CrimpOn wrote:
alokeprasad wrote:
CrimpOn wrote:No, Anywhere Access can be turned off only on the Orbi "app". The web interface knows nothing about Anywhere Access.
Which is dumb. Anyone with access to my Netgear password (passwords do get leaked or guessed.. maybe not mine :smileyhappy: but there are people who use easy to guess passwords) can then turn it on and muck around with my network.
I have never seen an explanation of how Anywhere Access works, but my impression is that it can be turned on only when the Orbi app is connected to the Orbi over the local LAN. I have a vague impression that the Orbi serial number is involved in the Cloud connection. So, a hacker knowing the Netgear login for someone could not load up the Orbi app and connect to the Orbi remotely.
You are correct.
I have Anywhere Access turned off. When switched to LTE connection on my iPhone, the Orbi app says that there are no registered Orbi devices available and asks me to connect locally to WiFi of my Orbi to make any changes. Or words to that effect.
