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Forum Discussion
Orbi RBR50 Wifi Problems
Hi there. I have an Orbi RBR50 connected to a satellite and the wifi signal keeps dropping and I think it may be due to my set up. I have a white BT Openreach 061513 fibre modem connected to a Netgea...
I think the general advice is that WiFi access points should not be "right next to each other."
Are you actually using both WiFi networks?
My first step would be to turn off the R7000 WiFi.
Second question would be "why two routers?"
Thanks for the reply. At the moment my R7000 network is used in the main house. From the R7000 router, I have two cat 6 cables running to two separate lodges in the garden with separate access points. I have a third lodge which isn't connected via a cable so need to rely on the wifi from the main house. Therefore I purchased an Orbi and satellite to extend the wifi to this lodge, which is currently on the separate Orbi network. However, I guess I could use just the Orbi RBR router as the only router and no longer use the R7000 and use the same wifi network for everywhere. Would this solve the problem? The lodges are used as holiday lets at the moment so the wifi is used by guests. Thanks.
Since the Orbi is in Access Point mode, you may have done a lot of work configuring the R7000 (assigning IP's for example).
The sepatate WiFi access points will continue to function whether the R7000 WiFi is on or off, correct?
My first step, then, would be to disable the R7000 WiFi radios.
No matter which way you go, there will probably be some "cleanup" to do. (The R7000 and Orbi have different WiFi SSID's, correct?)
The separate Access Points in the lodges are connected via cable so I guess they should still operate if the WiFi is turned off on the R7000. At the moment the Orbi and R7000 have different network names. I guess I could either disable the WiFi on the R7000 and keep both routers running or just use the Orbi RBR on it's own and connect the cables the the Orbi instead. What do you think would be the best solution? One on the lodges is occupied at the moment so will probably need to wait until next week to change things around. Hopefully changing things back won't be too complicated!
The advice I see most often is in the form of a question:
Is there something about the R7000 that you believe to be "superior" to the Orbi? They have the same number of ethernet ports. Both do 2.4G and 5G. (The R7000 allows setting different SSID's by channel, which is not officially supported on the Orbi.) Both offer "Guest" WiFi. (Although my guess is the sepatate WiFi access points in the two buildings may already have unique SSID's.)
It often boils down to a comparison of the (perceived) stability of one vs. the other, the routing features, or how Disney Circle or Bitdefender Armor differ on the two. (I do not use either, so I have no opinion -- except that I am happy I didn't activate them!)
So, if you REALLY prefer the R7000 over the Orbi as a router, then keep the Orbi in access point mode. On the other hand, if you do not see any distinct advantage in the R7000 over the Orbi, then remove the R7000 and swap in the Orbi. Sounds to me that the optimal swap is to reconfigure the Orbi to have exactly the same SSID/password as the R7000. Put it into "router" mode. Then, make the swap. That way, if you later decide, "I made a real mistake", you can simply swap the R7000 back in and put the Orbi back into AP mode.