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Forum Discussion
Orbi Router Firmware RBR50
What kind of firmware does the Orbi router use. Is it DD-WRT, or is it proprietary? If proprietary what are the configuration options for the user?
I don't disagree. Am currently running Open-Mesh behind a Sophos UTM firewall. Flawless. However I was intrigued by the Orbi reviews despite no Ethernet backhaul. Had to test for myself.
Unfortunately my experience was unsatisfactory. While I understand this is a consumer product, the main unit and Satellite simply wouldn't connect when Orbi was configured in AP Mode. Period. Regardless of firmware version or distance between units. Whereas if setup in router mode which I didn't want, they would connect find (blue LED).
That aside, the throughout of the Orbi only outperformed my Open-Mesh if I was literally standing right next to Orbi. Otherwise OM seemed too simple and painless to be true - now i appreciate just how reliable it is. Even turned down the radio to 19 mW or less and the Mesh coverage and handoff are spectacular.
Lastly I will say that Netgear senior support spent quite a bit of time working to understand these issues which I hope will lead to product advancements. Needless to say Ethernet backhaul is a necessity for the next generation. Not interested in Eero, Luma or Google Wifi.
Unfortunately my experience was unsatisfactory. While I understand this is a consumer product, the main unit and Satellite simply wouldn't connect when Orbi was configured in AP Mode. Period. Regardless of firmware version or distance between units. Whereas if setup in router mode which I didn't want, they would connect find (blue LED).
That aside, the throughout of the Orbi only outperformed my Open-Mesh if I was literally standing right next to Orbi. Otherwise OM seemed too simple and painless to be true - now i appreciate just how reliable it is. Even turned down the radio to 19 mW or less and the Mesh coverage and handoff are spectacular.
Lastly I will say that Netgear senior support spent quite a bit of time working to understand these issues which I hope will lead to product advancements. Needless to say Ethernet backhaul is a necessity for the next generation. Not interested in Eero, Luma or Google Wifi.
Well I am able to run the Orbi router and Satellite in AP only mode with zero issues (aka flawless) tested with both Ubiquiti and Mikrotik routers. Setup was dead simple, and I had zero issues. I am able to get ~300Mbps (on 300/20 cable) in an area of the house that is pretty much dead when using a normal big wireless router, No real complaints to be honest, and I think the wireless backhaul is just fine (great in fact) , and it definitely serves a needed niche. Some of us live in large apartments or other situations where running Cat6 for wired APs is not gonna happen. So yeah if you can run wire, sure go get some real APs, if not the Orbi is pretty much the best game in town imo.