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Forum Discussion
Orbi with fiber, outdoor extensions
Hi all. I recently converted to Smithville fiber internet. It comes with what they call a gigacenter, which is where the fiber plugs in and also acts as the WI-FI router. It is certainly fast, but my coverage range has dropped. I have an outdoor pool area with a Sonos amplifier that no longer receives a signal. I’m looking to upgrade to the orbi mesh and possibly add the outdoor range extender. I’m not sure what I will need to do with the gigacenter once the orbi arrives. Is it best to ditch it all together or use it as a bridge? Will the fiber go into the orbi?
3 Replies
If the ISP router can be removed and use the Orbis router then this would be preferred. Something to ask the ISP about.
This would be a double NAT (two router) condition which isn't recommended. https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT
https://kb.netgear.com/30187/How-to-fix-issues-with-Double-NAT
Couple of options,
1. Configure the modem for transparent bridge or modem only mode. Then use the Orbi router in router mode. You'll need to contact the ISP for help and information in regards to the modem being bridged correctly.
2. If you can't bridge the modem, disable ALL wifi radios on the modem, configure the modems DMZ/ExposedHost or IP Pass-Through for the IP address the Orbi router gets from the modem. Then you can use the Orbi router in Router mode.
3. Or disable all wifi radios on the modem and connect the Orbi router to the modem, configure AP mode on the Orbi router. https://kb.netgear.com/31218/How-do-I-configure-my-Orbi-router-to-act-as-an-access-point and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7LOcJ8GdDo&app=desktop
Supermansings wrote:
Will the fiber go into the orbi?No. Orbi must connect with an ethernet cable. There is no fiber input capability. The "ideal" solution is to place the Gigacenter into "bridge" or "passthrough" mode. You can see if that is possible by connecting to the Gigacenter web interface (http://192.168.1.1) using the user name and password printed on the product label. Search through the menus to see if there an option. Or, call the nice Smithville tech support line and ask them how to do it.
If this is the product: https://www.searanchconnect.org/pdf/Calix_844G_UG.pdf
then I did not find an option to put the Gigacenter into bridge mode.
There IS an option to disable the WiFi on this Gigacenter.
So, the most obvious solution is to put the Orbi into access point mode and continue to use the Gigacenter to administer IP addresses, perform port forwarding (if needed), etc.
