A quick update. We're about to release an updated version of OrbiOS 2.1.4 in the next few days through our auto-update mechanism for all Orbi models. When it goes live, you should see a prompt in the Orbi Mobile App (or the WebUI) to upgrade your firmware. In addition to the connectivity fixes in 2.1.3, has a few additional bug fixes from the last release (2.1.3). Orbi Product Mangement

How about you give us the option to turn OFF AUTOUPDATE. Or STOP automatic updates all together! When you guys roll out the updates FORCED Orbi resets and looses all my settings and takes down my internet and home security system as I’m not home. That’s a fantastic feature! SO sick of this POS not working reliability.

So I have done some testing with this new version. Just as I have done with every past version since the packet loss issue began. Here is my testing setup for this occasion. There were a total of five devices on my network arranged as such: A simple router providing DHCP with no internet connection. (10.0.0.1) RBR50 Orbi Router in AP mode. (10.0.0.2) RBS50 Orbi Satellite. (10.0.0.3) Testing laptop. (10.0.0.40) Synology NAS (10.0.0.42) All my testing was done via the testing laptop and always connected to the Orbi Sattelite. The Orbi units where running on wireless backhaul with line of sight of each other. I ran packetloss tests on three targets: simple router, Orbi Router (AP mode) and Synology NAS. Keep in mind there was no internet access during this time and no other devices where on the network. As usual, I did a full factory reset on the Orbi units. Here are my results: First up is the simple router on 10.0.0.1 as we can see there is heavy packet loss, as has been with the latest firmware versions on this particular models. A notable difference is that the packet loss pattern is now concentraded in larger chunks. Previos versions would generate a more scattered pattern with thinner lines. Next is the Orbi router on 10.0.0.2 this is an interesting result because we see no packetloss at all. Keep in mind for this probe all my traffic went from the testing laptop, to the Satellite unit, through wireless backhaul and into the Orbi Router. This clears up any suspicion of the wireless backhaul being the reason of the packet loss. Could it be that my humble router (10.0.0.1), providing DHCP to the network is to blame? This is the result of the same test and same network but this time the target was the Synology NAS. Surprisingly the packetloss is back with the same pattern as we observed on the router (10.0.0.1). This seems to confirm the wireless backhaul is definetly not the cause for this issue. This points to the ethernet ports of the Orbi Router as the failure point. The same devices on the same network arrangement rendered no packet loss on all the same tests when running firmware V2.0.0.74. This strongly suggests the issue is due to some factor in the newer firmware. Here is a short Q&A of other variants I tried before typing this post: Did you tested with any other devices apart from that silly router (10.0.0.1) and the Synology NAS (10.0.0.42)? Yes, practically with anything that had an ethernet port in my home. TVs, game consoles, STB, bluray player, printers, etc...The results where always the same. Could it be that some of the ethernet ports of your Orbi units are defective? This was one of my first concerns. So I repeted the tests by trying differnet ethernet ports for each device, each time! The only thing that actually made a difference was... firmware version! Maybe your testing laptop has a faulty network connection? I thought this too and repeated the same tests with two other laptops and iOS devices. The results where the same. Did you do a full factory reset on the Orbi units? / Configured from scratch? / Updated the Satellite first and Router second? Yep Tried changing the position of the Orbi Router and Satellite? I don't see how this affects anything considering the results. But, yes I did tried several locations on my house. Maybe your ethernet cables are bad? Incredibly, my frustration is so big at this point that I actually took the time to test CAT5, CAT5e and CAT6 cable for all tests and devices. What is the brand and model of your _______ device? At this point it doesn't matter since I tried with so many devices and still the only fix was rolling back to V2.0.0.74 Maybe the Orbi units are fine and the other devices are running some weird network configuration? This is the main reason I repeated (painstakingly) the test with all kinds of devices, managed and unmanaged, old and new, etc..(see above). The results remained the same. More importantly, all packetloss patterns went away, from all tests, as soon as I reverted back to firmware 2.0.0.74 on the Orbi units. I hope this post is of some use to someone out there on my same situation. Online gaming, VoiP calling, FaceTime Video and that kind of thing are greatly degraded when packet loss is present (specially at the massive rates I'm seeing on my Orbis). Sadly, packet loss is not so noticiable when one is accustomed to a bad ISP service. I'm lucky to be in an area with excelent providers to choose from that provide amazing service. So it is an important matter for me since I work from home.

Dear Mr. Netgear: Orbi is supposed to be a consumer product. I'm a consumer not a IT professional. Telnet, Putty is not the solution for a consumer product. Orbi RBK50 is not listed on the netgear website under business prodcuts. Please give us a check box

I FIXED IT! I went out and bought Google Wi-Fi. Everything is working better than it has since prior to bringing the Orbi home. This whole ordeal has left a very bad taste in my mouth as far as Netgear is concerned. Also went to the store to buy a new switch and just couldn’t bring myself to buy a Netgear one. Anyone want to buy an Orbi mesh with faulty firmware?

tsigI have had Orbi for over a year and just switched to a google Wi-Fi and I have to agree, it crushes Orbi in many areas mostly in stability, ease of setup and Google integration (ability to configure the router away from home using the app). My WiFi speeds are almost the same as I got with Orbi except now my Wi-Fi no longer drops whenmy kids are in the middle of a game, as Orbi has done for the entire year I had it no matter what firmware rev I ran on them. Also, Google prompts and ASKS YOU if you would like to perform a firmware upgrade. I have never had a hardware manufacturer PUSH a firmware out without user input.I have been in IT for over 30 years and I am Cisco certified (CCNP). It is simply unacceptable to have a router that randomly stops routing internet traffic and drops your Wi-Fi connections no matter how fast your backhaul is (when it works). I have never been happy with orbi since the day I borought it home and now I have never been happier with a home WiFi as much as I am with Google WiFi. Even my kids commented on how much better the Wi-Fi has been this week.

OrbiOS 2.1.4 availability | NETGEAR Communities

257 Replies

manuel-c23
Star
May 13, 2018
With my RBK40 system, the wired backhaul connection doesn't work if daisy chain is disabled.

Moreover, there's a known issue when you use the wired backhaul and you reboot the router: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Bug-Wired-backhaul-Router-reboot-KO/m-p/1568671#M31460
- budy
  Luminary
  May 13, 2018
  manuel-c23 wrote:
  
  With my RBK40 system, the wired backhaul connection doesn't work if daisy chain is disabled.
  
  Moreover, there's a known issue when you use the wired backhaul and you reboot the router: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Bug-Wired-backhaul-Router-reboot-KO/m-p/1568671#M31460
  
  Can't confirm that. My RBK40 runs just fine on wired backhaul without daisy chain enabled.
- FURRYe38
  Guru - Experienced User
  May 13, 2018
  https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/I-found-a-Connection-issue-Resolution-for-wired-backhaul/m-p/1559747#M29420
  
  Mine works as well. Daisy Chain is disabled here.
  
  Any external network switches in the mix? If so, what is the Mfr and model# of the switch?
  
  manuel-c23 wrote:
  
  With my RBK40 system, the wired backhaul connection doesn't work if daisy chain is disabled.
  
  Moreover, there's a known issue when you use the wired backhaul and you reboot the router: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Bug-Wired-backhaul-Router-reboot-KO/m-p/1568671#M31460
  - manuel-c23
    Star
    May 13, 2018
    FURRYe38 wrote:
    
    https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/I-found-a-Connection-issue-Resolution-for-wired-backhaul/m-p/1559747#M29420
    
    That's not a fix because you have to do it everytime the router gets rebooted. There's no way my mother can fix the connection by herself when I'm not at my parents' home.
    
    FURRYe38 wrote:
    
    Mine works as well. Daisy Chain is disabled here.
    
    Any external network switches in the mix? If so, what is the Mfr and model# of the switch?
    
    My firmware is V2.1.4.10, I have 1 satellite and no external switches (direct connection between router and satellite).
    
    When I disable Daisy Chain, the wired backhaul doesn't work. I tried several times on factory resetted devices.
    
    However I can keep it enabled so there's a workaround, but there's no permanent workaround for the reboot-related issue.
arosstyler
Guide
May 13, 2018
Well, I have upgraded the FW on both the Router and the Satellite and... yep did a hard factory reset and jumped ththeugh te reconfiguration hoops.

The only settings changed from factory are:

admin credentials

WiFi name and PW

Address reservation for my core devices (9 of those)

And... the whole router still randomly takes itself offline and then SOMETIMES boots itself back up. Lasted a whole 3 hours before it happened the first time. So this new firmware has in no way solved the issue. The network goes down and often times does not self-recover unless I hard power cycle. This is frustrating for the family and as a person who works from home often and needs to access files when on the go this is a severe disappointment. Looks like it may be time to go to eBay (way past return window) and then look at LinkSys. Real bummer too as I have been a Netgear user for a long time. Even have Arlo and cameras and Netgear switches in use bummer I can keep the router Netgear too.
- Frank_H
  Guide
  May 14, 2018
  I experienced much better stability after i turned off the daisy chain feature.
  - brutepunk
    Initiate
    May 15, 2018
    am so sick of this madness with netgear team, you roll out firmware that craps out most of our systems,. unblvbl , never ever netgear
FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
Jun 04, 2018
New FW available:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Orbi-firmware-update-v2-1-4-16-availability/m-p/1584969/highlight/true#M32898
- arosstyler
  Guide
  Jun 05, 2018
  Just installed 2.1.4.16 fingers crossed this is the solution to the WiFi drop and Reboot. The release notes explain it fixes a drop of WiFi or Reboot when under stress (what my guess was all along) so we shall see. Side note for anyone looking for a WiFi networked automatic power cycle type device... I tried everything I could find and eventually bought this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0765NCB2L/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  It took some configuration and a beta firmware from Tech Support (who is surprisingly responsive and helpful over their web-based chat) but have it set up to auto power cycle the RBR50 if it fails to be connected to WLAN (so if the router hangs and drops the WiFI as it did) or if it loses Internet but WiFi is still on (this also would happen the WiFi stays up and the modem is fine but mysteriously the internet would go down). With this set up going, I had an average of 2 power cycles a day (logs on this power device are great) but I never got complaints from family when I was away that the internet went down and never came back up. Each time it fixed itself in 8 mins or less.
  
  Now with new firmware, this power device may be overkill but I love that I have it as I travel a lot and need to access my home network when away and cant be there to reboot myself.

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OrbiOS 2.1.4 availability