RBR50 satellites (RBS50) drop WiFi connections frequently, randomly

I'm not an "expert" but I'll attempt to answer your questions.

1) "What is the ideal distance that a satellite should be from the router?" The optimum distance for satellite placement is very dependant on your house's configuration and building materials–as well as your furniture placement and appliance locations. Normally, the recommended minimum distance is 30 feet. 

2) "What settings should I change to provide a reliable connection from the satellites?" This also depends on what your current settings are. Please list your current settings, e.g., channels, beamforming on/off, etc.. My opinion is either the guest network is causing your problem or your satellites and router are too close together. Be absolutly certain the satellites and router are running the exact same firmware version!

3) "Is there an inherent issue in this router/satellite configuration that can't be resolved?" The simple answer is, "No". However, every situation is different. One more question is do you have "Daisy Chain" on or off? It may take several hours of methodically changing locations, settings, and /or devices to resolve but 99% of issues can be resolved.

4) "Are there any troubleshooting steps that I can take to track down what's causing the disconnects through the satellites?" Yes. First list all your settings and members of this forum will chime in with suggestions. I'd check for neighboring WiFi signals and deconflict channels first. Next I'd make my phones "forget" the network and reconfirure the phones for only the main netowrk. Thirdly, I'd turn off the guest network unless needed. Allow the ORBI 10-20 minutes between changes to "settle" before doing any testing. Good Luck!