RBR50 wifi clients connected without internet - intermittent but frequent enough to cause concern

The DHCP lease time for user devices remains 86,400 seconds (one day). Netgear removed the telnet option, possibly because of customers harping about how "insecure" telnet it.  Or, because telnet was never available in the AX product line and someone decided to make them consistent.  Without telnet, the way to determine the lease time is to capture the DHCO lease offer packet with a packet sniffer and find the value inside the packet.  I use Wireshark (free for Windows, Linux, Mac)

 

My Android Orbi app has a disappointing pattern of connecting by default with Anywhere Access and then, almost as an accident, mentioning that "local connection is available".  My guess is that what is happening is the app attempts to use Anywhere Access, cannot make a connection to the Netgear 'cloud', and gives up before it would have attempted to find a local connection.  This behavior annoys me a lot.

 

A magenta ring indicates the router cannot connect to the internet.  See page 9 in the user manual:

https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBK50/Orbi_UM_EN.pdf 

 

 

 

30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR📡 and RBS🛰️ to begin with depending upon building materials when wired or wirelessly connected. 25 feet maybe too close...
https://kb.netgear.com/31029/Where-should-I-place-my-Orbi-satellite ‌‌🛰️
https://kb.netgear.com/000065169/Which-Orbi-routers-and-satellites-are-compatible

 

Be sure to disable any MAC Address randomizers on phones and pads while at home:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-App/NETGEAR-Mobile-Applications-and-Apple-Devices-FAQ/td-p/2220016/jump-to/first-unread-message

 

Your ISP Modem already has a built in router and wifi. 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
Try option #2 first...

 

Also might update FW as well. Check here in the forums about new FW.

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kalfaz wrote:

RBR50 with one RBS50 (wireless backhaul) V2.7.4.24 

Environment is 1800 sq ft residential 70s construction pine studs and drywall.

ISP is ATT Fiber and RBR is Cat 6 connected to ATT Pace 5268ac. 

Happens intermittently but seems to happen every couple of days and sometimes it appears to heal itself.

Android clients show exclamation point on wifi strength indicator usually the switch to neighbor's wifi or cellular data so I don't always know it's happened.

When I catch it happening on my phone I see in wifi settings connected without internet. Even though connected the Orbi App doesn't connect so I go to the wired computer and can login to it from there. Sometimes the purple ring is glowing on the RBS50 but not always.

RBS is on same version V2.7.4.24 and it is about 25feet from the RBR.

 

I saw a previous entry about telnet command to adjust wan_Lease but when I tried to use debug interface, telnet option is not available.  Has wan_lease time been changed in software patch or is there a way to test if that is even the problem I'm seeing?

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