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Forum Discussion
RBR50
I have an ORBI RBR50 with 2 satellites that is not giving me a strong signal throughout the house. Does the firmware need updated? If so, how to update a firmware? I have it connected to a COX Commun...
Gpoulos wrote:
I have an ORBI RBR50 with 2 satellites that is not giving me a strong signal throughout the house. Does the firmware need updated? If so, how to update a firmware?
Firmware version does not change the physical design of the WiFi router. As the satellites are now about 30 ft. from the router, pushing them farther away will extend the WiFi coverage a bit, but will also reduce the communication rate between router and satellites a bit. It is a "balancing act".
If the goal is to provide WiFi to non-mobile devices (which do not move around like phones, tablets, and laptops do), then a simple WiFi Extender is an inexpensive way to extend coverage. Amazon carries WiFi extenders with prices from $15 to (very expensive). The reason mesh WiFi was created was to allow mobile devices to roam seamlessly between WiFi units. Before about 2016, WiFi extenders were the common solution and people were annoyed when they had to turn the WiFi off and back on again to keep good performance on mobile devices as they moved around the house.
The Orbi web interface has a method to update firmware to the latest version:
Sometimes users find that moving satellites around a bit can affect WiFi coverage. Materials hidden inside walls and metallic objects inside the house can create "shadow zones" of poor coverage.
Otherwise, my guess is that the solution will be either (a) purchase one or more WiFi extenders, or (b) upgrade to a new WiFi system (several hundred dollars... not cheap)
Thank you for the response. Is there a way to take all the satellites and put them on one network with my Cox communication panoramic. I called Netgear but they wanna charge me $200 tech support. Is there a way somebody can walk me through on how to do this so I don’t have to pay for the technical support? Thank you in advance
No. WiFi mesh units (from any brand) will network only with themselves. Don't pay for advice, because this is what they will tell you
And, yes, it is sad that Netgear provides only 90 days of 'complimentary support' with the purchase of a WiFi system. Most of us came to the forum because our 90 days had expired long before we had questions (or problems).