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Forum Discussion
Orbi - why can't we change channels on satellites?
Wireless design best practice when installing multiple access points in an area is to have non-overlapping channels. So if you have 3 APs (RBR50, 2-RBS50) in an area, for 2.4 GHz, one AP would be cha...
This is not a defect or a bug. This is how extenders and repeaters work. They are connected to the main wireless AP and they connect to the same channels. There is no changing of the channels on extenders or repeaters. Chaning channels on the satellites would defeat the purpose of the satellites as they operate in this extender mode. The only mode that you can change channels on is in AP mode which satellites don't support. Again, this is by design for ALL extenders and repeaters which Orbi Satellites are designed.
If channels need changing, please change channels on the main Orbi router. Save settings and reboot the router and satellites. The satellites will reconnect to the new channels.
molec wrote:
jesus, wtf. Really?
If I had know I couldn't put the sats on different channels I wouldn't have bought this product. It makes absolutely ZERO sense to me and that's why I didn't even look for this "feature" when making my buying decision. The possibility of the whole network operating on the same channel didn't even occur to me (until I saw it), I assumed it would automatically configure itself to use the most reasonable channels on each sat to provide best connectivity.
What on earth?
I'm in a totally non-congested area, basically all channels are unused and my 3 orbis cram themselves onto ONE SINGEL channel?
I can't even start to understand.
And what's the supposed upside? Better roaming for old devices? Well, forcing their customers into making such a tradeoff is not what I would expect from a company that values their customers. Maybe in some circumstances it really *is* better to use a single channel, but that should be a CHOICE the customer makes, not the product... at least not in this price category.
I'm hoping netgear will fix this. It's only software after all...
That is how ORDINARY repeaters and extenders work. But the Orbi is not an extender or repeater. It is a mesh network with a dedicated backhaul link, effectively operating as if each AP had a wired connection back to a switch or wireless controller.
In a mesh network, unless the APs are optimally placed with sufficient separation to eliminate co-channel interference, there will be problems. This is almost never possible in a typical house. The only advantage of having the same channel is to avoid latency when a moving device changes channels/ap links. And I am not sure if latency is actually eliminated when AP placement is not optimal. For example, I have one unit on the first floor and one unit on the second floor - directly above the other. Because I want physical ports in those locations.
tln741, tried to give kudos on your posts, but doesn't seem to work.
do other "mesh wifi systems" also use single channel like the orbi or is the orbi an exception?