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Forum Discussion
What’s needed for two homes
I have two homes wired together with a Cat6A cable. One house has the internet service coming in. Can I connect two rbk53s systems? One router with the service connection connecting to two satellites ...
It is truly annoying that Netgear designed the Orbi product where a "router" can function only as a router. As far as I can tell, the actual hardware is identical, but the firmware "knows". You have some choices:
- Do you need three access points in the second house?" If only two access points would provide coverage to the other house, then you can Daisy Chain the two satellites off of the primary router, and keep the second router for a spare or sell it on eBay.
- The main benefit of the Orbi "mesh" is that devices will connect to whatever frequency is best for them and will "roam" if they are capable of it. Having two separate buildings is a lot like having two networks across town from each other. My cell phone will connect automatically to every access point it has ever learned, even when I go on vacation. So, setting the other RBK53 up as an Access Point would be great. If a device would lose so much signal that it would "drop" when going from one house to the other, you could even use the same network name on both.
Don't know if I have helped or "muddied the water."
- I would like all the same network if feasible. The buildings are not so far away and I would like one seemless network across. There’s a large patio in between where I’d like access.
Router 1 with internet connection hard wired to a second router in access point mode. Then each router has its respective satellites hard wired or not. All with the same SSID. I think that’s what I’m going to try but I’m hesitant to invest without being sure. - Sorry forgot to answer.
I do need three access points in the second house. One for downstairs, one for upstairs and one for the garage.If the second Orbi is in access point mode, then the primary router will provide all of the IP addresses to devices attached to both systems.
You can use the same WiFi name/password for both systems.
To all of the devices that do not move (TV's, desktops, IP cameras, thermostats, garage door openers, sprinkler controllers, etc. etc. etc.) it will be one seamless network.
The only concern I have is with devices that roam. I do not think the "hand off" from one Orbi to the other will be as smooth as it will be between the units on a single Orbi. I fear things like cell phones will stick stubbornly to the Orbi they are on until the signal gets so weak that they "give up" and look for another WiFi. (But then, I am wrong about so many things these days.)
How big of an issue is this?
- What you describe actually sounds like what I have going on right now. We have ATT fiber, somewhat unreliable here. With a nighthawk R8000 x6 in front of the ATT router in bridge mode, then a hard line to the other home with a R7000 nighthawk there in Access Point mode. Then there are a couple nighthawk EX7000 extenders connected via WiFi in the first house.