NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.

Forum Discussion

DogFog's avatar
DogFog
Aspirant
Mar 06, 2020
Solved

Wi-Fi Performance Recently Degraded Severely - Orbi RBR50 V2.5.1.8 (RBK50-100NAR)

In the past week or so, my wi-fi performance has become very unreliable on my Orbi RBR50 system. This includes on my laptop which is on the desk directly next to the main router. My desktop computer ...
  • FURRYe38's avatar
    FURRYe38
    Mar 06, 2020

    Let us know how it goes. Reset maybe needed. Good troubleshooting step. 

    DogFog wrote:

    Thanks again. I've adjusted the 2.4 GHz channel to 11 and I'll see how it performs over the next couple of days. If it still has issues, would you recommend a factory reset as the next step?

     

FURRYe38's avatar
FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
Mar 06, 2020

What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?

 

What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between RBR and RBS to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected. https://kb.netgear.com/000036466/How-far-should-I-place-my-Orbi-satellite-from-my-Orbi-router

 

Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?

"my work wi-fi router" How close is this to the RBR? Having other wifi radios near by can cause problems. Channels differ from what Orbi uses? 

 

What speeds do you pay for UP and DOWN from your ISP?

 

Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update? 

DogFog's avatar
DogFog
Aspirant
Mar 06, 2020

Thanks for the quick replies.

 

The modem is mine and is a Netgear CM500.

 

The number of neighboring wi-fi networks fluctuates, but is usually about 3 or 4.

 

The satellite is about 40 feet away.

 

I pay for 175 Mbps down / 5 Mbps up (Comcast Performance Pro). Speed Tests on the Orbi app are usually in the range of 150-210 Mbps down / 5-6 Mbps up. Right now, head-to-head, I'm seeing:

  • Orbi app on iPhone: 209 Mbps down / 5.5 Mbps up
  • Ookla site via work wi-fi on laptop: 47 Mbps down / 6.0 Mbps up
  • Ookla site via Orbi wi-fi on laptop: 40 Mbps down / 6.0 Mbps up

So it's comparable right now. But there are times when the Orbi wi-fi won't load pages at all, and my work wi-fi performs just fine.

 

The work wi-fi router is on my desk a few inches from the Orbi, but nothing about this set up has changed in the past year. I have a separate wi-fi for work because I work from home most of the time and it automatically puts me on a secure connection to the company network without needing to run a VPN client (Cisco Meraki).

 

Nearby channels, per the Mac OS X Wireless Diagnostics Utility Scan, are:

  • Orbi network (2.4 GHz) on channel 4
  • Orbi network (5 GHz) on channel 48
  • Work network 2.4 GHz) on channel 1
  • Work network (5 GHz) on channel 149
  • Neighbor network 1 (5 GHz) on channel 36
  • Neighbor network 2 (5 GHz) on channel 36

 

I have not yet performed a full factory reset.