[HELP] SXS50 satellite not pairing as mesh unit after factory reset – tried everything

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help me out. I have an Orbi Pro WiFi 6 AX5400 kit (SXR50 router + SXS50 satellite) and after a factory reset of the satellite, it refuses to reconnect as a mesh unit. It only connects as a wired client when plugged in via ethernet.

My setup:

• Router: SXR50, firmware 4.3.2.200, IP 192.168.1.233
• Satellite: SXS50, MAC 34:98:b5:a7:b0:61

Background: The router and satellite were purchased as a kit and worked correctly together for a long time. After performing a factory reset on the satellite, the mesh pairing was lost and I haven't been able to restore it.

What I've tried:

• Factory reset of the satellite (multiple times)
• Sync button method on both router and satellite
• Connected satellite via ethernet cable for an extended period to allow firmware sync
• Updated router firmware to 4.3.2.200
• Tried adding satellite via the + wizard on orbilogin.com
• Tried adding satellite via the Orbi Pro app

What happens:

• With ethernet cable connected: satellite shows a blue light and appears in the network topology as a regular client (Type: Client, interface LAN2) — not as a satellite
• Without ethernet cable: satellite shows a magenta light and cannot establish a wireless mesh connection
• The Satellites page in both the web interface and the app consistently shows "No Satellite available"

My question: Is there any way to re-pair the SXS50 as a mesh satellite to the SXR50 after a factory reset? It seems like the mesh configuration is lost and the normal pairing methods aren't working.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!