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Orbi RBR50 + Circle frequent DNS failures
I've spent the better part of the past two weeks troubleshooting some DNS issues. They are similar to those reported recently here and probably here and related to similar reports as long as a year ...
I've already given up trying to get Orbi to function as a proper Router + Disney + Armor, because it's nothing but trouble. To get Orbi to a stable state, I have to disable practically everything that I could disable, including its internal DNS and DHCP client. I'm currently keeping Orbi for its WiFi capability and delegate all other router functions to DIY pfSense Router Firewall.
I went through a similar pain before I settled on the current setup, which has been holding up quite well during Stay-At-Home order.
- SB8200 -> pfSense -> Orbi AP Mode with static DNS servers and IP address
I settled on pfSense because I need a reliable Gigabit Router with enterprise class DNS resolver, DHCP, Firewall, DNS Filtering, VPN, plus a whole bunch of other features that I don't really need. If you're comfortable with installing pfSense, it's worth a shot.
Just found this thread, I'm having the same issue with Orbi RBR40 and 2 Satellite RBW30. Has anyone had any luck with Netgear support on this? I contacted them and they sent me a replacement satellite and router. Is there a way to manually configure DNS w/o using static IP on the Netgear admin page?
Shahab
Shahab wrote: Has anyone had any luck with Netgear support on this?Is there a way to manually configure DNS w/o using static IP on the Netgear admin page?
I'm well out of the free support period and am not going to pay for support. But this is actually a longstanding issue with dnsmasq. The problem is that the Orbi doesn't auto-detect the failure of dnsmasq, and overwrites user attempts to workaround it on a reboot.
Yes, you can temporarily set DNS to static IP, then change your DNS settings, then set DNS back to DHCP and the changed settings will "stick". If you have Circle or Armor enabled, you might have to temporarily disable them to do this. There are also ways to do it in the telnet interface for the more tech savvy.
Simliiar issue and hope this is addressed ASAP due to those of us remote workers and the influx of stay at home workers along with kids eating up bandwidth :)
I recommend that users having problems with Orbi and DNS+Circle, open a support ticket here:
https://www.netgear.com/support/#
While you have support from NG.
I opened a support case by calling their support line and they closed all my tickets with resolution that they've sent a new router + satellite. When you get the 1st level support on the phone, half the time is wasted by them trying to sell you their extended support plan.
This is a reason why "unbound" becomes a popular replacement for "dnsmasq". For example, "unbound" is the new default for pfSense DNS server.
