Nighthawk Mesh Wifi 6 Router MR60 losing connection to 2.4 devices

Hi, I recently bought a Netgear Nighthawk AX1800 Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (MR60 router).  Like most people in this thread, I found that it basically doesn't work: for the first few days we had constant dropped connections, interrupting video calls and generally making the network barely usable.  Unfortunately, we broke down the packing for recycling immediately after we set it up (lesson learned, don't do that for a week or two!), so we can't return it for a refund.

One thing I did want to share, in case it helps anyone else: we have a relatively small house, but I still went for the two-satellite version of the system.  I figured we'd have super-duper-extra coverage, without a single dead zone anywhere.  But based on some things I saw (elsewhere) online, I turned off one of the two satellites, and ... It's helped a lot!  We're only a couple of days into the new condition (one router, one satellite), but so far there have been no drops or mysterious failures -- or so few that we don't notice them as an issue.

This seems to suggest that having multiple options for connecting (the router and perhaps two different satellites) is not being handled smoothly by the system, and perhaps it keeps "changing its mind" about which source a particular device should be using for its connection.  If it keeps changing from the route to satellite-1 to satellite-2 and back, and each of those changes causes a blip in connectivity, that would explain the observed behaviour.  It would also be a sign of something that could be fixed in the firmware, and *badly needs to be*.  

Netgear, the evidence suggests that you are paying no attention at all to these forums, but just in case: please fix this issue!  If someone pays extra money for an additional satellite, it is not good news if the fix for their unusable system is to *deactivate that extra satellite*.  It suggests some very poor design.  If you're prioritizing signal strength over all else, you're deeply out of touch with the needs of your customers: what most people need is *consistent* connections, not ones that drop out every hour in search of the perfect signal.

This whole experience has damaged my perception of Netgear as a company, which previously had been quite favourable: that's why I bought a Netgear mesh system without first scouring the internet and finding this year-long list of unaddressed connectivity problems.  People used to view you as a solid company with reliable products.  You're in the process of losing that reputation, and it's pretty hard to get that kind of thing back once it's gone ...