Nighthawk MK83 Constant Signal Drops

Question

Just bought a Nighthawk mesh system. I followed the startup procedures, upgraded firmware immediately, setup and synced both satellites... initially looks good, but the signal is constantly dropping. Every few minutes, I lose connection. This is for any wireless connected device, as well as a wired desktop plugged into the main router. Even in the same room, less than 10 ft away, unobstructed, still experiencing constant signal drops.

This is brand new... has never worked out of the box. My 10 yr old netgear wifi is still running, as my wife and I cannot work with this system's issues.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

FURRYe38 · Answer

What Firmware version is currently loaded?What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too? Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6 is recommended.&nbsp;
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What is the size of your home? Sq Ft? What is the distance between the router and 📡 satellite(s)? 30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS📡 to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected.
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What channels are you using? Auto? Try Auto and 48 on 5Ghz. Or try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and 40 to 48 channel on 5Ghz.Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?
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Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Set CTS to 64. Set Short preamble instead of Long preamble modes. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s). Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings
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How long have you had this system?
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Has a power off for 1 minute then back ON with the ISP modem and router been performed since last update?Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:Turn off and unplug modem.Turn off router and computers.Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it to connect.Turn on computers and rest of network.
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Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?&nbsp;A complete pull of the power adapters for a period of time after the factory reset then walk thru the setup wizard and setup from scratch. I would power OFF the ISP modem for 1 minute. Factory reset the Orbi router and power it off. Power ON the ISP modem and let it sync. Then power ON the Orbi router and walk thru the setup wizard again using a wired PC and a web browser.Press the back reset button for 15 seconds then release.&nbsp;https://kb.netgear.com/31486/How-do-I-reset-my-Orbi-system-to-factory-default-settings

camaroman1181 · Answer

I think I can answer most of the questions, but I'm having issues finding a few settings (wifi channels?)

firmware: v1.1.7.12

I updated immediately after initial power cycle. I just validated this is the most recent firmware as per the mobile app.

I also rebooted the modem and router when i initially recognized the issues. I followed the startup procedure you mention. I am also having issues with my desktop dropping internet connectivity. It is wired into the main router, though the wifi signal drops more frequently.

Cable modem: Comcast Technicolor tc8305c

I'm using the LAN cable that came with the nighthawk system to connect the 2 devices

My house is approx. 2000 S.F. The satellites are about 25-40 ft. apart on different floors from the main router

My channels were set to AUTO for 2.4Ghz and 44 for 5Ghz. I just changed to 01 for 2.4Ghz and 48 for 5Ghz.

I live in a rural area and only have 1-2 neighbors that have any signal strength at my house.

I can't seem to find the 20/40Mhz coexistance setting, other than a checkbox to "enable" it.

Thank you very much for your assistance.

Phill

michaelkenward · Answer

camaroman1181&nbsp;wrote:
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firmware:&nbsp; v1.1.7.12
I updated immediately after initial power cycle.&nbsp; I just validated this is the most recent firmware as per the mobile app.
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That is not a reliable check. The only way to do that is through the support pages for the device.
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Support | NETGEARFeed in your model number and check the documentation for your hardware.That page will also have any software, firmware and drivers for your device, if they exist.You will see that there is newer firmware for the MR80:
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MR80 / MS80 Firmware Version 1.1.7.14 | Answer | NETGEAR Support
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Cable modem:&nbsp; Comcast Technicolor tc8305c
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If Google is to be believed, that is a modem/router, with extra LAN ports and wifi support.
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Two routers on your network can cause headaches. For example, you can end up with local address problems. Among other things, the other router can misdirect addresses that the Netgear router usually handles, such as routerlogin.net or the usual IP address for a router, 192.168.1.1.This explains some of the other drawbacks.What is Double NAT? | Answer | NETGEAR SupportUnless you have specific reasons for using two routers – to create two separate networks for example – it is often easier to use just one router and then to set up the second router as a wifi access point. Netgear advises this, as does just about every site you will visit.It may be possible to put the modem/router into modem only (bridge) mode and then to use the second device as the router.
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comcast technicolor tc8305c bridge mode - Google Search
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Sometimes it is easier to put the second router into AP mode. But that has its own drawbacks:
Disabled Features on the Router when set to AP Mode | Answer | NETGEAR Support
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Nighthawk MK83 Constant Signal Drops

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