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Fattony81's avatar
Fattony81
Follower
Dec 22, 2023

Orbi RBR50

Hi

My original setup was Orbi router and a RBS50 satellite.

I’ve now purchased a new satellite and attempted to add it to the network, I’ve defaulted it and followed the app to add a new satellite but it doesn’t detect.

I’ve now realised the existing is RBS50v2 and the new on is RBS50

I’ve checked the firmware of my existing setup is upto date, is there anything I’m doing wrong, is the RBS50 not compatible.

Thanks

1 Reply

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  • CrimpOn's avatar
    CrimpOn
    Guru
    Dec 22, 2023

    According to this spreadsheet, Netgear does not distinguish between v1 and v2 Orbi routers:

    https://kb.netgear.com/000065169/Which-Orbi-routers-and-satellites-are-compatible 

     

    The only significant differences between the two routers are:

    • V2 does not include a USB port (because the original plans to make use of the USB port were quietly abandoned).
    • V2 has less RAM and memory (because  in practice customer routers never used the entire capacity).

    The CPU, radios, and other components are identical.

     

    However, you may be onto something.  The original RBS50 from 2016 says thisL

    And the RBS50v2 satellite says this:

    I have always assumed that when the original Orbi product was released back in 2016, it was the only product in the mesh WiFi portfolio.  So, the only device an RBS50 could connect to was the RBR50.  Netgear is not famous for going back and revising product literature.

     

    By the time the v2 product was released, the portfolio included more mesh WiFi routers, including the RBR20 and RBR40.

    Does this mean that an original RBS50 satellite cannot sync with the newer RBR50v2 router?  I certainly hope not.

     

    I am seriously not a fan of the Orbi 'app' and prefer to do anything serious with the WiFi system using the Orbi web interface.  Adding a satellite is discussed on page 12 of the user manual:

    https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBK50/Orbi_UM_EN.pdf