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Cannot connect to new devices or HomeKit on Orbi RBRE960
I bought an Orbi 960 (model RBRE960) a couple months ago and initially my Philips Hue gen 2 bridge, Hue bulbs, and Ecobee thermostat connected fine and worked over HomeKit fine. I have a set of Nanoleaf shapes so I enabled the IoT-only 2.4Ghz network and that went fine.
Then in the last couple weeks it all stopped working. Internet in general is fine, but I can’t control my Hue bulbs or change thermostat temp with Siri anymore. My first troubleshooting step was to remove the Hue bridge from HomeKit and reconnect it from the Hue app, but that process always errors out. I also just tried removing my Ecobee from HomeKit and reconnecting, and that process errors out too.
I thought maybe the Hue bridge died, so I purchased a new one yesterday, and I can’t even get the Hue app to see that bridge no matter what I do. I tried disabling the IoT network. Flailing for a solution, I even just tried changed my SSID and password (the Hue bridge is wired directly into the Orbi). I logged into the Orbi web interface to confirm the bridge shows as connected and Access Control is enabled.
For the life of me I can’t figure out what’s going on and I’m considering tossing this Orbi in the trash. I’ve never had these problems with routers a third of the price of this thing. If anyone has insight or can help I will be incredibly grateful.
4 Replies
What region are you located?
Does this still happen with Access Controls disabled?
Is SPC or Armor enabled by chance?
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. CAT6A STP is recommended.How many RBS are deployed?
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 wired or wirelessly connected.
https://kb.netgear.com/31029/Where-should-I-place-my-Orbi-satellite 🛰Does this happen with the RBS turned OFF?
Does this happen with both wireless and wired devices?
What channel configurations are currently set on the router?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.
Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?First, thanks a bunch for your help. I remain perplexed.
What region are you located?
Chicago, IL, USA
Does this still happen with Access Controls disabled?
I haven’t tried that. I thought I need Access Controls enabled in order for devices on my network to find and interact with each other. Did I misunderstand this feature?
Is SPC or Armor enabled by chance?
Neither are enabled
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
Modem is an Arris BGW210 for AT&T Fiber, but why would the internet connection matter? I’ve had fiber service and this modem for ~ 3 years now, and didn’t have these problems with my previous TP-Link router (I forget the model. It had 5 or 6 antennas you could tilt)
Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6A STP is recommended.All cables are brand new since I had that suspicion a while ago
How many RBS are deployed?
None, just the main Orbi 960 unit
What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?~ 2100 sq ft single family home with two stories and a finished basement, so around 700 sq ft per floor
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 wired or wirelessly connected.- No satellites
- Router and Hue bridge are connected via Ethernet and barely 1 ft away
- Ecobee thermostat is maybe 4-5 feet away hanging on a wall with full line of sight
Does this happen with both wireless and wired devices?
Yes, since the Hue bridge is wired and Ecobee wireless
What channel configurations are currently set on the router?When I wrote this yesterday, I had two modes of wireless: the main one which I guess runs 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz, and the separate IoT-only option running just 2.4Ghz. I tried more troubleshooting last night and turned on the 6Ghz-only line as well to try and further segregate devices in case that would help. It didn’t.
Has a power off for 1 minute then back ON with the ISP modem and router been performed since last update?
I did partly try this yesterday but only with unplugging the modem for a few minutes. I didn’t try unplugging the modem as well since I didn’t think it affected anything here. But if you really believe it could be a culprit, I can try that today
Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?No, but now that you mention this idea I think I just want to try that; nuke all my router and wireless settings from orbit and start over. Thanks again, I might try this in a bit.
dchartier wrote:
First, thanks a bunch for your help. I remain perplexed.
What region are you located?
Chicago, IL, USA
👍
Does this still happen with Access Controls disabled?
I haven’t tried that. I thought I need Access Controls enabled in order for devices on my network to find and interact with each other. Did I misunderstand this feature?
No, Access Controls are not needed for devices on network to interact with each other.
Is SPC or Armor enabled by chance?
Neither are enabled
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
Modem is an Arris BGW210 for AT&T Fiber, but why would the internet connection matter? I’ve had fiber service and this modem for ~ 3 years now, and didn’t have these problems with my previous TP-Link router (I forget the model. It had 5 or 6 antennas you could tilt)
What mode is the BGW210 working in? Gateway router or has it been bridged any?
Your ISP Modem already has a built in router and wifi. This would be a double NAT (two router) condition which isn't recommended. https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT
https://kb.netgear.com/30187/How-to-fix-issues-with-Double-NAT
Couple of options,
1. Configure the modem for transparent bridge or modem only mode. Then use the Orbi router in router mode. You'll need to contact the ISP for help and information in regards to the modem being bridged correctly.
2. If you can't bridge the modem, disable ALL wifi radios on the modem, configure the modems DMZ/ExposedHost or IP Pass-Through for the IP address the Orbi router gets from the modem. Then you can use the Orbi router in Router mode.
3. Or disable all wifi radios on the modem and connect the Orbi router to the modem, configure AP mode on the Orbi router.
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WIFI-6-AX-AND-Wi-Fi-6E-AXE/Procedure-for-Factory-reset-of-RBS850/m-p/2367505/highlight/true#M53985
https://kb.netgear.com/31218/How-do-I-configure-my-Orbi-router-to-act-as-an-access-point and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7LOcJ8GdDo&app=desktop
Try option #2 first...
Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6A STP is recommended.All cables are brand new since I had that suspicion a while ago
There should be markings on the cables indicating kind of CAT#.
How many RBS are deployed?
None, just the main Orbi 960 unit
What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?~ 2100 sq ft single family home with two stories and a finished basement, so around 700 sq ft per floor
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 wired or wirelessly connected.- No satellites
- Router and Hue bridge are connected via Ethernet and barely 1 ft away
- Ecobee thermostat is maybe 4-5 feet away hanging on a wall with full line of sight
👍
Does this happen with both wireless and wired devices?
Yes, since the Hue bridge is wired and Ecobee wireless
What channel configurations are currently set on the router?When I wrote this yesterday, I had two modes of wireless: the main one which I guess runs 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz, and the separate IoT-only option running just 2.4Ghz. I tried more troubleshooting last night and turned on the 6Ghz-only line as well to try and further segregate devices in case that would help. It didn’t.
Channel configurations is what channels is 2.4 and 5Ghz using? I.e. Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and 40 to 48 channel on 5Ghz.
Has a power off for 1 minute then back ON with the ISP modem and router been performed since last update?
I did partly try this yesterday but only with unplugging the modem for a few minutes. I didn’t try unplugging the modem as well since I didn’t think it affected anything here. But if you really believe it could be a culprit, I can try that today
Something to try for both modem AND RBR.
Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?No, but now that you mention this idea I think I just want to try that; nuke all my router and wireless settings from orbit and start over. Thanks again, I might try this in a bit.
Yes please try this if any of the above fails to correct this.
