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Forum Discussion
Devices connecting to distant router instead of nearby satellites
Our school is having an issue where devices in our mesh network are sometimes connecting to the distant Orbi router/base rather than the Orbi satellite that is right in the room with them a few feet ...
By the way, I also started a support case on this for about the 4th time. The support I have been given has been pretty lame, and usually says nothing I have not already tried.
This time they gave the below instructions. Does any of it sound like they are onto the solution?
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Going back, here are the troubleshooting steps/links to resolve your concern.
A. ORBI LOGIN. Access the web page of the router.
1.) Launch a web browser (Chrome. Safari, Firefox) from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the Orbi network.
2.) Enter either of these option below:
orbilogin.com
10.0.0.1
192.168.1.1
3.) The login window opens. Enter the router user name and password and click the login button.
Username: admin (lowercase - cannot be changed)
Password: (your created Orbi App password)
The BASIC Home page displays.
B. RESERVE IP: Go to ADVANCED > Setup > LAN Setup. Scroll down. In the Address Reservation section, click the Add button. Choose the IP address of the five satellites. Click Add it will go back to the main page. Hit Apply.
C. Go to ADVANCED > Advanced > Wireless Settings. Find Preamble Mode, change it to: Long Preamble. Hit Apply for both 2.4 and 5Ghz
D. Go to BASIC > Wireless. Change 2.4Ghz from Auto to channel 6 and 5Ghz to highest channel. Hit Apply.
E. To POWER CYCLE - Orbi Network
*Unplug both ends of the Ethernet cable from the modem to the router
1. Make sure power light is on
2. Unplug the power adapter on your modem for 1 minute.
3. Unplug the power adapter on your Orbi router and satellite or wall plug satellite for 1 minute.
4. Plug your modem back in and turn it on.
5. Wait for your modem to restart.
6. Plug your Orbi router and satellite or wall plug satellite in as well as the Ethernet cable.
Your Orbi devices take two minutes to restart.
Your network is power cycled.
F. To report issue - INSTABUG:
1. Shake the mobile device while using the app.
2. A popup will be shown - click the “Report a Problem” button in the popup.
3. Using your finger, try to highlight the problem area on the screen. A-line or a circle should be enough.
4. Press “Next” at the top-right corner.
5. Enter an email id. The email id does not have to be correct. It just needs to be a little unique so that we can identify the bug report as yours.
6. Type in the description of the problem.
Please add the following information :
* Model of smartphone used
* Android or iOS versions
*Case number: 48513066
7. Press the “Send” button in the top-right corner.
Or access: https://kb.netgear.com/000064839/How-do-I-submit-a-bug-report-or-logs-from-the-Nighthawk-or-Orbi-app
Observe connection for 24 hours. Can we have this info below,
a. Photo of the BASIC > Attached Devices page
b. Photo of the ADVANCED > Internet Port > click Show Statistics
Zakariyya wrote:
By the way, I also started a support case on this for about the 4th time. The support I have been given has been pretty lame, and usually says nothing I have not already tried.
This time they gave the below instructions. Does any of it sound like they are onto the solution?
It is common practice to reserve IP addresses for the satellites. Do not know if this essential, but it certainly cannot do any harm. (That's what I did.)
Have no idea how the WiFi Preamble setting could apply to this problem.
Since the Orbi product was introduced, customers have asked to be able to dictate which WiFi access point a specific device will use, and there is simply no mechanism to do so. I am not aware of any residential mesh WiFi system offering this capability. The way WiFi works, each device scans the available WiFi access points, selects the "best" connection, and associates with it. To facilitate the process, devices often save the SSID/password of WiFi networks they recognize and connect automatically. When I fly across country to visit relatives, my phone connects to WiFi the instant I walk in the door. And it connects automatically when I return home, go to Kaiser, visit Starbucks, etc.
This mechanism depends on the WiFi environment being operational when the device is powered up. Devices that are intended to be mobile (phones, tablets, laptops) are programmed to continue to survey the WiFi environment and there are IEEE standards for how to discover that a different WiFi access point would be a "better connection" and switch to it. Devices that are not mobile (televisions, cameras, speakers, printers, desktops, garage door openers, etc.) are sometimes programmed to get connected and then stop searching. This can cause issues when the device is already searching for a WiFi connection when the WiFi system powers up. (For example, after a power outage.) The router may begin broadcasting WiFi beacon frames (5-10 times/sec) before any of the satellites. A device may detect the router first, connect to it, and have stopped looking when a nearby satellite begins broadcasting and is "obviously" a better connection.
This problem does not appear to be that sort of situation.
- The WiFi network is already completely operational when the Apple laptops arrive and are powered on. (or woken from 'sleep').
- The laptops select the nearby satellite with a strong signal and connect.
- After some period of time, the laptops abandon the stronger signal in favor of a much weaker signal from the router over 100 ft. away and performance becomes terrible.
This just seems nuts. My first thought is that (somehow) the laptops lost the strong satellite signal and switched to the router because it was the only signal available. But, if the satellite signal returns, then the laptops should switch back. (but they do not)
I would attempt to diagnose "what is going on" by capturing the WiFi management frames to look for evidence of the laptops changing their WiFi association. This is a highly technical process requiring equipment and software and investment of time.
A different experiment might be to set up a separate WiFi access point specifically for these laptops. For example, a TP-Link RE220 sells for under $20 on Amazon. Use section 6 of the user manual to set this up as a WiFi access point and connect it to Sat 3 with an Ethernet cable. Have it broadcast a 5G WiFi SSID that is different from the Orbi SSID. Connect the Apple laptops to this WiFi access point and "see what happens".
Total investment: under $30 (less if you already have an Ethernet cable), plus less than an hour of setup.
CrimpOn wrote:
Zakariyya wrote:By the way, I also started a support case on this for about the 4th time. The support I have been given has been pretty lame, and usually says nothing I have not already tried.
This time they gave the below instructions. Does any of it sound like they are onto the solution?
It is common practice to reserve IP addresses for the satellites. Do not know if this essential, but it certainly cannot do any harm. (That's what I did.)
Have no idea how the WiFi Preamble setting could apply to this problem.
Since the Orbi product was introduced, customers have asked to be able to dictate which WiFi access point a specific device will use, and there is simply no mechanism to do so. I am not aware of any residential mesh WiFi system offering this capability. The way WiFi works, each device scans the available WiFi access points, selects the "best" connection, and associates with it. To facilitate the process, devices often save the SSID/password of WiFi networks they recognize and connect automatically. When I fly across country to visit relatives, my phone connects to WiFi the instant I walk in the door. And it connects automatically when I return home, go to Kaiser, visit Starbucks, etc.
This mechanism depends on the WiFi environment being operational when the device is powered up. Devices that are intended to be mobile (phones, tablets, laptops) are programmed to continue to survey the WiFi environment and there are IEEE standards for how to discover that a different WiFi access point would be a "better connection" and switch to it. Devices that are not mobile (televisions, cameras, speakers, printers, desktops, garage door openers, etc.) are sometimes programmed to get connected and then stop searching. This can cause issues when the device is already searching for a WiFi connection when the WiFi system powers up. (For example, after a power outage.) The router may begin broadcasting WiFi beacon frames (5-10 times/sec) before any of the satellites. A device may detect the router first, connect to it, and have stopped looking when a nearby satellite begins broadcasting and is "obviously" a better connection.
This problem does not appear to be that sort of situation.
- The WiFi network is already completely operational when the Apple laptops arrive and are powered on. (or woken from 'sleep').
- The laptops select the nearby satellite with a strong signal and connect.
- After some period of time, the laptops abandon the stronger signal in favor of a much weaker signal from the router over 100 ft. away and performance becomes terrible.
This just seems nuts. My first thought is that (somehow) the laptops lost the strong satellite signal and switched to the router because it was the only signal available. But, if the satellite signal returns, then the laptops should switch back. (but they do not)
I would attempt to diagnose "what is going on" by capturing the WiFi management frames to look for evidence of the laptops changing their WiFi association. This is a highly technical process requiring equipment and software and investment of time.
A different experiment might be to set up a separate WiFi access point specifically for these laptops. For example, a TP-Link RE220 sells for under $20 on Amazon. Use section 6 of the user manual to set this up as a WiFi access point and connect it to Sat 3 with an Ethernet cable. Have it broadcast a 5G WiFi SSID that is different from the Orbi SSID. Connect the Apple laptops to this WiFi access point and "see what happens".
Total investment: under $30 (less if you already have an Ethernet cable), plus less than an hour of setup.
Wow. Thank you! You describing what we are seeing and experiencing exactly!
The Wifi Management frames thing seems out of my expertise range. I can try the separate access point thing. I have not yet been able to try reducing the router power, so we will try that first and see how it goes.
Thanks!