Netgear Orbi AX6000 RBR850 won't connect with a TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 Switch

Question

Hello.&nbsp; I have a brand new Netgear Nighthawk 2.5Gbps Cable Modem with Voice (CM2050V) using Xfinity 1.2Gbps service and a Netgear Orbi AX6000 RBR850 that both work great on their own with&nbsp; Nighthawk &gt; Orbi &gt; computer.&nbsp;I am trying to introduce a brand new TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 flagship unmanaged switch between the Nighthawk and Orbi so that I can separate the wireless network from the wired network.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nighthawk &gt; Switch &gt; computer works great without the Orbi but of course I have no wireless network.However, trying to plug the Orbi RBR850 into the TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 causes the Orbi to not be able to get an internet connection. The lights are flashing on the switch and the Orbi so I know there's data but so far no internet. I've tried a variety of resetting and restarting to no avail.&nbsp; So, the Cable Modem &gt; Switch &gt; Orbi &gt; computers doesn't work.&nbsp;&nbsp;When I plug the Orbi in BEFORE the switch, it works fine.&nbsp;&nbsp; Cable modem &gt; Orbi &gt; Switch &gt; computer is fine.&nbsp; But this is the situation I'm really wanting to avoid.I don't seem to see any software or bios update for the TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 on TP-Link's website and have contacted them separately but so far they've not given me any useful info.&nbsp; They suggest the Switch is just plug and play.&nbsp; So I am at a loss what to do.I did find this interesting forum post on Netgear's website from 2018 where an earlier version of the Switch required a software update so maybe I am seeing the same issue: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/TP-link-switch-sg-108-wont-connect-to-internet/td-p/1609378&nbsp;To be clear this issue was the M1.&nbsp; I have the M2 switch. And so far there's no software update.&nbsp;I've attempted to draw a picture to help.&nbsp; The top row is what I have now working.&nbsp; The bottom row is what I'd like to have but the Orbi doesn't communicate at all unless its directly connected to the Nighthawk cable modem.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

CrimpOn · Answer

The reason this will not work is the CM2050V is "only a modem".&nbsp; It contains no DHCP server.&nbsp; With a swtich connected directly to the modem, the modem will see a stream of DHCP requests from the Orbi and from every device connected to the switch.&nbsp; "Which one is my customer's router?"&nbsp; Answer: who knows?
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The switch has to be connected to one of the Orbi LAN ports so that devices connected to the switch can get IP addresses from the Orbi and so that the modem sees only one device connected to it.
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Perhaps if you explain more about the desire to "separate the wired network from the wireless network" people can suggest workarounds.

dbottoms · Answer

Thanks CrimpOn for the guidance.&nbsp; I'm obviously not a network guru so some of the nuiances are lost on me.&nbsp; The goal I had, at least in my head was, I had intended the "wired" network to minimize the number of jumps between the cable model and the computers on the ethernet to maximize performance and I didn't see the benefit of using the Orbi in that chain with the assumption the Orbi was the "wireless" network.&nbsp; I mean, how would this work if I didn't have the Orbi?&nbsp; Like I said the Cable Model &gt; Switch works just fine.&nbsp; So, something must be assigning network names when the Orbi isn't in the chain. But no wireless is a deal breaker for our various tablets, etc.&nbsp;The issue I have at the moment is using a CAT8 cable between the Cable modem and the Orbi, and then a CAT 8 cable between the Orbi and my 5 Gbps enabled ethernet port on my Motherboard : ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XII HERO WI-FI I am still only seeing a speedtest of around 900 Mbps.&nbsp; But I'm paying Xfinity for their 1.2 Gbps service.&nbsp; No matter what combo of servers I rarely see more than 900 Mbps.&nbsp; Xfinity tech. support hasn't been much help indicating its my hardware.&nbsp; The ethernet LAN port is indeed the&nbsp;Marvell 5Gbps Ethernet which Asus says supports upto 2.5 Gbps connections.&nbsp; I suppose I was expecting at some point to see anything above 900 Mbps.&nbsp; So minimizing any unnecessary intermediary and possibly unnecessary connections was a goal.

CrimpOn · Answer

Computer networking is indeed confusing.&nbsp; Notice the diagram on the modem Product Data Sheet, page 3:
https://www.netgear.com/images/datasheet/networking/CableModems/CM2050V.pdf&nbsp;
The modem can be connected directly to (a) your computer [not a switch leading to computers] or (b) a WiFi router.
When the computer is connected directly to the modem, you should see the full 1.2gb bandwidth. one 2.5gb ethernet port talking to another 2.5gb ethernet port.
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Of course, none of us want to connect only one computer.&nbsp; We have a whole house full of devices.
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The Orbi RBR850 WAN port is also 2.5gb, so the direct connection between the modem and Orbi should reach your contract speed of 1.2gb. https://www.netgear.com/images/datasheet/orbi/RBK852.pdf&nbsp;
Please look at the Speedtest on the RBR850 and see what it reports.
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Alas, now that 2.5gb has reached the Orbi, there is no way to get more than 1gb to any device.&nbsp; The router etherent ports are all 1gb, which will product a maximum speed test of about 920mb.&nbsp; The newer (and ghastly more expensive) RBRE960 has a 2.5G port on the LAN side plus the usual 4 gigabit LAN ports. https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBKE963/RBKE963_DS.pdf&nbsp;
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It is probably not much consolation to have internet capacity available to other devices even when the computer is consuming nearly a full 1gb if the goal was to eat up the entire 1.2gb with the computer and leave zero for the entire rest of the house.
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dbottoms · Answer

CrimpOn I just wanted to say thanks.&nbsp; Everything you said was exactly right and well educated.&nbsp; I suppose it addresses my main concern as untenable with my current equipment.&nbsp; At least I can return the TP-Link Switches but I appear stuck with the RBR850s.&nbsp; Of course, not a bad thing as you've implied, the RBR850 set are very nice and I'm sure I'll get years out of them.&nbsp; Also, thanks for clarifying the 1Gbps limit on the Orbi RBR850 LAN ports.&nbsp; Its always frustrating when marketing uses half-facts to mix the truth and confuses the consumer.&nbsp; Foolishly I believed it was a 4 Gbps per the marketing.&nbsp; My own fault for not drilling into the data sheet fineprint as you shared.&nbsp; I do have a delimna though as I would have preferred an ultra-high-speed internal network for transfering home data around.&nbsp; I already got the Veto from the beancounter (wife) about upgrading to the 9xxx series as you said its quite expensive.&nbsp;&nbsp;Would you happen to be familiar with the Netgear AX6000 WiFi Cable Modem Router (CAX80) and know if it would support both a multi-gig highspeed network and Xfinity Tripleplay?&nbsp; Getting crosseyed trying to read the fineprint here: https://www.netgear.com/media/CAX80_with_Spectrum_DS_30Mar21_tcm148-120183.pdf&nbsp; but it seems to still suggest it contains Four (4) Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and – Dual Gigabit Ethernet port aggregation which I'm not sure what that means in simple English.&nbsp; I suppose also concern if the wireless network would be compatible with the Orbi mesh or if they'd bump into each other.&nbsp;

CrimpOn · Answer

dbottoms&nbsp;wrote:
&nbsp;I do have a delimna though as I would have preferred an ultra-high-speed internal network for transfering home data around.&nbsp; I already got the Veto from the beancounter (wife) about upgrading to the 9xxx series as you said its quite expensive.&nbsp;

My sense is that the TP-Link switch would be the perfect component for an "ultra-high-speed internal network", but I see one significant obstacle: apart from the 2.5G ethernet card in the PC, what other devices are likely to support greater than gigabit speed?&nbsp; Most NAS systems have only gigabit ethernet ports, although maybe some of them can do "link aggregation" to bind two ports together and get a higher connection rate. (But, I do not know if the TP-Link switch supports link aggregation.)
I am not confident that having *something* with a higher speed ethernet will accomplish much.&nbsp; What can absorb that much bandwidth?
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dbottoms&nbsp;wrote:
Would you happen to be familiar with the Netgear AX6000 WiFi Cable Modem Router (CAX80) and know if it would support both a multi-gig highspeed network and Xfinity Tripleplay?&nbsp; Getting crosseyed trying to read the fineprint here: https://www.netgear.com/media/CAX80_with_Spectrum_DS_30Mar21_tcm148-120183.pdf&nbsp; but it seems to still suggest it contains Four (4) Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and – Dual Gigabit Ethernet port aggregation which I'm not sure what that means in simple English.&nbsp; I suppose also concern if the wireless network would be compatible with the Orbi mesh or if they'd bump into each other.

Alas, I have no experience withthe CAX product line.&nbsp; It is obviously a replacement for the cable modem and the Orbi WiFi router.
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To be perfectly honest, I have little experience relevant to the discussion: (a) my own internet is a measly 200mbs from Spectrum, which appears entirely adequate for my needs, (b) I have exactly zero devices which support WiFi 802.11ax (i.e. WiFi 6). and do not anticipate owning any in the next year or so.&nbsp;

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Netgear Orbi AX6000 RBR850 won't connect with a TP-Link TL-SG108-M2 Switch

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