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Forum Discussion
New Orbi replacement? Easy or difficult?
Hi there. I have an older Orbi set up and was considering buying a new system for more efficiency (6 years old). Would replacing my old Orbi just be a matter of swapping units ? (Comcast modem in place already) will new Orbi assign and find IP addresses for all of my connected devices automatically? Name it the same network? Currently, I have Ethernet to Comcast modem. I don’t need new or I to be a modem….just need it for routing. Hoping it’s just easy. Thank you all!
5 Replies
Yes, if the replacement system has exactly the same WiFi name (SSID) and password, then all existing devices will connect automatically to the new system. (no matter what brand or model the new system is.) I have done this since about 2003, giving each new system the same credentials.
Of course, if you have customized the configuration, such as by assigning specific IP addresses to devices, the new system will not know about that. (Being a wee bit OCD, I like to have each of my 'permanent' devices use an IP address that I assign to them. All the smart plugs are 192.168.1.41...42...43...44... etc. All the security cameras are 192.168.1.51...52...53...54 ...etc.) When I eventually replace the Orbi, there will be a 2-3 hour session where I painstakingly reproduce those assignments with a new system.
- Replacing an Orbi system can be either easy or difficult depending on a few factors, such as the reason for the replacement, the type of Orbi system being used, and the level of technical expertise required.
Yes.
As long as you use same SSID name and password, your devices should auto migrate. If you set up the new system, you can set it up off line from the ISP modem first, get it setup and running. Then turn off all RBS, leaving the old RBR ON, disconnect it from the ISP modem, turn ON the new RBR while it's connected to the ISP modem. Then when it's online and ready, just turn OFF the old RBR. Your devices should connect. Then turn ON the RBS that you deployed.
jirkal wrote:
Hi there. I have an older Orbi set up and was considering buying a new system for more efficiency (6 years old). Would replacing my old Orbi just be a matter of swapping units ? (Comcast modem in place already) will new Orbi assign and find IP addresses for all of my connected devices automatically? Name it the same network? Currently, I have Ethernet to Comcast modem. I don’t need new or I to be a modem….just need it for routing. Hoping it’s just easy. Thank you all!
I just set up a new 960 system replacing an older system and the setup was remarkably simple. In fact, I had to do it twice due to a defective satellite on the first system I got. If you follow the steps they suggest and use the app:
1 - disconnect your old Orbi and power off the cable modem
2 - power on the cable modem and wait a few minutes until it is up
3 - connect the Orbi and follow the steps on the phone app.
4 - if the option to set the SSID and password didn't come up during setup, you can do it immediately after - set the same as your old system and all your devices will connect.
5 - you may also want to customize the LAN setup to your specific IP address ranges and set any reserved IPs if you need to, but the default should work fine.
It goes quickly and is easy.
Any progress on this?
jirkal wrote:
Hi there. I have an older Orbi set up and was considering buying a new system for more efficiency (6 years old). Would replacing my old Orbi just be a matter of swapping units ? (Comcast modem in place already) will new Orbi assign and find IP addresses for all of my connected devices automatically? Name it the same network? Currently, I have Ethernet to Comcast modem. I don’t need new or I to be a modem….just need it for routing. Hoping it’s just easy. Thank you all!
