Orbi RBK850 in AP mode can't connect to satellite

Is the front LED OFF when using the 2nd LAN port over or is it ON and PINK? 

Reason why the WAN port needs to be used is for the main connection and the status of the front LED. 

What is the CAT# lan cable between the RBR and Firewall device? 

Possible the firewall device is blocking proper data flow. 

Try the RBR directly connected to the Fritzbox with out the firewall in the middle using the RBR WAN port. 

The front led is off. But I think the (possible) connection of the WAN port is another topic - I'm still wondering why the satellites can no more connect to the RBK via wireless (or via ethernet backhaul only by the explained behavior).

I would try the WAN port again and this time, don't have the firewall in the mix. Go from the ISP router to the RBR using the WAN port on the RBR. You might even start back from step one with the RBR in router mode and get the RBS connected here, then configure AP mode on the RBR, leaving the RBS ON. 

AP mode works on the 850 with using the WAN port. I just had mine in this configuration last month. 

Hi,

OK, I did the following (tested with Fritzbox, RBK850 and one RBS850):

1) connected my RBK850 (second port) with my Fritzbox (LAN port no. 4) and rebooted the RBK. Internet access via WLAN works. Satellite is not syncing wireless. I connected then the satellite via cable to my RBK, it was syncing & on the Fritzbox I could see that an ip address from my Fritzbox was successfully assigned, but when I unplugged the cable again the connection was lost and even when waiting some minutes it was not reconnecting.

2) connected my RBK850 (WAN port) with my Fritzbox (LAN port no. 4) and rebooted the RBK. Internet access via WLAN works. Satellite is not syncing wireless.  I connected them the satellite via cable to my RBK, it was syncing & on the Fritzbox I could see that an ip address from my Fritzbox was successfully assigned, and now the difference to 1): when I unplugged the cable from the satellite it took a few minutes but at the end the satellite was syncing successfully with the RBK and on both the Fritzbox again and the Orbi WebGUI I could see the assigned ip address (and was able to login via browser).

So I would conclude that the dhcp requests (in this test of course they were managed by the Fritzbox and not by my RASPI) will only be forwarded by the RBK to the satellites indeed when the RBK is connected to my network via WAN port.

As next step I have to analyze why the connection behind the pfsense is not completely working (status in the Orbi WebGUI shows good when the RBK is connected via WAN port directly to my Fritzbox & fails when connected to my pfsense and if there is some issue with my isc-dhcp-server.

Do You perhaps know any concrete configuration requirements specially for the dhcp server which needs to be considered? And regarding the WAN connection do You perhaps know if there are some special port openings needed for the RBK?

Thank You.

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schadan wrote:

some special port openings needed for the RBK?

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(Assuming port openings is in reference to the pfSense Firewall.)

Port forwarding pertains only to incoming connections.  Any device on the network can open connections to the internet.

If the Orbi is in Access Point (AP) mode, its internal firewall is not enabled.  Connections can be made from and to any device on the network (including the pfSense).  In addition, Ethernet broadcasts will go to every device on the network.  Connections from the internet to internal devices are monitored entirely by pfSense.  For example, if a web server on a local device needs to be reached from the internet, then pfSense must forward the appropriate port (usually 80 or 443) to that device IP.  Of course, the pfSense Firewall will only receive incoming connections if the Fritzbox has port forwarding rules in place.

If the Orbi is in router mode, then the internal firewall is enabled and rejects all connections from the internet unless a Port Forwarding rule has been enabled by the user.  This will make the situation a bit more complicated. i.e.

• The Fritzbox will have to forward the required port to the pfSense IP.
• The pfSense will have to forward the required port to the Orbi router IP
• The Orbi router will have to forward the required port to the internal web server IP.

This can be done.  I have deliberately set up three routers in a chain. i.e.

• internet modem to router 1
• router 2 connected to router 1
• router 3 connected to router 2
• user device connected to router 3.
• open a web server on user device
• forward port 80 through router 1 to the IP of router 2
• forward port 80 through router 2 to the IP of router 3
• forward port 80 through router 3 to the IP of the web server.

But, geez. what a complicated mess!

This is why the consensus on the forum is "unless you have zero need for any connections* from the internet to local devices, have only one router in the network."

* This means no need to access anything on the network from the internet:

• No media servers
• No web servers
• No internet game hosts
• No OpenVPN
• do internet search for "Double NAT" for more examples

If this really is the case, then it doesn't matter how many routers there are

Glad you got it working. Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/000062080/How-do-I-back-up-the-configuration-settings-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-System
Enjoy. 📡