Orbi RBK850 in AP mode can't connect to satellite

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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