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Forum Discussion
Orbi RBR850 persistently shows magenta error indication in AP mode
I have been running my RBR850 and 2 x satellites with wired backhaul in AP mode for some months.
I have had to factory reset and set up the router and satellites recently, in an attempt to resolve an issue where WiFi devices connect to the Orbi network but randomly report no internet access.
Everything looks OK except that now the router shows a persistent magenta "No Internet" indicator.
When I log into the router's web interface it confirms that there is "no internet" despite everything working normally. (The only issue I come across occasionally is that the onboard Speedtest fails and complains it cannot access the Internet)
My setup:
- WAN side: HA firewall managing my cable modem, LAN side of the firewalls connecting to my headswitch
- Router's WAN port connects to my head switch, router set up as an AP with onboard DHCP disabled. Indicator continually shows magenta
- Both satellites back-haul via the head switch. They show up in the Orbi app correctly (Connection Type = wired) and with no error indication (from LED bar is off)
I am running the latest firmware on all three units (V4.6.3.16).
I suspect that this bug has crept in with an intervening firmware update, and has been triggered by the "cold" setup after factory reset.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated - clearly some part of the router (erroneously) thinks it does not have access to the Internet. Interestingly, it looks almost like an internal instance of the problem that I have tried to solve with a factory reset in the first place...
5 Replies
I have investigated some more and found the following:
1. The satellites pick up a number of clients which are reported in the respective satellite web interface as connected devices, but nothing appears in the corresponding lists on the app
2. The "connected but no internet" devices always connect via the satellite
3. Internet is restored to these clients in one of two ways:
a. Shutdown of the backup PfSense firewall, or
b. Power cycling of the satellite to which the affected client connects
From a number of other posts re. "Magenta" error LEDS, it looks like there is something seriously wrong with Netgear's networking code for the Orbi product suite. At the very least, Orbi bases do not seem to handle shared IP addresses (such as CARP common addresses used in pFsense HA clusters), whereas very simple IoT devices (e.g., smart switches on my network that are at least 8 years old) handle these seamlessly.
Very disappointing to see such flaky network management on a $1800 set of mesh bases. Not at all in line with the excellent product quality with other lines...So one reason why the RBR is showing Magenta is that your Firewall appliance device maybe cutting off or blocking too much to the RBR or not configured well to work with the RBR in AP mode.
I recommend using a static IP address on the RBR while in AP mode.
What is the Brand and model # of the switch being used?
RBS NEED to be connected behind the RBR, even if a switch is in between. The RBS won't work if connected to a switch in parallel with the RBR.
Also be sure your using good quality LAN cable. CAT6 is recommended. CAT6A STP is recommended to use on the RBRs WAN port if your ISP modem supports 2.5Gb WAN connection rates.
I have not seen this kind of issue with my 8 series in AP mode. Or any Orbi series in AP mode. Though I don't have a firewall and use other kinds of routers.
Thank you for the detailed reply.
Unfortunately, I have static addresses on all 3 Orbi devices, so that isn't the issue.
I have managed to diagnose the issue further. It appears that wired backhaul is broken. Everything seems to work OK when I change over to wireless backhaul. When I do, the satellites will correctly forward internet traffic to and from the main router. (It appears that the reason I have had good wifi connections but no Internet access is because of connections to satellites not communicating through to the router whilst wired in)
Clearly a bug with the firmware. I am out of trouble at present but hopefully Netgear will fix this bug soon. The layout of my house is such that wireless back haul is slow for one of my satellites - wired back haul would help considerably.
