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Forum Discussion
RBKE963: Phone randomly switches from nearby satellite to router with weaker signal
Hi all,
I recently upgraded my mesh system from the Netgear Orbi RBK752 to the Netgear Orbi RBKE963.
My previous RBK752 was working great, but I decided to upgrade because I currently have around 45 connected devices, and I understand that the RBKE963 can handle significantly more devices.
I configured the new system exactly as I had the previous Orbi, and everything has been working fine overall. However, twice in the last four days, my phone has suddenly disconnected from the nearby satellite and switched to the main router, even though the router has a much weaker signal.
I immediately checked the satellite, and it did not appear to be restarting. Its LED was off, and I also have a PS5 and a computer connected to this satellite via Ethernet. Both wired devices continued working normally when the issue occurred.
Since the RBKE963 uses an additional 6 GHz band, I'm wondering if there are any specific settings or configuration options I should be aware of.
Another thing worth mentioning is that my system came with a 30-day trial of Netgear Armor. I've read that it can consume system resources and potentially cause software instability. Unfortunately, I haven't found a way to disable it, so I'm waiting for the trial to expire to see whether that makes any difference.
The system is running the latest firmware available to me, version 7.2.8.8.
Finally, I purchased the system refurbished on eBay. Could this behavior indicate a hardware defect, or is it more likely to be related to roaming behavior, firmware, or configuration?
Has anyone experienced something similar with the RBKE963? I'd appreciate any suggestions or troubleshooting tips.
Thanks in advance!
7 Replies
Netgear Armor can be disabled using the Orbi app. (It can be a bit frustrating that some features & capabilities can be managed only using the Orbi web interface, whereas other features can be managed only by using the Orbi app.)
Which specific model of phone is this?
I tried disabling it from the app but I don't find any switch to turn it off.
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S24+
Thanks for responding. I have never enabled Armor on my Orbi system. My guess is that the only way to totally disable Armor is to perform a Factory Reset, reconfigure, and not accept the offer to enable Armor.
How does the Galaxy S24+ indicate that it is connected to WiFi? (does it show 5GHz or 6GHz?)
Yeah, It's been long time since I activated my armor trial on RBR750, most probably the UI/functionality changed through the years and now you have to wait the trial to decide to continue or stop.
I validated my phone was disconnected from the satellite due the poor signal, it connected to the router for about 5 minutes, I opened the Orbi App and saw the phone it was connected to the router, later the WiFi signal strenght increased and checked again and now it was connected to the satellite.
Please notice that I have reduced the ratio for 2.4 ghz to 50% and the satellite where I was using my phone is my desk which I could say is 2 or 3 ft away.
The distance between this satellite and the router is around 30 to 32 ft and between there's a concrete wall around 5 inches. This didn't happen before when I had RBR750, so I'm concerned if this is a configuration issue or hardware issue.
I configured the new system exactly as I had the previous Orbi, and everything has been working fine overall. However, twice in the last four days, my phone has suddenly disconnected from the nearby satellite and switched to the main router, even though the router has a much weaker signal.
Have you tried toggling wifi on/off on the phone, and then seeing if the phone connects to the satellite?
What is the RSSI of the router and satellite wifi for the band you are using?
How does the Galaxy S24+ indicate that it is connected to WiFi? (does it show 5GHz or 6GHz?)
I didn't see an answer to this. But it is also worth checking the wifi band (seeing if the phone is also changing bands when the problem occurs).
Have you tried toggling wifi on/off on the phone, and then seeing if the phone connects to the satellite?
What is the RSSI of the router and satellite wifi for the band you are using?
How can I check/validate that? I only see Backhaul status and is "Good"
How does the Galaxy S24+ indicate that it is connected to WiFi? (does it show 5GHz or 6GHz?)
Yeah, it usually shows Wifi6 but when I'm closer to the router or satellite it shows 6E
How can I check/validate that? I only see Backhaul status and is "Good"
There are several free network analyzers in your phone's app store that will tell you this.
The satellite needs a good wifi connection to the router, so if the phone is near the satellite it likely also sees a good connection to the router (even if it is somewhat weaker than the satellite wifi). The satellite extends the wifi beyond what the router can reach, but the coverage always overlaps (unless you use a wired backhaul).
Yeah, it usually shows Wifi6 but when I'm closer to the router or satellite it shows 6E
Are you saying that when it switches to the router (when at the satellite location) that it is also switching from 6 ghz to 5 ghz?
even though the router has a much weaker signal.
While that could be true, it's hard to say how much weaker unless you measure it.
