NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.

Forum Discussion

vonner04's avatar
vonner04
Aspirant
Nov 19, 2023

RBR350 powering RBR20 slow wifi when RBR350 is stored in garage metal panel box.

So RBR350 router is connected to the RBR20 router via ethernet. RBR350 is connected to LAN1 of the ONT box which provides the fibre connection. The issue I am having is that the WIFI provided by RBR20 router slows down when the RBR350 router is placed in the garage metal panel box. How can I fix this? I want the rbr350 inside the garage panel box so I can hook up the ethernet connected to my PC or else my PC wont have any connection.

 
 

I find it weird because the RBR20 is connected wired to the RBR350 which should have no issues. It might be helpful that both routers (RBR350 and RBR20) are providing wifi. Could this issue be double NAT?

8 Replies

  • vonner04 wrote:

    The issue I am having is that the WIFI provided by RBR20 router slows down when the RBR350 router is placed in the garage metal panel box. How can I fix this?


    I agree.  If the RBR20 is connected by Ethernet cable to (anything), then the WiFi network should not be affected by the physical placement of whatever the RBR20 is connected to.

     

    It would be helpful to know more about "garage metal panel box" (sort of ambiguous).

    • vonner04's avatar
      vonner04
      Aspirant

      Got you here is a photo. The RBR350 is basically connected to the ONT box via the red marked ethernet wire. Right now the RBR350 is inside this metal panel box so that it can connect to my PC. Note that in the provided photo the black marked ethernet wire is basically doing nothing as only LAN 1 is active.

       
       

       

      I tried making RBR350 into AP mode but it doesn't work as it doesn't provide internet to the RBR20 router with 3 satellites connected.


      • vonner04 wrote:

        Right now the RBR350 is inside this metal panel box so that it can connect to my PC.

         

        Putting a wifi source inside a metal box is a great way of killing any wifi signal.

         

        It acts like a "Faraday cage".

         

        Why not run a longer cable to the RBR350 and put it outside the cage?

         

        You hit the nail on the head in your first message.

         

        Could this issue be double NAT?

        Yes. To avoid that, if you have an an RBR20 and an RBR350 on the same network, the one not connected to the ONT should be in AP mode.

         

        You could also turn off the wifi from the thing in the cage. It will just get in the way.