Are there any concurrent device limits on the IoT network on the new RBR960? The spec sheet states the mesh system can handle 200 devices, but I am having challenges connecting all of my IoT devices to the router simultaneously. That 200 figure is also not broken down by main network vs guest network vs IoT network. I have the router and two satellites, which should theoretically cover 9,000 sq ft, placed strategically around my roughly 6,000 sq ft home. My home has about 150-175 connected devices at any given time with about 30 of those being wired devices. I am specifically having trouble connecting 94 recessed lights on the perimeter of my home simultaneously to the IoT network. I haven't tried connecting these to the main network yet, as that would be a pretty heavy lift to update the wi-fi settings on all of these devices. I have the IoT network broadcasting in 2.4ghz only as the majority of these IoT devices are 2.4ghz only. The 94 recessed lights I am having trouble with are definitely 2.4ghz only. I was thinking about putting my older RB850 mesh system (router with 4 satellites) into AP mode and connecting them to my new RB960 system for added coverage, but I am not sure that the wi-fi signal extending outside is the problem. On the 5ghz and my iPhone is getting 175mbps down at about 60 feet outside of my house. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Page 155 of the User Manual says this: My guess is that 127 is a hard limit and has nothing to do with which SSID the device connects to (primary, guest, IoT). Nor would adding another WiFi system in Access Point (AP) mode help with that limit. The key may depend on the app used to control this brand of lights. With an 850 product on hand, I would experiment with connecting the 850 (as a router): Reduce the power level of the 5G radio to 25% (the lowest possible) to reduce interference with the new 960 system. Set the 2.4G WiFi channel to avoid interference with the 960 system. Connect a smart phone to the 850. Connect one bulb to the 850 system. Then, see if the smart phone app will control that bulb when the phone is on the 960 system. I have a similar situation where I have KASA smart plugs. Most are connected to the primary WiFi network, and four are connected to a different router. No matter which network the phone is connected to, the app can control all of the switches. (Which makes sense because the app allows control of products installed in different physical locations when the phone is not at physically at any of them.) 94 is a substantial number. One wonders if the products based on Zigbee or other standards can handle this many?

Thank you for your response. How did you arrive at the 127 number? The reason I decided to upgrade to the RB960 system was less about the new 6ghz band and more about the 200 device limit. If the router cannot handle 200 devices or anywhere close to that, then that’s pretty disappointing.

The 94 lights are on 4 automated switches that are zigbee and controlled by my xfinity home hub/app. I was able to get all but 2 connected concurrently last night by providing an address reservation for each device, but still no luck on connecting all of them at once. I may try to discontinue the IoT network all together and see if I can connect everything concurrently to the router. fingers crossed. I tried a three eero mesh network and a three deco mesh network (both the newest 6E systems but without a dedicated IoT network) and both got all of the devices connected after about 30 minutes. And those systems are 25% of the cost of the Orbi 963. I do want to stick with the Orbi system since it has been a wonderful system for me for so many years (this is my third mesh system), but it is really frustrating that it isn't working!

rvirani wrote: The 94 lights are on 4 automated switches that are zigbee and controlled by my xfinity home hub/app. I was able to get all but 2 connected concurrently last night by providing an address reservation for each device, but still no luck on connecting all of them at once. This is part of the reason I have been reluctant to plunge headlong into the "Internet of Things" (which technology to commit to?) Zigbee apparently has a theoretical capacity of 65,000 devices. So, the Zigbee switches can turn an entire string of lights on and off, but cannot do anything to the bulbs directly (such as change color. If the lights are all ordinary white bulbs, there seems to be no reason to access them directly.). The bulbs support WiFi, but not Zigbee, so it requires 94 IP addresses to be able to change their color (and could also be used to turn them on/off and thus make the Zigbee switches redundant). I get dizzy just thinking about it. Sorry not to be more help. The turkey dinner was fine, but the pie has sent my blood sugar through the roof!

I had the RBK850 and it could not handle my 140 devices. (75 Kasa light switches, 20 ring cameras, and other various IoT devices.I upgraded to the 960 this week and have the same disconnect issues.I tried running only 2.4 and then both 2.4 and 5 on the IoT but that didn’t help.What settings should I have for the IoT network and the network as a whole to get my IOT devices to stop dropping, slow, etc…

RBR960 device limits on IoT? | NETGEAR Communities

11 Replies

CrimpOn
Guru
Nov 23, 2022
Page 155 of the User Manual says this:

My guess is that 127 is a hard limit and has nothing to do with which SSID the device connects to (primary, guest, IoT). Nor would adding another WiFi system in Access Point (AP) mode help with that limit.

The key may depend on the app used to control this brand of lights.

With an 850 product on hand, I would experiment with connecting the 850 (as a router):

Reduce the power level of the 5G radio to 25% (the lowest possible) to reduce interference with the new 960 system.

Set the 2.4G WiFi channel to avoid interference with the 960 system.

Connect a smart phone to the 850.

Connect one bulb to the 850 system.

Then, see if the smart phone app will control that bulb when the phone is on the 960 system.

I have a similar situation where I have KASA smart plugs. Most are connected to the primary WiFi network, and four are connected to a different router. No matter which network the phone is connected to, the app can control all of the switches. (Which makes sense because the app allows control of products installed in different physical locations when the phone is not at physically at any of them.)

94 is a substantial number. One wonders if the products based on Zigbee or other standards can handle this many?
- rvirani
  Tutor
  Nov 23, 2022
  Thank you for your response. How did you arrive at the 127 number? The reason I decided to upgrade to the RB960 system was less about the new 6ghz band and more about the 200 device limit. If the router cannot handle 200 devices or anywhere close to that, then that’s pretty disappointing.
  - CrimpOn
    Guru
    Nov 23, 2022
    rvirani wrote:
    Thank you for your response. How did you arrive at the 127 number? The reason I decided to upgrade to the RB960 system was less about the new 6ghz band and more about the 200 device limit. If the router cannot handle 200 devices or anywhere close to that, then that’s pretty disappointing.
    
    I just opened the manual and found page 133. Don't know where the 200 number can be found. Sounds a lot like Marketing Speak to me (rather than engineering).
    
    Since none of us are Netgear employees, we have zero knowledge of what's actually going on inside Netgear.

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RBR960 device limits on IoT?