RBS850 backhaul out of Sync [Magenta Light on Satellite]

I purchased the ORBI RB853 [RBR850 and 2 of RBS850] Combo Pack about a year ago.  It was set up as follows

• Router  on the Ground Floor
• One Satellite [L] on the Ground Floor
• One Satellite [B] on the 1st Floor. 

Both the Satellites were connecting directly to the Router [in a Star Configuration] and the system worked well for several months.  About 3 months ago, one of the Satellites [B], on the First Floor, started to reboot itself on an intermittent basis.  Whilst it came back online, the connection to the Router wasn't always direct [Star Configuration] and in some cases in was a Daisy Chain Connection [Satellite L to Satellite B and then onto the Router].  This configuration would revert back to direct connection [Star Connection] to the Router by itself, randomly and back again.

In order to determine if the issue was with the location of the Satellite, I swapped the physical location of Satellite B [from the 1st Floor] with Satellite L [from the Ground Floor].  The problem stayed with Satellite B.

In order to monitor the ongoing Issue I swapped the names of the Satellites B to L and Satellite L to B.  The intention being that I would be able to check the status via the App and also look at the satellites physically to ensure that the issue remained with the "Faulty Satellite".  In hindsight this may have been a bad idea as I now regularly have 3 satellites showing up on the Network Map in the ORBI APP, and also in the Web Based Configuration utility with the third Satellite labelled [ORBI Satellite-1] .  Sometimes when this occurs the attached devices list shows the 3rd Satellite connected to the Network with a random IP address assigned to the device as XXX.XXX.X.255.  In this case the 3rd Satellite cannot be disconnected.  On other occasions the 3rd Satellite is listed as disconnected and the option to remove is available.  I have removed the 3rd Satellite on a number of occasions, however it keeps reappearing on the Network Map, whenever the "Faulty Satellite" reboots.

I reached out to Netgear Premium Support on Dec 22.  The Support Technician started by updating the Router and Satellite Firmware to V4.6.14.3.  The next step was to Reset the "Faulty Satellite" which brought all the devices back online in a star configuration.  We ended the support call, leaving the case open, with the advice from the Support Technician to monitor the operation over the next few days.  The "Faulty Satellite" went out of Sync [Magenta Colour on Satellite] with the Router and the reboot fault symptoms came back again.

Having contacted Netgear Premium Support with the Out of Sync Issue on Dec 24, I was sent a replacement Satellite, which arrived on Dec 27.  The Replacement Satellite failed to sync with the Router. [Magenta Colour on Satellite], even though both devices were in the same room less that 3 feet apart.

I called Netgear Premium Support again Dec 28 and spent over an hour on the phone with another Support Technician.  As the Replacement Satellite would not sync with the Router [Magenta Colour on Satellite], the Satellite was hardwired, via ethernet, to the Router.  Once the Replacement Satellite was visible in the configuration Utility it became apparent the the Firmware was way out of date [V3.x.x.x].  Having updated the Firmware on the Replacement Satellite to the latest version the Replacement Satellite successfully Synced with the Router, whilst connected via Ethernet.  However, when the Ethernet lead was disconnected  the Replacement Satellite continuously failed to Sync with the Router [Magenta Colour on Satellite].

The following additional diagnostic steps were undertaken in an attempt to resolve the issue, without any success:

• Power Cycle the Replacement Satellite
• Replace the Power Connector
• Reset the Replacement Satellite
• Power Cycle the Replacement Satellite and Router
• Power Cycle the Modem,  the Replacement Satellite and Router.

The outcome of the additional diagnostics is that Netgear Premium Support agreed that the Replacement Satellite does not remain connected/synced to the Router and regularly displays the Magenta Colour on Satellite. A short while after that the process of reboot/sync starts again.  Netgear Premium Support are now ordering a second Replacement Satellite.

So the two issue that I have are:

1. Firstly how do I stop the Random 3rd Satellite appearing/connecting the Network, having deleted it a number of time so far
2. Why does the Satellite  not remain connected/synced to the Router and regularly displays the Magenta Colour on Satellite and when this happens it regularly goes through the process of reboot/sync.

My Configuration -

• 1 Gig Fibre Modem [Router supplied by ISP is running in Modem Mode]
• ORBI RBR850 Router [Sited next to ISP Modem on the Ground Floor]
• ORBI RBS850 Satellite - L [Ground Floor - Fails to Sync with Router on the Ground Floor near or apart]
• ORBI RBS850 Satellite - B  [First Floor successfully connects and Syncs with the Router on the Ground Floor].