NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Wired overhaul issue with Orbi AX4200 Wifi 6 Satellite
Hi all, I am a newbie in all this Mesh-wifi thing. I was an unify user before, and now I decide to switch to Orbi because of its tri-band function. I purchased this set of Orbi (2 routers and 4 satellite, with 1 router for backup), but I am running into this trouble and really need some help.
I set it up for a 5-story house. With the router on the 3rd floor and the satellite in each of the other floors.
The wifi strength in 3rd floor is very good, 90 mbps~, however, in all other floor, signal drop down to 10 ~ 15 mbps, which is really frustrating.
And so, I tried wired backhaul approach. I followed this guide to setup (the third option, which using an ethernet switch)
I plug the cable to one satellite on the 4th floor, and the speed on the 4th floor finally matches that of the 3rd floor. And when I thought things are going well, and I can apply the same to all the remaining floors, 2 problems arose.
1, The Orbi app shows that the satellite on the 4th floor is not running at all. I know it is a bug, since the signal on the 4th floor is very good, and the admin interface in routerlogin.net still showing that the signal is good. But now the whole wifi in the house becomes unstable. It disconnects randomly, and then reset randomly, which is even worse than before.
2, The smart home application in my house also become unstable. The technician from the smart home unit provider told me something about the IP address of each floor is jumping randomly, which is the root cause of the disconnecting incidents.
So I am asking whether anyone is aware about this issue when setting up wired backhaul. I love how it works, and the orbi app too, but this performance issue is driving me crazy. Please assist.
It is rather ironic that changing to wired connection between router and satellites essentially renders the "Tri Band" capability inactive. (Thus, essentially no different than a Unify product.)
My practice is to:
- Ignore the Orbi app completely. The app cannot manage any of the Orbi advanced functions.
- Use the web interface, Advanced Tab, Setup, LAN setup facility to assign IP addresses to each of the permanent devices in the house: printers, servers, TVs, cameras, home automation, thermostats, garage door openers, etc. etc. That should ensure that they always get the same IP address every time they turn on.
- Home wiring can be touchy. If the jacks are not terminated correctly, a simple "pair tester" may claim they are 'good', but they may not auto negotiate gigabit connections. Most Ethernet switches have tiny LEDs which show the connection rate. Netgear did not include LEDs on the Orbi units, possibly because (a) the jacks are on the rear of the unit and not easily visible, and (b) users are typically annoyed by blinking lights in places like bedrooms.
1 Reply
It is rather ironic that changing to wired connection between router and satellites essentially renders the "Tri Band" capability inactive. (Thus, essentially no different than a Unify product.)
My practice is to:
- Ignore the Orbi app completely. The app cannot manage any of the Orbi advanced functions.
- Use the web interface, Advanced Tab, Setup, LAN setup facility to assign IP addresses to each of the permanent devices in the house: printers, servers, TVs, cameras, home automation, thermostats, garage door openers, etc. etc. That should ensure that they always get the same IP address every time they turn on.
- Home wiring can be touchy. If the jacks are not terminated correctly, a simple "pair tester" may claim they are 'good', but they may not auto negotiate gigabit connections. Most Ethernet switches have tiny LEDs which show the connection rate. Netgear did not include LEDs on the Orbi units, possibly because (a) the jacks are on the rear of the unit and not easily visible, and (b) users are typically annoyed by blinking lights in places like bedrooms.