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Forum Discussion
Wired satellite not showing up on Attached Devices
I'm having this exact issue, and it's driving me insane. Just picked up a RBK963. Everything working great, but I need to put the router into AP mode. So I did that, and all was well (as long as I us...
With two Ethernet cables from the patch panel to each room, the key is to use both cables for the Orbi router.
ISP ONT -> Edgerouter-> bypass switch to patch panel->connect to Orbi WAN port over cable 1
Orbi router LAN port->cable 2 to patch panel -> to switch.
Everything else in the house, connect to the switch.
The only pathway from satellites to Orbi is through the switch to the LAN port.
They cannot sneak around to the Orbi WAN port because the only device connected to the Edgerouter is the Orbi WAN port.
I want to be very clear that the problem being solved is that wired satellites do not appear in Attached Devices when the Orbi is in AP mode. Wiring the network in this manner solves that problem.
A person could say, "I want the most efficient, highest performing network. I don't want every data packet going through the Orbi router when it could go straight from a device to an Edgerouter port, or through the switch directly to the Edgerouter." What I am saying is that is a different goal. Everything will work except the Orbi satellites will not appear.
It's a choice.
Thank you again for the reply. So roaming etc works just fine right now as it is. I just can’t see the satellites, as you say, being the only “issue”.
My head is spinning a bit from all the info but just to clarify. ONLY the room with the Orbi RBR unit needs to use the extra jack, you’re saying? Basically, the satellites are fine plugged into the switch, but I need to add the jack to the main Orbi RBR and follow the above instructions you posted?
Thank you again.
My head is spinning a bit from all the info but just to clarify. ONLY the room with the Orbi RBR unit needs to use the extra jack, you’re saying? Basically, the satellites are fine plugged into the switch, but I need to add the jack to the main Orbi RBR and follow the above instructions you posted?
Thank you again.
- Yes.
Thank you. I'll get to it over the next few days. I have to test many cables in the panel to figure out which one goes where, so it may take me a bit! I'll report back, and thank you again.
- Ok I’m discovering that I need to put the Edgerouter ER4 into bridge mode to be able to attach an Orbi to it. This is apparently a massive performance hit. 😞
Do I have any alternative? So frustrating. Thwarted at every turn…
WilliamGr wrote:
Ok I’m discovering that I need to put the Edgerouter ER4 into bridge mode to be able to attach an Orbi to it. This is apparently a massive performance hit. 😞What has prompted this idea? Yes, it is true that having two routers creates what is called a "Double NAT". One of the solutions is to put the ISP device into "bridge" or "passthrough" mode. Another is to put the Orbi into Access Point (AP) mode (which is what you have done).
Perhaps it would be useful to explain the purpose for having the Edgerouter in the first place. (There are many valid reasons. I would like to hear yours.)
- You are indeed correct. Not sure what I was thinking. A moment of madness. I did as suggested and have the Orbi router (in AP mode) connected twice to the panel, the LAN port to the switch, and the WAN port directly to the Edgerouter. (Btw I have it as my modem of sorts for my fiber setup. It’s been rock solid).
So the satellites now shows up in the Orbi app, but I’m having one issue. My connection to the WAN port is showing up as only 100Mbit. Not sure why. Cable is tested at gigabit speed (it’s CAT5e).
Not sure why this is happening. 😞 When a cable connection is showing as "100Mbps/Full" instead of "1000Mbps/Full", this is almost always because there is an issue with the cable connection between devices. The Ethernet switches built into the Edgerouter and the Orbi router contain electronics which auto negotiate the highest speed that both devices can support over the link.
(See Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonegotiation
In this case there are probably three cables to examine:
- From the Edgerouter to the patch panel
- Inside the wall from the patch panel to the room where the router is located
- From the wall jack to the Orbi WAN port
My guess is that one of these cable connections is defective:
- Perhaps the cable itself has a kink or defect
- Perhaps one of the RJ45 plugs is not crimped correctly
- Perhaps one of the RJ 45 jacks has a bent wire or is not making good contact.
Fast Ethernet (100Mbps/Full) requires only two pairs of wire to be connected correctly. Gigabit Ethernet (1000Mbps/Full) requires all four pairs of wire to be connected correctly. Even one wire in the pathway not making a good connection will cause the negotiation to fail and drop back to 100Mbps/Full.
- Indeed! The key was finding out why, which I didn’t. 😂
I had to put new heads on the cables as the Ethernet run to each room was just the wire and nothing else. I gave up on one of the rooms and succeeded in my office where previously a satellite was. Gigabit works great there, so perhaps a kink in the run to one of the other rooms. No big deal to have the main Orbi there, of course. Works perfectly. For now, though, I’ve reverted everything until new wall plates arrive tomorrow. At least progress has been made, and I thank you for your help thus far! I’ll update as soon as it’s all finished, of course. - And it’s all done. All satellites showing up. Everything working (for now). I’m reminded that WiFi is still so… dumb, for lack of a better word. Devices connecting to satellites far away rather than the one close to it etc. On my TP-Link setup prior to getting these Orbis I had the ability to assign devices to a preferred satellite (for devices that don’t move). No such ability on the Orbis.
Ah well. Not going to worry about it. Thanks again for all your help. It’s been invaluable. Glad you got it working. Please mark your thread as solved so others will know. Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/000062080/How-do-I-back-up-the-configuration-settings-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-System
Enjoy. 📡
