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Forum Discussion
Change from Wired to Wireless Backhaul
Recently purchased an Orbi 770 (router + 2 satellites) Router on 1st floor, Satellites wired backhaul, one on 2nd floor, one on 3rd floor. Due to some issues I haven't quite figured out yet, the ...
Due to some issues I haven't quite figured out yet, the 2nd floor satellite is limited to 100mbps
This is nearly always an issue with the cable path between router and satellite. When connected, Ethernet adapters perform a set of steps to determine the fastest speed that can be supported.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonegotiation
This is part of the Ethernet hardware and is entirely automatic. Gigabit Ethernet requires all four pairs of cable to be connected correctly. Often there are issues at some point in the cable pathway that cause gigabit to fail, such as:
- Physical damage to the actual cable.
- Improper crimp on one or more connectors.
- Problems with the wire connectors in RJ45 jacks.
- With (typically) in-wall cabling and two "drop cables", there are a lot of places for problems.
- The inexpensive "cable testers" most of us purchase at Home Depot (used to be at Radio Shack) are not capable of accurately checking for some of these issues.
A simple test is to purchase a 100 ft. Ethernet cable from Amazon for under $20 and (temporarily) connect the router LAN port directly to the satellite. (down the hall, up the stairs, etc.) If that connection works correctly, then the house wiring is the issue.
If I disconnect my network cable, it never connects back wirelessly.
As you are aware, the system is supposed to switch from 'wired' to 'wireless' automatically within a few minutes. Totally automatic. No user intervention required. Since this does not happen, there may be sometime about the physical placement of the satellite that causes the router WiFi signal to be too weak to connect. Another simple test. Temporarily relocate the satellite to the same room as the router and plug it in. Within five minutes the satellite should be connected to the router over WiFi. (computers seem to take a lot longer than I think they should to do things like "turn on".)
If the satellite does not connect, there is a serious problem. Perhaps a hardware failure.