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Confused by legacy network extenders still connecting
hi would appreciate some advice
I am UK based, with vodafone fibre 500 connection.
Recently purchased orbi 370 with 1 base unit and 2 satalites to replace the vodafone default router and vodafone extender
With the default set up my SSID was vodafoneXXXXXX and for devices connected to the extender it was the same vodafoneXXXXXX_EXT (with the _EXT being additional). It was a true extender and not a mesh system as i had to manually set devices to either the main router or the extender (albeit they shared the same password).
Vodafone also offer 5G back and the SSID vodafoneXXXXXXX_5GEXT also used to appear on my selectable networks albeit i never connected anything to it
So this weekend i installed by new Orbi 370 set up, using the wizard on the app. All pretty straightforward i followed the instructions and used the previous vodafone SSID and password to save having to reset all my devices. Everything went seamlessly the only tricky items were 2X desktop PC's which detected the change somehow and i just had to re-enter the password to rejoin.
Now what is really strange is that despite the old vodafone router and extender being unplugged and in a cupboard the SSID's vodafoneXXXXXX_EXT and vodafoneXXXXX_5GEXT are still appearing on the networks list as joinable on multiple devices (computers, phones, consoles etc.)
Stranger still is that many devices are default connecting to _EXT despite this extender not being there..... and even more strange is that when i force devices off _EXT and onto the 'main' network they keep disconnecting. This computer I am typing on now connected by default to _EXT this morning. I forced it to forget the _EXT network and join the vodafoneXXXXX network which is does for a bit but then drops connection and asks for the password again. After multiple attempts to join vodafoneXXXXXX I have given up now and reconnected to vodafoneXXXXXX_EXT and the connection is solid. So bizarre
Interestingly when the PC is connected to vodafoneXXXXXX it is at 5GHz, when connected to vodafoneXXXXXX_EXT it is at 2.4Ghz
Other than this strange issue with the computer needing to be connected to _EXT everything seems to be working OK its just bizarre that the _EXT network is still visible and connectable
Can anyone explain what is going on?
10 Replies
oh i should have clarified the old vodafone router is completely disconnected - i have unplugged and removed it completely. The Orbi base unit is plugged directly into the openreach fibre modem
Did you perhaps set up the guest and iot network to use these _EXT SSIDs???
no didn't set that up at all. There is no guest wifi set up
I am tempted to re-do set up and call my network something complete different then manually re-add everything
no didn't set that up at all. There is no guest wifi set up
Start by turning off the Orbi (both the router and the satellites), and see if those networks disappear.
This is what my iPhone is showing ; it’s connected correctly
sky is a neighbour
the netgear is the router default I didn’t set up
the 2 not connected Vodafone’s are the old ones with no infrastructure remaining. I’ve told my phone to forget both
my computer connects to Vodafone xxxxxx_ext and won’t work connected to the correct one
Many of the WiFi Analyzer apps will show the hardware address of each WiFi access point. The Vodophone router and extender should have their hardware address printed on the label.
Would be interesting to see if this mysterious WiFi access point matches either of the Vodophone units. (and if the one of the many web sites indicates that the OUI (Organizational Unique ID - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizationally_unique_identifier) belongs to Vodophone.
such as: https://www.wireshark.org/tools/oui-lookup.html
Another thought is to open a WiFi Analyzer app and walk around the house observing the signal strength of this mysterious access point. Eventually, the signal strength should "max out" when your phone gets very close to it. For example, I have one router and three satellites in my house, currently showing signal strength of:
- -22 (the one I am sitting 4' from)
- -57
- -59
- -66
