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Forum Discussion
IoT devices do not connect to the RBE970 (Satellite) when the RBE971 (Router) is in AP mode
Hello,
Same problem here.
After extensive testing, IoT devices do not connect to the RBE970 (Satellite) when the RBE971 (Router) is in AP mode; instead, all IoT devices connect to the RBE971,...
Both units are running the latest firmware (V12.1.11.10).
The RBR is connected to the Freebox Pop (Iliad France group).
When the RBR is in AP mode, the Freebox (in router mode) handles DHCP.
When the RBR is in router mode, the RBR handles everything, and the Freebox is in bridge mode.
The house is approximately 3000 square feet spread over three levels. The RBR is on the second level, and a single RBS is on the first level; the third level doesn't need one.
The distance between the RBR and the RBS is about 20 feet; the walls and floors are very thick (reinforced concrete + underfloor heating).
They are connected via Ethernet (RJ45).
The main Wi-Fi is set to "Auto" for the 2.4 GHz band and channel 40 for the 5 GHz band (WPA2-PSK + WPA3-Personal).
The IoT network is 2.4 GHz only (WPA2-PSK) with a custom name that differs from the main network and does not include "IoT" in the name
Connection details for the RBS are provided via the web administration page...
I manage the system via the web interface because the app causes issues (for instance, using the app disables access control on the web interface).
Current issues:
I have left the RBR in router mode; it's not perfect, but it works better than in AP mode.
I have Samsung S25 Ultra phones (two identical units) that frequently disconnect and then report an incorrect password when attempting to reconnect. I have to toggle airplane mode to fix it.
The water heater on the third level connects to the RBS on the first level instead of the RBR on the second level.
Finally, there is still one IoT device on the first floor connecting to the second floor's RBR, but I'm waiting to see how the situation develops...
However, it works better in router mode than in AP mode; in AP mode, all 2.4 GHz IoT devices connect to the RBR, even if they are right next to the RBS.
Thank you for the details.
Other user is on a prior version of FW. Will see if they update there post and if anything changes.
Even if you have the RBS ethernet connected, I'd try the RBS out at 30 feet to see if this changes anything.
How are the RBS ethernet connected? Directly behind the RBR or is there a LAN patch panel or LAN switch in between the RBR and RBS?
Try changing to manual channels 1 and 40 or 11 and 48 on the RBR.
Try doing a NETWORK RESET on the phones. Be sure to disable any MAC Address randomizers on the phones.
NETGEAR Mobile Applications and Android/Apple/Windows Devices FAQ | NETGEAR Communities
Can you load up a wifi scanning application on a phone or pad and see if you see the IoT network broadcast signal coming from the RBS?
Try a factory reset and setup from scratch.
Orbi Systems Manual Factory Reset Process | NETGEAR Communities
I can't move the RBS any further away; the RJ45 cable is plugged directly into both the RBR and the RBS.
I had already tried resetting the devices several times.
To run further IoT connection tests on the RBS, I would need to change the configuration again—switching the ISP gateway to router mode and the RBR to AP mode—since that was the setup where it wasn't working. Right now, the RBR is working almost perfectly in router mode, so I'm going to leave it running like this for a while.
I just wanted to post about the issues I encountered in AP mode here, in case others were experiencing the same problems.
So your getting IoT connections at the RBS while the RBR is in router mode?
I tested this on mine yesterday and getting IoT and Guest Network at the RBR and RBS while in router mode. I haven't checked AP mode yet.
What CAT# LAN cable are you using to connect the RBS to the RBR?
You can scan for wifi signals while in router mode to see if the RBS and RBR are putting out signals.
For AP mode, next time you try that mode, please follow this guide:
Static IP Address Configuration for AP Mode | NETGEAR Communities
Yes, as mentioned above, the issue only occurs in AP mode. With the RBR in router mode, there are no Wi-Fi signal issues; both units broadcast properly, and IoT devices connect to both—though sometimes they connect to the more distant unit.
All my cables are Cat8.
With the RBR in AP mode and the ISP gateway acting as the router, static IPs were assigned by the gateway; I didn't see an option to do this via the RBR (as shown in the link), but I’ll look into that more closely. That said, I didn't have any addressing issues.
I also find it annoying that, in AP mode, I can't block specific devices based on their MAC address, but that’s a separate issue.