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Forum Discussion
Manually assign/connect device to satellite
Hello, I have Orbi 1 router (RBE 971) and 2 satellites. Many times, when I turn on a device, it connects to the router instead of the nearby satellite and it may take a long time before it gets as...
Please skip the "use cable" type of answers, for now, I want to stick to wireless.
OK. While a $10 Ethernet cable would guarantee a gigabit connection with higher performance than WiFi (full duplex vs. half-duplex w/overhead), a $60 purchase is a method to guarantee a wireless connection:
- Purchase a WiFi extender with access point (AP) mode capability, such as the TP-Link RE615X. $59.99 on Amazon.
- Connect the RE615X Ethernet port to an Ethernet LAN port on the RBE970 satellite.
- Configure the RE615X to access point mode and configure the 5G signal to a unique SSID (different from the Orbi WiFi SSID).
- On the PC, "forget" the Orbi WiFi SSID.
- On the PC, search for this unique WiFi signal and set it to "Connect Automatically".
Every time the PC turns on, it will search for WiFi signals that it knows the password for, find the RE615X, and connect. Assuming that the PC has a WiFi adapter capable of WiFi6 (802.11ax), this should be a decent wireless connection when the satellite is in the same room. Not as fast as WiFi7, but it is wireless. (Netgear's EXS27 supports WiFi7 for $150)
I would go with the cable, but "anything is possible"