Odd iPhone 16 behavior after Orbi 772 FW update

After re-installing the previous FW release (10.5.18.3) I have been monitoring the performance of the iPhone 16 all afternoon.

It really seems to have gone back to the normal behavior, operating at "5 GHz + 6 GHz" and switching back and forth between router and satellite, depending on where I place it. 

The switch-over takes a while, in the order of a minute or so, but I assume it is a normal operation to avoid unnecessary switching.

Note that I did not make any of the additional changes discussed earlier by @ donawalt, so I think the symptoms I was seeing with the latest Orbi FW were different than what he is observing.

It also makes me think that the latest FW (10.5.19.5) may have introduced some "unwanted features" (i.e. bugs).  Alternately, the return to expected behavior of the iPhone 16 may be just the result of the router and satellite rebooting that took place when I loaded the old FW this morning.

Based on what I see at this point, I feel I should stay with FW 10.5.18.3 until NG comes out with a newer FW version, post 10.5.19.5, as I cannot see a downside of doing so, at least in my relatively simple application.

Giovanni_L​ every one I have ever used is .chk.  I Keep all my old ones, I just verified that as well.

Hello @ donawalt and thank you for the very detailed reply! I wonder if you have an IT background...

Since there were no issues with this iPhone 16 before the latest Orbi FW update, and as you seem to suggest, I will try first reverting to the Orbi FW version before the latest, i.e. back to 10.5.18.3

However, after downloading the FW from the NG website, I ran into an issue. After unzipping the download, I noticed the FW file has an extension .chk, but the Orbi User Manual clearly states that "The firmware file name ends in .img" . I don't want to proceed, until I clarify this discrepancy, as I am afraid I could "brick" the Orbi system.

Do you know anything about this?

HI Giovanni_L​ , good questions.

If IPv6 is disabled on the Orbi, that's fine - I don't know about Androids, but on iPhones there is no way to disable IPv6. But they obviously won't use it if the router has it disabled.

No, I do not meant reserve an IP address on the router for "manual IP address/DNS address". You see, the problem area imho is related to the DHCP communication between router and device - DHCP is what processes and hands the device an IP and DNS address in the pool of addresses the router is set up to use. By setting a manual address, you are eliminating any DHCP handshaking between router and device - hence eliminating the area with a bug/problem so your device stays connected. All "reserve an IP address" does is make sure the DHCP server in the router gives your device the same IP address every time it needs one - but still using DHCP, which we want to avoid.

First, check your address pool on the router. It should be the same page as on my 970 router. See if you have a "LAN Setup" page, maybe on the advanced tab. There, you'll see "Use Router as DHCP Server" checked - that's what sets up the router. Below it you have Starting and ending IP Address settings - it's probably set to 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.254. That's the entire addressable range on the network, so you should change the ending IP address to 192.168.1.150 - that should leave plenty of (148) addresses for devices in your house, plus room to add manual IP addresses above .148  By doing this, we avoid an address conflict on your network, where your manual IP address is also being used by another device because the address is inside the DHCP pool, and the DHCP server gave it out - duplicated IP addresses are to be avoided!

Once that is done, on an iPhone, go to Settings, then where you see Wi-Fi and the SSID name of your network to the right, tap that line. There, you will again see your SSID name with a check mark to the left of it (assuming you are connected on your WIFi) - to the right an 'i' in a circle. Tap that. Scroll down, and you will see 2 sections - IPV4 ADDRESSS and further down DNS. They both show Configure IP/DNS - Automatic. Tap those lines, one at a time. For IP address, tap the Manual line. Below, enter this:

IP address -   192.168.1.155  (or anything higher than 150 and less than 254 for the last number)

Subnet Mask - 255.255.255.0

Router - 192.168.1.1

Tap Save.

for the DNS section: Tap Manual, tap Add server, and just use your router - again I am assuming it's 192.168.1.1, that you did not change it. Tap Save.

Be sure to do both IPV4 and DNS - at least on Apple devices, if you don't do both you won't have any internet.

Test that the device has internet - bring up a web page, run a speed test, etc.

If you ever want to go back, go into that same section, tap Automatic, tap save. 

If you have any questions, post them here!

Oh and your other question - you can go back to a prior firmware version - you need to do it manually with the firmware files, they are probably on the Netgear support site. Maybe they this first, as its simpler and if it works you get all the other benefits of the upgraded firmware plus avoiding the problem hindering you?

While your symptoms are a little different than mine, it certainly could be related as these disconnects all seem to be banding issues - issues related to switching between WIFi 5, 6, 6E, and/or switching between router/satellites, etc.

The steps I took that seems to make it a lot more stable are:

1) If it's enabled, disable IPv6. There are issues, and Netgear knows and is working on it. 

2) Set your device to have a manual IP address, outside the DHCP address range so there are no conflicts. Also set a manual DNS address - this can be your router (192.168.1.1), that's how I have it set. Just make sure both are manual.

3) on iPhone there is a setting "Private Wi-Fi address" - I have it on "fixed".

With those settings mine has been very stable - one flip to cellular/disconnect in 2 weeks; and that could have been anything. See if that helps your device(s) stay on an appropriate band, and let us know!

Is this iPhone 16 new for you? 

Ya there are some known issues surrounding newest generation iPhone 16 and Android phones and pads and Orbi BE mesh systems. Seems to have been an on going item since Orbi BE systems first appeared. 

donawalt​ has been using the 16 phone for a while now and doing lots of testing and observations. I'll let him give feeback on this. NG is aware of these issues and is actively working on it. Apple and Android are probably involved as well at some level. 

And ya, if you have a iphone 14, you don't see this issue. I don't with my 12. As the 16 is the only one that is 6Ghz/MLO supporting currently. Older phones are just 5Ghz and no MLO.