NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
mikegrad
Aug 19, 2025Aspirant
Orbi 770 IOT option - questions?
Orbi770 user - does the IOT network option actually separate the IOT devises from the network by using a different subnet? Are there any downsides to enabling this network, like addl overhead? just c...
CrimpOn
Aug 19, 2025Guru - Experienced User
Netgear created the IoT feature after YEARS of customers hounding them for a way to handle devices that do not "play well" with Orbi routers. Customers asked for:
- The ability to assign different SSID to the 2.4G and 5G radios. "no. one SSID is a primary feature of the mesh system."
- The ability to temporarily turn off the 5G WiFi. "no. both 2.4G and 5G remain ON all the time."
- (The WiFi5 Orbi allowed users to disable broadcasting the SSID on the 5G radio, but that feature was removed when WiFi6 products came out.)
Thus, customers who purchased IoT devices with poorly written smartphone apps that refused to function when the smartphone was connected at 5G had to resort to all sorts of desperate work-arounds to get their IoT devices connected.
Finally, the IoT feature was created, which allows customers to (temporarily if they wish) disable the 5G signal (on the 5G SSID), connect their goofy IoT device, and then (if they wish) turn the 5G SSID back on again.
i.e. what customers had asked for in the beginning.