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Forum Discussion
Possible Fix for iPhone Dropping WiFi
I have an RBE973S system. think I have identified the reason my iPhone keeps dropping WiFi, and I wanted to share so others can see if it solves their issues. On your iPhone, go to Settings>Cellula...
0tis you never said which WiFi 7 device do you have - 970 series or another?
How big is your house in square feet, how many floors plus basement if any?
I updated to 9.12.5.3 today. Seemed to be working great, but up in our bedroom I’m having the same issue again (this is where it used to happen frequently too—maybe because I’m midway in between two satellites). I also have Private WiFi turned off. Bummer.
Next I may try to factory reset all my units? Or turn off my one wireless satellite.
That’s my problem though.
My home is almost 5,000 sqft, along with a patio in the back where I want good coverage. So, really I’m looking to cover about 6,000 sqft.
It’s a four floor home (including the basement). I currently have my main unit in the basement all the way on the left side of the house, where my 2GB FIOS service comes into the house. On that same side of the house, but 3 floors up (so, on the 3rd floor), I have Ethernet up to my first satellite on wired backhaul. So, those two seem to spread the signal well across that side of the house. Then I have my 2nd satellite wireless backhaul, on the first floor but way on the opposite side of the house. It’s in the location that I think is at the outer boundary of a good signal from the wired main units, and that wireless RBS is in a good spot to spread a strong signal for the right side of the house and main floors, as well as the backyard patio which is off that right side of the house. That wireless unit is one floor up from the basement RBR, and has to be a good 40 feet away. And it’s also that far away at least from the one up on the 3rd floor.
I can try unplugging that wireless unit, but then I’ll likely have much slower coverage over on that side of the house.
Anyway, I’ll take a look at the guide above on placement and see how that goes. Funny thing is I actually bought a 3rd RBS that I previously had connected, but pulled out after I realized it was too much. But what’s in the box really seems like it should work well with my setup.
Next I may try to factory reset all my units? Or turn off my one wireless satellite.
That’s my problem though.
My home is almost 5,000 sqft, along with a patio in the back where I want good coverage. So, really I’m looking to cover about 6,000 sqft.
It’s a four floor home (including the basement). I currently have my main unit in the basement all the way on the left side of the house, where my 2GB FIOS service comes into the house. On that same side of the house, but 3 floors up (so, on the 3rd floor), I have Ethernet up to my first satellite on wired backhaul. So, those two seem to spread the signal well across that side of the house. Then I have my 2nd satellite wireless backhaul, on the first floor but way on the opposite side of the house. It’s in the location that I think is at the outer boundary of a good signal from the wired main units, and that wireless RBS is in a good spot to spread a strong signal for the right side of the house and main floors, as well as the backyard patio which is off that right side of the house. That wireless unit is one floor up from the basement RBR, and has to be a good 40 feet away. And it’s also that far away at least from the one up on the 3rd floor.
I can try unplugging that wireless unit, but then I’ll likely have much slower coverage over on that side of the house.
Anyway, I’ll take a look at the guide above on placement and see how that goes. Funny thing is I actually bought a 3rd RBS that I previously had connected, but pulled out after I realized it was too much. But what’s in the box really seems like it should work well with my setup.
One issue I see with your system, the RBR in the basement. Basements are not good places for the main RBR unit. Concrete and steel will inhibit good Wi-Fi coverage and travel. Main or 2nd level is best. This maybe why your having some problems and not getting better coverages where you need it.
I agree, which is why one of my suggestions was to test by putting the router in a much more centralized place in the house. It would be easy, without doing a lot of work to just get say a 100 foot Cat 6 or 6e cable to run from the modem to the router, and just run the cable along the floor or whatever, up to the first floor somewhere. And install the router there. Then, see how it works. If that works great, with or without other satellites, then you can plan how to do the wiring properly to relocate the router. If it doesn’t help, then you’re only out the cost of a cable. 0tis
- Got it, thanks. I guess I can try that. Seems totally bonkers to me that I need to run wiring all over my house for this, when the whole point of these mesh systems is to give me wireless conveniently. If I wanted CAT6 all over my house I’d have run it! The engineers can’t solve hand off problems and leave me calling in wiring guys?? For whatever it’s worth, with my older gen Orbi systems, the router in the basement (where all my service comes into my house) has never been a problem.
So frustrating … MESH systems do work with wireless connections. Just if there is interferences or blocking materials, this will play a factor in how they operation. Concrete and steel will cause problems regardless of the MESH system.
- Just to save you possible time and frustration I have the router and sattelite hard wired together after running cat6 through my attic and walls… it does not solve the handoff problems whatsoever for apple iPhone devices with wifi7 capabilities (iPhone 15 and 16). I’m prob on my 5th beta firmware with engineering without avail but I seem to get a new one to try every few weeks. Would def recommend opening a support ticket id you haven’t so Netgear can see this is a widespread problem impacting one of the most popular phones in the world…
Just curious, has a network settings reset been performed on the phones?
How many RBS are deployed?
What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router 📡 and satellite(s)🛰️?
Bpberthiaume wrote:
Just to save you possible time and frustration I have the router and sattelite hard wired together after running cat6 through my attic and walls… it does not solve the handoff problems whatsoever for apple iPhone devices with wifi7 capabilities (iPhone 15 and 16). I’m prob on my 5th beta firmware with engineering without avail but I seem to get a new one to try every few weeks. Would def recommend opening a support ticket id you haven’t so Netgear can see this is a widespread problem impacting one of the most popular phones in the world…- Thanks this is good to know.
As another effort before doing anything drastic, I just factory reset my router and re setting up the network. Maybe that’ll help.
Also, I tired unplugging the third satellite. No bueno. My iphone registers either 2 bars of wifi or even 1 in the furthest room. So, that ain’t gonna cut it. As it stands, when I sit on the couch in the farthest room, I get something like 900MB of wireless service. So it’s rock solid. It’s just somewhere in between the several routers where the firmware craps the bed and can’t figure what to do. Let us know.
FR may not help with the building materials and the RBR being the the basement. Would be good if you can get it out of the basement area and up on a main level if possible. Just trying to help you get the best placement for the RBR and allow it best chances for good operation and narrow down the issues.
Yup network settings reset on both mine and my wife’s iphone 16 plus.
Home is 4000sq ft - ranch style home - main floor is 2k sq ft, basement is 2k sq ft. Both Router and Sat are on opposite ends of the main floor about ~80ft apart give or take and hardwired via cat6.
WiFi drops occur when the satellite is plugged in - regardless of any beta firmware I’ve been provided. When I unplug the satellite, the WiFi drop issues stop… def isolated when Apple Wifi7 enabled devices are between the router/satellite - constant drops in service occur. I’m being told by Level2 support that ENG is still actively working on beta firmwares to provide me - but just surprised this long standing thread is not getting more traction and faster turnaround on a fix.
Ok, keep in touch with NG support thru your support ticket.
Bpberthiaume wrote:
Yup network settings reset on both mine and my wife’s iphone 16 plus.
Home is 4000sq ft - ranch style home - main floor is 2k sq ft, basement is 2k sq ft. Both Router and Sat are on opposite ends of the main floor about ~80ft apart give or take and hardwired via cat6.
WiFi drops occur when the satellite is plugged in - regardless of any beta firmware I’ve been provided. When I unplug the satellite, the WiFi drop issues stop… def isolated when Apple Wifi7 enabled devices are between the router/satellite - constant drops in service occur. I’m being told by Level2 support that ENG is still actively working on beta firmwares to provide me - but just surprised this long standing thread is not getting more traction and faster turnaround on a fix.
Will do - i know you’re very active in this forum as well. Would def encourage you to recommend folks open up a support ticket. When i talk to the NG support folks, they all describe this as a ‘very rare’ occurrence and I continue to tell them there is a multi page year long thread on their own support forums of many people dealing w/ this as they upgrade to the latest NG WiFi 7 routers and Wifi7 IPhones - power in numbers 😉
Will get this over to NG as well.
Keep on it.✊
Bpberthiaume wrote:
Will do - i know you’re very active in this forum as well. Would def encourage you to recommend folks open up a support ticket. When i talk to the NG support folks, they all describe this as a ‘very rare’ occurrence and I continue to tell them there is a multi page year long thread on their own support forums of many people dealing w/ this as they upgrade to the latest NG WiFi 7 routers and Wifi7 IPhones - power in numbers 😉
- Interesting. Sounds like my exact same problem. On far ends of the house where I really can only reach one sat or the router I seem Ok. But in the middle of the house where I have a medium signal from both seems to be where the problem occurs most.
Keep us posted on the firmware. I’d be happy to test it too. Please also submit and support ticket regarding this as well.
0tis wrote:
Interesting. Sounds like my exact same problem. On far ends of the house where I really can only reach one sat or the router I seem Ok. But in the middle of the house where I have a medium signal from both seems to be where the problem occurs most.
Keep us posted on the firmware. I’d be happy to test it too.
