Re: RBR760

I’ve been struggling to add multiple manufacturers IOT devices (Nest, Google-Nest, Arlo, Nest-Yale, Schlage) over the past 4-weeks to my Orbi 971 (Router) and two 970 (satellites). Let me give you my experience and observations:

1) I started using the Orbi 2.4 MHz IOT SSID. What I noticed was that even though most of my IOT devices were located in the Office (by a back door), kitchen, and Dining room (by a front door). The router was in the office. Even though I was connected via my iPhone 15 pro max, to what I thought was the Router, the IOT’s all connected to either of the two satellites IOT SSID located on the other end of the house with the weakest signal strength. I also noticed that any WIFI (not just IOT, even my iPhone 6Mhz connection to a Satellite will show up on the Orbi App Connected devices with a green dot (means they are connected to the router, and they do work properly) but they do not show the WFI band strength on the APP Device list screen. I use Cat 6a backhaul, sometimes devices connected to a satellite (via Cat cable, most IOT’s are WiFi only) will randomly show up on the app with the RJ45connection Icon (which is physically impossible for my iPhone and any of my IOT’s) not the WIFI icon.
2). The App connected device list rarely updates real time, many times I have to completely close (wipe it off my screen) and reopen 2-3 times to see any new, or changed devices. Keep that in mind.
3) I think the App display needs a firmware update to display correctly, so I decided I wasn’t going to have my IOTs that were close to the Router, connect with a weaker signal to a distant Satellite. I started powering down both the Sats before I tried on-boarding IOT’s. I also connected to the router main SSID (not IOT SSID, I don’t think I ever saw an IOT device connected to the Router IOT SSID, that’s probably why they were connecting to the Sats) and if I was successful (usually 80% of time) the IOT’s did connect to the 2.4Mhz band of the main SSID. This gave me complete info on the connections in the App Connected device screen. I’ll give suggestions for the other 20% below).
4). On iPhone 15 Pro’s, when you go to settings/wifi/orbi-main-ssid, click on the blue circle with the “I” and about 2/3 down that option, look for “6E Connection” (or something like that). There are two option’s, Automatic (which will, 90% of time use the 6 MHz band connection), turn that off. It took me weeks and much frustration to realize, for IOTs, you must be connecting the device to a 2.4MHz connection, all my IOT’s forced me to on-board using an app on my iPhone (that’s why you must disable 6Mhz, but unfortunately you can’t disable or turn power down to 5Mhz band, so the times I had hours long problems was trying to on-board a 2.4mhz IOT with my IOT App on an iPhone connected to the router SSID at 5 MHz. Some IOTs will talk to a 5 MHz connection IF the 2.4 MHz band is also part of that same SSID. If they won’t connect using 5Mhz band with the IOT App, you have to go to plan B (works sometimes, not always). But to make it easier on your self, CrimpOn didn’t stress this like I am. The easiest and fastest IOT connection uses a 2.4 band from the on-boarding device (iPhone, laptop, pc) that also has the IOT on-boarding App that’s connected to a good 2.4 WIFI SSID, and on-boarding device (iPhone, etc) is close (5’) to the IOT.
5) Some IOTs also use Bluetooth to help connect, so keep it turned on.
6) the Nest/Yale lock requires a Nest connect device (don’t buy a Nest Bridge, Google dropped support for that last year. They went to a flat, egg shaped device that plugs into wall outlet close to the deadbolt (only used for the Nest/Yale Smartlock). That’s a device that receives the proprietary “Matter/Thread” signal from the deadbolt, and converts it to 2.4Mhz and sends it to the router. I did finally get my Nest Connects to connect to the Router, but I never got the Nest app to connect to the Nest Connect to finish pairing the Nest Connect to the Nest-Yale lock. I replaced all three Nest Yale’s with the WiFi 2.4 MHz Schlage Encode Plus deadbolts ( inside materials were thicker metal, and the Schlage seemed more robust than the Yale). The Encode Plus (vs the Encode) allows you to connect the Schlage App devices to Apple Home, and you can then use your iPhone (after setting it up as an Apple Home key) to tap the deadbolt with the iphone to unlock it. Most of the other smart deadbolts require you to open the lock App and initiate an “Unlock command”, kinda hard to do as your bag of frozen food/ice-cream is dripping out of the shopping bag! My Schlage Encode Plus has 2.4 WiFi inside the lock, connected easily.
7) Most all of my Arlo Essential (indoor and outdoor connected fairly easy. If your going the Arlo Home Security app route, the wired keypad (required for any security sensors you want in the house) was a royal pain. It’s connected to main SSID today, but it drops/reconnects randomly. If you want Arlo to monitor, they require the Wired keyboard (it acts as a hub for the sensors) they sell a wireless keypad you can have by outside doors so the alarm can be tuned off. The wireless connects to the wired keyboard just like a sensor. The monitoring option requires you purchase the battery backup, that fits to the bottom of wired keypad. On-board the wired keyboard first before attaching the battery. The battery also has Arlo’s WiFi back-up device (ha!). It’s a “Kore Powertel” Sim. Kore is a company that specializes in wireless security for enterprise companies. Arlo pays Kore (who uses Powertel) for the backup. Mine is useless, I get at most 2-bars of powertel service. The back-up has never connected to a powertel tower. Since this is a Kore offering, you can’t replace the SIM with another company SIM, even though there are instructions on how to do it, but no where does it mention a cellular company. It’s just to replace a defective Kore SIM. The ARLO sensor (they only offer one!) is incredible, it does everything.
It can be mounted to a for or window an monitor open/close, it can also be set to alert you to a high or low temp in that room (it’s cool because it displays the current temp on the sensor in the app), it can be used under sinks to detect water leaks, it can be placed on a garage door and detect a “tilt” so you know if the garage door is open/closed, but to me, the coolest use is for smoke and or CO. It requires you to have your own smoke and CO detectors, but their sensor has a microphone, who knew, but the smoke alarm beep -beep-beep has to meet a standard. So does the CO different beep. The sensor listens for the beeps and if you selected smoke/co, (you have a checklist for each sensor and you can check one use, or all 8 uses!), it will alert your app, or Arlo if you pay for monitoring. One word of caution. For these cool sensors to work, you must have a keypad, and pay for monthly monitoring ($24 I think). You can buy the keypad and sensors but they will not work until Arlo activates them.
😎 Plan B. I haven’t finalized this yet. I have some older Arlo Bridges to connect their motion sensors white lights to, I haven’t gotten the bridge to connect yet. I tried using one iPhone as a hot spot (hot spot has an option that says “most compatiblity, I enabled it, it’s 2.4Mhz band only). I configured the SSID and password to be the same as my Orbi Router. I turned off router and sats, turned on iPhone hot spot, connected my iPhone (that had the Arlo App) to onboard. The hot spot kept dropping out, so I gave up. I have an NG Mobile Router MR1100, it has an option for 2.4, 5, or both. I’d upgraded to the NG MR6550 late last year )it works great on Verizon UW 5G network), so I put the MR1100 in a drawer. I went back to Verizon and re-activated it (it’s a pain, even though the 1100 is unlocked and will work on any network, NG never got Verizon “Certification”, so the IMEI of my 1100 shows it won’t work on Verizon. It works fine, but last year I had to buy a Verizon hotspot (buy a used one on EBay) they used that Inseego IMEI to configure the SIM that I used in the NG MR1100 (NG did get Verizon Certification for the unlocked MR6550, so it’s a Verizon Bring-your-own-device). I’ll try the MR1100 on Verizon network configuring the 2.4MHz SSID only the same as my Orbi Router. I’ll use the MR1100 2.4 WiFi to my iPhone with the Arlo App to see if I can onboard the Arlo Bridge this weekend.
Sorry for this novel, but if you’re moving into the IOT arena, with your faster, better, smarter routers, you need to understand the issues. Plus, this might make some of my weeping, cussing and gnashing of teeth worth it if it helps someone.