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I have just purchased the Orbi RBK853 at a painful price of £970!!! However, I was shocked to discover that the latest Orbi firmware as at 23rd May 2020 does NOT support DHCP Option 61 Client Identifier. This meant that I was (and still am) unable to access the internet, since my UK ISP requires DHCP Option 61 Client Identifier.
I am using the RBK853 with the Netgear D6400 as my modem. The D6400 supports DHCP Option 61 when used as a router. However, when I place the D6400 in 'modem mode' to avoid double NAT, I lose internet connection because I can't authenticate with the Orbi. This is because the current Orbi firmware does not allow you to enter the Client Identifier string. This is crazy given that the D6400 does (which is around 5 years old), whereas the RBK853 doesn't (which was only released in December 2019).
I understand that a work around is setting the RBK853 as 'access point' mode whilst using the D6400 as my router. However, given how expensive the RBK853 is, I want to be able to take full advantage of all of the Orbi features, such as the router function, since the Orbi has a much higher spec compared to my modem - higher memory and faster processor.
I called Netgear Technical Support to determine if there was an alternative way to authenticate, and after 4 painful hours on the phone, they confirmed that the latest Orbi firmware does NOT currently support Option 61. I have therefore returned the Orbi for a full refund since I cannot justify the price if I am unable to use all of its features.
1) Netgear needs to issue a firmware update urgently that supports DHCP Option 61 Client Identifier. When they do, I will consider repurchasing the RBK853, but NOT before!!
2) Netgear also needs to include an option in their firmware to turn off the annoyingly bright Orbi LEDs. I understand that this is possible with older Orbi models but not the latest Orbi models because the firmware has omitted this option. Again, this is hard to believe considering the crazy price.
3) Finally, Netgear needs to release a new Orbi Outdoor Satellite that supports Wi-Fi 6.
Once they resolve the above three issues, I will be a happy customer.
Thank you.
1 Comment
I am holding off purchasing until there is a plan from Netgear to add the DHCP Option 61 support. Cannot connect to directly to Sky broadband without this. Yes can operate as an AP but seems a lot of money not to be providing the router capability and replace the less capable standard Sky router.
Do Netgear read these community posts and respond?