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Please implement a wireless scheduler, whereby wireless access can be turned on or off at certain times. I bought and installed a new Orbi system today and was shocked to see that this isn't available. It's available in the stock/free modem/router combo from Spectrum, as well as most other wireless routers. I want to be able to turn off the wireless radios when my family is sleeping. I understand from the forums that this has been suggested many times and NETGEAR has said it will be worked into the firmware.
27 Comments
- plemansGuru - Experienced User
Orbi does have parental controls. Have you tried these? This video shows parental controls using genie but should be similar with the orbi app.
- FractalThesisFollower
Thanks for the response -- I'm aware of the parental controls, but want to turn off the wireless radio at night when nobody is using it.
- NGDooNovice
Totally agree - I would like to turn off the WIFI Radio's during a certain time window (say 11pm - 6am).
I want to completely turn off the wireless radio's not just block devices from accessing network. Seems like an easy thing to do as you can manually turn it off through the menu settings - I'm not tech savvy enought to write a script that can do this!
- schumakuGuru - Experienced User
A scheduler for the user facing (visible) network - while the wireless backhaul (invisible to the WiFi clients) remains up?
In case you expect the backhaul taken down, a reliable time source must be available on the router (that's in place) but also on the satellites (which can be in any state, no software clock without router/Internet - what is again not possible without the wireless backhaul.
- FractalThesisFollower
Fair point re the backhaul. I suppose no mesh network can have a wireless scheduler that truly takes everything offline, absent an onboard software clock. Seems pretty trivial to include, but if it's not in there, it isn't going in after the fact. I'm not informed enough to know if competitors have such clocks on their satellites or if the "wireless scheduler" doesn't include the backhaul.
- mvdgeijnNovice
I was already in the process of buying a RBK50 set, but then remembed to check if there is a Wifi scheduler available. There is not, if I read all the comments correctly. Very strange. Why is it needed to keep the radio on 24/7 when the backhaul is wired?
I'm a Netgear fan for years, but this is disappointing. I have to start searching for another mesh network solution now.
This feature is a must. Shouldn't take very long for a capable engineer to put into place and it would help people like me that actually hear the electricity running in the wifi at night. Could be psychological, I do not know, but I'd like to be able to switch off all the wifi broadcast at night. For such an expensive system, can't Netgear just get it done?
- schumakuGuru - Experienced User
Einrich please read my comments above ref. the wireless backhaul. While in a blunt idea wither the user facing WiFi or the complete wireless activity can be disabled, the devices wired to the satellites will no longer have network connectivity, too. And a satellite booting e.g. after a power failure does not have a reliable clock and date source without network connectivity (again, typical use case of Orbi is the wireless backhaul) and does not know if it should enable the WiFi or not ...
Of course Netgear could go and add a wireless scheduler for the user facing access point functionality, so the network name would be "off air" and can't be accessed. This would make many happy, and you can sleep better. Reminds me to the story of people which reported to the media that they can sleep much better and the cows giving more milk again since the big MW/AM transmitter Beromünster (former 600 kW, reduced to 180kW at the end) here in Switzerland stopped the program some 15 years ago - trouble is that the transmiter remained powered on air two days longer. So what you don't see or can't listen to can make people happy. - BarravecchisNovice
Agree with many other that orbi should have wireless scheduling asap. At this pricepoint i would expect it. I have had on much less expensive routers. This being said i am very happy with the overall performance but this scheduling feature is a no brainer. Thanks. Please advise when this feature is being planned to be implemented
- BarravecchisNovice
Agree with many other that orbi should have wireless scheduling asap. At this pricepoint i would expect it. I have had on much less expensive routers. This being said i am very happy with the overall performance but this scheduling feature is a no brainer. Thanks. Please advise when this feature is being planned to be implemented