Orbi NBR750 with RBS850 on different firmware versions

[sunilm1992]

Hi everyone, I would be grateful for your advice here.

I have an Orbi NBR750 which I want to use with LTE failover mode and use it with RBS850 satellites (this seems to be a compatible configuration as per the chart here:

https://kb.netgear.com/000065169/Which-Orbi-routers-and-satellites-are-compatible

My RBS850 satellites are running the latest firmware 7.2.6.31 and my NBR750 is running 4.6.5.11_1.5.66 which is the latest version as well.

Is this a compatible configuration of running V7 satellites with a V4 router? Would I need to downgrade the RBS850 satellites to the last V4 available firmware and if I do that will I lose a significant amount of functionality/system reliability? Any reason why Netgear doesn't update the NBR750 to V7?

Thanks for your help!

[FURRYe38]

No. v7 RBS FW is NOT compatible with the NBR v4. Please downgrade the RBS to v4 FW. 

[CrimpOn]

A silly question: Do you also have an RBR850 router (perhaps that originally came with the satellites)?

[sunilm1992]

I have it but I was hoping to be able to use the NBR750 with the satellites I have because I wanted to use the failover functionality in my 5G router 😞 

Do you think that there is a significant disadvantage to using the firmware V4 rather than V7? 

Will netgear update the NBR750 to V7 like they have done for the RBR750/RBS750?

Thanks!

[CrimpOn]

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@sunilm1992 wrote:

Do you think that there is a significant disadvantage to using the firmware V4 rather than V7? 

Will netgear update the NBR750 to V7 like they have done for the RBR750/RBS750?

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The most significant changes in v7 firmware compared to v4 appear to be:

• The Internet of Things (IoT) WiFi network, which can be configured to enable/disable the 2.4G and 5G frequencies at any time.  For example, if an IoT device smartphone app is refusing to connect when the smartphone is connected to  WiFi at 5G, temporarily turn off the 5G IoT network, reconnect the smartphone to the IoT network at 2.4G, perform the connection process, and then turn the 5G frequency back on again.
  Personally, I have never found a need for adding another WiFi SSID.  Obviously, some users find this feature helpful.
• The option to disable automatic firmware updates.  Since v7 does not seem to be forced on users, it's not clear what value this option has.

Netgear does not announce future firmware releases.  My perspective (as a cynical old coot) if that Netgear assembled a team in the summer of 2023 to integrate the IoT feature into Orbi AX systems and that team did not include it on the 350 product or the NBR750 product (and several other AX systems as well, such as 760, 840).  Perhaps

• They were told, "nah. don't waste time on those.  We didn't sell enough to make it cost/effective."
• They did what they were told and did not ask, "Hey. Should we do these other AX systems as well?"

I definitely would not hold my breath or count on new firmware for those systems.