Is there a way to uniquely name your systems in the Orbi App?

[MR2MK1SC]

Hi All;

I have 3 individual Orbi networks that I manage.  Problem is that in the Orbi App, when I go to select the system I want to look at, two of them are named "RBR50", as that is the primary Router on that network.

Is there a way to change the "router type/model" to a more unique & descriptive name to better differentiate my systems?

And yes, I do have the routers named differently within each system, but it is not reflected on the App's Product page that you use to select the system...

Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

No, NG keeps this static. 

[CrimpOn]

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@MR2MK1SC wrote:

And yes, I do have the routers named differently within each system, but it is not reflected on the App's Product page that you use to select the system...

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The Orbi app clearly has the personalized names of all the routers and satellites because it displays them on the network map.

Choosing to display the hardware model number rather than the personalized name is just dumb.

I do not think there is anything the customer can do to correct this programming decision.

Sorry.

[schumaku]

@CrimpOn  Hard to understand the enumeration of devices does show still use (in year 2023!) the hardware model as a primary key in the App device list where alternate data (like the serial number for example) is available, not not even searchable or sortable in any way however.

This applies to many WiFi routers, wireless extenders and used to be misleadingly named Remote Access feature earlier. Nothing new on Orbi... My many related enhancement requests, several at least one decade old enhancement requests for bringing up the customer defined device name (which was set on any device for a long time) were never heard.

More than strange, or as you named it d**b nicely saying.

[schumaku]

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@CrimpOn wrote:

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@MR2MK1SC wrote:

And yes, I do have the routers named differently within each system, but it is not reflected on the App's Product page that you use to select the system...

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I do not think there is anything the customer can do to correct this programming decision.

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Start from here: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-App/How-to-report-a-bug-on-the-Nighthawk-App/m-p/2134684#... 

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

No, NG keeps this static. 

[MR2MK1SC]

Done! Hopefully if enough people keep asking, it might get done in the next 10-years. 😋

[schumaku]

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@FURRYe38 wrote:

No, NG keeps this static. 

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Any insight available? Based on experience or based on qualified answers from related complaints?

Reminds me to my repeated attempts to push Netgear into a more user friendly implementation of the Remote Access (renamed to Anywhere Access after nagging for a year or two).  Ignorance comes into my mind in this aspect.

[FURRYe38]

Coding, connection information between the app and NG cloud services need to be correct for this page and products that are associated with there services. 

I presume if NG was interested the could add a line that was user editable on this page so users could input something to better ID multiple systems if users have this. 

No idea if that would be something NG would do. 

Could post about this here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Idea-Exchange-For-Home/idb-p/idea-exchange-for-home

For now, best suggestion would be to take the MAC addresses you see on this page and mark them down on a piece of paper or somewhere in your phone and then associate this address to what and where these separate systems are located for your identification. 

Not here to make judgements either. 

[CrimpOn]

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@FURRYe38 wrote:

I presume if NG was interested they could add a line that was user editable on this page so users could input something to better ID multiple systems if users have this. 

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The Orbi app already picks up the customized name of each (and every) Orbi device:

• The network map displays them by each device.

(The app does not realize this phone screen is too narrow to show the drawing.  Works OK on a tablet's wider screen.)

• The Router Settings also shows the actual name:

• Yet the screen where the users picks "which system" to administer shows this:

When the user is managing five systems, there is nothing on this screen to indicate which system is which?  The app already has the information. The programmer simply chose to display something of no value rather than something that makes sense.

[schumaku]

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@CrimpOn wrote:

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@FURRYe38 wrote:

I presume if NG was interested they could add a line that was user editable on this page so users could input something to better ID multiple systems if users have this. 

---

The Orbi app already picks up the customized name of each (and every) Orbi device:

• The network map displays them by each device.

(The app does not realize this phone screen is too narrow to show the drawing.  Works OK on a tablet's wider screen.)

• The Router Settings also shows the actual name:
• Yet the screen where the users picks "which system" to administer shows this:

When the user is managing five systems, there is nothing on this screen to indicate which system is which?  The app already has the information. The programmer simply chose to display something of no value rather than something that makes sense.

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Well, we don't have to dispute this here (gee, they show the serial number to distinguish), but completely fail to use the configured device name. Never got a reply on my earlier change requests....

[CrimpOn]

This issue doesn't affect me because I have only one Orbi system and the Orbi 'app' connects automatically when opened.

Suppose a person has five (or 10?) different Orbi systems managed by the app. When opened, my guess is that the app will connect to..... (the top one?  the bottom one?  whichever responds first to Anywhere Access?)

The user opens the menu, selects the top entry, and then.....

Is presented with a list of all the router models:

• RBR50
• RBR50
• RBR50
• RBR50
• etc.

Which one is Grandma's house?  Which one Cousin Joey?  Which one Uncle Fred?

IF they always appear in the same order, the user could have a printed "cheat sheet" (or perhaps finally memorize the order)  and think, "Grandma's house is #4 on the list."

My sense is that (a) shaking the phone and selecting "Suggest an improvement" has been done more than once, or (b) making an entry on the "Idea Exchange" ... well, we know how THAT goes.

[schumaku]

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@CrimpOn wrote:

This issue doesn't affect me because I have only one Orbi system and the Orbi 'app' connects automatically when opened.

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Can't take away your valid question ...  The first device con the list is the local connected one, the other follow based on the serial numbers (I guess). Yes, a cheat sheet based on the serial numbers might be helpful. But ways off from something reasonable.

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@CrimpOn wrote:

My sense is that (a) shaking the phone and selecting "Suggest an improvement" has been done more than once, or (b) making an entry on the "Idea Exchange" ... well, we know how THAT goes.

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Back then, during the late R9000 beta (a generous Netgear SMB senior manager arranged me one as a present  in an exchange as a "thank you for your ongoing help") I talked to the R9000 engineering and RD team and had brought up the same questions and similar ideas. Since then, my connection into the home BU busted, he is no longer with Netgear. Yes, it's challenging listening to me sometimes.

There it went, all the good will, ... that was the first and the last home business product I got into my hands in more than a decade.