Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch

Theo_C
Tutor

Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch

Hello everyone, 

I'm currently testing the Orbi Pro Wifi 6 in my company and I have some difficulty setting up a wired backhaul.
The Orbi Pro is in AP mode and that's how it's connected to our network:
Pfsense (firewall/DHCP server) > Managed DELL switch (N1548) > Orbi Pro (WAN port).

We have several VLANs configured on the pfsense which I have linked to the LAN ports of the Orbi Pro.
Pfsense (firewall/DHCP server with VLAN) > Managed DELL switch (N1548) > Orbi Pro (LAN ports).
Everything works fine, the orbi pro gets an IP address from the DHCP server, the WiFi access points also work and I get an IP address from the corresponding VLAN when I connect to them.

But here is my problem: we have three floors, the Orbi Pro is on the middle floor and I have to position my two satellites on the other floors. For that I would have to connect my two satellites to the managed switch:
Managed DELL switch (N1548) > Ethernet patch panel --------- Ethernet wall socket > Satellite.

Can you tell me if it is possible to do this? According to the documentation What-is-Ethernet-backhaul-and-how-do-I-set-it-up-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-System, there are three ways to make a wired backhaul. Should I connect the switch to the LAN port of the Orbi Pro rather than the WAN port? Currently when I connect my satellites to the switch they are still seen by the Orbi as being connected in WiFi. Also, should the satellite ports remain in trunk mode?

Thank you very much,
Theo_C.



Message 1 of 9

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ekhalil
Master

Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch


@Theo_C wrote:

................... Should I connect the switch to the LAN port of the Orbi Pro rather than the WAN port? ............


Does not matter. When Orbi is in AP mode the WAN and LAN ports are the same.

Please make sure the managed switch is configured correctly in order to work with Orbi:

  • Managed switches discover and block IP loops! Orbi satellites when connected by ethernet cables and also wirelessly will cause loops, this is normal in mesh networks, but managed switches think it's an issue and block them which will cause the wired satellites to stop working. Usually managed switches have settings to just log loops and do not block them. I think if you get this setting right you will be ok. Unmanaged switches are not smart enough to detect loops that's why they are ok.
  • Green features in few managed switches will cause the backhaul connections (connection between router and satellites and between satellites) to go down all time to save energy and that will cause issues with Orbi. So if you disable such features that will be ok.

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Message 2 of 9

All Replies
ekhalil
Master

Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch


@Theo_C wrote:

................... Should I connect the switch to the LAN port of the Orbi Pro rather than the WAN port? ............


Does not matter. When Orbi is in AP mode the WAN and LAN ports are the same.

Please make sure the managed switch is configured correctly in order to work with Orbi:

  • Managed switches discover and block IP loops! Orbi satellites when connected by ethernet cables and also wirelessly will cause loops, this is normal in mesh networks, but managed switches think it's an issue and block them which will cause the wired satellites to stop working. Usually managed switches have settings to just log loops and do not block them. I think if you get this setting right you will be ok. Unmanaged switches are not smart enough to detect loops that's why they are ok.
  • Green features in few managed switches will cause the backhaul connections (connection between router and satellites and between satellites) to go down all time to save energy and that will cause issues with Orbi. So if you disable such features that will be ok.
Message 2 of 9
Theo_C
Tutor

Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch

Hello ekhalil, 

I checked and the Green features on my switch are disabled.
But there is indeed a spanning tree error, I lost some of my ports, and I had to re-enable them.
Could you please explain me a bit more precisely on which ports I should disable the spanning tree protocol?

Is it on all ports connected to the Orbi pro and satellites?

Thanks a lot!

Theo

 
 
Message 3 of 9
ekhalil
Master

Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch


@Theo_C wrote:

......

Is it on all ports connected to the Orbi pro and satellites?
.....


Yes, please disable it on all ports used for Orbi router and satellites.

Message 4 of 9
Theo_C
Tutor

Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch

Thank you very much for your quick answer, I managed to disable the spanning tree protocol (STP) on the DELL managed switch ports and my satellites are now seen as connected via Ethernet by the Orbi Pro! 

Thank you again! 

Theo.

Message 5 of 9
Theo_C
Tutor

Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch

Just one more thing, is it normal that the Orbi pro sometimes sees the satellites as being connected by wire and sometimes by wifi?

Message 6 of 9
ekhalil
Master

Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch

Great. Glad to see that things are working now! 🙂

Message 7 of 9
Theo_C
Tutor

Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch

Well, yesterday it seemed to work but now I can't connect to the SSIDs. They are visible, it ask me the password when I try to connect to it, but then it doesn't connect. Do you have any idea where this might come from?

I also have several questions:
1) Currently my Orbi Pro in AP mode as its WAN port in trunk mode (default vlan) connected to the managed switch port (in access mode). Should I change the switch port to trunk mode? When I do this, I no longer have access to the web interface of the Orbi Pro.

 

2) As I'm using 2 VLANs for my SSIDs, should I connect them to the satellites? Currently those 2 VLANs are only connected to port 2 and 3 of the Orbi Pro.

 

I don't quite understand in which mode I should configure the ports of my switch and the ports of my Orbi / Satellites.

Thank you,
Théo.

Message 8 of 9
schumaku
Guru

Re: Orbi Pro Wifi 6 backhaul with managed switch

Define the VLANs which are in use for the Orbi Pro WiFi WLANs, and make (only) these available on the ports where you need to plug the Orbi Pro devices, of course configured acordingly.

Message 9 of 9
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