Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

YeZ
NETGEAR Expert
NETGEAR Expert

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

We stopped supporting Orbi app from OrbiPro firmware version v2.6, we should have made it clear in v2.6 firmware release notes. 

 

As a user of SRR60, you can always use the local device web GUI without any need for Insight or payment. 

 

Insight app and Cloud Portal are supported by OrbiPro, and when you add OrbiPro to Insight, you get the 1st year with 0 charge, with either Insight Premium or Pro subscription. 

 

The subscription is not free (free Basic subscription will go away in March) after the 1st year, it costs $10 annually for a Premium subscription, you get remote management capability so you can manage it from anywhere. In addition, Insight has a web server  https://insight.netgear.com so if you prefer not using the mobile app, you can use any browser on a big screen. The web server has additional function like Topology Map which is not available on the mobile apps. 

 

When we add new features to OrbiPro, we are also adding supports of them in Insight app/web server, but not in Orbi app, the latter is designed to manage retail Orbi products instead, that's another reason we would like OrbiPro users to use Insight instead. 

 

 

 

Message 26 of 36
chadonmac
Initiate

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

I would totally agree with this business model and path if the insight app wasn’t totally useless. Can you give us some kind of feature list that Insight does that the free Orbi app does not do? You say we can use the webui like that is some kind of miraculous new option. This is simply unbelievable in today’s competitive mesh wifi industry that you would try and squeeze an extra 10$ for your customers to go backwards in functionality. Poor judgment NetGear….I’m an IT consultant that “used” to recommend this solution.
Message 27 of 36
YeZ
NETGEAR Expert
NETGEAR Expert

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

To name a few Insight provides that Orbi app does not: 

1. Entire network level Topology Map instead of just behind the OrbiPro.

2. Ability to manage the 4th SSID available on OrbiPro

3. Remote access through web server, in addition to the app

4. Remote Ping/Traceroute/DNS Lookup capability

5. Device Configuration saved in the Cloud instead of local computer, that can be restored from anywhere. 

 

And we also have new features planned in Insight, that won't be available on Orbi app. 


Thank you.

Message 28 of 36
dir
Apprentice
Apprentice

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

Uh,

 

1. Entire network level Topology Map instead of just behind the OrbiPro.

  - This only works for Netgear equipment though, doesn't it?  Or will it map/let me map my entire network regardless of brand of equipment?

Please google "network topology map" and look at the images retrieved.  Does Insight let me create these, or does it simply display the Netgear equipment I have, graphically?  I'm pretty sure it's the latter, in which case, this is not a feature that anyone needs/uses/would pay for.

 

2. Ability to manage the 4th SSID available on OrbiPro

 - I bought the OrbiPro and I need to use the 4th SSID that I paid for.  So far, NO version of Insight has let me view/modify this 4th SSID.  I have logged this as a bug over a year ago.  There have been numerous versions of Insight since then and none even know about the 4th SSID.  That has forced me to use the web UI - which means that Insight is a useless product to anyone that needed to manage this.

 

3. Remote access through web server, in addition to the app

 - Useful, used, but not something I'd expect to pay for

4. Remote Ping/Traceroute/DNS Lookup capability

 - Please don't embarass yourselves by trying to make this basic function some sort of "feature".  Routers have had this ability for over 20 years.

 

5. Device Configuration saved in the Cloud instead of local computer, that can be restored from anywhere.

 - If I need this then I'd pay for it.   I don't need this but others may be willing to pay an ongoing fee for this.

Message 29 of 36
dir
Apprentice
Apprentice

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

I'd like to recommend to Netgear that they evaluate what truely added-value features are in Insight vs what are basic management functions that all router/switch apps have, and allow people to pay for those added-value features while allowing the rest of us to use the basic app.


Basically like EVERY SINGLE FREEMIUM PHONE APP EVER WRITTEN.  Users pay for additional features, otherwise they can only use the basic app.

Message 30 of 36
YeZ
NETGEAR Expert
NETGEAR Expert

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

1. Entire network level Topology Map instead of just behind the OrbiPro.

  - This only works for Netgear equipment though, doesn't it?  Or will it map/let me map my entire network regardless of brand of equipment?

Please google "network topology map" and look at the images retrieved.  Does Insight let me create these, or does it simply display the Netgear equipment I have, graphically?  I'm pretty sure it's the latter, in which case, this is not a feature that anyone needs/uses/would pay for.

The map will be able to display the network device in the network even if it is not NETGEAR device, but with NETGEAR device, more information will be available on the map. 

 

2. Ability to manage the 4th SSID available on OrbiPro

 - I bought the OrbiPro and I need to use the 4th SSID that I paid for.  So far, NO version of Insight has let me view/modify this 4th SSID.  I have logged this as a bug over a year ago.  There have been numerous versions of Insight since then and none even know about the 4th SSID.  That has forced me to use the web UI - which means that Insight is a useless product to anyone that needed to manage this.

Starting Insight Manager v6.0 released in early Jan, it supports the 4th SSID on OrbiPro. 

 

3. Remote access through web server, in addition to the app

 - Useful, used, but not something I'd expect to pay for

4. Remote Ping/Traceroute/DNS Lookup capability

 - Please don't embarass yourselves by trying to make this basic function some sort of "feature".  Routers have had this ability for over 20 years.

Insight made those troubleshooting functions available remotely. If you are away from the location where the OrbiPro is, you can still run ping/traceroute/DNS lookup through the OrbiPro. 

 


 

Message 31 of 36
Tonytonytony
Tutor

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

I bought the orbi pro in Jan 2020, there was no mention that I would lose the “Free” monitoring capabilities via the app. I hope you have a disclaimer in place for all new Orbi Pro purchases, your clients would probably appreciate to know that the “free” monitoring is only valid for a year.. then it will cost them $$$ onwards. Not sure any home users would be purchasing your Orbi Pros knowing they would need to fork over extra $$$ later on. I’m using this for home and definitely not happy about the extra $$$ needed to be able to use an app to view my connections..
Message 32 of 36
schumaku
Guru

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection


@Tonytonytony wrote:
I bought the orbi pro in Jan 2020, there was no mention that I would lose the “Free” monitoring capabilities via the app. I hope you have a disclaimer in place for all new Orbi Pro purchases, your clients would probably appreciate to know that the “free” monitoring is only valid for a year.. then it will cost them $$$ onwards. Not sure any home users would be purchasing your Orbi Pros knowing they would need to fork over extra $$$ later on. I’m using this for home and definitely not happy about the extra $$$ needed to be able to use an app to view my connections..

When reviewing the Orbi Pro SRK60 - AC3000 Tri-band WiFi System Data Sheet D-SRK60-7Feb19 - so dated 07-FEB-2019 - there is no mention of the subject Orbi App ... just the Insight.

Message 33 of 36
Tonytonytony
Tutor

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

Never heard about the insight app. The recommended app was Netgear Orbi from the manual for installation.
Message 34 of 36
Tonytonytony
Tutor

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection

Here’s the instructions from the box
Message 35 of 36
YeZ
NETGEAR Expert
NETGEAR Expert

Re: Orbi firmware V2.6.0.108 no longer allows Orbi App connection


@Tonytonytony wrote:
Here’s the instructions from the box

You are right, in early days of OrbiPro, we used Orbi app, before Insight app was updated to support OrbiPro with remote management of features Orbi app does locally, and more (like 4th SSID) last year. Since then, we have asked users to start using Insight app instead, giving that future new function/feature support would only be available through Insight app/Cloud Portal. 

 

You do have the option to only use the local web GUI of OrbiPro, without the need of using remote management function through Insight. 

 

Message 36 of 36
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