I have an SXR80 and 2 satellites. Everything works great and I get reliable connection all over my house.
However, sometimes a few devices won't connect to the internet. Wifi is connected, with a strong signal, but no internet. I have to turn off wifi for that device, and turn it back on. Then it is able to connect to the internet.
It seems that the router is dropping internet connection for some devices.
I know the limit is 250 devices for this router, and I am under 100 connected devices simultaneously.
Any tips on how to troubleshoot the problem?
This is my setup:
AT&T Modem - ARRIS BGW210-700 (Set to passthrough) -> SXR80 Router (Set to AP Router mode)
AT&T Modem - ARRIS BGW210-700 (Set to passthrough) -> SXR80 Router (Set to AP Router mode)
Just a minor note: Orbi routers have two possible 'modes':
Router (the default mode) which means the Orbi performs all the usual 'router functions' (assigning IP addresses to devices, controlling access, deciding which DNS servers to use, etc. etc.)
Access Point (AP) mode, which means the Orbi performs no 'router functions' and acts only as a WiFi access system to the primary upstream router.
Thus, AP Router mode is sort of oxymoron. Would be helpful to know which 'mode' is enabled for this SXR80.
As far as troubleshooting the problem:
Is it always the same devices which have this problem?
Would they by chance be Apple devices?
How is this system being managed? (Orbi web browser interface (http://orbilogin.net or the Orbi 'app'?)
I meant to write OP as in operation mode. Not AP. sorry for that. It’s in Router mode. It’s not always the same device, and not always Apple devices. Managed through web browser.
sometimes a few devices won't connect to the internet. Wifi is connected, with a strong signal, but no internet. I have to turn off wifi for that device, and turn it back on. Then it is able to connect to the internet.
It seems that the router is dropping internet connection for some devices.
Thanks for your patience. Could you please describe a typical episode? I'm interested in whether
sometimes a device is activated
Perhaps by being turned on
Perhaps by being "woken up", such as opening the lid of a laptop or opening a cover of a tablet
and complains of "No Internet" (I would call that won't connect)
Or
Sometimes a device has been working fine and then, without going to sleep or being something like that, just announces "No Internet". (I would call that "dropping internet connection")
(what's up with the crazy questions?..... well: a story)
Last year I had a bizarre situation with a Lenovo laptop (Windows 10). I would shut the lid when leaving the room - to keep the cat from walking on the keyboard - and the next time I opened the lid, that symbol in the lower right of the screen that is supposed to show the network connection would be some goofy symbol that looked like a globe and things wouldn't work. Web pages wouldn't open. Finally I realized, "No Internet". WFT? Using Wireshark I captured the data packets going between the laptop and router and found that when I opened the lid, the laptop would send a DHCP request, "Give me an IP address". The router would answer, "Use this address". The laptop would say, "Give me an IP address". The router would ..... and so on forever. The router was doing what it was supposed to do. The laptop software was not.
The ONLY way to get an IP was to restart the laptop or open the Network Troubleshooter and the problem would go away.
After some months, one day there was a Windows/Lenovo software update and the problem disappeared.
Seems like I see a lot of posts with that att gateway and having drops/issues when in passthrough mode. I'd try putting it back in router mode (with wifi disabled) and either put the SXR80 in ap mode or put the netgears IP address into the ATT gateway's dmz.
Thanks for this, these are very interesting questions.
I'll give some examples, and you can confirm if they are actually dropping or won't connect.
1. Cell phone (Apple device), browsing the internet normally, and without the phone going to sleep, internet stops working. I see wifi is connected and strong signal. Turn off wifi, and turn it back on, solves the internet connectivity problem.
2. I have a bose portable music device with built in Alexa. Theoretically, it should never sleep from connectivity because it needs to respond do Alexa commands. I often find that it's not connected to the internet, and have to force a disconnect from the wifi and reconnect.
3. I have a MyQ garage door hub. Also should not sleep, because needs to respond to the MyQ app or HomeKit commands. But I find that every now and then, the hub is "non responsive" on the App. I haver to turn off the device, and turn it back on. There's no easy way to disconnect just the network.
I think those are the major use cases that I find internet not working for some devices.
But this is weird, if we haver the AT&T & router strictly acting as an internet modem, how can the modem be able to stop communicating with specific devices? If internet connection drops from the broadband modem, I would assume internet would drop from all the devices, and would even show "no internet" in the Orbi Status website.
