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My issue does not concern performance, but instead management/administration of the routers/satellites. Background: I have used the Orbi ac3000 system (1 RBR50 + 1 RBS50) in a wired backhaul arrangement for several years. In this arrangement, the satellite did not show as a satellite in the App and all the devices homed on the satellite showed up as "wired" devices. Yet when I went to the Website, the satellite did show up as an attached satellite. Also, to upgrade the firmware on the satellite, I had to convert it to wireless and then back to wired after the update. I have never liked this abnormality but had gotten used to it. Currently: I now have the ax4200 system (1 RBR750 + 1 RBS750) in a wired backhaul arrangement. I expected to see the same abnormalities in the App and on the Website, however now what I see is this: The satellite does not show as a satellite in the App or the Website, yet I know that it is operational. It has been assigned an IP address on my network, I can ping it and I can tell by the connectivity and speeds of the devices around the satellite, that it is functioning. Also, the attached devices shown on the App are very questionable. Most times my iPhone does not show up on the list even though I am using the App on my iPhone. And the devices homed on the satellite may or may not show up as "wired". It's very unpredictable! By the way, my router is functioning as an AP. And one more configuration question which is sort of off this topic, but I'll go ahead and ask it here. I have seen many posts on this forum and non-Netgear sites about what the CTS/RTS Threshold should be. It seems that many say to set it at 500. But some say to set it at 2347. I understand what this threshold is but I still don't know which setting is best. Anyone who wants to weigh in, feel free. Thanks in advance!
Yes it's one of Orbi's "peculiarities" that I've learned to deal with and seems to be how NG has designed them.
The illustrations for the link is correct for connecting the RBS to the back of the RBR. The Internet port on the RBR is only used for it's main connection to the main host router in AP mode or an ISP modem when in router mode.
The firmware of the router and satellite are both 3.2.16.6.
The ISP is AT&T U-Verse and the modem/gateway is the Arris NVG599 with Software Version 11.6.0h0d48.
The two Orbis are both on the same switch, an unmanaged Tenda TEG1008D 8-port switch (which I found as a recommendation on this forum). That switch is connected directly to one of the four ports on the Arris modem.
Also, I can connect directly to the satellite via a browser and its Internet Address. When I do that, I see a reliable list (I think) of all its attached devices.
Yes, I've done that before. I know it will show as a satellite if I do that. That's not a practical solution though. Who strings a single cable through the attic or under the floor all the way across the house just because Netgear has some crazy nuance that won't work through a simple switch? As I said, I've dealt with this type of situation for some time and it would seem that Netgear could find a solution. I tested a TP-Link Deco X60 in the exact same setup and it had no problem whatsoever with it. I just like the performance of the Orbi a little better. But if another product came along that could match the performance, I would certainly be tempted to go in that direction.
We need to connect the switch behind the RBR, not behind the modem. The switch needs to be connected at the LAN port in back of the RBR, then the RBS connected to the switch.
Modem>RBR><switch connected to RBR LAN port><RBS conncted to swtich.
Ok, I understand, however that’s impractical too. I only have one cat 6 run to the location where the RBR is. I wouldn’t imagine most homes would have multiple runs to a single location. Bottom line, I can’t or won’t do that. If that’s the way Netgear intended the wired backhaul to be implemented, it is very limiting. So I guess if mine works the way it is, I will just have to live with the abnormal management/administration until something better comes along. That illustration you referred me to earlier is misleading as I don’t believe it indicated that the connection to the switch couldn’t be the Internet port.
Yes it's one of Orbi's "peculiarities" that I've learned to deal with and seems to be how NG has designed them.
The illustrations for the link is correct for connecting the RBS to the back of the RBR. The Internet port on the RBR is only used for it's main connection to the main host router in AP mode or an ISP modem when in router mode.
Thanks for giving me the lightbulb moment. I still think the illustration should make it clearer that they are not talking about the Internet port.
So what if I put a new switch at the RBR end and plugged both the Internet port and an Ethernet port into that switch. Then the switch would have a 3rd cable back to the iSP modem.
Yes, as long as you have swtich in between the RBR and RBS, This should work, Then connect this swtich back to the main switch or to the main host router.
Well, that didn't work. Next thing I might try is to establish a connection between the RBR and RBS via EOP. Not the best solution but I'm on a quest now. I will mark your response as the "Answer" since you put me ont the right track and at least identified where the problem is.
I installed an Ethernet-Over-Power (EOP) connection between the RBR and RBS and it fixed the issue. The satellite appears as a satellite both in the App and on the Website. The trade off is that for devices homed on the satellite, I am now limited by the speed/bandwidth that the EOP can provide.
I'd like to complete this thread with something that I hope will help anyone having problems with wired backhaul. I had a misunderstanding of how it worked and Netgear contributed to my misunderstandiong by not being specific enough. (By the way, my system is configured as an AP.)
I thought that if your Orbi Router was connected to your ISP modem via the Internet port and you connected a satellite anywhere on your wired network, that would constitute a wired backhaul. Well, yes and no. It creates a workable solution from a user perspective, but the satellite is not seen as a satellite to the Netgear App and therefore you won't be able to tell which devices home on the Orbi satellite(s).
What you have to do to make it work correctly is to take one of the ethernet ports on the Orbi Router and connect it DIRECTLY to your Orbi satellite. You can go through a switch, but it can't be one of your already existing switches on your network. It must be a standalone switch that serves only to connect the Orbi Router to the Satellite(s). This may seem simple, but (1.) I thought that one single connection from the Orbi Router Internet port would suffice and (2.) I further thought that the Satellite could be connected to your existing network via any switch on the network. By the way, you will find that if you do connect the Orbi Router to your network via the Internet port and one of the ethernet ports, you will form a loop and will have other issues.
I hope this helps as I've seen many people pose this issue.
