Orbi AXE11000 (960 Series) with Centurylink Fiber

[ADSeattle]

Hi community,

I'm considering purchasing the Orbi AXE11000 WiFi Mesh System (RBKE963B), and I was wondering if anybody has been able to set it up with CenturyLink fiber, which is a PPPoE service, and requires VLAN tagging to be set to 201 (it's a Qwest legacy system in the Seattle area) for their network to transport the traffic.

I currently have it set up on a Nighthawk RAX120 and it works fine, and I know it can be set up on an Orbi RBR850 based on this post I found on the community:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WIFI-6-AX-AND-Wi-Fi-6E-AXE/Orbi-RBR850-with-Centurylink-Fiber/...

I would imagine the answer is yes, however, without seeing the admin interface, and in absence of the proper screenshots on the user's manual, I can't fully determine if the feature is indeed supported. And, since the Orbi 960 system has discontinued features available on my Nighthawk (e.g. the ability to turn Smart Connect on/off), then I am reluctant to purchase this very expensive system only to find out it will not work with my ISP. Any input is greatly appreciated.

[FURRYe38]

The 9 series would be the same or similar configuration setup as the 8 series. Should work. 

I think @FarmerBob1 can help as I believe he's on CL and has a 8 series Orbi. 

Contact the ISP if you need help and information regarding any ISP and PPPoE configurations. 

[ADSeattle]

Thank you for the input. Like I said, I already have all the information I need from the ISP, which I used to configure my Nighthawk over two years ago when I got the CenturyLink service. I agree with you, it "should" be the same as the 8 series, but knowing Netgear, I know how they like to ship things without being fully baked on the software side, and how they remove features that used to be standard, so that's why I'm looking for confirmation from someone who has done it on a 960, before I pull the trigger and spend $1500 on the system.  Even some screenshots of the relevant pages on the Advanced Settings section of the UI would be helpful,  since I do not have access to a working unit to be able to explore the interface. 

[CrimpOn]

I'm sure you have considered purchasing from a vendor who offers a liberal return policy, such as Amazon, BestBuy, or Costco.

[ADSeattle]

I have, in fact, I would've bought it from Amazon, but I want the black edition, and Amazon only sells the white one. I love Amazon's return policy, take it to a Whole Foods and you're done! Costco doesn't have the 9 series, unfortunately, but they're also my go to since they usually have better pricing.

[CrimpOn]

Actually, Costco does have the RBKE963 with two years of Pro support for $1,299, but only in white. 

https://www.costco.com/netgear-%e2%80%93-orbi-axe10000-quadband-wifi-6e-mesh-system%2c-internet-secu... 

[ADSeattle]

That's a great find, thank you! I looked yesterday and they didn't have it, the $200 off plus the extra support would make a strong case for overriding the color preference. I'll have to think about it for sure.

[CrimpOn]

I fear the forum will never contain a post matching your situation.  The only people who visit the forum are (a) people who have a problem and are not allowed to call Netgear, or (b) some people who have spare time and would rather help folks this way than work at a soup kitchen.  (like me.  I did this sort of stuff for over 30 years, and all those failures have to good for something.)

[ADSeattle]

Yeah, you're probably right, but I figured there was no harm in trying. Like I said, even if someone with a 9 series were to post the relevant screenshots from the UI, that would be immense help. Honestly, the user's manual should contain that information, but reading the very limited info they have on the subject, leaves me with more questions than answers. I'll just keep watching the thread to see what else comes in.

Thank you!

[FURRYe38]

Though he doesn't have a 9 series yet, I've asked @FarmerBob1 to post about his experiences and give you some of his expertise on CL and using his 8 series. I presume there should not be to much differences between the 8 and 9 series in this regards to the CL ISP.