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Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread network

bnandr
Tutor

Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread network

Running firmware 6.0.3.85 and have Apple TV (2nd gen) and HomePod mini as Border Routers (15.6). Eve Energy plugs will not switch from Bluetooth to Thread over several weeks now. Tried running with default Orbi settings for several days and then tried changing these settings over the period of 2 weeks with no luck:  (* these suggestions came from Netgear Support)

 

-Enabled IPv6 on Orbi

-Disabled ax on 2.4 band*

-Changed 2.4 channel from Auto to channel 1.

-Disabled SIP ALG

-Disabled WMM 2.4 and 5 GHz

-Turned down power output to 25%

-Reset HomePod and added back in on the IoT network*

-Turned off Armor security

 

Eve support suggested turning off Beamforming and Airtime Fairness but those setting are no longer accessible in Orbi 960 settings.  I have 20 Eve plugs and a large house. Bluetooth is just not cutting it. The whole reason I bought the Eve was for the Thread capability. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

 

 

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bnandr
Tutor

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net

Update: After returning all Orbi setting back to default except left IPv6 enabled, 3 days later I happened to check the Eve app and all the Eve Energy Smart Plugs had converted from Bluetooth to Thread. Wow, what an ordeal this has been but finally it happened. I don't think I mentioned that I went through this with a Linksys router for 2 months before switching to Orbi. Only problem is I have no idea what caused the transition to occur. Anyway, all plugs respond instantly no matter where they are in the house and when some of them are grouped, the group turns on and off all at the same time. Also, no more "unresponsive" from HomeKit. Thanks for everyone's input!

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Message 9 of 10

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FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net

Had this been working before?

 

Not sure if Thread protocols are supported on Orbi systems. 

Message 2 of 10
bnandr
Tutor

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net

No it is never worked. I’m starting my smart home from scratch, just got the Eve Energy Smart plugs about three weeks ago and got the Orbi set up about two weeks ago. Didn’t think there would be a problem but I have found a lot of people struggling with getting thread to work with certain routers. I was hoping the Orbi wouldn’t be one of them.
Message 3 of 10
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net

Well I presume if it wasn't working before Orbi and now after Orbi, something with that system would need to be reviewed with the Mfr. 

I've asked about Thread support from NG. Still waiting on feedback. I presume since nothing is working in this regard with Orbi, that Orbi doesn't support it. No idea if Orbi doesn't, when it would. We don't get that info around here. 

Message 4 of 10
TC_in_Montana
Virtuoso

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net

@bnandr 

 

There are a few devices that can (or possibly will) work as a thread border router which is what you need.    There are no Netgear devices on the current or expected list.   

 

There are some devices for sale that you can connect to a regular IPv4/IPv6 network that work as that specialized "Thread Border Router" - but they are moderately expensive.

 

You need to do an internet search for Thread Border Router and view the devices that supposed ARE or are planning to be.

 

 

 

Message 5 of 10
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net


@bnandr wrote:

Running firmware 6.0.3.85 and have Apple TV (2nd gen) and HomePod mini as Border Routers (15.6).


Thanks for introducing an interesting situation.  Perhaps I misread, but it appears from this web site that Thread requires AppleTV 4K (is that what 2nd gen means?)

 

The customer's primary WiFi network should have no knowledge of or participation in the Thread network.  Only the border router connects to the customer's WiFi network.  I rather doubt that changing parameters on the WiFi network will have any impact on Eve devices changing from Bluetooth to Thread.

Message 6 of 10
TC_in_Montana
Virtuoso

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net

@bnandr I misread or just did not store away - that you DO have a couple of devices that ARE considered Thread Border routers.

 

I've been looking at some of the FAQs for the Eve devices and it actually seems like you have the devices that should link to/be part of that Thread network.   But that network is definitely something not part of the Orbi network itself (sort of a sub network).

 

I've seen comments on the Eve FAQ/Support pages that talk about some Eve devices may require a firmware update.  You may want to visit this page:   https://www.evehome.com/en-us/blog/discover-your-thread-network

 

I don't think this is related to the Orbi and as @CrimpOn mentioned - not something that changing settings on the Orbi would impact.

 

Have you contacted support at EVE?

 

Message 7 of 10
bnandr
Tutor

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net

Yes I have been in contact with Eve. We have tried several different thing to no avail. And the Eve Energy smart plugs are up to date. I am just going to return all Orbi settings back to default except IPv6, I will leave that enabled. Maybe when Apple updates it's Border Router firmware to Thread 1.3.0 for Apple TV and HomePod mini that will fix the issue. Until then I will just have no Thread network and be reliant on Bluetooth. Thanks for everyone's input...

Message 8 of 10
bnandr
Tutor

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net

Update: After returning all Orbi setting back to default except left IPv6 enabled, 3 days later I happened to check the Eve app and all the Eve Energy Smart Plugs had converted from Bluetooth to Thread. Wow, what an ordeal this has been but finally it happened. I don't think I mentioned that I went through this with a Linksys router for 2 months before switching to Orbi. Only problem is I have no idea what caused the transition to occur. Anyway, all plugs respond instantly no matter where they are in the house and when some of them are grouped, the group turns on and off all at the same time. Also, no more "unresponsive" from HomeKit. Thanks for everyone's input!

Message 9 of 10
TC_in_Montana
Virtuoso

Re: Orbi AXE11000 w/ HomeKit and Eve energy smart plugs. Bonjour/mDNS being blocked so no Thread net


@bnandr wrote:

Update: After returning all Orbi setting back to default except left IPv6 enabled, 3 days later I happened to check the Eve app and all the Eve Energy Smart Plugs had converted from Bluetooth to Thread. Wow, what an ordeal this has been but finally it happened. I don't think I mentioned that I went through this with a Linksys router for 2 months before switching to Orbi. Only problem is I have no idea what caused the transition to occur. Anyway, all plugs respond instantly no matter where they are in the house and when some of them are grouped, the group turns on and off all at the same time. Also, no more "unresponsive" from HomeKit. Thanks for everyone's input!


One of those things that make you go HMMMMM.

 

Unfortunately, no telling if there was an update elsewhere that finally got this to work, or if it was something on the Orbi, or if it was a combination.

 

If you reset everything, and it still didn't work for a few days, then suddenly it did, I would tend to think it was more of a downstream change (like a service became available or an update to some device that make everything click.

 

But, happy it is working for you now!    And as @FURRYe38 always says -    now that it is working - take a backup of the router's configuration!!!!!

 

 

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