RBS750 - Satellite connected via Ethernet and works, but isn't displayed by Router

[RichSNJ]

Hi, I'm new to Orbi, but my colleague has used it several times.

We have a client with an old stone house and had tried several different solutions, but he had horrible wifi.  We decided to try the Orbi and put the router in AP mode in the basement, a satellite via wireless on the 2nd floor, and then we put the 2nd satellite on the 3rd floor near the client's office.

Orignially we had the 3rd floor office connected wirelessly and the router saw everything and all was good, however we discovered that the client actually had an ethernet cable run to the 3rd floor terminating in an attic space, so I figured having the 3rd floor cabled would be better and that's what we did.

After we cabled it, it dropped off the router's status page as an attached satellite.  I unplugged it again and it came back, and then I plugged it back in and again it appeared to go away.  I don't use "apps" on phones and I was looking at the status page on the router via html, but my colleague was using the app and he said that even though I couldn't see it on the router's page, he could see it on the app, so we called it a day and left.

The olther objective was for me to set up remote access for t/s purposes, which I did, so when I got back home I logged in and checked on the router, and it still didn't see the 3rd floor satellite and my colleague no longer sees it in the app - so I guess there was a cache period in the app.  However, when I connect to the status page of the 3rd floor satellite, it appears to be working ok and it has devices connected to it that are working great.  The client is happy because they've never had good internet on the 3rd floor before.

I'm not sure whether I should leave it alone or unplug the satellite again so that it's seen by the router.  One issue is that I was able to upgrade the firmware on the 2nd floor satellite, but the 3rd floor isn't displayed so i'd have to manually do it using the file option on it's firmware page.

I would greatly prefer to leave the satellite plugged in via ethernet, espeically since it's working, but I am concerned about leaving it in the state that it's in.

Any advice on how to get the ethernet connected satellite to play with the other 2?

Also, is there anyway to reboot a satellite from remote?  I'm over an hour away.  I understand that the debug.htm page is supposed to enable telnet and then you can log in and issue the reboot command, but my satellite doesn't appear to have this option.

Thanks.  

[FURRYe38]

What Firmware version is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

What is the mfr and model# of the host router that services the RBR in AP mode?

https://kb.netgear.com/000051205/What-is-Ethernet-backhaul-and-how-do-I-set-it-up-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-Sy...

First wirelessly connect the one RBS that your looking to wire connect. Make sure it appears in the RBRs UI. Do this with the RBS near or in same room as the RBR. Then take a known working LAN cable, CAT6 is recommended and connect up the RBS to the back of the RBR. Does the RBS appear in the RBRs web page still? 

[RichSNJ]

Thanks for replying...

The wired satellite is:

• Hardware Version: RBS750
• Firmware Version: V3.2.15.30_1.3.18

The router and other statellite are:

Router	RBR750	RBR750	V3.2.16.22	No New Firmware Available
Satellite	RBS750	RBS750	V3.2.16.22	No New Firmware Available

The ISP is Comcast using one of their combo Xfinity wireless gateways in bridge mode.  I would have preferred to replace it with a standalone modem but I didn't know what service they had before I got there and I was also unaware of the consequenses that would have for the clients TV services and didn't have time to deal with Comcast to find out.

The router is a Sonicwall SOHO 250w.  There is a TP-Link 5 port unmanaged gig switch plugged into the Sonicwall which has both the Orbi router and Orbi Satellite plugged into it.  I have assigned static IP's to the Orbi router and both Satellites.

I am not onsite and cannot get onsite - but I had already disconnected the ethernet and saw the satellite in the interface 2 times - I would have left it disconnected but I wasn't familiar with the system and was told it was showing up in the app - so...  

I'm assuming it's a good network cable because the device itself is working fine and providing wireless service to multiple devices with no errors detected.  A notebook connected to that satellite was able to get a 300/40 speedtest on a 300/40 internet connection.

[RichSNJ]

PS, I figured since I was in there I would go ahead and manually update the fw on that one to match the other two, so I just did that successfully and it rebooted.  So I guess if I want to reboot a satellite I can always reload the firmware 🙂

[FURRYe38]

RBR and all RBS should be on same version of FW. 

[RichSNJ]

Unfortunately the recommended fw update procedure is performed through the router for the connected satellites, and since it didn't see it, it wasn't able to do it.  But as I said this morning, I did go and manually update the missing satellite and they are all now the same version.

[FURRYe38]

So does the RBR now see the RBS? 

[RichSNJ]

No.  There was no change after the fw update. 

[FURRYe38]

Wirelessly connect the one RBS that your looking to wire connect. Make sure it appears in the RBRs UI. Do this with the RBS near or in same room as the RBR. Id probably factory reset the RBS by pressing the rest button in back for 15 seconds then release to do this first. Once the RBS is re-synced and appears on the RBRs web page.

Then take a known working LAN cable, CAT6 is recommended and connect up the RBS to the back of the RBR. Does the RBS appear in the RBRs web page still? 

[RichSNJ]

I can't do any of that because I am not onsite, nor can I easily go onsite, but I had done this procedure twice while I was there.

[FURRYe38]

You'll need to get on site then at some point and get it checked out...