RBS850 Satellite will not sync with RBR850 Router when in AP mode

[dcraig]

Hi,

Is anyone else having a problem with wireless syncing a RBS850 satellite with a RBR850 router when the router is in AP mode?  If I physically plug the RBS850 satellite into the network with ethernet, the satellite connects to the router just fine in wired mode.  But no matter what I try, I cannot get the satellite to sync wirelessly with the router.  If I unplug the satellite, the LED turns magenta and it shows as disconnected from the router in the browser GUI.  Tyring to sync them using the sync buttons is futile. If I plug the satellite back into the network with ethernet, it connects right back up to the router in wired mode.

I am trying to add another satellite to my Orbi wireless network and do not want to revert the RBR850 back to router mode to do it.  This will be time consuming as the RBR850 will conflict with my existing Nighthawk R6900 router in my LAN.  I want to keep using my Nighthawk router as it has more robust functionality (like parantel controls) than the Orbi RBR850 has built into it.

My original RBS850 satellite connected wirelessly to the RBR850 router seemlessly when I went through the initial setup and the router was in router mode.  But when I switched the RBR850 router to AP mode and connected it into my LAN with my existing router, the problem appeared where I cannot get a RBS850 satellite to sync wirelessly with the RBR850.

Firmware on the RBR850 and RBS850 are version V3.2.10.11.

Any help or observations would be greatly appreciated.

[FURRYe38]

Remove the RBS from the RBRs connected clients page. Factory reset the RBS then when it's slowly blinking WHITE, Press the sync button on the RBR then RBS. Do this while you have the RBS in the same room as the RBR. 

Seen no issues with wireless when in AP mode. 

[Indths2register]

I am having the same issue among a few admin page display issues. I have no problem setting it up in router mode, finds satellite has no issues. Change it to AP mode satellite goes offline. Defaulted satellite, removed it from router tried sync from Orbi app, failed, sync from admin page failed, sync from buttons failed. It is on the latest firmware it automatically will download.

Opened support case pending response currently.

[FURRYe38]

Review this:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-AX/RBK853-wired-satellite/m-p/1881894/highlight/true#M2563

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@Indths2register wrote:
I am having the same issue among a few admin page display issues. I have no problem setting it up in router mode, finds satellite has no issues. Change it to AP mode satellite goes offline. Defaulted satellite, removed it from router tried sync from Orbi app, failed, sync from admin page failed, sync from buttons failed. It is on the latest firmware it automatically will download.

Opened support case pending response currently.

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[Indths2register]

Had a 90 minute call with support, it seems it is an order of operations issue. This is what i was doing.

1 - Connect to defaulted RBR850 via Orbi App on iPhone.

2 - Going through prompts and guides to set it up to completion.

3 - Going to admin web page and turning off DHCP and static assign the LAN IP Address

4 - Change to AP Mode

Upon rebooting, Satellite shows offline in web page and magenta ring on the unit. Deleted RBS850 in admin page, defaulted, reset, and went through add satellite every way possible. Would not ever add it.

After multiple defaults and walking through the process and how my network is set up, i went through this process.

1- Defaulted both RBR850 and RBS850

2 - Went through Orbi IPhone app setup again

3 - Changed to AP mode and RBR850 rebooted

4 - Logged back into RBR850 and it still shows the satellite up and working!!

5 - Issue though is it is still using a DHCP address and I do not know if it is running the DHCP Server or not. There is no place to change to static IP or turn off DHCP as most menu options are now grayed out.

5 - Went to admin page, Advanced Tab, Advanced Menu, clicked Router/AP Mode

7 - No options only radial button for Router Mode and AP Mode...

8 - Selected the Router Mode radial button like i was going to change it back, then switched it back to the AP Mode button and it loaded the option to set static IP. Updated it to Static IP and applied, system rebooted came up and satellite is still online.

Seems an order of operations and really bad admin page navigation is the biggest issue. Trying to set up another satellite now, RBS50, non AX, while in AP mode. It went through setup and synced fine, said it was added successfully but after reboot it doesnt sync. Like previously, if i use Wired backhaul it pops right up. It seems it relies on the RBR850 to be a specific IP address to set up satellites almost and until you set them all up you cant change it.

That would be odd...

[FURRYe38]

The process should be that while in router mode, the RBS should be already synced. 

Then to configure AP mode, I recommended and what I do is to turn OFF the RBSs. 

Configure AP mode. Do not disable any DHCP server on the RBR prior. AP mode will do this after you apply the AP mode setting. 

I set up a static IP address, 192.168.#.85. # being the same IP address sub net pool number that your host router is using. Also be sure that your host routers Default IP address pool is smaller, i.e. 192.168.#.100 to .200. This gives you area on either side of the pool to assign STATIC assinged devices such as the Orbi RBR in AP mode at 192.168.#.85. 

Once you get the RBR setup for AP mode and configured and apply the setting, connect the RBR to the host router with a LAN cable connected to the WAN port on the RBR. Wait for the RBR to come to ready. Check to ensure the RBR is working here. 

Then turn on a RBS and let it sync. Wirelessly it should sync. Wired seems to have problems if there is a switch in between the RBR and RBS. Wired RBS should work directly connected with out a switch. 

[dcraig]

UPDATE - After several days of monkeying around with this system, I was never able to get the RBS850 Satellites to show up in the web GUI when the Satellites were connected to a 24-port switch that was connected to the RBR850 Router in AP mode.  The Satellites would only show up in the web GUI when they were directly connected to the Orbi RBR850 Router, with no switch in between.  For some reason, when the Router is in AP mode, having a switch between the Satellites and Router causes problems.  A direct wired connection between the Satellites and the RBR850 is not possible in my setup, as I am delaing with a Satellite located in a separeate outbuilding that is hardwired to my main residence, and a Satellite located on the oposite end of my house.  I will note that the Satellites were working when usng wired backhaul through the switch (although very buggy and dropping connection at random times and duration), but they would not show up in the web GUI when wired through the switch. It was if they were invisbile to the Router, but still working. The Satellites would show up in the web GUI when connected wirelessly, but that was not an option for me due to the distances involved between the Satellites and Router.  When connected wirelessly at those distances the speeds were terrible as the Satellites would only connect at 2.4GHz.

I will also note that the orbi mobile App would not connect to my Orbi system when the Orbi Router was in AP mode.  Since I was using a Nighthawk Router for routing functions, the Orbi mobile app would see my Nighthawk Router on the network and inform me that the Orbi app was incompatible with the Nighthawk router, even though the wireless radios on the Nighthawk were disabled.  Very frustrating.

So, yesterday I went through the process of configuring the Orbi Router to work as a Router instead of an AP (to replace my Nighthawk router), removed my Nighthawk router, connected the Orbi Router WAN port to my cable modem (I had to reboot my cable modem to work with the Orbi Router), connected an Orbi Router LAN port to my main 24-port switch, conntected the Orbi Satellites to my main 24-port switch, and presto, everything works!  The Orbi Router now sees the Satellites when connected through the switch (wired backhaul), the Orbi mobile app works, and the whole system is very speedy.

It would appear the new Orbi AX system is not ready for "prime time," especially in AP mode with an existing router.  I hope Netgear gets these bugs worked out with the next firmware update.

Now the only problem I am having is with the Guest network not working on the Satellites.  But I will address that in a new post...

[FURRYe38]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. 

Yes, v10.11 breaks RBS connections to the RBR while in AP mode if a LAN switch is used between. All other versions of FW prior to this version, AP mode works with LAN switches. I have already filed a bug report on this. 

Initially I could not get the orbi app to connect correctly to the Orbi in AP mode. However when I selected the thumbprint next to the "admin" long in name. Then it log in correctly. I might have not input the correct passwored when i manually typed it in. However the Orbi app is working here on my iphone connected to my RBR850 in AP mode behind a R7800 router. 

I haven't used Guest Network. I normally don't. 

Yes, we all hope NG does get this fixed upon next release. 

[cmbc]

Hello, any update on this buggy AP mode, i have the same issue! Setup that cost nearly 1200€ and cannot get it to work properly...

[FURRYe38]

What version of FW is currently loaded? 

If your experiencing Orbi app issues, please post in the Orbi app forum:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-App/bd-p/en-home-orbi-app

There is known issues with the Orbi app with the Orbi system in AP mode. 

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@cmbc wrote:

Hello, any update on this buggy AP mode, i have the same issue! Setup that cost nearly 1200€ and cannot get it to work properly...

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[tabishop]

Brand new system.  I set them up in the same room thinking that when I moved them to another room they would sync automatically.  I moved them and they don't connect.  I've tried everything.  I tried adding them in the app.  I tried syncing them by pressing the button on the satellite.  I tried by pressing the router syncbutton then the satellite.  I tried just waiting and hoping.  The app always shows them as offline.  Sometimes they turn blue when I press the sync button on the router and the satellite but they never show up as "online" in the app.  Would love a solution if anyone knows one. 

[FURRYe38]

If your experiencing Orbi app issues, please post in the Orbi app forum:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-App/bd-p/en-home-orbi-app

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@tabishop wrote:

Brand new system.  I set them up in the same room thinking that when I moved them to another room they would sync automatically.  I moved them and they don't connect.  I've tried everything.  I tried adding them in the app.  I tried syncing them by pressing the button on the satellite.  I tried by pressing the router syncbutton then the satellite.  I tried just waiting and hoping.  The app always shows them as offline.  Sometimes they turn blue when I press the sync button on the router and the satellite but they never show up as "online" in the app.  Would love a solution if anyone knows one. 

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[tabishop]

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this.  Doesn't see like an app issue to me.  Seems like a hardware issue.  I'll keep looking.  Sorry to bother you.

[FURRYe38]

Its an app issue...

What Firmware version is currently loaded?

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@tabishop wrote:

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this.  Doesn't see like an app issue to me.  Seems like a hardware issue.  I'll keep looking.  Sorry to bother you.

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