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Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

vakr78
Aspirant

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

I have an RBK853 mesh system (one RBR850 router and two RBS850 satellites).  The satellites are connected via separate ethernet cables to the router (star topology, wired backhaul).  I want the satellites to use the wired backhaul, obviously.

 

The satellite on the second floor has nothing hard-wired to it except ethernet in from the router.  The satellite in the basement has ethernet in from the router, and three ethernet out connections, one of which goes to my workstation for work.

 

I have noticed that the basement satellite will periodically fail to sense the connection to the router, and then becomes daisy-chained to the second floor satellite (almost directly above it, two stories) via a wireless connection.  I "notice" this when the routerlogin.net interface fails to display any item in the "connected orbi" column for the satellite (normal state: would say it is connected to the Orbi Router and give MAC address of router), and the app's network map goes from star topology to daisy chain, router - wired - second fl satellite - wired - basement satellite.  The basement satellite appears to know it is hard wired but it doesn't know it is hard-wired to the router.  I want to prevent any kind of daisy-chaining; there used to be a setting in routerlogin.net where one could disable daisy chaining, but that appears to have disappeared in the latest firmware.

 

I got smart and switched the satellites.  Interestingly, the satellite I brought to the basement from the second floor, which previously never had a problem, began to display this behavior.

 

I have a working theory, and I would like any opinion about whether it makes sense and/or what I can do about it.  When I use my workstation for work, which is hard-wired into the back of my basement satellite, I have to establish a connection to my work's VPN via the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client.  My suspicion is that there is something about connecting to the work VPN in this manner, on a workstation hard-wired into my satellite, that causes the satellite not to recognize that it has a wired backhaul to my router....

 

Any help appreciated.

 

Firmware: V4.6.3.16_2.0.51

Modem/ISP: Arris TM1602 / Optimum

Model: RBK53|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi System
Message 1 of 13

Accepted Solutions
vakr78
Aspirant

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

I have an update on this matter for anyone who is interested.

I did a factory reset of both satellites.

Then I started them up and synced them to the router, one at a time, using the wired connection in their final/intended resting places 50 ft away from router in other rooms/other floors. 

(When I initially bought the pack, not knowing any better and following the instructions or so I thought, I synced them wirelessly and at the same time, sitting next to the router on the same table.)

I have had stable wired backhaul star topology for five days now.  No spontaneous daisy-chaining has occurred.

The Cisco VPN thing appears to have been a red herring.

Thank you for taking the time to give me your input, @FURRYe38 @Mikey94025 

 

 

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Message 10 of 13

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FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and 📡 satellite(s)? 30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS📡 to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected.
https://kb.netgear.com/31029/Where-should-I-place-my-Orbi-satellite 📡

 

Are the RBS connected behind the RBR? 

Are there any inwall LAN jacks or patch panels being used? 

What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch in the configuration?
https://kb.netgear.com/000051205/What-is-Ethernet-backhaul-and-how-do-I-set-it-up-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-Sy... 📡

 

What CAT# lan cables are you using? CAT6 is recommended. 

Message 2 of 13
vakr78
Aspirant

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?  6K
What is the distance between the router and 📡 satellite(s)? 30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS📡 to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected. 50 ft router to both satellites; satellites 22 vertical feet and two floors apart
https://kb.netgear.com/31029/Where-should-I-place-my-Orbi-satellite 📡

 

Are the RBS connected behind the RBR? yes

Are there any inwall LAN jacks or patch panels being used? yes, house is hard-wired with cat 5e and i'm using the wall jacks

What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch in the configuration? no switch
https://kb.netgear.com/000051205/What-is-Ethernet-backhaul-and-how-do-I-set-it-up-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-Sy... 📡

 

What CAT# lan cables are you using? CAT6 is recommended. as above

Message 3 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

Only reason RBS would be connecting wirelessly and daisy chaining would be that the cable inbetween the RBR and RBS is not good, connections are bad on the cables or there maybe a bad patch panel in the mix. 

 

 

Message 4 of 13
vakr78
Aspirant

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

With all of the problems described on these forums about satellites dropping, I don't think a cable issue is the only problem.  Yes I am aware of that possibility but I was hoping someone could put their brain on use of an exogenous VPN on a machine hard-wired into a satellite, and how to force satellites not to use wireless daisy-chaining with the current firmware.

Message 5 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

Well I have two of my RBS ethernet backhauled and have not seen this issue. 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/New-RBR850-RBS850-Firmware-Version-v...

Mine are connected via ethernet and LAN switches in between. 

 

Only reason why they would connect wirelessly instead of wired is that they can't get fully connected via ethernet to the RBR. This would be a switch or cable issue that would cause this. 

 

You can try this version of FW and see if this changes anything:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/New-RBR850-RBS850-Firmware-Version-v...

Message 6 of 13
vakr78
Aspirant

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

Have you ever tried to connect to routerlogin.net when you are on an exogenous VPN via Cisco for work?

You can't.

It makes me think that when a computer that is hard-wired into the satellite establishes such a connection, it causes the satellite to think it is no longer a part of the home router's network.

Satellite knows that it is wired but doesn't see the router, leading it to try to establish a wireless connection.

Is there anyone who has experience with Cisco's AnyConnect on an Orbi mesh network, that has noticed similar issues?

Message 7 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

I use Cisco Any Connect for work when I'm home however, my work laptop is always wired to the main network which connects to the RBR. 

 

Try the v5 FW and see if this changes anything. 

Message 8 of 13
Mikey94025
Hero

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell


@vakr78 wrote:

Have you ever tried to connect to routerlogin.net when you are on an exogenous VPN via Cisco for work?

You can't.

It makes me think that when a computer that is hard-wired into the satellite establishes such a connection, it causes the satellite to think it is no longer a part of the home router's network.

Satellite knows that it is wired but doesn't see the router, leading it to try to establish a wireless connection.

Is there anyone who has experience with Cisco's AnyConnect on an Orbi mesh network, that has noticed similar issues?


My experience with Cisco's AnyConnect is that when VPN is active then it blocks simultaneous access to your home network, home printers, etc.  Presumably you wouldn't want stray home network devices gaining access to your secure work network just because you're on VPN.  Therefore you can't access 192.168.1.1 (or whatever your router IP address is) and nor does your work DNS also takes over from the Orbi, so the interception of "orbilogin.com" and its other aliases stops working.

Message 9 of 13
vakr78
Aspirant

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

I have an update on this matter for anyone who is interested.

I did a factory reset of both satellites.

Then I started them up and synced them to the router, one at a time, using the wired connection in their final/intended resting places 50 ft away from router in other rooms/other floors. 

(When I initially bought the pack, not knowing any better and following the instructions or so I thought, I synced them wirelessly and at the same time, sitting next to the router on the same table.)

I have had stable wired backhaul star topology for five days now.  No spontaneous daisy-chaining has occurred.

The Cisco VPN thing appears to have been a red herring.

Thank you for taking the time to give me your input, @FURRYe38 @Mikey94025 

 

 

Message 10 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

Glad you got it working. Please mark your thread as solved so others will know. Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/000062080/How-do-I-back-up-the-configuration-settings-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-System
Enjoy. 📡

Message 11 of 13
vakr78
Aspirant

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

Can you point me to a link that explains how to save a backup of the configuration?

Also how do I mark this as solved?

 

Message 12 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBK853, wired backhaul: one satellite loses connection to router and daisychains to other satell

Select the link included in my past post...

Message 13 of 13
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