NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
help setting up xfinity gateway and Orbi router in bridge mode
Netgear Orbi whole home tri-band Mesh wifi 6 systems RBK852 AX6000
I have a concrete block (exterior - not interior), one level 2142 sq ft house and the Xfinity 1 gig internet. I bought the Orbi set up to assist with Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the house due to it being low at certain parts of the house.
I followed the below directions after restoring the Orbi to factory settings to access admin/advanced options then into "AP" mode and then put my Xfinity Gateway XB8 into bridge mode. After doing this I lost Wi-Fi and was not able to access internet via the Orbi (which was plugged in via an ethernet into the Gateway router) Lights were white on both devices
I had no choice but to call Xfinity and revert the Gateway back to add as both router and modem. The Orbi I still have in AP mode... I'm thoroughly confused and would love expert advice... Please help.
9 Replies
What Orbi model system do you have?
What FW is loaded on it?
If you configure bridge mode on the ISP gateway, then the Orbi system needs to be configured for router mode, not AP mode.
Regarding ISP gateways, If your ISP Modem already has a built in router and wifi. This would be a double NAT (two router) condition which isn't recommended. https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT
https://kb.netgear.com/30187/How-to-fix-issues-with-Double-NAT
Couple of options,
1. Configure the modem for transparent bridge or modem only mode. Then use the Orbi router in router mode. You'll need to contact the ISP for help and information in regards to the modem being bridged correctly.
2. If you can't bridge the modem, disable ALL wifi radios on the modem, Keep the modem in router mode, configure the modems DMZ/ExposedHost or IP Pass-Through for the IP address the Orbi router gets from the modem. Then you can use the Orbi router in Router mode.
3. Or disable all wifi radios on the modem, keeping the modem in router mode and connect the Orbi router to the modem, configure AP mode on the Orbi router. https://kb.netgear.com/31218/How-do-I-configure-my-Orbi-router-to-act-as-an-access-point and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7LOcJ8GdDo&app=desktop
Try option #2 first...
https://kb.netgear.com/000061277/Which-features-are-disabled-on-my-Orbi-router-when-it-is-set-to-AP-ModeSorry i was mistaken the Orbi was put into router mode.
The firm ware on the Orbi was updated today to the current
Model Name Device Name Current Firmware Version Status
Router RBR850 RBR850 V4.6.14.3 No New Firmware Available Satellite RBS850 Orbi Satellite-1 V4.6.14.3 Does the order matter when changing the setting on the Gateway and Orbi. I changed the Orbi to router then changed the gateway to bridge?
Your # 2 option scares me I'm not that technical sorry : (
Ok. there is newer FW however lets skip that for now.
As long as the Orbi system is in router mode, you can change the gateway to bridge mode. Follow ISP instructions for that. A power cycle of the RBR off for 30 seconds then back ON while the gateway processes the change maybe in order as well. Should be able to log in to the RBRs web page and check Internet status. I'd give it about 3-4 minutes. Front LED will blink WHITE, then maybe PINK, then turn OFF indicating a good connection to the internet.
Thank you GREATLY for all your help. I will need to wait and try over the weekend due to working from home.
I may be back but will try to work with my ISP to ensure the gateway is bridged properly.
Enjoy the rest of your day. You have been fabulous!!!!
👍 Let us know how it goes.
Have a great week.
I run my xFi in Bridge mode. There are a couple of gotchas I have found in switching things around. The main thing is the IP address used to access the modem. I don't know what it defaults to, but it is best to set it yourself to avoid trouble. I set my xFi IP address to 10.0.0.1 so that the Orbi network uses 192.168.1.x. If you don't set that in the xFi gateway before entering bridge mode, you cannot change it without leaving bridge mode and you don't want both the xFi and Orbi trying to use the same IP address range or the Orbi picking some random IP range. I have a bunch of static IP addresses assigned to a lot of my devices, so I want the Orbi to use that range from 192.168.1.x.
Once you have that set, you can enable Bridge mode on the Gateway "At a Glance" page:
Enabling bridge mode turns off the xFi WIFI radios and makes it ready to connect an Orbi WIFI system to it. The LAN settings and WIFI will no longer be accessible:
As mentioned, you may not need to do this, but it's not difficult. If you get stuck and unable to connect to either the Orbi or xFi over your network while you are in between routers, you can plug a computer directly into them to configure them as long as you know the IP address and make sure the connected computer has an address in the same network range, for example, in my case I'd set the connecting computer to 10.0.0.100 or 192.168.1.100 depending on if connecting to xFi or Orbi directly.
