Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
I've had my Orbi and 2 satellites for years with no problems when they operated in Access Point mode. Last September, Google Fiber replaced their modem/router with a modem and I changed the Orbit to router mode. Worked fine for months with the satellites wired to the Orbi router. However a month or so ago I started having problems. The network would go down. So after 6 hours of screwing around I decided to replace the switch because unplugging the switch and restarting it brought the network back up. The good times lasted about a week. Network goes down again. Another 6 hours of screwing around and it mysteriously goes back up for days. Repeat. Repeat. With some experimentation I decided one of the satellites was bad and bringing down the network so I took it out and because I happen to have another Orbi router I put that router in access point mode and I used that instead. Everything was perfect for weeks. I also made some other wiring improvements... I realized that there was no reason that the wired backhauls should go thru the switch so I fixed that. The satellites connect directly to the router. Everything was good. I have one Orbi acting as a router, one wired satellite, and one wired Orbi access point. I should have left it alone. But Woot had a deal on refurbished Orbi's .. you got the Orbi and 2 satellites for $200 so I decided to go with it and replaced the access point with one of satellites. Guess what... network goes down. So I replaced it with the other satellite. Again, after a while, network goes down. So thinking that the wire might be bad in the wall, I put one of the new satellites right next to the Orbi router and connect it by wire and after a while the network goes down. So at that point I was going to give up and sell all of this Orbi garbage on Ebay because I am running out of 6 hour units of time to waste. But I forgot to unplug the Orbi satellite and it connected to the Orbi router by wifi and guess what... after a while the network goes down. Now in case you are thinking that the problem must be the Orbi router, I can tell you I've tried multiple Orbi routers with the same results. I am running the latest firmware 2.7.4.24 on the Orbi router and satellites. If anyone has an idea, thanks in advance.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
A lot of information here but it is difficult understanding your current layout/configuration. Switches can be problematic if you are hardwiring Orbi satellites. Can you summarize how things are connected to your ISP/modem, along with any switches? And are you now running your Orbi in Router mode or Access Point mode?
It might be best to factory reset and start again, starting from everything wireless connected, then make incremental changes.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
Each satellite is connected by wire to the Orbi router directly and not thru a switch. One satellite (which has been stable by itself) has some stuff connected to it by wire (an LG TV, a Denon Receiver, and a Chromecast with Google TV) directly by wire thru its ports, no switch. The satellite I try to add has nothing connected to it by wire except the Orbi router. And the network goes down intermittently whether that satellite is connected to the Orbi by wire or by wifi. Everything else wired to the Orbi router goes thru a TP Link TL-SG1024S switch. But I repeat.... the satellites are wired directly to the Orbi router and not thru the switch. And I had the same problems with a Netgear Gigabit Ethernet Unmanaged Switch (GS324). The Orbi router is connected directly to Google Fiber's modem. The satellites are connected to the Orbi router by star. Same results with unstable network when I turn off Daisy Chain option. Same results with multiple satellites (I have extras) and multiple Orbit routers (I have extras).
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
So what happens if you turn OFF the 1st RBS and then leave the newer added RBS ON and running?
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📡
Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?
What is the model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
The bottom line is that with two satellites connected directly to the Orbi router by WIRE (and even by WiFi as I found during an accidental test by WIFI when I left a wire disconnected), when both satellites are turned on, when one is showing good the other is showing config sync or disconnected. If I turn off the first one the second one shows good. If I turn off the second one, the first one shows good. The Orbi router does not work with two satellites at the same time. And I've tried it with 2 different Orbi routers and 3 different satellites. I don't think the size of the house is relevant but it is about 5000 square feet and each Orbi is on a different floor and we are talking mostly wired testing. And yes I tried factory resets of the routers and satellites and all are running same latest firmware that Netgear posted.
I have to wonder, how many people own two Orbi satellites and don't know that one isn't working because they never look at the app or the Orbi web site.
I never had this problem when using the Orbi router as an Access point instead of as a router. (Google Fiber replaced their modem/routers with modems last September.) I also was using an Orbi router as an access point for a while instead of a using a second satellite. Didn't have a problem then either. Problem is using two satellites. Doesn't work.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
A few days ago I replaced my Netgear Orbi with a combination of Google Wi-Fi and Google Nest Wi-Fi. Problems have disappeared. Network does not go down. Two wired Google Nest points and one wired Google Wi-Fi points working well connected by wire to Google Wi-Fi router. But here is the interesting thing. Just received a long post of complaints on my phone that people are having similar problems with the Google stuff as I had with the Orbi stuff. So far I've had no problems. But I have to wonder if ISP's have changed something recently that is messing with some mesh systems in general.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
Have you found a resolution to the problem? I have the same setup. One RBR50 router and two RBS50 satellites hard-wired for backhaul to the router. I had one router and one satellite working fine for years. I added the second and not I have issues. The WiFi will work fine for hours, but all of a sudden the wifi will stop working. Technically the wifi still works, but there is no route to the internet. The router and the other satellite and associated devices via wifi work fine. Devices connected to the satellite's ethernet ports also continue to work fine.
All firmware is up-to-date and on the same version
I have tried to re-sync the satellites and the router
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
I gave up and replaced all with Google Wifi because I have Google fiber and that way Google could not blame someone else for issues. Solved most problems but eventually the fiber modem had to be replaced so that might have been an issue. I also replaced my Ethernet switch at one point. If you haven't, I would restart the switch if you are using one.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
What Firmware version is currently loaded? Be sure RBS have same FW version as RBR. What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too? Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6 is recommended.
Are the RBS ethernet connected directly behind the RBR or is there a LAN switch or LAN Patch panel in between them?
What CAT# lan cables are you using? Good quality CAT6 LAN cable is recommended.
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📡
Try swapping RBS locations with each other to see if problem continues.
Try bringing both RBS to same room as RBR and ethernet connect them directly behind the RBR to see if the problem continues.
Have you found a resolution to the problem? I have the same setup. One RBR50 router and two RBS50 satellites hard-wired for backhaul to the router. I had one router and one satellite working fine for years. I added the second and not I have issues. The WiFi will work fine for hours, but all of a sudden the wifi will stop working. Technically the wifi still works, but there is no route to the internet. The router and the other satellite and associated devices via wifi work fine. Devices connected to the satellite's ethernet ports also continue to work fine.
All firmware is up-to-date and on the same version
I have tried to re-sync the satellites and the router
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
I did a third thing. I bought refurbished units cheap on Woot to see if one of my satellites was bad. They did not fix the problem either. That was my other reason for giving up on the Orbi's.
What I learned to do was after restarting the system I would watch the units start up and connect perfectly on a desktop computer thru the router's built in website and then one or both satellites would disconnect and reconnect every few minutes. They would take turns disconnecting and connecting. After I saw that happening, I decided to stop wasting my energy and went with the Google Wifi. Google now had a 6e system I think it is called Nest Pro.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
I should add that mine worked for years with no problems with the wired backhaul. And when the problems developed there had been no recent Orbi firmware updates. And the switch I had been using worked well with the Google Wifi for many months and may still be perfectly good. The only thing that definitely failed at a few months later was the Google Fiber port (modem). My only theory was an unknown update to Google Fiber had developed an incompatibility with Orbi or the Orbi was more sensitive to a problem with the GF port than the Google wifi system.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
More details of what I saw when I looked at the router's built in website. After years of working fine, when they started screwing up, I could see at the website that they took turns connecting and disconnecting over a matter of minutes. So I tried unplugging one satellite and the other satellite stayed up fine. So then I reconnected that one and unplugged the other one and that second one stayed up fine. So that told me my Ethernet wiring was perfect. So I reconnected them both and they work for a few minutes and then started taking turns disconnecting. So that told me I was wasting my time and I switched to the Google Wifi product. Whether it is a defect in the Orbi or an incompatibility with the Google Fiber I have, or sensitivity to a developing defect in the Google Fiber modem, I can't say. But I tried two more satellites that I had bought from Woot and they did not work either.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
OK. Have you factory reset the RBR and RBS and then setup from scratch, wirelessly syncing the RBS to the RBS one at a time, while in same room or fairly close in next door room to see if both RBS will connect wirelessly to the RBR and if network is stable here?
I would give this a try first...
IF the RBS can connect to the RBR and things are ok at this point, then take a lan cable and connect up the RBS to the back of the RBR one at a time. Wait for the top ring to turn BLUE on the first RBS, then connect the 2nd RBS via ethernet. Wait for BLUE to turn ON then go off. Check RBR and network stability.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
I should add that when I had the problem, I not only replaced the satellites but I replaced the router. All was a waste of time and effort. Look at the router's built in website and see what's happening. Disconnect one satellite and then the other. You will see that things are stable with only one connected. Connect two and they take turns disconnecting. That was what convinced me to give up.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
What is interesting is that it is not a connectivity issue from the RBR to the RBS. While the WiFi issue occurs, the backhaul connection is "GOOD" on the built-in website connected device status page. Unfortunately, I do not see anything in the RBR logs when the issue us occurring.
Re: Adding 2nd satellite brings down network intermittently
How long did you watch it for? Did the path to the internet remain stable during this time? Mine failed quickly at the end but I was probably getting intermittent failures earlier that I was not aware of. You need to check connectivity when there is a failure, I would think.
