Device connecting to furthest satellite

[mcdermottm]

Hello. I have installed a wifi connected landscape lighting controller. I mounted the wifi antenna inside a storage room that is less than 10 feet from an Orbi satellite but has a standard wood framed wall between them. For some reason, the lighting controller is connecting to another Orbi satellite that is much farther away on the second floor of the house with the same wall between the two in addition to 1 concrete block wall and another wood framed wall or two. Can I force the controller to connect to the closest satellite? I know the concept of a mesh system is to connect to the best signal but it will be hard to convince me that the best signal is from the satellite that is the farthest away with a concrete wall between them.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[FURRYe38]

What Firmware is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?
Is the Orbi system operating in Router or AP mode?

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between them to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected.

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?
What WPA security modes are you using?

Try enabling Beamforming and MIMO and WMM. Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings

Try disabling the following and see:
Daisy Chain. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).

[CrimpOn]

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@mcdermottm wrote:

Can I force the controller to connect to the closest satellite?

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This is a recurring question.  The concensus seems to be that the device decided which WiFi access point to connect to.  One solution that has been suggested is to power cycle the device and hope that it detects the stronger signal and picks the more "appropriate" satellite.  Another solution is to telnet into the Orbi, reduce the power level in the satellite you don't want it to use, connect the device, and then restore the power level.  In my opinion, the critical question is, "is it working?"  While it offends our sense of order that it connects to the "wrong" satellite, as long as it is working correctly this may be one of those problems it isn't worth trying to fix.

[mcdermottm]

Thanks for the replies. 

I havent delved too deeply into the Orbi itself, and not since I installed it in November, but I don’t remember seeing any of the advanced options like on the Nighthawk I tried. I’m guessing they’re  in there somewhere?

I thought I fixed the issue with the lighting controller manufacturer but the problem still persists and I don’t know if it’s their problem or with Orbi. The controller is logged in to the network and it usually shows upon the Orbi devices list, although with a weaker signal than the few times it has connected to the closest satellite. The problem is it doesn’t show as on the “available” list with the manufacturer’s app.

[FURRYe38]

Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings

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@mcdermottm wrote:

Thanks for the replies. 

I havent delved too deeply into the Orbi itself, and not since I installed it in November, but I don’t remember seeing any of the advanced options like on the Nighthawk I tried. I’m guessing they’re  in there somewhere?

I thought I fixed the issue with the lighting controller manufacturer but the problem still persists and I don’t know if it’s their problem or with Orbi. The controller is logged in to the network and it usually shows upon the Orbi devices list, although with a weaker signal than the few times it has connected to the closest satellite. The problem is it doesn’t show as on the “available” list with the manufacturer’s app.

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[mcdermottm]

Well, that seems like a logical place to find it. 😆 I’ll check it out. Thanks. 

[ekhalil]

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@mcdermottm wrote:

........ The controller is logged in to the network and it usually shows upon the Orbi devices list, although with a weaker signal than the few times it has connected to the closest satellite. ..........

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If you power cycle the controller, does it connect to the closest satellite?

[mcdermottm]

So, the controller is now connected to a the main Orbi router and has a strong signal and, most importantly, the controller and the app are working as intended... for now. I’m thinking this isn’t an Orbi issue but a possible issue with the lighting controller. 

Thanka for all all the help and suggestions. 

[FURRYe38]

Enjoy, 

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@mcdermottm wrote:

So, the controller is now connected to a the main Orbi router and has a strong signal and, most importantly, the controller and the app are working as intended... for now. I’m thinking this isn’t an Orbi issue but a possible issue with the lighting controller. 

Thanka for all all the help and suggestions. 

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