How far away can you place the Orbi Satellite?

[Markinportland]

I have a detached garage with a guest apartment above. It sits about 80 feet from my existing Comcast modem and Apple router in my 3500 SF house. I have tried two Netgear extenders with poor results. I want to be able to use a laptop, mobile devices, and Amazon Firestick in detached apartment. 

Will Orbi work for this application?

If so, how far away can I place the satellite from the base?

Will I need a second satellite for the house?

[DarrenM · Accepted solution]

Hello Markinportland

Each unit can cover up to 2000 sq feet this will vary based on your environment. Also later on when we are selling individual satellites you can have up to 3 satellites with the one base.

DarrenM

[DarrenM · Accepted solution]

Hello Markinportland

Each unit can cover up to 2000 sq feet this will vary based on your environment. Also later on when we are selling individual satellites you can have up to 3 satellites with the one base.

DarrenM

[Markinportland]

Hi Darren,

Thanks for the info. I still really need to know if there is a max distance that you can place the satellite? Has NetGear tested this?

[DarrenM]

Hello Markinportland

That really depends on the environment of your area I can not give you a exact number but our satellites do have a LED indicator that lets you know if you are to far away from the base for a good connection to help find how far away you can put the satellite.

DarrenM

[itGeeks]

Your sitiation is one exsample y I keep pounding Netgear as to the need of Eithernet backhaul, I have the same situation here and I don't think the 5HGz WiFi link is going to be strong enough to be any use. Come on Netgear give us Eithernet backhaul support on the sattlelights. The need for this support is only going to get wors before it gets better.

[peteytesting]

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@Markinportland wrote:

Hi Darren,

Thanks for the info. I still really need to know if there is a max distance that you can place the satellite? Has NetGear tested this?

---

hi

although there is no way to tell exactly and every situation is different because of the enviornment and construction materials , i di some testing by starting out with the router and sat close and ran some speed tests by transferring a file from one to the other to get a base line max speed and connection

i then moved the sat back 5 meters at a time and tested again , once i got pas 10 meters and a few walls away the throughput across the 5 gig backbone was quite effected and the backbone actually changed to 2.4 gig instead which worked well but at a lower speed

if your garage is made is steel or clad in colorbond type naterial then forget it anyway

so i reacon about 40 to 50  feet apart or there abouts is about the max distance you would wantbefore they start to degrade in signal strength for the back bone

--------------------------------

have you considered powerline adapters to get the signal from the house to the garage

pete

[itGeeks]

What is a powerline adapter going to do for the OP? After all there is no support for Eithernet backhaul on the sattlelights though as I keep telling Netgear there should be and needs to be, That would solve situations like this. Netgear please make note of this and add this much needed support for Eithernet backhaul or some of us will have no choice but to turn to the compition that has this support.

[peteytesting]

powerline adapters would be an alternative to orbi , not to be used with them and please stop with the ethernet thing as its known and is awaiting a resolution in the future TBA

[itGeeks]

I am sorry, Did I hit a nurve? I am not trying to be a jurk here and the reason for my constructive reply to your suggestion came from the fact that the OP is looking for a wireless salution to cover his space and powerline in itself will not help him.

[peteytesting]

lol certainly not , but your constant banging on about it is getting a bit boring 

it should be clear to everyone by now that the orbi currently cant do ethernet backbone 

powerline with wifi on the secondary will however will provide a signal and wifi to the shed where no other solution he has tried would 

if he does run ethernet to the shed that a simple wireless access point is all thats needed 

[itGeeks]

O good glad to here it, The fact that I am punding Eithernet backhaul and its getting borring is a good thing, That means I am beeing heard and could make Orbi even better. On closing I will not stop pounding this much needed support for Eithernet backhaul that both Eero and Luma have becouse I want Orbi to be the best in this category and I have a need for 5 locations for this and I dont want to settle.

[peteytesting]

you might want to go over to smallnetbuilder and have a read of his latest testing called mesh wifi mashup

 http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/33020-mesh-wi-fi-mashup

very interesting reading 

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netgear kn ow all about the want for ethernet support and have said they will look at it but no eta along with actual mesh setup and usb support and many other things on the list and at this stage its all TBA

[06470]

So the Orbi 3000 is not going to allow me to use my wireless devices down by the lake, 175 feet away, where people like to congregate.  Twice I've sent an ethernet connected apple airport to do the job in the boat house down there and twice lightening has put an end to that option.  So I would like a signal ffom inside the house to reach there.  Anyone have suggestions.

[peteytesting]

at that distance you would have to have the orbi router and sat in line of site of each other

eg orbi router at a window facing the boathouse and the orbi sat in the boathouse at a window facing the main house and then you might get lucky

175 feet isnt that far in open space but if you have the orbi router in the middle of the house the signal will need to get out b4 it can tackle that open space

[06470]

So its the wwrong equipment.  Is there such a thing as an antenna so end out a signal from the house

[peteytesting]

sure its called a point to point bridge systen with a wireless access point at the other end

something like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zKNIveuCxM

but it depends on how your last stuff got fried by lightning as its power related you still might get fried

its ether that or dig a long trench and bury ethernet cable in conduit and have a wireless access point at the boathouse

[Greyfox63]

I bought the Orbi 750 and 3 satellites my home is 91 feet long so I have my router in middle and one satellite placed at each end of house I also have a garage which is approximately 150 feet across the road from my home and the router and my garage has excellent service also all through my home also has great service. So you can place a satellite 150 feet away from router with great results Orbi

[CrimpOn]

If you plug a satellite into power in the garage and it gets a "blue ring light" and reports the backhaul link is "good", then yes.

(This is not typically what happens.)