ISP modem router to RBK50 in AP mode and ISP modem to network switch to satellites?

[jasperx]

I have my network setup and many things are working fine.  My desired setup is ISP Router to Orbi Router in AP mode with satellites on other floors connected to my network switch.

Here is setup:

cable from ISP Router (wireless disabled) to Orbi Router to it's WAN

cable from ISP Router to Network switch which connects throughout the house.  

Things seem to be working though I am missing a couple of devices in the Orbi device list.  The ip phone which is wired works great but it is missing from the list. Other devices that are wired through the switch show up fine.

I am wondering if I should have hooked the network switch to the Orbi instead of the ISP modem.  If it does not matter, I can focus on finding out why the phone is not listed.

All devices are showing as linked to the Orbi base and as wired connection... even the iPhones.

[FURRYe38]

What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch if one is in the configuration.

Ideally the Orbi base should be directly connecte to the ISP modem then you can put in a switch after the Orbi base. Even in AP mode. However in AP mode, the switch could be before the Orbi base between it and the modem. 

[jasperx]

It is a GE 10/100 8 port module in a Smart Connect Center. These switches are no longer being sold.  GE got out of the home security system business before building a Gigabit switch.  I will be replacing this switch with a Legrand On-Q 8 port Gigabit switch.  The form factor of this switch is not something that was easy to find... I attach a photo to give an idea of what I am up against working in the telco box.

The new switch should arrive in a few days and when I swap it out will be a good time to put the switch downstream of the Orbi.  It seems odd that if having both the Orbi and the switch directly connected to the ISP router was wrong that it would work so well. 

[FURRYe38]

Ok, lets see if the new Gb switch resolves this. The old switches were a bottle neck since they max'd out a 100mb so you were not getting 1000mb connection rates that the Orbi supports. 

Be aware that this Legrand switch has:

• Energy-Efficient Ethernet compliant (IEEE 802.3az)

This may not work well with Orbi. 

Let us know how the new switch works. 

[CrimpOn]

Regarding the missing IP phone.  The Orbi will report as "Attached" all of the devices that it has seen on the network recently.  I have one WiFi device which almost never shows up in the Attached Devices page: my Nest thermostat.  The Nest only sends packets when some action is needed.  i.e. if I do not use the Nest app, the thermostat only wakes up and asks to have its IP address renewed twice a day.  If I am not looking at the Attached Devices page right then, the thermostat dropps off.

With the IP phone wired directly to the switch and then to the ISP router, what packets from the IP phone can the Orbi see?  Only broadcast packets, such as "renew my IP."  (If it has a static IP, then not even those.)  Or, maybe ARP packets ("who has this IP?") All of the "talk" goes between the IP phone and ISP router, not through the Orbi.

The way I verified my Nest was actually "alive" was I watched the Orbi Attach Devices page, opened the Nest app on my phone, and changed the temperature.  "Bingo", there it was "Attached".  After I closed the Nest app, in a few minutes the thermostat was gone.  You could try a similar experiment with the IP phone.  i.e. have the Attached Devices page up and then make a phone call.

Regarding all devices being "wired."  Everything?  The Attached Devices page shows absolutely no devices connected to the Orbi router over WiFi?  The satellites are now using Ethernet backhaul to the Orbi by going through the switch, through the ISP router, and into the Orbi WAN port?  The impression I get is that Netgear's intention was for the satellites to connect to through the Orbi LAN port(s), not through the WAN port.  There's a diagram that is often used as a reference.  Maybe your Orbi is confused because everything is coming through the WAN port?  It should be easy to check this out by connecting your new gigabit switch to an Orbi LAN port instead of to the ISP router.

[jasperx]

The info coming back that my intended new switch was EEE or green and would cause problems made me realize I would want to experiment with putting the old switch down stream of the Orbi router before playing with a new switch.  Making two changes and things not working is way harder for me to diagnose.  So I moved the switch from direct connection to the ISP router to a lan port on the Orbi base.

Many, many things changed for the better.  The wireless devices like iPad, iPhones and wireless laptops all showed up as wireless and showed which Orbi unit they were connected through.  Very nice... and everything that worked before still works.  The ooma phone (connected to the switch) though is still not showing on the Orbi device list though it is showing on an app IP Scanner.  I have not tried hooking the phone to the Orbi directly... the orbi is in the attic and the phone is on ground level of a 2 story house.  Oddly it seems like devices walking in to the home are joining the Orbi farthest away.  Need to find out what is with that.

Feel like I am ready to try the legrand green switch when it arrives.  

Note that the ISP router connects to the Orbi router WAN.... the switch and my NAS use the LAN ports.  I am pretty sure this is as it should be.  What I had wrong was connecting the switch directly to the ISP router... in parallel as it were with the Orbi.  Now the switch is down stream or connected through the Orbi to the ISP router.

[FURRYe38]

Glad that your system is working better now. Yes, as mentioned, idealy the Orbi base should always be connected to the ISP modem/ONT or Services directly. Switches are meant to be behind the router. 

Hope this works well for you now. Enjoy.