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Clearly a lot of us are having issues (some major, some minor, some common, some not). Not sure how many of these issues are due to unfamilarity with the system, operator error, or outright faulty hardware and software bugs. I thought it would be a good to at least start of list of lessons learned that we can all add to that may help others (and Netgear!) to improve their Orbi experience. It is obvious that a lot of us on here really want this system to work to it's full potential as in some ways, this is kinda of the holy grail we are hoping for in our home WIFI system. This is why we are spending our own time on this Community website. It is in all our best interests for this product to succeed as we all forked out a hefty amount of money (I forked out $500 at Costco for mine), and I simply want to make the product better - versus just returning the system and getting my money back (then go to what??). I am faily new to this system, so I am not pretending to be an expert by any means. Here are some of the learnings I have had that I hope helps others understand this new technology. I hope this list will grow stronger over time, especially with real experts who share their lessons learned.
Lessons Learned:
1) Your device (e.g cell phone that you are likely doing your OOKLA speed tests on) does not transfer quickly from unit to unit to get the best signal and fastest speed. Be patient. If you are getting 200 Mbps (for example) near the router, but only say 50 Mbps near the satellite (or vice versa), it is likely your device is not letting go of the last unit. This may be a bigger problem if you have your router and satellite(s) too close to each other. I found that if I am doing a speed test near the satellite, I stand between the satellite and router path (to 'force' my cell to connect quicker to the stronger signal unit right in front of it) with the phone pointed at the satellite. It may take a minute or so, but eventually, it will connect to the satellite and I am back to 200 Mbps. If you are in between the 2 units (or 3 units), your device may still be connected to a farther device giving you a slower speed. Hopefully, the firmware over time will improve this. I think this understanding (and future better improvement) may actually solve a large number of issues and expectations. I am not sure how much of this control is due to Netgear versus your device.
2) Before you start playing with the system, power cycling, moving units around, etc - keep in mind lesson learned 1) above. It may simply be your device is connected to the further unit. Be patient and understand the current capability. The switch from one unit to the other is not lightning fast.
3) Be sure to have the latest firmware uploaded to the satellite (first) then the router.
4) If you are having issues still, try to power cycle. Unplugging the router first (not just powering off) and leave unplugged for about 10 seconds. Plug back in. Leave the satellite(s) alone. See if this fixes your issue. Be patient. Even when the router is 'back up' I have noticed it does not immediately go to my 200 Mbps. This may be due to my phone still connected to the satellite, or the router needs time to "warm up" to get to its full capacity? If not, then try to unplug each satellite one at a time for 10 seconds and plug back in - leaving the router alone.
5) This technology is fairly new. It will get better over time. Give it a chance. Out of all the reviews I have read, it is the best system and technology out there to date (No I dont work for Netgear, just sharing what I have learned in my opinion due to the research I have done). Netgear is working to improve the system and will continue to update the firmware which will get better and better. I for one can't wait until they active the USB port so I can plug in my printer again!!
Turned out I had some hardware issues with my Orbi. After continued speed issues (instablity) on my satellite, I exchanged my Orbi 3-pack system at Coscto for a new system, and now I am up and running at full, stable speeds on both the router and satellite. Case closed!
Another thing to try is to lower the power transmit on the Router, if you feel your devices are "sticking" with the router from too far away and never going to the satellite. Especially on the 2.4 band as it has more range/penetration.
You set transmit power in the Orbi Advanced page, Advanced Setup, Wireless Settings. I have an Orbi with two satellites, and this setting also controls transmit power in the satellites. You can observe this with a WiFi analyzer such as inSSIDer.
Turned out I had some hardware issues with my Orbi. After continued speed issues (instablity) on my satellite, I exchanged my Orbi 3-pack system at Coscto for a new system, and now I am up and running at full, stable speeds on both the router and satellite. Case closed!
