Re: Orbi RBK40 trying to pair with LG Smart TV

Rascal22 · ‎2019-11-24

Since I installed my Orbi system (rbk40 w/ one satellite) my LG 47LV5500 smart tv keeping throwing a message asking for a pairing key. Which I understand to associated with pairing to a bluetooth device. When I power down the Orbi the message stops, so I'm certain that the Orbi is driving the problem. It's odd and greatly annoying. The LG Tv is connected to the Orbi via wifi and there is no problem with the connection. There is no need for any bluetooth pairing. Any insight that anyone may have would be greatly appreciated

CrimpOn · ‎2019-11-24

Page 39 of the User Manual says that the "Magic Motion Remote Control" has to be paired with the TV.

https://www.lg.com/us/support/manuals-documents?customerModelCode=47LV5500&csSalesCode=47LV5500.AUS&...

Maybe this device is Bluetooth?

Do you have one of these?

Rascal22 · ‎2019-11-24

I do have one but I don't use it and it doesn't even have any batteries in it. I also have had it long before I installed the Orbi and the message started.

Seems like it can't be that...

CrimpOn · ‎2019-11-24

Well, Grrrr. On page 51 of the User Manual, it talks about the "dongle" having an 8-digit security key. (Never heard of this before.)

Maybe it would be useful to use your phone to take a picture of the message that appears. Maybe there is some clue to what's going on.

p.s. I have searched for "does the RBR50 have bluetooth, and found nothing. Not yes. Not no.

Not being much help.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-11-25

I recommennd you contact the Mfr of the TV and ask for help and information about this TV feature. This seems to be related to the TV only.

@Rascal22 wrote:
Since I installed my Orbi system (rbk40 w/ one satellite) my LG 47LV5500 smart tv keeping throwing a message asking for a pairing key. Which I understand to associated with pairing to a bluetooth device. When I power down the Orbi the message stops, so I'm certain that the Orbi is driving the problem. It's odd and greatly annoying. The LG Tv is connected to the Orbi via wifi and there is no problem with the connection. There is no need for any bluetooth pairing. Any insight that anyone may have would be greatly appreciated

Rascal22 · ‎2019-11-25

I'll be happy to post the message - the problem is that it pops up at random times and I have to be there and ready w/ my camera.

Thanks much for your consideration.

Rascal22 · ‎2019-11-25

I'm thinking it's not the TV only because it seems certain (I know, I know, nothing is certain w/ interacting technologies) that the Orbi being on is somehow initiating the message. I've seen the behavior repeat many times - both Orbi off and Orbi on

Regardless, your point is well taken. It was my plan to inquire both on the Netgear and LG sides as I expected that either one would point fingers at the other. I just haven't done it yet. I'll post back to close the loop if it is solved over there.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-11-25

The pairing would be tied to the TV and not Orbi. Orbi doesn't support bluetooth or any form of it. Just WiFi which is a different feature from Bluetooth. Hopefully the TV mfr can help you figure this out.

Good Luck.

Bomber1712 · ‎2019-11-28

Since this is a fairly recent post, I would like to add that I am having the same issue since installing my Orbi. I have had my LG TV for a few years and it never did this with the old wifi setup. I have not added any new devices to my network since installing Orbi.

It's the same as @Rascal22 (the OP) is experiencing. Every now and again, I get a "pop up" message from the LG TV asking to enter a 6 digit pairing code. When I try to enter any number (I want to try 000000), the TV says "Only available in TV mode. Should I switch to TV mode?" When I tell it to switch from HDMI 1 to TV, the pairing message goes away.

Also, not sure if it matters, but this ONLY happens when I am on HDMI1 (DirectTV). It does not pop up when I am on HDMI4 (Firestick) or HDMI3 (Bluray).

Sorry to jump on to your post, but would like a solution, too! Thanks.

Rascal22 · ‎2019-11-30

No luck yet on the LG side, but I have not given up!

FURRYe38 - thanks much, but I am aware of the fact that wifi and bluetooth are different. That's why this problem is so weird. Please note the tech review on this link https://www.mbreviews.com/netgear-orbi-home-wifi-system-review/ about midway down you will see "The Netgear Orbi also comes equipped with a CSR8811 Bluetooth 4.1 SoC." - ie, a bluetooth radio.

And CrimpOn - the message is in the attached file. Truly not much help - and it's huge.

Many thanks to anyone giving this one some brain-space

mwahlin · ‎2020-03-13

I too recently purchasedan Orbi router and now see the popups on my LG TV. Further research has shown that LG produced a remote control app which would work over wifi and which would use the pairing key popup. Posts on other websites on the topic say that Apple Bonjour broadcasts (on UDP port 5353) were frequently the culprit causing the popups, and that the wifi app from LG apparently uses a broadcast like this in the pairing process. I have shut off all Apple produced devices on my network, but the popups still continue, approximately twice per hour. I am led to the conclusion that this must be the result of a broadcast by the router at that frequency which is misinterpreted by the TV as a pairing request from the remote app.

I would appreciate it if someone from Netgear could discuss possible reasons why the router would be broadcasting like this, and changes to the settings to prevent it.

Thanks!

Bomber1712 · ‎2020-03-13

I fixed the problem by disconnecting my TV from the network. I removed the WiFi dongle from the TV and have not had to deal with it since. I have a Firestick, so I don't need the "Smart" Features of the TV, so this works for me.

michaelkenward · ‎2020-03-14

@mwahlin wrote:

I am led to the conclusion that this must be the result of a broadcast by the router at that frequency which is misinterpreted by the TV as a pairing request from the remote app.

Unlikely. Have you ever seen any other suggestion that your router is trying to send you a message of any sort?

All the router "broadcasts" is wifi. And that is protected by the SSID and and password. Requests for those are the only messages you will see.,

It is up to the TV to deal with that wifi.

People turn up here regularly asking about "connecting the router to the TV". That is the wrong way to look at it. You connect the TV to the router.

This is down the TV's "control panel". It should take you through all the steps needed to get connected.

TVs and wifi are famously temperamental. A good way to get around this is to use a wired LAN connection if your TV supports it, as many do. If you don't want to run cables around the place, then you can investigate Powerline Ethernet which uses the mains circuit as an Ethernet link. It is easier to set up and generally more reliable than wifi.

I want down that road after grappling with a Samsung "smart" TV that turned out to be incredibly dumb. I have never looked back

LRSS · ‎2020-03-28

Same issue - very annoying pop-up. If anyone figures it out, that would be wonderful. Should be a simple fix, right?

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-03-28

What are you seeing when try to get the TV to connect? Is the TV seeing the Orbi SSID name over wifi?

Does the TV have LAN port by chance?

Disable the 5G SSID broadcast on the RBR apply settings then see if TV will connect.

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/orbi-20-cannot-connect-Swann-Camera/m-p/1822475/highlight/true...

@LRSS wrote:
Same issue - very annoying pop-up. If anyone figures it out, that would be wonderful. Should be a simple fix, right?

LRSS · ‎2020-03-28

Thanks, furrye38, but the issue isn't connecting the TV to the router. My LGTV is connected fine to the Netgear Orbi (via 5G), good connection. Everything is working great, I just get that annoying pop-up periodically and can't figure out what is trying to pair with what, and how to disable the pop-up.

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-03-29

Might try setting a IP address reservation for the TV on the RBR.

Other than this, you'll need to contact the TVs mfr to ask them about this pop up thats appearing on your TV. Something they should know something about.

@LRSS wrote:
Thanks, furrye38, but the issue isn't connecting the TV to the router. My LGTV is connected fine to the Netgear Orbi (via 5G), good connection. Everything is working great, I just get that annoying pop-up periodically and can't figure out what is trying to pair with what, and how to disable the pop-up.

michaelkenward · ‎2020-03-29

@LRSS wrote:

Thanks, furrye38, but the issue isn't connecting the TV to the router. My LGTV is connected fine to the Netgear Orbi (via 5G), good connection. Everything is working great, I just get that annoying pop-up periodically and can't figure out what is trying to pair with what, and how to disable the pop-up.

If this pops up on the TV, then it really is down to the TV maker.

Earrlier on there was a\ referbec to Bluetoioth. That has nothing to do with an Orbi router.

A picture of that popup might be useful. The wording should provide clues. As it is we are all shooting in the dark.

Rascal22 · ‎2020-03-29

as requested, see the attached

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-03-29

Please contact the TVs MFr for additional help and information about this.

michaelkenward · ‎2020-03-29

@FURRYe38 wrote:

Please contact the TVs MFr for additional help and information about this.

Yes.

Pairing is a bluetooth process that has nothing to do with your wifi.

How to pair Bluetooth devices to your LG TV - LG TV Settings Guide: What to Enable, Disable and Twea...

LG TV pairing - Google Search

Rascal22 · ‎2020-03-29

This is the answer that it always comes back to. I don't blame you, I think I would say the same thing to someone else.

And I realize that no one thinks I know what I'm talking but it is true - when the ORBI is on, it happens. And when the ORBI is off it doesn't happen. I've tested many, many times.

I wonder if the others that are reporting the same problem in this thread see the same message.

LRSS · ‎2020-03-29

I get the same message (the pairing key one) that Rascal22 posted. And I agree, of course the router is WiFi (not bluetooth) but the problem never happened (I've had the TV for years) until the Orbi.

Thanks!

Bomber1712 · ‎2020-03-29

Agreed. Although the Orbi is not bluetooth, there is something that the Orbi is doing to the TV to make it "think" it is pairing with something. I don't know what it is, but it only happens when the TV is connected to the Orbi. When connected to another network, this does NOT happen.

michaelkenward · ‎2020-03-30

@Bomber1712 wrote:

Agreed. Although the Orbi is not bluetooth, there is something that the Orbi is doing to the TV to make it "think" it is pairing with something.

I'm sorry, but this does not change anything. The problem is with your TV. The answer has to come from LG.

Your router is not responsible for how the Bluetooth on the TV works.

The router priovides a wifi environment that the TV can connect to.

That the TV sees a different wifi environment and throws up strange messages about Bluetooth is because the TV is misbehaving in some way.

Netgear has no control over what the TV gets up to.

Other TVs and Bluetooth devices happily coexist with the wifi from an Orbi system.

Unless you can come up with something that ties the pop-up messages to the wifi from your Orbi, Netgear can do nothing. All it does is puff out wifi.

Just because you see this behaviour on your TV with your Orbi system does not mean that other wifi environments don't also cause similar issues with LG's Bluetooth setup.

Has anyone actually asked LG about this?