I purchased a new Orbi, with one satellite, in August of this year, along with a new CM1000 modem. A few weeks in, and the router would intermittently drop connection with the modem, pulsing magenta. This breakdown would resolve itself after about ten minutes, or I'd reset the router if I was home (as my wife isn't comfortable doing so) to speed up the process.
A few days ago the router upgraded to the latest firmware(v2.2.1.210), and I was hopeful that Netgear was providing a permanent solution. However, the gaps in functionality have gotten only more frequent, sometimes happening again immediately after a reset.
To be clear, my modem and ISP are not experiencing issues or outages, as I've confirmed with an Ethernet connection to a laptop.
I've performed a factory reset of the router and satellite by using the hard reset buttons recessed on the back of the units. Set the whole network up again from scratch. This has not fixed the issue either. The Orbi still randomly stops receiving an internet signal from my new, fully-functioning, ISP-connected modem.
I've tried calling and live chatting with Netgear, but magically I'm never able to get through to anyone. Tried setting up an email ticket, but the button to submit doesn't work when clicked. All very convenient for Netgear.
This system is quite expensive as home routers go, and when it works I feel like I'm getting my money's worth. Unfortunately, its operation is not guaranteed. This level of constant instability is inexcusable.
Anyone out there who's discovered an actual, permanent fix for this problem? Many thanks for your consideration.
I have a similar setup to yours with the exception of a Netgear CM500V cable modem. I'm not experiencing the issues you have noted and I've had my RBR50 since 2016. I noted you've tried a factory reset and a manual system reconfiguration. Please confirm you did not use any saved/backup config files to rebuild your system after the factory reset.
What channels are you on for 2.4 and 5 gHz WiFi bands? Do you have nearby neighbors with WiFi systems? If so, the problem can be interference if you're on the same or nearby channels. I suggest Ch 1 for 2.4 gHz and Ch 48 for 5 gHz. I also have IP reservations setup for all my devices (wired and wireless).
Whenever I do a firmware upgrade I turn all my devices off (yes, it is a PITA!) then upgrade the satellite first, then upgrade the router and re-sync the satellite to the router. After they settle down–about 10 minutes, I'll turn on each device one at a time and let the system settle for 30 minutes before I even look at the status page on the router.
I suggest another factory reset to the router and satellite, reload the new V2.2.1.210 firmware (satellite first, then router) and manually reconfigure one more time. I know this is a PITA but it seems the ORBI is very sensitive to cruft leftover in the EPROM. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
Thank you for your response. Yes I can confirm that I set up the network from scratch during the factory reset, and did not rely on the saved previous configuration.
While you may not be experiencing any issues with your Orbi, and I wish you many more returns, a cursory Google search will reveal that random disconnections with any variety of modems are a common problem with this system. All to common, unfortunately. Some consumers have even returned units for new replacements and have encountered the same issues again.
As for channel interference, this isn't an issue. I always use a WiFi analysing app to ensure my network is set to the least-trafficked channels. (I'm no networking wizard, but I've been setting up and maintaining consumer-grade routers for over 10 years.) The router and satellite continually broadcast without a hitch. None of my devices ever lose connection or signal strength from either device. The problem is the magenta ring of death, which indicates that the Orbi is not detecting an internet connection. This is corroborated by the error messages on all smart devices throughout the home - no internet connection detected, but full signal strength remains.
As I've stated above, the modem and ISP are holding up their end, as the wired connection remains uninterrupted during these magenta-hued episodes. So the issue is the modem and Orbi communicating.
If I have to go through the hoops you describe of reinstalling the firmware and babying the setup back to functionality, then so be it. However, something tells me that it won't be that simple. I'll update this thread once completed.
Do you have any wired devices connected to the Router/Satellite? Any mesh speakers (e.g. Sonos) connected to the LAN port? I had so many issues when I had my speakers wired to Orbi, and -almost 🙂 - all isues gone when I disconnected those devices. Seems Orbi still has some issues to handle some wired devices.
Please test disconnecting the wired devices and try to locate the bad ones...
Have you power cycled the CM1000 OFF for 1 minute while the ORbi router is OFF, then power the modem back on and let it sync then power ON the Orbi system?
I purchased a new Orbi, with one satellite, in August of this year, along with a new CM1000 modem. A few weeks in, and the router would intermittently drop connection with the modem, pulsing magenta. This breakdown would resolve itself after about ten minutes, or I'd reset the router if I was home (as my wife isn't comfortable doing so) to speed up the process.
A few days ago the router upgraded to the latest firmware(v2.2.1.210), and I was hopeful that Netgear was providing a permanent solution. However, the gaps in functionality have gotten only more frequent, sometimes happening again immediately after a reset.
To be clear, my modem and ISP are not experiencing issues or outages, as I've confirmed with an Ethernet connection to a laptop.
I've performed a factory reset of the router and satellite by using the hard reset buttons recessed on the back of the units. Set the whole network up again from scratch. This has not fixed the issue either. The Orbi still randomly stops receiving an internet signal from my new, fully-functioning, ISP-connected modem.
I've tried calling and live chatting with Netgear, but magically I'm never able to get through to anyone. Tried setting up an email ticket, but the button to submit doesn't work when clicked. All very convenient for Netgear.
This system is quite expensive as home routers go, and when it works I feel like I'm getting my money's worth. Unfortunately, its operation is not guaranteed. This level of constant instability is inexcusable.
Anyone out there who's discovered an actual, permanent fix for this problem? Many thanks for your consideration.
Thanks for your interest in my problem. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I have no wired devices attached to either unit, router or satellite. But thanks for the idea!
I would try loading FW code again, factory reset then setup from scratch to see if the problem still appears. Let us know if it does...
@DynamoJoe wrote: Thanks for your interest in my problem. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I have no wired devices attached to either unit, router or satellite. But thanks for the idea!
This breakdown would resolve itself after about ten minutes, or I'd reset the router if I was home (as my wife isn't comfortable doing so) to speed up the process.
Do you see anything special in the Logs (under Advanced >> Administration) during this 10 minutes breakdown (at start of the breakdown and when the issue disappears)?
