Orbi and Ethernet Backhaul with Switch

[Sundays]

I have an Orbi RBR50 Router and 3 RBS50 Satellites I would like to connect using a star topology ethernet backhaul through a GS105v5 unmanaged switch. I've tried resetting and rebooting my satellites, and no matter what I do, the router only recognizes them on a wireless backhaul. I have connected them directly to the Orbi router as well. Any insights would be greatly appreciated. I have Daisy Chain turned off (though I did try with it enabled and that did not work either).

[FURRYe38]

hat Firmware is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?

Did you first connect the RBS one at a time via wireless, then connect them one at a time while they were connected wireless with the ethernet cable? 

You have to give at least 5 mininutes per RBS after the ethernet cable is connected and let the system settle in with the RBR. 

Yes Daisy Chain needs to be disabled for ethernet connected RBS. 

Even though your switch is unmanged, we have users posting about some switches not working well with Orbi with Green Ethernet features. I see your version of switch has this:

Energy Efficient • GS105v5, GS108v4, and GS116v2 support the latest Energy Efficient Ethernet (IEEE 802.3az) standard, which reduces energy consumption when there is light traffic on an active port or when there is no link or no activity detected. It can further save energy when a short cable (<100m) is used. Energy savings lead directly to cost savings in operation. • Silent, fanless design for energy efficiency and noise-sensitive environments

To test this, remove the switch from the mix. Try connecting each RBS to the back of the RBR while in the same room as the RBR and check the status. I bet you'll see a different. 

[Sundays]

What Firmware is currently loaded? V2.3.5.30
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too? Netgear CM1200 

Did you first connect the RBS one at a time via wireless, then connect them one at a time while they were connected wireless with the ethernet cable? Yes

You have to give at least 5 mininutes per RBS after the ethernet cable is connected and let the system settle in with the RBR. Yes, I waited, first when I just tried powering off and back on, as well as when I reset the satellite. The strange thing is that when I reset the satellite, amber flashing power light and everything, when it comes back up the Orbi router recognizes it with the previous name it was given which makes me wonder if the RBS truly reset.

Yes Daisy Chain needs to be disabled for ethernet connected RBS. Got it, any other settings I need to touch. The Orbi is in router mode.

Even though your switch is unmanged, we have users posting about some switches not working well with Orbi with Green Ethernet features. I see your version of switch has this:

Energy Efficient • GS105v5, GS108v4, and GS116v2 support the latest Energy Efficient Ethernet (IEEE 802.3az) standard, which reduces energy consumption when there is light traffic on an active port or when there is no link or no activity detected. It can further save energy when a short cable (<100m) is used. Energy savings lead directly to cost savings in operation. • Silent, fanless design for energy efficiency and noise-sensitive environments

To test this, remove the switch from the mix. Try connecting each RBS to the back of the RBR while in the same room as the RBR and check the status. I bet you'll see a different. Did this, no change. Connected the RBS directly to the RBR, cutting the switch out of the middle without any sucess. Also connected a desktop to the switch while it was connected to the RBR and got perfect ethernet signal.

[FURRYe38]

Need 15 seconds press on the reset button. 

Swap out LAN cables. CAT6 cables is recommended...

[Sundays]

Yep all CAT 6. Pressed reset (with paperclip) for 30 seconds for good measure.

Many reports though of satellites not resetting so wondering if that is the problem since it doesn't appear reset in the admin console.

[FURRYe38]

Is it only one RBS or is it ALL RBS that are failling? 

15 seconds is max press time. 

[Sundays]

All 3.

[FURRYe38]

So lets do this first. Lets reset the RBR and RBS. 15 seconds press only. Take one RBS after the RBR is setup and just connect 1 RBS. Does this connect and show as a satellite connected device on the RBRs web page? If so, connect the 2nd RBS in same way.

[WeberJeff]

FYI, I've spent many hours logging and troubleshooting a number of issues with my Orbi set up.  One of the major issues is a similar ethernet backhaul issue.  It would seem that the satellites were functional, in that clients could connect and internet would work.  However, they wouldn't show up as connected satellites in the app UI, and in the web UI they wouldn't connect in the firmware update section and they wouldn't show up as options in the firmware manual update section.  So, it would seem that they weren't entirely connected as satellites.

In any case, after much testing, I did confirm that a Netgear GS108 switch was preventing them from fully connecting.  Removing the switch from the mix seemed to allow the satellites to connect.

This is especially surprising (and troubling) because the GS108 is both an unmanaged switch and a Netgear product.  You would think both of those factors should lend it to being more compatible rather than less.

[tomschmidt]

I likewise have one of my RBS50 satellites backhaul using a wired connection to my RBR50 router, and the connection is going through my 3 year old Netgear GS116 unmanaged switch.  I do not have any connection issues with it that way.  Is your GS108 a newer model, perhaps with PoE?

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@WeberJeff wrote:

FYI, I've spent many hours logging and troubleshooting a number of issues with my Orbi set up.  One of the major issues is a similar ethernet backhaul issue.  It would seem that the satellites were functional, in that clients could connect and internet would work.  However, they wouldn't show up as connected satellites in the app UI, and in the web UI they wouldn't connect in the firmware update section and they wouldn't show up as options in the firmware manual update section.  So, it would seem that they weren't entirely connected as satellites.

In any case, after much testing, I did confirm that a Netgear GS108 switch was preventing them from fully connecting.  Removing the switch from the mix seemed to allow the satellites to connect.

This is especially surprising (and troubling) because the GS108 is both an unmanaged switch and a Netgear product.  You would think both of those factors should lend it to being more compatible rather than less.

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[FURRYe38]

Would need to know the exact model and version if your switch. There are several variances...

I see the base GS108 and other versions of this model switch have the follwing:

NETGEAR Green • Up to 60% lower power consumption1
• Auto power-down mode saves energy when port is unused

This is green ethernet which isn't particularly compatible with Orbi systems. Others have seen this before. This may have played a factor in your GS108 not working between the RBR and RBS. 

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@WeberJeff wrote:

FYI, I've spent many hours logging and troubleshooting a number of issues with my Orbi set up.  One of the major issues is a similar ethernet backhaul issue.  It would seem that the satellites were functional, in that clients could connect and internet would work.  However, they wouldn't show up as connected satellites in the app UI, and in the web UI they wouldn't connect in the firmware update section and they wouldn't show up as options in the firmware manual update section.  So, it would seem that they weren't entirely connected as satellites.

In any case, after much testing, I did confirm that a Netgear GS108 switch was preventing them from fully connecting.  Removing the switch from the mix seemed to allow the satellites to connect.

This is especially surprising (and troubling) because the GS108 is both an unmanaged switch and a Netgear product.  You would think both of those factors should lend it to being more compatible rather than less.

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