Re: Orbi disconnects from internet intermittently

SKohler · ‎2018-06-21

I know this has been a long while, but I still wanted to thank you for your suggestions. I did carefully try each of your suggestions individually and let things rest for a few hours to a day with each change to see if I saw the same issue. I, unfortunately, found that those settings failed to change the issue with that particular phone connecting. We stream our TV most evenings and that is the ultimate test. I still could not consistently stay connected. The one thing that I was going to try was turning off all my Chromecasts (TV and 2 Chromecast Audios on my speakers),...I found some info suggesting that Chromecasts will send large bursts of data as a keep-alive when they wake up that may clobber other devices' communications. When I finally sat down to test that theory, to my surprise, my phone bricked (boot screen loop). So, I was never able to fully test that theory. but I'm posting this in the hopes that maybe it will help somebody else. I had insurance on the phone and my provider could no longer supply the same model, so now I have an LG G5. Instantly, it works significantly better. Once in a blue moon, it will show a message "internet unavailable", but it's now at an acceptable level that rarely interrupts what I'm doing. I understand Google is aware of the Chromecast issue and I don't know if they've issued a patch at this point; I also don't know, and now can't test, if that was the issue.

FURRYe38 · ‎2018-06-21

Sounds like a problem with Google and this one particular phone.

Not sure what else can be done here...

@DarrenM

@SKohler wrote:

I know this has been a long while, but I still wanted to thank you for your suggestions. I did carefully try each of your suggestions individually and let things rest for a few hours to a day with each change to see if I saw the same issue. I, unfortunately, found that those settings failed to change the issue with that particular phone connecting. We stream our TV most evenings and that is the ultimate test. I still could not consistently stay connected. The one thing that I was going to try was turning off all my Chromecasts (TV and 2 Chromecast Audios on my speakers),...I found some info suggesting that Chromecasts will send large bursts of data as a keep-alive when they wake up that may clobber other devices' communications. When I finally sat down to test that theory, to my surprise, my phone bricked (boot screen loop). So, I was never able to fully test that theory. but I'm posting this in the hopes that maybe it will help somebody else. I had insurance on the phone and my provider could no longer supply the same model, so now I have an LG G5. Instantly, it works significantly better. Once in a blue moon, it will show a message "internet unavailable", but it's now at an acceptable level that rarely interrupts what I'm doing. I understand Google is aware of the Chromecast issue and I don't know if they've issued a patch at this point; I also don't know, and now can't test, if that was the issue.

CEaton12 · ‎2018-09-20

Add me to the list of long suffering Orbi owners. I am the same issue that others are reporting....wireless devices system wide will randomly lose internet access, hardwired devices to the base will be fine, I need to reboot the router and satellites each time. I have tried a huge number of things, these must be known to Netgear....just needs to be fixed.

This is what I do for a living, I have comcast business and I'm using an Arris 32 x 8 Docsis 3.0 (SB6190) modem, everything is set up properly, still getting internet drops a few times a day. I live in a connected home which relies on reliable internet.

When is this going to be fixed?

FURRYe38 · ‎2018-09-20

What FW is currently loaded?
What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between them to begin with depending upon building materials.

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?

Try disabling the following and see:
MIMO, Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).

Be aware of your ISP modem:

http://www.badmodems.com/

@CEaton12 wrote:

Add me to the list of long suffering Orbi owners. I am the same issue that others are reporting....wireless devices system wide will randomly lose internet access, hardwired devices to the base will be fine, I need to reboot the router and satellites each time. I have tried a huge number of things, these must be known to Netgear....just needs to be fixed.

This is what I do for a living, I have comcast business and I'm using an Arris 32 x 8 Docsis 3.0 (SB6190) modem, everything is set up properly, still getting internet drops a few times a day. I live in a connected home which relies on reliable internet.

When is this going to be fixed?

rnorthway · ‎2018-09-20

I finally gave up on Orbi and returned it to Costco. I then purchased a 4 node Velop system from Costco and it's been rock solid. So glad I dumped Orbi and all the frustration. Good luck.

NightStorm · ‎2018-09-21

Similar solution worked for me. After over a year of frustration with the RB50 I gave up and bought a Velop 2 pack from BestBuy. No problems since (4 months).

Mineralfarmer · ‎2018-11-27

I am confident there are thousands of users with this problem. I am one of them. All you have to do is look at a sampling of posts on the internet and you can see that it is a ubiquitous problem

birdadderley · ‎2018-12-02

Has anyone tried separating the SSID’s between the 2 and 5 GHz channels and/or reducing the transmission power of radios (2 GHz radio to 50% and 5 to 75%)?

Read here: https://windsorwebdeveloper.com/making-netgear-orbi-great-again/

I’m going to try that this week and update this post.

I think the hypothesis is that devices are 1) constantly switching between 2/5 radios since same SSID and/or 2) the great power in the radios are cross covering the house so devices are connecting to the furthest away satellites. Reducing power and splitting SSID names reduces potential variability is the thought. I’d be interested if it works for others.

FURRYe38 · ‎2018-12-03

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between them to begin with depending upon building materials.

@birdadderley wrote:
Has anyone tried separating the SSID’s between the 2 and 5 GHz channels and/or reducing the transmission power of radios (2 GHz radio to 50% and 5 to 75%)?

Read here: https://windsorwebdeveloper.com/making-netgear-orbi-great-again/

I’m going to try that this week and update this post.

I think the hypothesis is that devices are 1) constantly switching between 2/5 radios since same SSID and/or 2) the great power in the radios are cross covering the house so devices are connecting to the furthest away satellites. Reducing power and splitting SSID names reduces potential variability is the thought. I’d be interested if it works for others.

WernerDT · ‎2018-12-23

Thanks for the link:

https://windsorwebdeveloper.com/making-netgear-orbi-great-again/

This solved my LG UHD TV issue as seen here:

https://lgcommunity.us.com/discussion/437/lg-smart-tv-wifi-wont-turn-on

The LG "error" message doesn't really make you think its related to the router, which made it quite difficult to troubleshoot.

FURRYe38 · ‎2018-12-24

Thanks for posting this. Seems like this is a TV issue for those with this particular brand of TV.

@WernerDT wrote:

Thanks for the link:

https://windsorwebdeveloper.com/making-netgear-orbi-great-again/

This solved my LG UHD TV issue as seen here:

https://lgcommunity.us.com/discussion/437/lg-smart-tv-wifi-wont-turn-on

The LG "error" message doesn't really make you think its related to the router, which made it quite difficult to troubleshoot.

jochrist64 · ‎2019-01-27

2 satellite

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-01-27

Are you having problems?

We need more details then "2 satellite".

@jochrist64 wrote:
2 satellite

Don1208 · ‎2019-02-14

I have cable modem and I am having same problem. Especially ever day in morning my Orbi gets disconnected. I returned my first to Costco and purchased new but it is also happening to new one. Advice to all please return if you still have return window.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-02-14

What FW is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?
Is the Orbi system operating in Router or AP mode?

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between them to begin with depending upon building materials.

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?
What WPA security modes are you using?

Try enabling Beamforming and MIMO.

Try disabling the following and see:
Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).

This is my friends system also bought at Costco, been working since day one:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Orbi-firmware-update-v2-1-4-16-availability/m-p/1592753/highli...

@Don1208 wrote:
I have cable modem and I am having same problem. Especially ever day in morning my Orbi gets disconnected. I returned my first to Costco and purchased new but it is also happening to new one. Advice to all please return if you still have return window.

esemartinez311 · ‎2019-02-16

@DarrenM: Your credibility really disintegrates when I click on the link while on my Orbi wifi and it takes me to a 404 error page, then I turn my wifi off to use cell data and the page no longer exists.
Orbi disconnects on all of my devices on wifi but everything hard wired doesn’t. There goes my $$$. Switching to the google version.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-02-16

The link is working for me.

https://www.netgear.com/support/contact.aspx

There are others with good working Orbi systems. Maybe if you gave a bit more information, maybe can help you get your Orbi working.:

What Firmware is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?
Is the Orbi system operating in Router or AP mode?

What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch if one is in the configuration.
What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between them to begin with depending upon building materials.

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?
What WPA security modes are you using?

Try enableding Beamforming and MIMO.

Try disabling the following and see:
Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).

@esemartinez311 wrote:
@DarrenM: Your credibility really disintegrates when I click on the link while on my Orbi wifi and it takes me to a 404 error page, then I turn my wifi off to use cell data and the page no longer exists.
Orbi disconnects on all of my devices on wifi but everything hard wired doesn’t. There goes my $$$. Switching to the google version.

Chuck_M · ‎2019-02-17

@esemartinez311 -- Sounds to me like you have a configuration issue -- that folks here probably can help you solve.

Before you throw the baby out with the bathwater and get another router -- which will probably have the same configuration issues -- do you want help?

If so, recommend you start a new thread with your issues and configuration (including make and model of cable modem).

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-02-19

Probably a lost cause by now.

@Chuck_M wrote:

@esemartinez311 -- Sounds to me like you have a configuration issue -- that folks here probably can help you solve.

Before you throw the baby out with the bathwater and get another router -- which will probably have the same configuration issues -- do you want help?

If so, recommend you start a new thread with your issues and configuration (including make and model of cable modem).

AlmondRoca · ‎2019-03-01

I've gone through 3 of these units in the past two weeks. Satellite still disconnects. Doesn't matter the firmware version. The latest firmware doesn't address the ongoing issue.

I would return the RBK40.

SC3 · ‎2019-03-11

Same issue. Bought about 30 days ago. Now system intermittently disconnects devices from the internet.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-03-12

What FW is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?
Is the Orbi system operating in Router or AP mode?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch if one is in the configuration.

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between them to begin with depending upon building materials.

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?
What WPA security modes are you using?

Try enabling Beamforming and MIMO. Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings

Try disabling the following and see:
Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).

@SC3 wrote:

Same issue. Bought about 30 days ago. Now system intermittently disconnects devices from the internet.

0703kb · ‎2019-03-13

Get the same problem reported. I’ve found that a quicker reboot is to pull out network cable from router and plug it back in. Saves a re-boot. However, after 12 months of the system working well its hugely frustrating that it drops the WiFi now at least twice a day. Can’t find a fix online. Anyone with any good ideas. Last time I tried Netgear phone number I hung up after being in a queue for an hour.

AlmondRoca · ‎2019-03-13

Sorry to hear that. If you bought it with a credit card it may have an additional year of warranty coverage. Safe to say unit is defective and that other customers are experiencing similar issues.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-03-13

What FW is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?
Is the Orbi system operating in Router or AP mode?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch if one is in the configuration.

Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed?

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet is recommended in between them to begin with depending upon building materials.

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?
What WPA security modes are you using?

Try enabling Beamforming and MIMO. Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings

Try disabling the following and see:
Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).

Try new FW?

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/New-NetGear-Orbi-RBR50-RBS50-Firmware-Version-2-3-0-32-now/m-p...

@0703kb wrote:
Get the same problem reported. I’ve found that a quicker reboot is to pull out network cable from router and plug it back in. Saves a re-boot. However, after 12 months of the system working well its hugely frustrating that it drops the WiFi now at least twice a day. Can’t find a fix online. Anyone with any good ideas. Last time I tried Netgear phone number I hung up after being in a queue for an hour.