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Orbi won't connect with some devices, how to solve? Settings? Attach previous N900 router?

gretchenk
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Orbi won't connect with some devices, how to solve? Settings? Attach previous N900 router?

Orbi AC3000 - 2 satelites

Firmware 1.9.1.12

WOW 250mbps high speed coax internet service

Arriss Surboard Cable modem

 

Hi-
I have a complicated question regarding connection issues between the orbi to other hardware. It basically boils down to this: are there products that are incompatible with this WiFi router? If so, why, and is there any workaround or special settings? Let me explain - but first here is our set up:

 

I previously owned a Netgear N900 CG4500BD dual band cable modem/router combo. This router is approximately 3.5 years old and performed well for us. We are heavy internet users, and the N900 router was connected to time warner cable internet service (50mpbs), and was wired to home ethernet ports (3 desktop computers), our Dish Network hopper box (we stream netflix, hulu, amazon video etc..), a playstation, and home security system. Wirelessly, we connect on average 8-10 devices at any one time, including iPhones, laptops, iPads, printers, a home theatre control app, and a wireless controller for our pool (this last one is the main problem). Although our overall performance was acceptable, we still had a few dead spots in the house, and so when we upgraded our internet speed to the lightening fast 250mbps offered by WOW, we decided it was time to upgrade our modem and router as well -- thus the Orbi connected through a brand new Arriss surfboard modem (I forget which model, but it's the right one).
Set up was simple, coverage is great, we have no dead spots anywhere and the speed is fabulous.
I'm pretty tech savvy and know more than the average user about home networking. I've set up and managed our routers in the past -- mostly pretty basic stuff. However when it comes to very advanced technical features I need some help ( I don't full understand things like port forwarding and triggering and I've never set up subnetworks or used more than a single router. I google a lot. If you can patiently explain things to me I will understand - but I don't have this expertise - so bear with me!).

 

So now the problem. I set up the system, and then changed the SSID and password of the ORBI so that it matched one of the previous bands we were using on the N900. The idea being, that all our devices were already setup with this login info, so everything should connect without a hitch. And it did - almost. Everything was working great-- except that app on the home theatre network (CC Control http://www.universalremote.com/ccmobile/faq.html). It suddenly won't connect to its base station. Same goes for the app we use to control our pool equipment called iaqualink -- https://www.iaqualink.com/en/#/overview.
With the theatre remote, I initially thought it was set up to use the other band from the dual band router - so when it didn't work, I changed the SSID and password and tried that. But still nothing. I'm not too frustrated with that yet because that system is finicky, and requires an installation professional to download a customized program to our devices -- somewhere in that customized program are network settings (and I suspect an ip address, which has changed), and I presume this is the problem. I contacted our installer, and I am hopeful he can solve this problem, however if you have any insight, do let me know.

 

With the iaqualink app, I followed the manufacturer instructions to reset the connection between the control system and our network. The control system (iQ20), is basically a small wireless transmitter that is wired into the pool control panel and connects via WiFi to our home network so that we can run the system using the app on a smartphone or tablet. The set up requires toggling its internal wifi off and then on again, connecting to the device's wifi signal, and then selecting from a list of available wifi networks, and inputting the appropriate password. After this point, the iQ20's iinternal wifi signal disappears (stops broadcasting I guess), and the system is now connected to the wifi network that was selected. Despite attempting this process several times on the phone with their technical support, we were unable to connect it to the Orbi router. I explained that we had recently upgraded to the new Orbi router, and then after checking with some colleagues, the helpful gentleman informed me that the Orbi is "too high end" and won't work with their product. This was too vague an explanation for me, as I have not heard of any backward compatibility issues with this router, and cannot understand why that would be the case. He did tell me, that it only works on the 2.4GHz band - and won't work on 5GHz, but the Orbi should have no problem with that, right?  Perhaps there could be some way of adjusting router settings? Maybe it's a security issue? Maybe only uses TKIP, not AES (which duh, is what I have it set to)? Anyway, my preference is to connect this up with the Orbi so I am attempting to figure out what I might change in order to make this work. What should I ask them? What should I try? When I search for the network, I can see three separate signals - the Orbi base and two satellites (although they are all named the same thing, and I am only guessing based on signal strength which is which. ) Do they operate on different frequencies? Or does each one transmit on both?Aside from signal strength, is there any difference in selecting one over another?  I only tried connecting the the strongest signal, which I presume is the base since it is the closest in location - but I could be wrong about that.
Now, since I found myself stumped by this, I had another thought-- the previous router worked -- so what if I just hooked it up as a slave to the Orbi (turn of dhcp and reset the LAN IP, SSID and password) and try and connect the pool controler to the old router again. Would that work? It seemed like iit would be worth a shot, but here is where my expertise is limited. At first I changed nothing - just connected one of the ethernet ports on the orbi to the N900 and plugged it in. I could see the N900 bands broadcasting their SSID, and I could even connect to them, but there is no internet access. OK - so I start googling how to do this -- and as I mentioned above, discovered instructions that tell me I need to turn off dhcp, change the LAN ip to something in the same range as the orbi, and then match the SSID and password to Orbi. So the first problem is that I can't change the default ip address on the N900 to match the orbi. The orbi's default ip is 192.168.1.1. The N900 is 192.168.0.1. So naturally, I attempt to change the N900 to 192.168.1.100. It won't allow it. At first it says it can't be in the pool ( despite turning dhcp off, the pool still says from 2-254). so I change the pool to 2-49 and then try 192.168.0.50. It works. But it has to be 192.168.1.XXX and nothing I try allows me to change that third number to a 1!!! Why not? Can't this be done?? Also, I noticed that the orbi's default subnet mask is not the typical 255.255.255.0 (it's 255.255.248.0) Is there a reason for that? Does it need to be something special to work properly with the two sattelites? And now, let's say that I do reset the ip address correctly, is it absolutely essential that the SSID and passwords match the Orbi? It's going to make it tricky to tell them apart if they all broadcast the same name, especially since the N900 has two separate bands, and I can only use the 2.4GHz band with the controller. I'm going to need to be able to tell them apart.

I'm slightly tempted to try changing the Orbi's ip to 192.168.0.1, but I'm a bit afraid to muck up my internet access completely, because if I lose wireless, I'm going to be very annoyed and it will make fixing things problematic.  So help!  What do I do?

 

Ok - so there you have it. The burning questions are :
1) is there something obvious that would cause this connection not to work (I don't accept "too high end" as a reason).  Could it really be incompatible?
2) Is there something obvious I can do to potentially make it work as I think it should?
3)If it is indeed incompatible, is it possible to plug my old router into the orbi and and somehow configure it to connect to this dumb ass pool device that apparently can't keep up with technology? Can you please tell me how to do it correctly?I've never extended before by linking routers together and so I am only following instructions - I don't undertand why things need to be a certain way to work, and I am reading on this forum that the orbi wont allow you to use another router as an extender anyway, which is what I am trying to do right?  I don't actually need more coverage, and I don't care if that connection is a little bit slow even - I just want to use it to make my devices work if that is the only way.

 

Thanks. I'm sorry for what is probably the longest essay on router setup issues you have ever received, and for my ignorance. I hope someone can help explain this to me.

Model: Orbi High-Performance AC3000 Tri-Band WiFi System (RBK50)
Message 1 of 5
Mikey94025
Hero

Re: Orbi won't connect with some devices, how to solve? Settings? Attach previous N900 router?

Unfortunately matching your old SSID doesn't mean that everything will "just work" because as you noted, IP addresses will change. Devices usually use DHCP to request an IP address so they need to go through that process again.  For many devices this is automatic and will "just work" but for others you have to manually repeat the setup process as if you're connecting to a new wireless router and if you really did change the SSID.  I don't think there's a reason why a device would be incompatible with Orbi anymore than they would be incompatible with any other particular router.

 

Message 2 of 5
st_shaw
Master

Re: Orbi won't connect with some devices, how to solve? Settings? Attach previous N900 router?

 

Ok - so there you have it. The burning questions are :
1) is there something obvious that would cause this connection not to work (I don't accept "too high end" as a reason).  Could it really be incompatible?
2) Is there something obvious I can do to potentially make it work as I think it should?
3)If it is indeed incompatible, is it possible to plug my old router into the orbi and and somehow configure it to connect to this dumb ass pool device that apparently can't keep up with technology? Can you please tell me how to do it correctly?I've never extended before by linking routers together and so I am only following instructions - I don't undertand why things need to be a certain way to work, and I am reading on this forum that the orbi wont allow you to use another router as an extender anyway, which is what I am trying to do right?  I don't actually need more coverage, and I don't care if that connection is a little bit slow even - I just want to use it to make my devices work if that is the only way.


 

1. Some devices have trouble connecting to Orbi's single-SSID dual-band network. I have two such devices.  One is older and the other is a just-released Android-based product. I had to wire the Android device. The other device I will need to replace.

2. Probably not.

3. Assuming your old router supports "access point" mode, you can plug your old router into Orbi and use it as an access point solely for the purpose of connecting your two problem devices.  In that case, you should use a different SSID than Orbi.  You need to make sure you use different WiFi channels than Orbi uses.  You should also disable 5 Ghz on the old router if your old devices are 2.4 GHz only.

Message 3 of 5
Mikey94025
Hero

Re: Orbi won't connect with some devices, how to solve? Settings? Attach previous N900 router?


@st_shaw wrote:

 

3. Assuming your old router supports "access point" mode, you can plug your old router into Orbi and use it as an access point solely for the purpose of connecting your two problem devices.  In that case, you should use a different SSID than Orbi.  You need to make sure you use different WiFi channels than Orbi uses.  You should also disable 5 Ghz on the old router if your old devices are 2.4 GHz only.


Good suggestion for backwards compatibility.

Message 4 of 5
Pc12349
Aspirant

Re: Orbi won't connect with some devices, how to solve? Settings? Attach previous N900 router?

I'm having the same exact problem with my aqualink & orbi! I'm so frustrated! Did you figure it out? Thx
Message 5 of 5
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