OrbiOS 2.4.1 - Total mess

[JimSweden]

2.4.1 is an unbelievably bad firmware upgrade!! The router restarts every 2-3 minutes (observed in http://orbilogin.com/RST_statistic.htm). All wireless devices disconnects after a few seconds (often they do not reconnect unless you toggle wifi off/on). Router CPU load high 55-80% (seen in 192.168.1.1/debug.htm)

Have tried factory reset two times (paper clip and via webinterfce). Let it sit for a couple hours. Tried wired backhaul and wireless. Total crap!!

Everything setting default.

The last release 2.1.3.4 was the most stable for me ever. More than 30 days uptime since the beta around April 25th. Only some problems with Android 8 devices.

Have a mixture of Apple (ios and macos) and Android devices and some wired linux devices.

Now I have had it. Need to buy something else. (Have paid a lot of money for this in Sweden - Very very annoying)

Have had the Orbi since april 2017 and it has never been 100%, but I have patiently been waiting for the engineers to improve and stabilize. My whole family is furious on me for not sending it back (but the hardware must be OK if it works pretty OK with some firmware versions??)

Now I give up. I simply do not believe Netgear will ever fix it. The story posted here with "locking Netgear engineers in a room until it got fixed" sounded promising but.. 

The ORBI RBK50 have been out on the market for over 1.5 years by now still no basic stability. Incredibly bad 😞

[Mattas]

Samma problem hos mig Jim. Efter sista uppdateringen så funkar inget.. har prövat allt man kan men får det inte att fungera. Måste nog till en ny mjukvara för att det ska funka..

[Christian_W]

Hejsan Jim.

Jag har kört på firmware 2.1.4.10 sedan den kom ut här för några dagar sedan nu och gjorde firmware uppgradering genom min app på iPhone och allt rullar på utan problem för min del.

Har i skrivande stund 13 enheter anlutna både på wifi och trådat.

Före denna firmware fkrde jag på .18 och även det var problemfritt för min del.

Kör även en del Phillips Hue lampor genom Apple Home kit och även det funkar fint för min del.

[Mattas]

Jag har resetat flertal ggr och verkligen varit noga med installationen men det blir inget bättre. Jag tappar internet med olika intervall men oftast mellan 30sek-2min.. Har kört Orbi nu i några månader och det har aldrig varit några problem men nu efter senaste uppdateringen så började problemen. Nu har jag kopplat bort Orbi och kör på min leverantörs modem/router.

[JimSweden]

Thanks for replies! Noticed I wrote the wrong firmware version in the headline and found no way to edit my message, so I posted another!

[JimSweden]

Glömde skriva på svenska 🙂

Returnerade min idag. Åberopade konsumentköplagen. Vill ha pengarna tillbaks. Får se hur det går.

Efter ett år med strul så ger jag upp. När den funkar är den kanon med mycket bra täckning men väldigt ofta under det här året har den strulat ordenligt. Har lagt många timmar på att försöka få den stabil. Bortkastad tid.

Dags att köpa nytt system!

[Zdman]

I too have had issues with wired backhaul and the latest firmware. I found that no matter what I did, the satellite would eventually revert to wireless backhaul and connect via a very low signal back to the router. I think this was then causing network loops as my entire network would start having issues ( basically there are two routes to the satellite). I tried downgrading firmware manually on the satellite and that worked, but the next day the satellite had auto updated the firmware again (Netgear not allowing you to keep older fw that works while they push out new poorly tested fw is a joke).  Anyway, I have now stabilized things based on info from another forum that I will not name. 

Here is what I did: 

1. Point your browser to the satellite that you want to use wired backhaul but change the url to .......debug.htm.  Then enable telnet.  

2. Using telnet, log into your satellite (same username and password as used on router)

3 Type the following:

brctl stp br0 1

  this will turn on spann8ng tree protocol. Why it is off is anyone’s guess, but my understanding is it stops the crazy traffic loops. After doing this and waiting about 5 minutes, my satellite went to wired backhaul and so far has stayed there. And, no other network instabilities hav occurred   

4. Go back to the debug page and disable telnet. 

Note that this fix fix is not persistent, meaning that if you power off the satellite you have to repeat the steps above. If anyone knows how to save this as persistent, please speak up. 

[FURRYe38]

For your configuration, do you have any network switches in between the router and satellite? If so, whats the mfr and model# of the switch?

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@Zdman wrote:

I too have had issues with wired backhaul and the latest firmware. I found that no matter what I did, the satellite would eventually revert to wireless backhaul and connect via a very low signal back to the router. I think this was then causing network loops as my entire network would start having issues ( basically there are two routes to the satellite). I tried downgrading firmware manually on the satellite and that worked, but the next day the satellite had auto updated the firmware again (Netgear not allowing you to keep older fw that works while they push out new poorly tested fw is a joke).  Anyway, I have now stabilized things based on info from another forum that I will not name. 

Here is what I did: 

1. Point your browser to the satellite that you want to use wired backhaul but change the url to .......debug.htm.  Then enable telnet.  

2. Using telnet, log into your satellite (same username and password as used on router)

3 Type the following:

brctl stp br0 1

  this will turn on spann8ng tree protocol. Why it is off is anyone’s guess, but my understanding is it stops the crazy traffic loops. After doing this and waiting about 5 minutes, my satellite went to wired backhaul and so far has stayed there. And, no other network instabilities hav occurred   

4. Go back to the debug page and disable telnet. 

Note that this fix fix is not persistent, meaning that if you power off the satellite you have to repeat the steps above. If anyone knows how to save this as persistent, please speak up. 

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[Zdman]

No I do not. However, my satellite is quite far from the router (450 feet) as it s in my guest house. So I use two Enstation 5 ac units as the wired bridge. When I started having issues I did wire directly with a cable at about 100 feet with the same results so I don’t think the enstation link was an issue. Also, this setup worked up until the last fw update. It would really be nice to have a setting on the satellite where we could force it to wired uplink -as I noted above, it seems odd that a satellite would prefer a very week wireless backhaul to a high quality wired one   

[FURRYe38]

Ok, just checking. Seen issues with managed switches vs non managed.

Seems that they probably have changed someting in the FW.

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@Zdman wrote:

No I do not. However, my satellite is quite far from the router (450 feet) as it s in my guest house. So I use two Enstation 5 ac units as the wired bridge. When I started having issues I did wire directly with a cable at about 100 feet with the same results so I don’t think the enstation link was an issue. Also, this setup worked up until the last fw update. It would really be nice to have a setting on the satellite where we could force it to wired uplink -as I noted above, it seems odd that a satellite would prefer a very week wireless backhaul to a high quality wired one   

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[Zdman]

I should clarify that the two enstation units should appear to the network as a direct wired connection, or maybe a wired connection through an Ethernet switch.  They basically take wired data, convert to wireless, beam to other end over a secure wireless link, then the other end converts it back to a wired connection again. 

[Zdman]

I would consider my enstation more like a managed switch I guess as it does have routing capabilities but I have most of that disabled. With turning STP on having resolve my issue (so far)I have a feeling that what is happening here is that the satellite is circling packets over wired and wireless and creating data loops that eventually will crash the network. However, I am not a network expert. 

[FURRYe38]

One user mentioned disabling IGMP on his managed switch seem to help resolve his issues. Something you can look at as well. So reason for asking about switches. Seems that some managed switches can cause problems with Orbi systems. I dont have any managed swtiches with mine, however I have two NON managed switches and have not had or seen any wired back haul issues since I installed my system 3 months ago.

[JimSweden]

Thanks for replies! I do have some dlink gigabit switches to one of the wired backhaul positions I have been trying (on the upper floor). The wired backhaul was working with firmware 2.1.3 but not at all with 2.1.4. With 2.1.4 I tried any combination and it still was running haywire (single 10 m ethernet cable to router, through switches, wireless backhaul at different distances from router, nothing worked).

The IGMP advice I have tried in the past to mitigate problems but no change. Did not try it with 2.1.4 though.

I actually returned it yesterday and claimed my money back. They took it in and will have a look. Will hopefully get a response shortly as we only have a very old Apple extreme (works solidly but not enough coverage for our big brick house)

Over the last year I have spent many hours trying to get the Orbi kit to work reasonably well. When it works the coverage is great.

I really wanted this to work, but with 2.1.4 it was the final straw for me. Too much negative energy and frustration. Will need to find another brand.

[FURRYe38]

Good Luck.

[JimSweden]

Thanks!