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RBK50 Technical Information / DFS Channel Support

xPhilx
Aspirant

RBK50 Technical Information / DFS Channel Support

Greetings Everyone,

 

I am a network engineer that currently has Ubiquiti systems at home as I do like to perform more advanced changed on my network. I have been planning to invest on a robust Mesh Wifi System, and the netgear - spec-wise - seems to meet most of my concerns the RBK50 running latest OS : Tri Band support, an while a later large MAP bridging to the RAP, it does provide gains on the reception.

 

I tried to find some screenshots of the OS running Netgear, I have a few questions about what is support / able to be done with the app or web interface, would someone be able to answer:

- Can you select the Backhaul channel or is it automatic? Does it allow Channel Bonding? 

- Does this support 802.11ac Wave 2 (Up to 160Mhz) ? 

- Does it support setting manual DFS channels for SSIDs? How About Backhaul? 

- What is the number of spatial streams in here? 2x2? 3x3? How about the backhaul network?

 

I know most people don't use DFS because they are oh so afraid of the satellites coming by, I live miles and miles away from any radar or any system that could interfere with DFS, so it's not a concern for me at all. In fact I have used it for the past 2 years without a single issue. I live in a condo are where many people love to channel bond to 80mhz, so there is an inferno of co-channel interference on the 5Ghz but DFS range is clean as a whistle, my main goal would be to :

- Channel Bond the Backhaul network using Channel 52 and up (hopefuly to 160Mhz, if not 80Mhz)

- Channel Bond my 5Ghz WLAN using channel 116 and up (DFS Range) 

 

Netgear, please make better technical information 🙂 

Model: RBK50| Orbi AC3000 High-Performance Tri-Band WiFi System
Message 1 of 6
thombe
Apprentice

Re: RBK50 Technical Information / DFS Channel Support

following.. will be interested to see response

Message 2 of 6
xPhilx
Aspirant

Re: RBK50 Technical Information / DFS Channel Support

++ Corrected several spelling errors - Sorry. Typed this at 6AM ++ 

 

Greetings Everyone,

 

I am a network engineer that currently has Ubiquiti systems at home as I do like to perform more advanced changes on my network. I have been planning to invest on a robust Mesh Wifi System, and the netgear - spec-wise - seems to meet most of my concerns. the RBK50 running latest OS offers: Tri Band support, two large MAP bridging to the RAP, it does provide gains on the reception.

 

I tried to find some screenshots of the OS running Netgear, I have a few questions about what is supported / able to be done with the app or web interface, would someone be able to answer:

- Can you select the Backhaul channel or is it automatic? Does it allow Channel Bonding? 

- Does this support 802.11ac Wave 2 (Up to 160Mhz) ? 

- Does it support setting manual DFS channels for SSIDs? How About Backhaul? 

- What is the number of spatial streams in here? 2x2? 3x3? How about the backhaul network?

 

I know most people don't use DFS because they are oh so afraid of the satellites coming by, I live miles and miles away from any radar or any system that could interfere with DFS, so it's not a concern for me at all. In fact I have used it for the past 2 years without a single issue. I live in a condo are where many people love to channel bond to 80mhz, so there is an inferno of co-channel interference on the 5Ghz but DFS range is clean as a whistle, my main goal would be to :

- Channel Bond the Backhaul network using Channel 52 and up (hopefuly to 160Mhz, if not 80Mhz)

- Channel Bond my 5Ghz WLAN using channel 116 and up (DFS Range, again up to 160Mhz if possible) 

 

Netgear, please make better technical information Smiley Happy 

Not all users wan't to feel like you dumbing us down. 

 
Model: RBK50| Orbi AC3000 High-Performance Tri-Band WiFi System
Model: RBK50| Orbi AC3000 High-Performance Tri-Band WiFi System
Message 3 of 6
ekhalil
Master

Re: RBK50 Technical Information / DFS Channel Support


@xPhilx wrote:

.........

- Can you select the Backhaul channel or is it automatic? Does it allow Channel Bonding? 


No, Backhaul uses the higher channels in the 5GHz band which are not selectable, Most of the vendors don't allow manual selection of the higher channels, e.g Apple Airport. Channel bonding is used in Orbi in the 2.4 GHz band to provide 40 Mhz wide channels

 


@xPhilx wrote:

- Does this support 802.11ac Wave 2 (Up to 160Mhz) ? 


No not the "whole" Wave 2 addendum. MU-MIMO is supported but PHY rate is still 1.3 Gbps, MAC throughput is 845 Mbps and channel width is max 80 Mpbs,

 


@xPhilx wrote:

- Does it support setting manual DFS channels for SSIDs? How About Backhaul? 


DFS channels can't be manually selected neither for Fronthaul nor Backhaul.

 


@xPhilx wrote:

- What is the number of spatial streams in here? 2x2? 3x3? How about the backhaul network?


Max 2x2 in Orbi (2 spacial streams)

 


@xPhilx wrote:

- Channel Bond the Backhaul network using Channel 52 and up (hopefuly to 160Mhz, if not 80Mhz)

- Channel Bond my 5Ghz WLAN using channel 116 and up (DFS Range) 


Only the Fronthaul channels are selectable (this is not channel bonding by the way! 🙂 ), and only channels 36, 40, 44 and 48. The backhaul is using all other higher channels but not selectable.

Most countries' regulations do not allow manual selection of DFS channels and I think that's why NG and many other vendors do not allow manual selection of those channels.

 Also please look here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Wireless-Speed/m-p/1660226/highlight/true#M44756

 

I hope that this helps 🙂

Good luck

Message 4 of 6
xPhilx
Aspirant

Re: RBK50 Technical Information / DFS Channel Support

Thank you so much for all the answers. 

That definitelly helped me in not buying this product. My 5Ghz space is a clusterbomb in my area and without being able to manage which radios frequencies I am using, my Tx Retransmit rate is going to be so high that it won't make sense to upgrade to kinda downgrade. It's  a shame, it's a pretty solid hardware that just needs more flexibility in the settings, hopefuly in the future they will allow that or at least a "power user" mode. 

Message 5 of 6
ekhalil
Master

Re: RBK50 Technical Information / DFS Channel Support


@xPhilx wrote:

......., it's a pretty solid hardware that just needs more flexibility in the settings, hopefuly in the future they will allow that or at least a "power user" mode. 


I agree. Since the Orbi hardware has the good capabilities and excellent specs -as it is now- I'm sure more flexibility will be gradually built in the Orbi firmware that will make it one of the best mesh systems.

Message 6 of 6
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