×

Introducing the Orbi 970 Series Mesh System with WiFi 7(BE) technology. For more information visit the NETGEAR Press Room.

Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
Reply

Re: RBR40 What connects to each satellite

dchbbc
Apprentice

RBR40 What connects to each satellite

I have an RBR40 and 3 satellites. They are all over the house. One is the furthest in my garage. Why is it if the main unit is at the opposite side of the house, everything still connects to that instead of the Orbi that is 2 inches away? If I look at the device list for a satellite that I’m right next to, it shows nothing hooked up but the main unit has 16 things on it. They are all working with good signals.

Message 1 of 8

Accepted Solutions
ekhalil
Master

Re: RBR40 What connects to each satellite


@dchbbc wrote:

I have an RBR40 and 3 satellites. They are all over the house. One is the furthest in my garage. Why is it if the main unit is at the opposite side of the house, everything still connects to that instead of the Orbi that is 2 inches away? If I look at the device list for a satellite that I’m right next to, it shows nothing hooked up but the main unit has 16 things on it. They are all working with good signals.


This is how wifi works. If a device has good coverage then the device will stay connected to the base station that it connected to the first time. It will try to connect to another base station or band only if it if it finds another base station with a stonger signal. 

If you have a large area of overlap between the coverage areas of the base stations then the -most probably- all bands will have similar signal streangths. So there will be no situation that the device will find a better signal in another base station to hop over to.

So if your devices are working fine with the furthest station then you have no problems and you don't really need to worry about it or do anything.

 

View solution in original post

Message 3 of 8

All Replies
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR40 What connects to each satellite

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

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.

 

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).

If you updated to recent FW v.210, try enabling Daisy Chain. Some have mentioned that this seems to be working in reverse order, enabling means disabled actually.

Message 2 of 8
ekhalil
Master

Re: RBR40 What connects to each satellite


@dchbbc wrote:

I have an RBR40 and 3 satellites. They are all over the house. One is the furthest in my garage. Why is it if the main unit is at the opposite side of the house, everything still connects to that instead of the Orbi that is 2 inches away? If I look at the device list for a satellite that I’m right next to, it shows nothing hooked up but the main unit has 16 things on it. They are all working with good signals.


This is how wifi works. If a device has good coverage then the device will stay connected to the base station that it connected to the first time. It will try to connect to another base station or band only if it if it finds another base station with a stonger signal. 

If you have a large area of overlap between the coverage areas of the base stations then the -most probably- all bands will have similar signal streangths. So there will be no situation that the device will find a better signal in another base station to hop over to.

So if your devices are working fine with the furthest station then you have no problems and you don't really need to worry about it or do anything.

 

Message 3 of 8
Chuck_M
Mentor

Re: RBR40 What connects to each satellite

Does this mean if you set all your gear up next to each other and THEN place them, that you could have suboptimal connectivity between?

Message 4 of 8
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR40 What connects to each satellite

This would be recommened yes. So that you can make sure the system is updated and configured for your needs. Once this is done, then turn off and place at the remote locations. 

 


@Chuck_M wrote:

Does this mean if you set all your gear up next to each other and THEN place them, that you could have suboptimal connectivity between?


 

Message 5 of 8
ekhalil
Master

Re: RBR40 What connects to each satellite


@Chuck_M wrote:

Does this mean if you set all your gear up next to each other and THEN place them, that you could have suboptimal connectivity between?


Once you move the base stations the devices will search again for the best AP's to connect to. The devices are continously measuring the wifi power level, once the device finds a better wifi level in a new AP the device will try to connect to that better AP.

Message 6 of 8
Chuck_M
Mentor

Re: RBR40 What connects to each satellite


@FURRYe38 wrote:

This would be recommened yes. So that you can make sure the system is updated and configured for your needs. Once this is done, then turn off and place at the remote locations. 

 


@Chuck_M wrote:

Does this mean if you set all your gear up next to each other and THEN place them, that you could have suboptimal connectivity between?


 


This doesnt make sense to me base upon the earlier comment... 

 

Here is why:  If you initially set them up together (next to each other) and they can all clearly see and communicate wiuth the router (base).

 

When you subsequently place them around the house where one can see the base well but the other cant, it sounds like the other will  still try (or prefer) to communicate with the base vice the other sattelite since that was the behavior it learned on setup.

 

Am I getting this concept wrong?

Message 7 of 8
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR40 What connects to each satellite

You can test all of this out once you have the satellites place. Turn them all off accept for one. Test with connecting your devices up. See where they connect, router or satellite. Then turn that one off and turn a different satellite ON and test again. Same for the 3rd satellite. Check to see where the devices are getting connected too. 

 

Can try then with two satellites.

 

Also be sure that Daisy Chain is checked. This actually disabled this feature on this version of FW. If you don't have the satellites in a chain or line out from after each other, Daisy Chain should be disabled. 

Message 8 of 8
Top Contributors
Discussion stats
  • 7 replies
  • 2249 views
  • 1 kudo
  • 4 in conversation
Announcements

Orbi WiFi 7