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Unable to connect to one satellite

ktula
Apprentice

Unable to connect to one satellite

Router model: RBR50

Firmware version: V2.1.2.18

 

Satellites model: RBS50

Firmware version: V2.1.2.18

 

I have a 3-storey house. Because of how the Ethernet cables are pre-wired in the house when it was built, i have to place the Orbi Router on the 3rd floor. The two Orbi Satellites are installed on the 1st and 2nd floors. The Ethernet cable from the cable modem is connected directly to Orbi Router. Another Eternet cable connects the Orbi Router to a 5-port Netgear gigabit switch, which is plugged with the pre-wired Ethernet cables in the house. On the 2nd floor, another 5-port Netgear gigabit switch is connected to a pre-wired RJ-45 port in the outlet and one port of the switch is connected with the Orbi Satellite. On the 1st floor, the Orbi Satellite is set up similar to the 2nd floor.

 

I am having problem with the Orbi Satellite on the 1st floor. The Orbi admin page would report the "Backhaul status" of the Satellites as good. However, when any device attempts to connect to the WiFi network via the 1st floor Satellite, it would fail. I know the 1st floor Satellite is the culprit because if i move to the second floor, i have no problem connecting to the WiFi network. To eliminate any potential hardware issue in the 1st floor Satellite, i swapped it with the 2nd floor Satellite. Initially after swapping, the 1st floor Satellite (it used to be the Satellite on the 2nd floor) would not have any issue. But hours later, the issue would re-occur. There is no ring light indicating any sync issue. However, if i power the 1st floor Satellite off and on, the ring light will turn magenta and will stay magenta for a while.

 

The logs in the Netgear Orbi admin page do not provide enough information to tell me what is going on. Is there a way to find out why the 1st floor Satellite is behaving this way? 

Model: RBK53| Orbi Router + 2 Satellites Orbi WiFi System
Message 1 of 2
ktula
Apprentice

Re: Unable to connect to one satellite

I got a ticket opened with Netgear support but they have not been very helpful. Even though i have mentioned quite a few times that the Orbi system is set up with wired Ethernet backhaul, i was asked to confirm again in the second response that my system was set up with wired backhaul! Also, how many times do i need to tell support the length of the wire between the router and the problematic satellite? 

 

I have repeatedly asked Netgear support if there was a way to run the Orbi system in debug log so that it could collect useful information on why the 1st floor satellite would become unresponsive after a while (and remains that way). When the satellite becomes unresponsive, as it is now, even though the Orbi web admin Attached Devices page still indicate the "backhaul status" as "good", these are the symtoms:

  • I can't ping the IP address of the satellite (the other satellite is fine).
  • Devices are not able to acquire IP address from the satellite (if i move to other floors, i have no problem connecting to the WiFi network) and therefore unable to connect to the WiFi network.
  • The Netgear Orbi iOS app does not show the "bad" satellite so only the router and the other functioning satellite show up.

Has anyone else in the community experienced this issue?

Model: RBK53| Orbi Router + 2 Satellites Orbi WiFi System
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