I recently purchased an Orbi rbr50 to improve the WiFi range on the second floor as my cable ISP combo (Hitron coda) could not reach prior to this. So I’ve installed the RBR router on my main floor with the provided Ethernet cable to the ISP modem. The satellite is upstairs. I have the gateway disabled on the ISP modem/router (I assume this is all that’s needed to bridge the modem). I am running the latest firmware 2.5.1.16
Upstairs, I currently get 259mbps on speed test vs 22mbps and 44mbps before so clearly an improvement.
I would like to know which method has the fastest WiFi speeds and any other pro cons:
Option 1: bridge the modem as I have now Or Option 2: leave the modem unbridged but bridge the router and run in AP mode
Upstairs I do have a PS4 running wireless for now until I get a powerline that I connect it to the router downstairs.
By default, Beamforming, MU MIMO and fast roaming are turned off. Can I enable this or is there a downside?
The general consensus is that it is best to have only one router, either the ISP device or the Orbi.
I sincerely doubt that the choice will make any observable difference unless you have gigabit service from the ISP.
The decision boils down to "which router do you prefer?"
If the ISP router has features that appeal to you, or seems "more intuitive to manage", that is a reason to keep it the "router".
If Orbi router features appeal more to you (for example if you want Bitdefender Armor or Disney Circle) or prefer the Orbi administration to the ISP administration, those are factors in favor of the Orbi being the router.
Do you want to use features such as VPN (into your network when away) or port forwarding (to game servers, etc.) then which platform makes those features the easiest to implement?
As far as what it takes to put the ISP device into "bridge mode", there is an easy way to tell if you were successful.
What does the Orbi report as the IP address of its WAN interface? If it is a "private" IP, then the ISP device is still a router.
I would like to know which method has the fastest WiFi speeds and any other pro cons:
Option 1: bridge the modem as I have now Or Option 2: leave the modem unbridged but bridge the router and run in AP mode
Upstairs I do have a PS4 running wireless for now until I get a powerline that I connect it to the router downstairs.
By default, Beamforming, MU MIMO and fast roaming are turned off. Can I enable this or is there a downside?
I prefer having the Orbi router controlling all the devices. This way, IMHO, the GUI and app work better and you reap the benefits of the Orbi system.
You want to turn on Beam Forming and MU MIMO. Leave Fast Roaming off.
If you have more than one satellite, and the satellite is connecting to another satellite, enable daisy chaining. If not, keep it disabled.
I'd like to add that if you get a powerline (network cable) run upstairs, from the downstairs Orbi router, you would benefit by plugging it into the upstairs Orbi satellite, as wired backhaul is always better, in most cases than wireless backhaul. You could then benefit further by plugging your playstation into the upstairs Orbi for a faster throughput.
CrimpOn - Thanks. I do have a 1GB from the ISP and yes preferred to have ORBI manage the router due to more capability. With the better range from Orbi due to its satellite, I couldn’t see any value with letting the ISP manage the router.
Mstrbig - Thanks. I did set the advanced settings as above (1 satellite so disabled daisy chain and enabled MU-MIMO and beam forming and my Iphone XR right next to the router with speed test is at about 300mbps. I’ll run some tests wired to gauge what more I can get from the ISP as for a 1GB Line I expect more.
Side note: Since sometimes phones connect to the WIFI via 2.4Ghz, probably because it's signal is stronger, try forgetting the WIFI on the phone and re-join it. My Samsung was connecting 2.4Ghz randomly lowering my speed. Since I forgot the network and re-joined I always connect 5Ghz on all 3 nodes.
I'd like to add that if you get a powerline (network cable) run upstairs, from the downstairs Orbi router, you would benefit by plugging it into the upstairs Orbi satellite, as wired backhaul is always better, in most cases than wireless backhaul. You could then benefit further by plugging your playstation into the upstairs Orbi for a faster throughput.
I'd like to add that if you get a powerline (network cable) run upstairs, from the downstairs Orbi router, you would benefit by plugging it into the upstairs Orbi satellite, as wired backhaul is always better, in most cases than wireless backhaul. You could then benefit further by plugging your playstation into the upstairs Orbi for a faster throughput.
And one nice thing about wired backhaul, especially if in a large home, is you get better, more even coverage throughout the home, and don't have to worry about wireless backhaul interference, slowing down the connection. When I run a speed test from my phone in the same area as my Orbi router or satellites, I get more than 2/3rds of my ISP purchased speed. And when using the ports on the back for wired devices, they are truly wired devices.
