Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

AndreGr
Aspirant

AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

Hello everyone,

seems I have also faced with the issue as many other already posted here on the forum:

Orbi AX4200 RBK753 (RBR750) does not work properly in AP mode with its satellites (RBS750):

1) it cannot pair with satellites;

2) but if paired - it doesn't sync wifi settings to satellites!

 

Netgear, guys, pls, fix this issues with AP mode in RBR750 ASAP!!

 

I have convinced my friend to buy product from Netgear insted of another vendor promising that it works really good, but instead got issue with a such simple but quite common thing as AP mode! As result I have already wasted around 6 hours during last two days until I figured out that issue is actually with Netgear product and not with my network! Smiley SadSmiley SadSmiley Mad

 

So my scenario was the following:

  1. I have separate router which manages my internet connections (pfSense based);
  2. I have added RBR750 (in AP mode) with 4 Satellites (RBS750) which are connected via LinkSys LGS116 switch;
  3. So first of all it took me really much time to sync two additional RBS, until I realized that Netgear made such an obvious BUG in its firmware so it can not sync properly in AP mode, so after switching to Router mode - sync was completed.
  4. Then I started setting up WiFi and figured out that WIFI settings were not distributed properly to satellites: NetSpot showed that router and satellites aired wifi in different modes:
    img (1).jpg
  5. Despite the fact that all satellites a showed as synced (all of the have reserved IP addresses on the DHCP server):
    img (2).jpg
  6. Only after I switched RBR750 to Router mode (what is not applicable to my network) WIFI settings distributed properly to all satellites:
    img (3).jpg
  7. I do confirm that Router and all Satellites are updated to the latest firmware version (4.6.5.14).

 

There are several related topics:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/RBR750-in-AP-Mode-on-same-network/td-p/2159382

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/Can-t-add-setellites-to-RBR750-in-AP...

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/Orbi-RBR750-and-RBS750-not-syncing-i...

 

Some of them have marked as solution recommendation to switch to Router mode, but that is not a solution - that is just some temporary workaround which cannot be accepted as solution.

 

Netgear, pls address this issue as soon as possible!!

Message 1 of 10
SW_
Prodigy
Prodigy

Re: AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

Your post made me curious as I have a similar setup (AP + 4 Sats). My setup has a newer FW version, but using wireless backhaul. All 5GHz Channel/Band are as expected. Might want to check out the latest FW version to see if that helps.  Good luck!

 

Orbi WiFi Bands.png

 

Message 2 of 10
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

Its working for me with my 7 series when I tested this on v5 FW:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/Can-t-add-setellites-to-RBR750-in-AP...


@AndreGr wrote:

Hello everyone,

seems I have also faced with the issue as many other already posted here on the forum:

Orbi AX4200 RBK753 (RBR750) does not work properly in AP mode with its satellites (RBS750):

1) it cannot pair with satellites;

2) but if paired - it doesn't sync wifi settings to satellites!

 

Netgear, guys, pls, fix this issues with AP mode in RBR750 ASAP!!

 

I have convinced my friend to buy product from Netgear insted of another vendor promising that it works really good, but instead got issue with a such simple but quite common thing as AP mode! As result I have already wasted around 6 hours during last two days until I figured out that issue is actually with Netgear product and not with my network! Smiley SadSmiley SadSmiley Mad

 

So my scenario was the following:

  1. I have separate router which manages my internet connections (pfSense based);
  2. I have added RBR750 (in AP mode) with 4 Satellites (RBS750) which are connected via LinkSys LGS116 switch;
  3. So first of all it took me really much time to sync two additional RBS, until I realized that Netgear made such an obvious BUG in its firmware so it can not sync properly in AP mode, so after switching to Router mode - sync was completed.
  4. Then I started setting up WiFi and figured out that WIFI settings were not distributed properly to satellites: NetSpot showed that router and satellites aired wifi in different modes:
    img (1).jpg
  5. Despite the fact that all satellites a showed as synced (all of the have reserved IP addresses on the DHCP server):
    img (2).jpg
  6. Only after I switched RBR750 to Router mode (what is not applicable to my network) WIFI settings distributed properly to all satellites:
    img (3).jpg
  7. I do confirm that Router and all Satellites are updated to the latest firmware version (4.6.5.14).

 

There are several related topics:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/RBR750-in-AP-Mode-on-same-network/td-p/2159382

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/Can-t-add-setellites-to-RBR750-in-AP...

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/Orbi-RBR750-and-RBS750-not-syncing-i...

 

Some of them have marked as solution recommendation to switch to Router mode, but that is not a solution - that is just some temporary workaround which cannot be accepted as solution.

 

Netgear, pls address this issue as soon as possible!!


 

Message 3 of 10
AndreGr
Aspirant

Re: AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

Hi guys,

 

thank you for your replies! I am just reporting here the behaviour I have confirmed with several tests:

 

  • Issue #1: No possibility to sync new Satellites in AP mode. Only after I switched to Router mode - I was able to sync two additional Satellites (it was RBK753 originally).
    Here I spent around 3 to 4 hours trying to sync them in different ways, e.g.: via wire, via wifi, connected directly to the Router, etc. Until I gave up and switched to Router mode.

  • Issue #2: Once all Satellites got synced I noticed that they work in different WiFi modes (which were set during sync in Router mode). Changed WIFI settings (e.g. channel) was not propagated to the Satellites and only applied to the Router.
    Here I spent also around 2 hours trying different approaches like switch off everything, switch on Router and ensure its WIFI in right mode, then switching on Satellites one by one and observing that they do not pick up right WIFI settings from Router and instead use settings from the time when they were synced in Router mode.

 

@SW_, in case you would have time - you may try to change WIFI channel on your Router and then verify whether updated channel was applied to all Satellites as well.

 

FYI: In my case Satellites connected to the Router by wires via LinkSys LGS116 switch. Once again: simply by changing from AP mode to Router mode and without any changes in the network topology - everything starts working fine. When in AP mode - WIFI settings are not applied to Satellites. So for me it is a confirmation that issue related not to the switch or wires or whatever else on my side, but instead related to the AP mode, or am I missing something?

 

By the way: when I unpacked RBK753 and additional Satellites they were on firmware version 3.X. So first of all I have updated them to the latest available version 4.6.5.14, but without performing factory reset after upgrade. Anyway, I could not believe that it could be the reason of the Issues listed above...? 😉

 

Thanks!

 

 

Message 4 of 10
AndreGr
Aspirant

Re: AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

As per:

Its working for me with my 7 series when I tested this on v5 FW:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/Can-t-add-setellites-to-RBR750-in-AP...

@FURRYe38, thank you for linking that post. I just went through it and realized that there is newer firmware version available via your link (V4.6.7.5) comparing to the firmware posted on the official website (V4.6.5.14).

Yeah, I might need to try it out as well, but gosh it will again take few hours... Bit complicated as I am helping my friend in his premises, so will need to arrange time again for new tests...

 

Anyway, thanks for pointing out to that post. Basically I went through the same issues as mentioned in that post...

Message 5 of 10
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

Yes, give the pre-release version a try. It worked on my 7 series. 

 

Message 6 of 10
SW_
Prodigy
Prodigy

Re: AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly


@AndreGr wrote:

Hi guys,

...

@SW_, in case you would have time - you may try to change WIFI channel on your Router and then verify whether updated channel was applied to all Satellites as well.

...

 


@AndreGr,

 

Just made a change to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels and both changes are propagatged as expected.

 

Orbi New WiFi Bands.png

Message 7 of 10
SW_
Prodigy
Prodigy

Re: AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

@AndreGr,

 

One thing you could try to verify if the changes are propagated correctly to all Sats is to rename the SSID to something new so that none of your WiFi clients can connect to it. WiFi clients can affect Sat's WiFi "Bands" seen via NetSpot if that client has trouble with 80MHz or 40MHz and decides to switch to 20MHz for better connection.

Message 8 of 10
AndreGr
Aspirant

Re: AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

@SW_, thank you for testing wifi changes propagation and great that it worked well. As per ssid name change - yeah, I did that as well, but had no luck in AP Mode.

 

Seems issues that I am observing with RBR750 & RBS750 - are due to the outdated version of firmware (V4.6.5.14) which I downloaded from the official website whereas more recent version (V4.6.7.5) is available (posted in this community forum by @FURRYe38) and which I overlooked as was in a kind of rush and didn't expect issues from Netgear...

 

Hopefully after upgrade to the recent version - everything will be resolved. Will post update here once it is done (might take some time as need to plan this with my friend whom I am helping with this setup).

 

Once again, many thanks for your replies in this topic!

Message 9 of 10
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: AP mode BUG: RBR750 and RBS750 do not operate properly

Let us know how it works out for you. 

Message 10 of 10
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