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Forum Discussion
Setting up a new Orbi RBE772
I just ordered a new Orbi 772 system, to replace my older Nighthawk R7800 router. What exactly are the differences between the main Home network and the other two, IoT and Guest? Specifically, what ...
Many of these questions will be answered in the User Manual:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RBE773/RBE771_RBE770_UM.pdf
The primary WiFi network is always active and always supports all WiFi bands. None can be disabled or have their SSID "hidden".
The Guest WiFi network is optional, intended for "guests", i.e. devices that are not permanently using the network. Devices connected to the Guest WiFi cannot connect with devices on the primary network. As the Guest WiFi can be enabled or disabled at will and the credentials can be changed without affecting any of the permanent devices, this allows the user to provide WiFi to "guests" whenever it is wanted without sacrificing the security of the primary network password. Nighthawk routers have the same feature.
The Internet of Things (IoT) WiFi network is Netgear's answer for customers who purchase devices that are difficult to connect to their mesh WiFi system. There are a small number of devices which are very frustrating to set up when the smartphone running their app is connected to WiFi at 5G (or 6G). If the user could temporarily shut down the primary WiFi 5G service, or perhaps disable the SSID broadcast, then they could basically "turn off" their home WiFi, set up this new device, and then restore the network. After about 7 years of customers begging Netgear to provide this feature, the solution was to add another WiFi network (IoT) that has this capability. Use it or not.... your choice.
Thanks for the great explanations, as I did not get that understanding from the manual.
To expand on these concepts, can devices on the IoT connect to each other? Same question for devices on the Guest network. I realize they cannot connect to devices on the Home network.
And how do devices on any of these networks connect using their own appropriate band, since all the bands appear to be active simultaneously?
IoT netowrk can connect and communicate with the main WLAN network and each other.
Guest Network is Isolated from the main WLAN and IoT networks.
Makes sense.
Finally, how does the Primary or Guest network select the proper band to use, based on the capabilities of the device connected to it (e.g. a Smartphone that can use either bands)?
A device containing a WiFi chip that supports only one band, typically 2.4G because (a) it cost less, (b) 2.4G has greater reach, and (c) the device consumes very little data, can only detect and connect to that band.
In most cases, the device compares the strength and stability of the 2.4G, 5G, (and possibly 6G) channels and asks to associate with one of them.
There are some WiFi systems which employ band steering in an attempt to influence which band a device asks to associate with. They often delay responding to one band in hopes that the device will "give up on it" and select the other band.
It's a very complicated subject.
- I have numerous 2.4Ghz IoT devices, some of which were a pain to connect, even using the Orbi-IoT SSID.
The Orbi IoT SSID can be configured to use only 2.4Ghz or both 2,4 & 5Ghz (as newer IoT devices expand into 5Ghz band). For onboarding IoT’s, it’s best to use only 2.4Ghz (not 2.4 and 5 GHz) unless the IOT is 5Ghz. But some of my IoT’s easily onboarded to the Main Orbi SSID (which uses 2.4/5/6 GHz).
Since all my IoT devices only operate at 2.4Ghz, on the Connected Devices option of the Orbi App, some of my IoT devices show they are connected to (router/satellite) 2.4Ghz, and some show (router/satellite) IoT 2.4Ghz. There is no advantage/disadvantage as Furrrye38 pointed out they can communicate across Main-to-IoT SSID.
If you are lucky enough to have a 2.4Ghz IoT device that’s smart enough to be “onboarded” to the main SSID (which means your phone can be communicating with main SSID on 2.4/5/6Ghz band but the 2.4 IoT will properly onboard to the main SSID at 2.4Ghz.
Some IoT devices will only onboard if the 2.4 IoT device is being configured by a phone that’s also connected on the same SSID at 2.4Ghz (thus, NetGear’s reasoning to offer an IoT SSID that can be configured for 2.4 or 2.4/5Ghz). If you have problem IoT onboarding’s, you must restrict the IoT SSID to only 2.4Ghz, thus, when your phone connects to the IoT SSID, it will be connected at 2.4 GHz.
The IoT SSID 2.4 vs 2.4/5Ghz config option is available via the Orbi web gui app, I dont remember the exact web gui screen (it seems like it’s the Wireless screen, or maybe the Advanced Setup screen or called something similar). There are multiple locations where the Orbi web gui instructions are available on either Netgear.com, or through this Community.- I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max. I believe it was the first version to use Wifi6E (the first 6Ghz band offering). I think the new IPhone 16 (maybe only pro versions?) are WiFi7 capable (which also uses the 6Ghz band to achieve much much faster speeds than WiFi 6E.
With that said, in my iPhone settings when I select the Orbi Main SSID, there is a Wifi6E option that allows me to toggle it off. This effectively limits my phone’s (15 Pro Max) capability to connect to WiFi at 2.4 and 5Ghz bands. I’m not sure if the latest iPhone 16’s Wifi7 has a similar capability, so there may be other ways to “turn off” a WiFi band, and not put the responsibility on Netgear.
I think some of the more “senior” (I use that term in only the most flattering of ways!) Community members were helping others on this Community when some of the previous Orbi units were developed and introduced with the capability to turn-off (or it might have been the capability to turn the WiFi power down a bit??), but it no longer matters as NG has discontinued offering any option to turn off/down any WiFi band. Thus, they gave us the 2.4Ghz IoT.
