Anyone with entire network drop problem NOT using a Pixel 2?

[jasonjason]

I won't rehash the entire issue, but I (along with many others) have been experiencing the issue where your entire network drops (Orbi Router appears to reboot). This happens intermittently, sometimes multiple times in an hour. I have been able to go as long as 36 hours without a reboot.

Many of us suspect it may happen only when our Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL phones are on the network.

This issue started about 2-3 weeks ago for me, which happens to coincide with my Pixel 2 XL update from 8.1 beta to 8.1 production. I've tried the newest beta and 3 newest production firmwares on my Orbi, with no improvements.

So, as many of us in the community are trying to figure out how the hell to fix this so that our houses can function again: Are you having this issue and DO NOT have a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL phone connect to your network?

[jasonjason]

I noticed the deletion. Here is the response I had typed up to you before your message vanished.

I've had my Orbi RBK53 for about a year and I've LOVED it. I've recommended it to several people. I wish it had better configurability, because I like tweeking things, but it's worked very well without that.

While I recognize that Google seems to have messed up by releasing something in 8.1 that wasn't in their beta builds, a client device shouldn't be able to blow up my entire wireless network several times a day. And I wish we'd get some sort of acknowledgement of the issue and a workaround from Netgear until they can push a fix.

This issue is very bad for those of us who are cordcutters and have several smart home connected devices. We spent the extra money on a high end consumer device like the Orbi because good, reliable internet is an important thing to us.

As swappedsr said, there are many of us IT professionals wasting our own time trying to troubleshoot this, because that's what we do. I may go poking around in there via telnet after work to see if I can find better logs than can be found at /debug.html

[swappedsr]

Let me try and repost without moderator's name.  

This is a major issue, and I have one in the box right now ready to be returned unless someone from netgear responds.  I have someone in the family having this exact issue with Android 8.1 causing Orbi reboots.  I fear that Netgear has no idea how to fix this problem and the reason why they haven't responded.  Netgear, this is your platform to inform your many customers experiencing this problem where you guys are at with a fix.  You obviously are aware this is a problem and to not respond on this issue in the many threads regarding this is disheartening.  I am sure there are many customers here that would like to keep the Orbi, but if there is no response regarding the problem, expect a lot of Orbi returns and bad publicity.

Is there any verbose logging that can be turned on in the Orbi for additional troubleshooting?  There are customers here to help troubleshoot the issue and can recreate this problem.  Many IT guys here that are willing to give up there time to fix the problem, myself being one of them.  

[swappedsr]

The moderator has time to delete my post, but not time to respond to the issue we have?  Wow, just wow. 

[swappedsr]

I have recommended this to my boss and installed it for home.  Didn't have any issues, but he has no android devices.  I then recommended it to my brother and he now has issues because of the Android devices he has.  These were both recommendations to the RBK50, which I also have right now new in the box.  Have you talked to Netgear on the phone yet?

[jasonjason]

I haven't called Netgear. I figure if there is a fix to the issue it would be posted on the community forums. With 2 small children, it's hard to stay on the phone for hours at a time with tech support in hopes of being escalated to someone that can solve the issue.

I'm also participating in a post on Google's support community where others have the same problem with Pixel wifi and mesh systems. Another user said he is going to turn the Wifi back on for his Asus router and keep his pixel phone connected to it so it doesn't join the Orbi wifi. I'm going to try that tonight for the time being just so that we can watch TV, listen to music, talk to Google Home, play video games, and surf the internet without constant disconnections.

[swappedsr]

Actually, not a bad idea.  Just use an old router and set it up as access point and connect it to the main orbi, then just connect the phones to the access point.  This will keep every device in the same subnet to make it easy for those that need their phones to connect to their smart equipment.

I wouldn't even bother troubleshooting at this point, it is clear Netgear is steering clear of this issue.  Wouldn't doubt it that the moderator has been told not to respond regarding this issue.  You saw that a mod deleted my post rather than respond to the issue at hand.  A good vendor will always inform their customers that an issue has been presented to them and they are working hard to resolve the problem.  If they won't acknowledge the problem, that is not a good vendor.  Best to just replace it with something better or try the workaround with an access point and hope they fix it soon.  I doubt I will be doing the latter.  

[netgearguy]

I had a RBK30 (RBR40/RBW30) system and had repeated entire network drops (ethernet and wi-fi) w/no Pixel devices in the house, on both 2.0 and 2.1 FW.  Phones: Samsung S7 Edge, Samsung Note 5, Samsung S5, iPhone 6p, Nexus 6P. The iPHone and Nexus are work devices and rarely used...probably used the iPhone a couple times while I had the Orbi, Nexus maybe once.  

I've since returned the Orbi system and am trying out an Eero system. 

[turnerm05]

My Orbi has gone into the pile of shame (pile of hardware that has been a flop for me).  The fact that Netgear refuses to respond to the multiple threads on the issue is all I needed to know.

I bought and setup my Eero system on Saturday.  It's been rock solid.  It's not as fast as Orbi but it's good enough (I mean - the worst speeds I get are around 80-90 and I'm getting 150+ in most spots around the house).

For what it's worth, it's not just the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2.  I have an original Pixel and a Nexus 6P.  Both have this issue.  And it's absolutely related to Android 8+ as my Nexus 6P hadn't been used for months.  I charged it up, tried it out for 2 days with no issue.  I upgraded it to Android 8 and it quickly crashed my Orbi.

I'm absolutely appaled that Netgear has yet to reply ONCE on any of these threads.  What a bunch of pansies.  I'm out.  Orbi could've been superb (and it was for many months) but they've lost me for good and I assume many more will follow suit very shortly.

[swappedsr]

Netgear guy: What android versions were you running on those devices?  Seems like it is tied to 8.1 and not just the pixel phones.  

It really is pretty sad they aren't responding, figured I would give it a shot to have one of their mods respond, but they don't.  You better believe they are reading these posts as they deleted one of my posts already.  Shame.  Even though I am probably not keeping mine, Netgear upper management needs to be aware of this lack of support and communication.  I will give them a call when I can.  

[gurase]

I just hooked up my old Asus N66U and boxed up my Orbi RBK30 because I don’t have time to keep dealing with this. Same as everyone else, Pixel 2 on 8.1 causing the router to reboot. I think I read that some people on 2.1 firmware with other devices were having reboot issues, but I’ve tried 3 different firmwares with the same results.

The Pixel 2’s wifi issues should be isolated to the device; it is entirely Netgear’s fault that those issues are causing the router to reboot.

[netgearguy]

@swappedsr - the Nexus 6P has Android 8.0.0 on it. I haven't updated it to 8.1 yet (assuming there is an 8.1 release for it). 

And unless the issue occurs when the phone is just sitting there not being used, the 6P/Oreo was not related to my problems, as I rarely if ever used it while I was having the problems w/network dropping. 

[turnerm05]

I know for certain that it's at least 8.1 that's causing the issue but I think it may also by 8.0.  

[netgearguy]

I have a replacement RBK30 set coming this Friday. Assuming I don't cancel that order (and it is getting more and more likely each day that I will cancel it, as the Eero setup continues to just work each day w/out any issues or drama) I will test it w/my Nexus 6P both turned off, turned on and on the network unused, and turned on and used.  

[swappedsr]

Yeah not sure if it goes back to version 8.0, but verified 8.1 is indeed an issue. It wouldn’t surprise me that 8.0 has an issue as well. This is definitely an orbi issue and shouldn’t reboot because of a client. As far as getting an RMA, I don’t see how the new one is going to be any different. However, post back with results.

[netgearguy]

Wasn't there an issue with Nexus phones some time back on Nougat where they would cause problems on wi-fi networks, and it was resolved by a FW update on the phones? 

Can't remember the specifics right now. May have had something to do w/affecting printers on the network or something...

[aviatorarun]

I have nexus 6 phone running android 7.0, I have RBK50 - one base unit and two satellites. whenever i go from 1st floor to second, the wifi disconnects at some point and fails to connect to my network again. Every time i have to reboot my phone. I am absolutely no idea, whether this is the problem with my phone or the orbi. My wifie has pixel 1 and it doesnt have any problem at all.