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Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

Akahogan
Tutor

As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

I have now been using my Orbi for six months. I spent over a month trying to work with NetGear (lack of) tech support and got nowhere. I have read articles, tried different settings, it is just not performing. I see the reviews and cannot figure out why it is having such issues. One moment I have 200Mbs, the next it is 2.5Mbs (Internet is 450Mbs). The signal drops for no reason and comes back up a minute or two later. I have struggled with interruptions on video calls, meetings. etc.

 

I have used every piece of guidance available, changed settings, used default, rebooted a hundred times...I am done trying to make this work. I even tried using a Network Monitoring tool to try and help diagnose the issues.  

 

I am moving on to another brand and hopefully leaving this poor experience behind me...along with the brand.

 

If you have had these issues and found a silve bullet solution, let me know. Otherwise I will be connecting through something more reliable.

Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 1 of 12
Mstrbig
Master

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

Not to be disrespectful, but I have never found any issues with any Netgear product unless it was defective out of the box.

Most of the time it is human error or improper configuration that causes slow internet, intermittant drops, etc. 

Why not start from the beginning and post the following:

Who is your ISP and what equipment did they provide?
What is the current firmware on your Orbi device?
What device is your Orbi router connected to, and how?

Message 2 of 12
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

Good Luck.  I have begun "looking around" at which WiFi6 product to buy (in a year or so), and find that user forums reveal major disappointment for many brands.  True, happy customers do not post complaints, but still.....

 

The forum is usually pretty responsive when users describe issues in detail.  Oh, well.

Message 3 of 12
Mstrbig
Master

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds


@CrimpOn wrote:

Good Luck.  I have begun "looking around" at which WiFi6 product to buy (in a year or so), and find that user forums reveal major disappointment for many brands.  True, happy customers do not post complaints, but still.....

 

The forum is usually pretty responsive when users describe issues in detail.  Oh, well.


In a year WIFI 6 will have improved, come down on price and have a vast amount of support. Then again 5G may be a viable competitor if the promises become reality. There's advantages to both, but if 5G is affordable, covers what they say, and supported devices are reasonable, one may be able to take their entire network on the road, if needed. 

Sad thing is, from what I've seen on forums is, the problems OP's are having are mostly repairable. And the ones that aren't repairable are usually because of old, defective or misconfigured add on equipment, bad cabling or switches, positioning, etc.

IMHO if an end user cannot figure it out, with the help of foprums, it's time to call a professional. One hour later there is a happy customer.

Message 4 of 12
astonerii
Star

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

What on earth does the provider have to do with wifi signals? 

Sir, I think the reason your router is not working is because your car tires are too low!

Message 5 of 12
Mstrbig
Master

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds


Sounds like the infamous WIFI interference, if you strength is jumping around. That's not an Orbi issue. That's everyone's problem these days. The more WIFI people install, the greater the possibility there will be interference. You just have to find a less crowded channel.


Also try these settings if you have not done so already:
Disable Circle, Armor, Daisy Chaining, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and uncheck 20/40Mhz Coexistence.
Enable WMM, Implicit BeamForming, Mu-MIMO
Set Short preamble mode. Save settings, reboot Orbi.

 

Message 6 of 12
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

Some ISP Modems/ONT/FIOS ext come with built in routers and wifi radios. Somes users don't understand that these combo units can and do interfer or cause interference problems if users go to install Orbi WiFi systems. So yes, ISP hardware can effect tire pressure. Smiley Very Happy


@astonerii wrote:

What on earth does the provider have to do with wifi signals? 

Sir, I think the reason your router is not working is because your car tires are too low!


 

Message 7 of 12
astonerii
Star

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

I disabled the wifi on my AT&T, it did not help anything.

I moved the Orbi to the other end of house where the AT&T barely gives 20 Mbps connections, chaining together 2 25' CAT5e cables, and still no love. 

While I appreciate the idea that interference is a thing, when you shell out for what are in effect flagship devices, you tend to expect that those issues are minimized. 

If the interference is from my AT&T WiFi then turning off the AT&T WiFi should have fixed it. 

If on the other hand, it is general WiFi polution, then I would not get good signals from the satellites.

Like I said, I moved my base unit across the house, which just so happens to be where I put one of the satellites, and the base unit still misbehaves just like before.

If it is anything other than some kind of defect in the base unit I will be extremely surprised. 

Anyways, the wife is going through and seeing if she can get better results. Once she gives up, I will look into some of those settings you listed above. I do not think many of them exist in this unit.

Message 8 of 12
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

Please continue to post over in your Orbi AX post:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-AX/Are-all-RBR750s-defective/td-p/1980069/jump-to/first-unread...

 

Thank you. 


@astonerii wrote:

I disabled the wifi on my AT&T, it did not help anything.

I moved the Orbi to the other end of house where the AT&T barely gives 20 Mbps connections, chaining together 2 25' CAT5e cables, and still no love. 

While I appreciate the idea that interference is a thing, when you shell out for what are in effect flagship devices, you tend to expect that those issues are minimized. 

If the interference is from my AT&T WiFi then turning off the AT&T WiFi should have fixed it. 

If on the other hand, it is general WiFi polution, then I would not get good signals from the satellites.

Like I said, I moved my base unit across the house, which just so happens to be where I put one of the satellites, and the base unit still misbehaves just like before.

If it is anything other than some kind of defect in the base unit I will be extremely surprised. 

Anyways, the wife is going through and seeing if she can get better results. Once she gives up, I will look into some of those settings you listed above. I do not think many of them exist in this unit.


 

Message 9 of 12
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

Any progress on this? 


@Akahogan wrote:

I have now been using my Orbi for six months. I spent over a month trying to work with NetGear (lack of) tech support and got nowhere. I have read articles, tried different settings, it is just not performing. I see the reviews and cannot figure out why it is having such issues. One moment I have 200Mbs, the next it is 2.5Mbs (Internet is 450Mbs). The signal drops for no reason and comes back up a minute or two later. I have struggled with interruptions on video calls, meetings. etc.

 

I have used every piece of guidance available, changed settings, used default, rebooted a hundred times...I am done trying to make this work. I even tried using a Network Monitoring tool to try and help diagnose the issues.  

 

I am moving on to another brand and hopefully leaving this poor experience behind me...along with the brand.

 

If you have had these issues and found a silve bullet solution, let me know. Otherwise I will be connecting through something more reliable.


 

Message 10 of 12
Akahogan
Tutor

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

Those of you attempting to provide technical support for people in this community, thank you for doing more than Netgear to fix the problems.

 

Those of you continuing to have issues regardless of what recommendations you try, I feel your pain.  I tried everything given as recommendations, disrupted my home many times rebooting, reconfiguring, moving, adjusting, etc.  Nothing works.

 

What is worse, is that they could improve the software to help identify the issues (conflicts in signals, monitoring channels for least chatter (not the point in time, but over the course of a day), etc.) and help recommend best adjustments to be made.  Consider it a small AI for the router.  However, they don't and won't.

 

This is my last Netgear device and the sad part, even if they came back and said they will now try to fix it I would still not recommend them. I don't want to use a product where the company only provides the support that should have been there from the start when they are threatened with leaving as a customer. I want a proactive company that goes after solutions and customer service as part of their core beliefs.

 

Netgear received the money from my purchase, so Netgear: 1, Me: 0. Netgear wasted my time for over a month with poor support actions and pushing past free warranty support period, Netgear: 2, Me: 0.  I am still struggling with the device daily and getting by 'good enough' until I replace it, Netgear: 3, Me: 0. Netgear has lost me as a long term advocate and customer, Game Over.

 

Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 11 of 12
Mstrbig
Master

Re: As I prepare to purchase something other than NetGear - Dropped signals and inconsistent speeds

There is a time, when it's beneficial to hire a professional to do a proper installation.

Unless the unit is absolutely defective (I don't think that many are), I have never found a mesh system, (any brand) I couldn't configure.

A professional will get it configured properly. 

I deal with pretty much every brand wireless mesh system. And the funny thing is, no matter what wireless mesh brand forum you go to, there are people irritated and switching to another brand. In the end every mesh system are all pretty much the same, with the exception of memory, speed, coverage, features and price.

In closing here's a funny story:

Yesterday I performed an upgrade install, using an RBK753 AX Orbi system. None of the wireless devices came back up. No cameras were working. I was frustrated and tried everything I could with no luck. Then I went into the wireless settings after about an hour of frustration, and found I named the wireless network wrong. It was originally Geronimo and I named it Geromimo.

Message 12 of 12
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