Cannot access devices across different wifi channels on Orbi

[debauche]

I have a setup in my business where I placed Orbi routers. I have all 3 channels going, and a guest network. However, I cannot access anything on the network from channel 2 or 3 like printers, security cameras..etc.. via IP. I can't ping any of the IP's either. I need to change my phone or computer to the 1st channel to access any of these devices. The dashboard seems very rudimentary and basic compared to an Asus switch and I haven't seen anything that sounds like it would affect this. I don't see the point of multiple channels if I cannot access things across them.

One of the other issues I have that may affect this is when I bought these, all the door access swipes and cameras would crash in the facility. The main Orbi would show all devices as being attached to it, even though I have 2 cisco switches with all teh devices wired to them, and the switches to an edgeswitch, which then goes to the main modem/gateway. The Orbi was off the gateway/router in a different port but somehow would think all these IP's were directly hard connected to it. Orbi support came on and I allowed them access to my system and they couldn't figure out why it was doing this and closed the ticket with no resolution. I was going to return them but eventually after playing around with it for hours it seemed to finally respect the modem handling dhcp and the network no longer crashed. Eventually I will turn the modem to a passthrough but the orbi seems to have an issue with a Hitron modem running dhcp and the orbi acting as a wireless AP. I'm not sure if this plays into the first issue.

setup is Hitron to Orbi and edgeswitch. Hitron handles dhcp. Orbis just handles wifi. Edgeswitch goes to cisco routers which then go to 53 cameras and about the same amount of door switches, sensors, security devices..etc.

[debauche]

Just to clarify, the second "issue" I write about is no longer an issue. The network no longer crashes, but the dashboard for the Orbi shows many many devices as attached to it when it is simply a wireless AP. It shows devices hardwired to it, when they are hardwired into other switches on the network. However, this doesn't seem to affect things so I have learned to just let that go and live with it.

[CrimpOn]

Orbi routers report devices being "wired" when they appear on one of the ethernet ports. It has no way to know how many switches packets have gone through on the way to the Orbi.

I am a bit confused about "I have all 3 channels going, and a guest network".  Would you do me a favor and report the model number that appears on the bottom of the router?  If this is Orbi Pro, there are restrictions on what devices can do based on which of the WiFi SSID's they connect to.

[debauche]

Nothing goes into any of the ethernet ports on the Orbi. There is a line from the Orbi to the Hitron modem.. that's it. All other devices in the facility travel through other switches and come back via fiber to an edgeswitch in the rack, which has a single line to the Hitron. So somehow the orbi is seeing IP's on the network and thinking they are hardwired. There re literally 30+ devices showing as being hardwired.

SRK60 is the setup we bought. Wow would have been nice to know if there were restrictions across SSD's especially when being touted as a business system.

[debauche]

Actually I correct myself. The Orbi goes to teh edgeswitch as well.. single line. SO it's simply a wireless AP that reports numerous hard connecitons.

[CrimpOn]

Thank you for the response.  It is a bit surprising, I agree.  The Orbi (in access point mode) sees a lot of devices in the same IP subnet. The packets come through the WAN ethernet port, so by definition the are 'wired'.  Were the Orbi in router mode, the Orbi would never see packets from them and would not display them as anything.

The Orbi Pro line has many firmware differences from the 'residential' product:

• It features a ceiling mounted access point, which is almost ubiquitous in business environments
• It offers multiple WiFi SSID's
  * Administrative SSID
  * Employee SSID
  * Internet of Things (IoT) SSID
  * Guest SSID
• There is an option on page 88 of the User Manual "To allow your employees to see each other on the Wireless 2 network, and to allow
  them to access resources on the local network, select the Allow employees to see
  each other and access my local network check box"
  Perhaps that option will address the problem of access to printers, etc.
• On a technical note, I believe the Pro model might also create different IP subnets for some of the SSID's.
  (Do not have access to one, so no way to experiment.)

[debauche]

I'll try that and see what settings there are. It doesn't create a subnet.. It did at the start but I shut that down to simply allow it to act as an AP. 

[debauche]

That seemed to work. In the interface it says something about allowing IOT devices to see eachother. Weird terminology using IOT instead of just devices.

Now on to the painful adding another satellite. 2 hours and counting. Amazing how difficult this proceedure is with these.

[CrimpOn]

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@debauche wrote:

That seemed to work. In the interface it says something about allowing IOT devices to see eachother. Weird terminology using IOT instead of just devices.

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There may be a similar option for the Guest WiFi.  The residential Orbi (with only primary and Guest SSID's) has an option for Guests to be able to see each other and the primary network.  I speculate that it could be for situations where we do not want guests to know our primary WiFi password, but do want them to be able to use a printer or something like that.

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@debauche wrote:

Now on to the painful adding another satellite. 2 hours and counting. Amazing how difficult this procedure is with these.

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How many satellites are already on the system?

2 hours does not seem reasonable.  Did the process reach a certain point and appear to stop?