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Re: Laptop keeps hooking to satellite instead of the router in the same room. RBK53 AC3000

LewBob
Aspirant

Laptop keeps hooking to satellite instead of the router in the same room. RBK53 AC3000

I have the original Orbi three piece set up. I have the latest firmware. I have been frustrated with widely varying speed on a laptop that is in the same room as the router, though about 30 feet away. I have a satellite in my living room. There are two walls and furnace venting in the between the laptop and that satellite. I finally figured out how to use the browser connection to see how everything is connected. The laptop keeps connecting to the living room satellite and sometimes goes to 2.4G because the 5 G signal is so weak. A recent Forbes review of the wifi 6 AX-4200 reported the same problem with the new system. A Netgear spokesman had no solution.

 

"Then there were the oddities I discovered in testing. The printer in my ground-floor office deciding it would connect to the satellite in the loft bedroom two floors away instead of the router only 5m away. Amazon Echo devices in that loft bedroom connecting to the router, despite being in the same room as the satellite."

 

Any ideas?

Message 1 of 7

Accepted Solutions
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Laptop keeps hooking to satellite instead of the router in the same room. RBK53 AC3000

What Firmware version is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

 

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected.

 

Try turning down the power output of the RBRs wifi radios from 100% to 50% and see if this changes anything. Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings


@LewBob wrote:

I have the original Orbi three piece set up. I have the latest firmware. I have been frustrated with widely varying speed on a laptop that is in the same room as the router, though about 30 feet away. I have a satellite in my living room. There are two walls and furnace venting in the between the laptop and that satellite. I finally figured out how to use the browser connection to see how everything is connected. The laptop keeps connecting to the living room satellite and sometimes goes to 2.4G because the 5 G signal is so weak. A recent Forbes review of the wifi 6 AX-4200 reported the same problem with the new system. A Netgear spokesman had no solution.

 

"Then there were the oddities I discovered in testing. The printer in my ground-floor office deciding it would connect to the satellite in the loft bedroom two floors away instead of the router only 5m away. Amazon Echo devices in that loft bedroom connecting to the router, despite being in the same room as the satellite."

 

Any ideas?


 

View solution in original post

Message 3 of 7

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CrimpOn
Guru

Re: Laptop keeps hooking to satellite instead of the router in the same room. RBK53 AC3000

This is one of the most enduring and constant issues with mesh WiFi systems, certainly for the Netgear Orbi.

There are some router brands that go to great lengths explaining how they attempt to "steer" devices to specific WiFi bands or access points.  (I was reading the Unify manual the other day and read quite a description.)  I am not aware of any published information describing what Netgear does beyond follow internet 802.11 standards.  The concensus is that the device determines which WiFi band and which access point it wll use.  Each access point broadcasts beacon frames every 100ms describing who they are (SSID) and their capabilities. This article has a brief description: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beacon_frame 

 

Devices differ in their capabilities.  Some categories of device (such as smartphones, tablets, laptops) are often programmed to scan constantly for a better connection.  By watching that Orbi Attached Devices page, I can see that my smart phone will switch from the router to satellite as I move around the house.  Other devices appear to be programmed to select a WiFi access point and stick with it from then on.  Since the router radio wakes up first after a power failure, some users have observed that devices that are not designed to be portable (smart speakers, printers, a lot of Internet of Things (IoT) gizmos) will often get connected to the first Orbi unit they see and never change.

The tactic some people advise is to go to the network setup of that device, unselect the Orbi network, and then reselect to it.  This will cause the device to collect the beacon frames from all Orbi units and determine which offers the best connection.  Turning devices off and back on again may not accomplish the same thing as "off" may not mean "OFF".  (When I turn the TV off, it is most definitely still ON, just waiting for me to want the picture to come back.)

 

Believe me, everyone has encounted this issue and is frustrated by it at times.

Message 2 of 7
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Laptop keeps hooking to satellite instead of the router in the same room. RBK53 AC3000

What Firmware version is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

 

What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected.

 

Try turning down the power output of the RBRs wifi radios from 100% to 50% and see if this changes anything. Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings


@LewBob wrote:

I have the original Orbi three piece set up. I have the latest firmware. I have been frustrated with widely varying speed on a laptop that is in the same room as the router, though about 30 feet away. I have a satellite in my living room. There are two walls and furnace venting in the between the laptop and that satellite. I finally figured out how to use the browser connection to see how everything is connected. The laptop keeps connecting to the living room satellite and sometimes goes to 2.4G because the 5 G signal is so weak. A recent Forbes review of the wifi 6 AX-4200 reported the same problem with the new system. A Netgear spokesman had no solution.

 

"Then there were the oddities I discovered in testing. The printer in my ground-floor office deciding it would connect to the satellite in the loft bedroom two floors away instead of the router only 5m away. Amazon Echo devices in that loft bedroom connecting to the router, despite being in the same room as the satellite."

 

Any ideas?


 

Message 3 of 7
LewBob
Aspirant

Re: Laptop keeps hooking to satellite instead of the router in the same room. RBK53 AC3000

Thanks for the thorogh reply. SO FAR reducing radio strength seems to have the laptop hooking up properly. Your explanation helped me with two wireless security cameras that were not connecting to the best node. Now I have them working properly. I have my fingers crossed. 😉

Message 4 of 7
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Laptop keeps hooking to satellite instead of the router in the same room. RBK53 AC3000

Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/000062080/How-do-I-back-up-the-configuration-settings-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-System
Enjoy.

Message 5 of 7
LewBob
Aspirant

Re: Laptop keeps hooking to satellite instead of the router in the same room. RBK53 AC3000

After "further review" turning down the radio strength did not provide a satisfactory solution. Signal strength in the backyard, supplied by the router, is too weak. I went back to full strength but turned off fast roaming. I will see how things go from here.

 

BTW, the satellite is about 30 feet from the router with several walls in the path. However, I now have them connected with ethernet cable. The laptop is actually closer to the satellite, but the walls and heat vents make the signal from the satellite much weaker. The main floor is about 15oo sq. ft., but the heat vents running through the center of the home, wifi reception has always been problematic, which is why I went with the mesh setup. The router to laptop is about 30 feet with only an overstuffed chair in the path.

 

Message 6 of 7
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Laptop keeps hooking to satellite instead of the router in the same room. RBK53 AC3000

👍

Message 7 of 7
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