Orbi RBK13 Ports

[jhughes]

I just bought the Orbi RBK13 Mesh system thinking it was an upgrade.  However, I work from home and need to connect my VoIP phone and printer/scanner to my router. This doesn't have ports for that.  Is there something I can add to the router to connect these or will this system not work for me??  I'm not very tech savvy so I hope I worded this correctly.

[FURRYe38]

Yes you can add a external 1Gb LAN switch to the back of the RBR for expanding LAN ports.

NG GS105 or 108 would work. 

https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/datasheet/en/GS105v3-GS108v3.pdf

[CrimpOn]

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@jhughes wrote:

I just bought the Orbi RBK13 Mesh system thinking it was an upgrade.  However, I work from home and need to connect my VoIP phone and printer/scanner to my router. This doesn't have ports for that.  Is there something I can add to the router to connect these or will this system not work for me??  I'm not very tech savvy so I hope I worded this correctly.

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@FURRYe38is correct.  Rather than "ports", the RBK10 has one gigabit port. Connect a dumb gigabit switch to this port and suddenly you have 5, 8, or... (whatever size switch) ports.

Everybody sells them.  Best Buy has models by Linksys, Netgear, etc. starting at $23US.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=gigabit+switch+8-port&_dyncharset=UTF-8&_dynSessConf=...  as do Staples, OfficeDepot, and (of course) Amazon.

A five port switch costs the least, but leaves you with only two open ports (1 for Orbi, 1 for VoiP phone, 1 for Printer). The 8 port switches seem to be the "sweet spot" in terms of cost/value.

[jhughes]

Thank you SO much!!

[jhughes]

So I connect this to my Orbi or to my modem?  Sorry.  I'm dumb with this stuff....

[CrimpOn]

Connect to the Orbi ethernet jack (not the WAN - yellow jack that connects to the modem).

[jhughes]

Got it.  Thanks again!!!

[CrimpOn]

Well, Netgear got me again.  On this model, the ethernet jack is not yellow, but there is a tiny yellow line under it.

The LAN ethernet port is labelled "Ethernet".

https://www.netgear.com/images/datasheet/orbi/RBK12.pdf 

[jhughes]

So, I went and got the Netgear GS108.  Plugged it all in and my VoIP now works, desktop is connected but my printer now says it's offline.. Anyone know how to fix that?  It's a Xerox WorkCentre 6515.

[CrimpOn]

I would probably look first at the Orbi web administration Attached Devices display.

Does the printer show up as Attached?

How was this printer previously connected?

[jhughes]

Ehhh.. it was attached through my router with a green wire.. 😬

[CrimpOn]

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@jhughes wrote:
Ehhh.. it was attached through my router with a green wire.. 😬

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Actually, it is probably a good idea to describe the previous networking setup and what changed when the Orbi was introduced.

What did you have before that the VoIP, desktop, and printer were connected to?

That device is now gone and replaced by the Orbi RBR10?

The green cable was moved from the previous device to the new switch?

[jhughes]

Sorry. I don't know a lot about this stuff. I had a Netgear router that all of my devices were connected directly to. Spectrum came out because we were constantly getting get kicked off internet and VPN. Did some other things but also said I needed a new router. Got Orbi and it didn't have enough LAN ports so I bought the Netgear 108 and connected everything. Now all is a go except the printer which now says it is offline.

[CrimpOn]

The GS108 switch has tiny LED's that indicate the status of the ethernet connection.

https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/GS108V3/GS108v3_IGprt_24sept2012.pdf?_ga=2.70622743.6894... 

What does the GS108 indicate about the ethernet link to the printer?

And, does the Orbi seem to know that the printer is there?

If the printer had been set up on the previous Netgear router with a fixed IP address that is not in the same IP subnet as the new Orbi, then it will not be able to communicate

[jhughes]

Both LEDs are green. I guess the IP address is the problem. Thank you again.

[CrimpOn]

Might start with page 56 of the User Guide:

https://download.support.xerox.com/pub/docs/WC6515/userdocs/any-os/en_GB/WorkCentre_6515_mfp_ug_en-u...