Orbi RBR50 2.3.5.30 dropping connection

[jgregori37]

Hello -- please help if you can!  I'm going nuts.

My Orbi RBR50 Router (firmware 2.3.5.30) is intermittently dropping connection -- when we're home, when we're away, during the day, during the night.  I can discern no pattern behind when it occurs.  It's not just that connection to the internet vanishes; the router completely ceases to broadcast a wifi network.  

I'm using the Orbi router in access point mode, with an ethernet wire connection to my Verizon Gateway modem/router.  I have tried just about everything I can think of -- I've done factory resets, reinstalled firmware (various versions), used it sans satellite, tweaked a number of options in the router portal -- and it just continues dropping connection at odd times.  I refuse to believe that the thing just "broke".  It used to work perfectly.  Predictably, the onset of this problem was well past the closing of the 90-day courtesy tech support window. 

The most recent time this happened, I looked at the router's own log, and saw this:

[Initialized, firmware version: V2.3.5.30] Sunday, December 15, 2019 01:20:10

There was nothing in the log before that.

I believe that the issue is with my Orbi because my Verizon Gateway modem/router has had no issues connecting to the internet, even when the Orbi drops its connection.

I'm really hoping I don't have to ask Santa for a new router, but I'm about to throw in the towel on this Orbi and on Netgear altogether.  Thank you for any help anyone can provide!

[tucsontico]

Hmmmm, your situation is very odd. The firmware you're running is pretty stable. Personally, I would tend to believe the modem is causing the issue. Be certain you are not in a "double NAT", i.e., two routers broadcasting simultaneously. Try turning off the Verizon router and use the ORBI in router mode. Others should chime in soon for possible solutions.

[FURRYe38]

What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem 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 is recommended in between RBR and RBS to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected. https://kb.netgear.com/000036466/How-far-should-I-place-my-Orbi-satellite-from-my-Orbi-router

What channels are you using? Auto? Try setting manual channel 1, 6 or 11 on 2.4Ghz and any unused channel on 5Ghz.
Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?

Try enabling Beamforming and MIMO(MIMO may or maynot be needed) and WMM. Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings

Try disabling the following and see:
Armor, Circle, Daisy Chain, Fast Roaming, IPv6 and Set 20/40Mhz Coexistence to 40Mhz only. Save settings and reboot the router and satellite(s).

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@jgregori37 wrote:

Hello -- please help if you can!  I'm going nuts.

My Orbi RBR50 Router (firmware 2.3.5.30) is intermittently dropping connection -- when we're home, when we're away, during the day, during the night.  I can discern no pattern behind when it occurs.  It's not just that connection to the internet vanishes; the router completely ceases to broadcast a wifi network.  

I'm using the Orbi router in access point mode, with an ethernet wire connection to my Verizon Gateway modem/router.  I have tried just about everything I can think of -- I've done factory resets, reinstalled firmware (various versions), used it sans satellite, tweaked a number of options in the router portal -- and it just continues dropping connection at odd times.  I refuse to believe that the thing just "broke".  It used to work perfectly.  Predictably, the onset of this problem was well past the closing of the 90-day courtesy tech support window. 

The most recent time this happened, I looked at the router's own log, and saw this:

[Initialized, firmware version: V2.3.5.30] Sunday, December 15, 2019 01:20:10

There was nothing in the log before that.

I believe that the issue is with my Orbi because my Verizon Gateway modem/router has had no issues connecting to the internet, even when the Orbi drops its connection.

I'm really hoping I don't have to ask Santa for a new router, but I'm about to throw in the towel on this Orbi and on Netgear altogether.  Thank you for any help anyone can provide!

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[jgregori37]

Thanks tuscontico; I'll give this a shot.  It is an odd situation indeed.  I do have both my Verizon modem/router and the Orbi router (no satellite currently in use) broadcasting wifi on the same channel and with the same SSID; this used to work fine, as the Verizon router is in a different wing of the house and its wifi signal is pretty much nonexistent in the rest of the house (where the Orbi reigns).  It allowed us to walk from one part of the house to another and our devices would seamlessly switch from one to the other.  Something changed a couple of months ago; the Orbi intermittently began ceasing to broadcast at odd intervals, but the Verizon modem/router has continued on normally.

[jgregori37]

Thanks, FURRe38; here's what I've got:

The Verizon modem/router is a FiOS Quantum Gateway, model FiOS-G1100.  We do have a few wifi neighbors nearby, but they're far enough away that the signals are very weak on our property.

Our home is ~2800 ft^2, but it's shaped a bit oddly -- more or less like an L.  The Verizon router is positioned at the far end of the short part of the L (my office), where our coax cable comes into the house.  Its wifi signal does not reliably reach into the rest of the house, so I ran an ethernet cable into the basement of the main part of the house -- where the Orbi router (RBR50) is located, rather centrally.  The Orbi is strong enough that we don't actually need the satellite; the router can cover the rest of the house by itself.  So we're not presently using a satellite.

For the longest time, we had both the Verizon Gateway and the Orbi broadcasting with the same SSID on the same channel (presently 11).  As I mentioned in a reply above just a moment ago, this setup used to work fine; our devices would seamlessly transition from one to the other as we walked through the house.  It still does work fine when the Orbi is up and running.  But then, a month or two ago, something changed -- I have no idea what -- and the Orbi has been intermittently ceasing to broadcast at utterly unpredictable intervals.  

I'll try your changes when I get a moment and see how things go.  Thanks for your time!

[CrimpOn]

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@jgregori37 wrote:

Thanks tuscontico; I'll give this a shot.  It is an odd situation indeed.  I do have both my Verizon modem/router and the Orbi router (no satellite currently in use) broadcasting wifi on the same channel and with the same SSID; this used to work fine, as the Verizon router is in a different wing of the house and its wifi signal is pretty much nonexistent in the rest of the house (where the Orbi reigns).  It allowed us to walk from one part of the house to another and our devices would seamlessly switch from one to the other. 

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When Orbi and Verizon have the same channel and SSID ( and password?) and a device actually switches from one to the other, that indicates that the signal must drop enough that the mobile device decides it is "time to look for somebody else".  Certainly, there is zero "coordination" between the Orbi and Verizon.

In that case, I would change the Verizon to be a different SSID and channel.  Put both SSID/password combinations in the mobile device and see what happens.  Phones can remember many WiFi networks and will automatically join one when it comes into range.  (When I go to visit the grandkids out of state, my phone connects the instant I walk in the door.)  Sounds like it can't hurt to give this a try.

[nsinghal]

@jgregori37 Did your issue get fixed? I'm noticing the same issues with my RBR50 on the same firmware version. It started about 2 weeks ago and not it's so bad that almost all of my devices (Phone/Roku/Amazon Echo, etc.) are unusable at certain times. The connection drops randomly and comes back up.

I definitely seems to be an issue with the WiFi since I have my desktop connected with an ethernet wire to the Orbi router and whenever the connection drops on my phone, things are fine on the desktop. Xfinity tech rep did some tests on my cable line and they confirmed it wasn't a service issue.

I called Netgear tech support but I don't have their tech supporty anymore and gotta pay to get any help from them. Great way to rip off customers after they've bought an already expensive product.

[FURRYe38]

The G1100 is a router as well I believe. This would be a double NAT condition which isn't recommended. https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT
https://kb.netgear.com/30187/How-to-fix-issues-with-Double-NAT
Couple of options,
1. Configure the modem for transparent bridge or modem only mode. Then use the Orbi router in router mode. You'll need to contact the ISP for help and information in regards to the modem being bridged correctly.
2. If you can't bridge the modem, disable ALL wifi radios on the modem, configure the modems DMZ/ExposedHost or IP Pass-Through for the IP address the Orbi router gets from the modem. Then you can use the Orbi router in Router mode.
3. Or disable all wifi radios on the modem and connect the Orbi router to the modem, configure AP mode on the Orbi router. https://kb.netgear.com/31218/How-do-I-configure-my-Orbi-router-to-act-as-an-access-point and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7LOcJ8GdDo&app=desktop 

The WiFi on the G1100 should be disabled. If you need it ON, then the channels between the G1100 and the RBR need to be on far separate channels and should have different SSID names. 

Any chance on getting the RBR up to the main floor and the RBS in the basement? RBR is recommended to be on a main or upper floor. 

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@jgregori37 wrote:

Thanks, FURRe38; here's what I've got:

The Verizon modem/router is a FiOS Quantum Gateway, model FiOS-G1100.  We do have a few wifi neighbors nearby, but they're far enough away that the signals are very weak on our property.

Our home is ~2800 ft^2, but it's shaped a bit oddly -- more or less like an L.  The Verizon router is positioned at the far end of the short part of the L (my office), where our coax cable comes into the house.  Its wifi signal does not reliably reach into the rest of the house, so I ran an ethernet cable into the basement of the main part of the house -- where the Orbi router (RBR50) is located, rather centrally.  The Orbi is strong enough that we don't actually need the satellite; the router can cover the rest of the house by itself.  So we're not presently using a satellite.

For the longest time, we had both the Verizon Gateway and the Orbi broadcasting with the same SSID on the same channel (presently 11).  As I mentioned in a reply above just a moment ago, this setup used to work fine; our devices would seamlessly transition from one to the other as we walked through the house.  It still does work fine when the Orbi is up and running.  But then, a month or two ago, something changed -- I have no idea what -- and the Orbi has been intermittently ceasing to broadcast at utterly unpredictable intervals.  

I'll try your changes when I get a moment and see how things go.  Thanks for your time!

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[jgregori37]

@nsinghal , we sort of fixed it...but not really.  

To avoid having intermittent wifi outages, I had to stop using the Orbi satellite altogether.  I also had the Verizon router broadcasting a SSID in one part of the house and the Orbi router broadcasting another SSID in AP Mode in the other part of the house.  This resulted in no wifi drops for a long time.  [If you read my earlier posts, you probably saw that my house is basically shaped like an "L"; I had my Verizon router at the far end of the short part of the L (it's a home office), and the Orbi router in the basement of the main part of the house (centrally in the long part of the L).]  The bummer with this setup was that I had to manually switch networks when I walked from one part of the house to another.

I then tried reconfiguring my setup such that:

1) I moved the Verizon router to the central part of the house (where I have another coax cable jack) and turned off the Verizon wifi;

2) I put the Orbi router back into Router Mode;

3) I put the Orbi satellite in the home office, connected via long ethernet cable to the Orbi router in my basement.

So in this new configuration I have *only* Orbi broadcasting wifi in any part of my house -- the Orbi router in the main part of my house, and the Orbi satellite in my home office.  This has resulted in decent wifi, and removed the need for manual switching between networks when walking around, but the intermittent drops I had when I first made this post have come back (though not quite as often as they were).  It's frustrating.  For equipment as expensive as the Orbi units were, they ought to be working better than they are.  @FURRYe38 , thanks for your advice -- I'll try putting my Verizon router in bridge mode and see if that helps.

But honestly, I'm thinking about going back to the configuration I used sans satellite.  The satellite just seems to be causing problems.

[FURRYe38]

Possible that having the RBS is too much wifi signals in the house. 

If you have the verizon in router mode, be sure to use it's DMZ or IP pass thru for the RBR thats in router mode. 

Also might try upgrading the system to v2.5.1.8 at some point to see if this helps any with the RBS. 

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@jgregori37 wrote:

@FURRYe38 , thanks for your advice -- I'll try putting my Verizon router in bridge mode and see if that helps.

But honestly, I'm thinking about going back to the configuration I used sans satellite.  The satellite just seems to be causing problems.

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[Concerned]

My internet keeps diconnecting when using the Orbi.  When I connect to the comcast router there are no drops.  I just upgraded to the latest router from comcast today (thinking that was th issue) and it is still happening.  So this must be an Orbi issue now.  Please help

Hardware version RBR 50

Firmware virsion V2.3.5.30

[FURRYe38]

Id update FW and then do a full factory reset on the system and setup from scratch:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/RBR50-RBS50-Firmware-2-5-1-16-Update/m-p/1897955/highlight/tru...

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@Concerned wrote:

My internet keeps diconnecting when using the Orbi.  When I connect to the comcast router there are no drops.  I just upgraded to the latest router from comcast today (thinking that was th issue) and it is still happening.  So this must be an Orbi issue now.  Please help

Hardware version RBR 50

Firmware virsion V2.3.5.30

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