Orbi dropping internet connection but seems to be only iphone and ipad

[mrhoni]

Base problem seems to be with iphone and ipad, but its a pile of crazy inconsistent things happening.  This has been happening for at least a week, maybe 2.  Most often I lose wifi connection to the Orbi router or satellite as when I look in the iphone or ipad wifi settings the Orbi network will display "no internet connectIon".   Sometimes turning the wifi setting off and on it will eventually connect.  Sometimes there is "no internect connection" and then it magically is ok.   The ipad and iphone are on the current IOS as I write this.  

During this period of issues, I had one time rebooted the base and once or twice I resynced the satellites.

Meanwhile, other devices seem to be connected to the orbi system when I get the "no internet connected" on the iphone or ipad.  For example, we can check a laptop that is connected to the Orbi network  that is another room away from where I was sitting and it had no problem with the orbi network.

For example, right now.  The base has a solid magenta led ring.  This base is plugged into an ethernet outlet in the room and then in the wiring cabinet the cable is plugged into the xfinity modem.  I'm next to the base with my iphone.  My iphone shows I'm connected to the Orbi network.  I run the Speedtest app and it gives me over 200mbps.  All good.

Then I go to the Orbi app on the iphone and it can't find the orbi.  I killed the app and restarted it, but same issue.  So why does my iphone have good speedtest but the Orbi app can't find the Orbi!!!!

Last night I ran the Orbi app on my ipad.  It shows the base but says 0 satellites, but there are 2 of them in the house so I wonder what's up with them.  

Before I continue writting this post, I'm going to reboot the base as the orbi app can't connect to the base nor my browser as I can't tell you the current firmware on the system.

So now that the orbi is rebooted.  The orbi app shows 0 satellites.  I see the base is firmware 2.1.2.18 and check updates says its up to date. 

Now I go to satellite #1.  There is no led ring lit on top.  I turn off the power and then back on.  Eventuallly the ring is solid magenta.  I go to satellite #2, with no led ring lit on top.  Power off and on and then eventually the ring is solid magenta.  Now I press the sync button on the base and then sync button on satellite #1 and then #2, but by the time I get to #2 the led ring is solid blue.  I had wondered if it should automatically sync a satellite if the satellite is powered off and on.

So now the orbi app shows 2 satellites.  The rebooting and syncing I did now I had done a couple days ago but still the problems persisited.

Besides asking for help on this problem I have a question and maybe this will avoid the problem I am having:

My home has ethernet outlets in each room.  Originally I just plugged the base and each satellite into an ethernet outlet.  Then I could plug additional devices into the Orbi satellites.  What I recall; I noticed was that searching for wifi showed 3 Orbi's vs 1.  My neighbor is a network guy and he said I should not plug the satellites into the ethernet outlets and let them talk to the base wirelessly and he had me change from Router Mode to AP Mode and set the radio button to "get dynamically from existing routher".

So for better connectivity between the base and the satellites or just better connections and having just one SSID, can I go back to connecting the satellites to ethernet outlets in the rooms and then what settings to I setup on the base?

Thanks!

[Retired_Member]

I think I understand what it is you're doing, but I have to ask....where/what does the ethernet in each of your rooms connect to?

In my experience with the Orbi I run it as a Router plus extender (Sats).  Seems to work best.  The total layout is ; modem, Orbi router, WIFI to Sat.

FYI....I don't do beta updates or tweaks to the settings.  Much of the typical slow down across a household network can often be traced to the pipeline (your neighbors, time of day, etc.)

[Retired_Member]

something else I noticed in your OP:..."There is no led ring lit on top. "

From my understanding, once the Orbi router and Sats connect / snych / and settle down, the led ring light will go OFF.

[mrhoni]

I have 7 rooms with ethernet wall outlets.  I have a small wiring cabinet in the laundry room.  Inside this cabinet is the xfinity router/modem with 3 available ethernet ports. An ethernet patch box with several ports to use to connect short ethernet cables to a panel that has the wires to go to each room.  The switch box is plugged into one of the 3 ports on the xfinity box.  The ethernet cable for the room where the Orbi base is plugged into the ethernet wall is plugged directly into the xfinity box.  

Remember that as much as I can tell, other devices don’t seem to lose contact with the Orbi network, just the ipad and iphone however I did explain some other stuff with the light rings on the Orbi and other crazy inconsistencies I can’t make sense of.

[Retired_Member]

Not being familar with the Xfinity router/modem setup, if you don't need the Xfinity router, I would get rid of it and let the Orbi be your sole router.  This would may render the room ethernet connections useless.  But the way the Orbi and its Sats are designed to work together you should have plenty of coverage.

How old are you ipad and iphone?  I have a older Toshiba laptop (wifi) that sometimes will disconnect from the Sat.  Usually only for a few moments.  I write this off as technology and the different wifi adapters in use.  Goof luck

[mrhoni]

Equipment needs to stay in current locations and the xfinity needs to stay for both internet and VOIP.

Iphone and ipad are current models

[Retired_Member]

OK....you can run the Orbi as something besides a straight up router (access point).  Search throught the forum or perhaps they will comment here.  Many however have reported problems like what you've experienced.  Related..?  I don't know.

[mrhoni]

This is strange.  Today I checked the Orbi via the ipad app and it said there was a new firmware and the firmware on the Orbi was 2.1.2.16 and the new firmware as 2.1.2.18.  However, when I wrote this original post a few days ago, the Orbi app said I was on the latest version 2.1.2.18.