Orbi mesh system -- paused devices, now won't reconnect with them

[AdamG344]

I purchased an Orbi router + single satellite several months ago and all was working perfectly.  Tired of fighting with my kids about screen time, I installed the app on my phone one evening and used it to pause their devices (as well as one of mine -- I was heading out and I don't have a passcode on my ipad).

Upon unpausing, those particular devices can no longer get on the internet (though the ones I never paused work fine).  The devices are connected to the signal, but not the internet.

I've power-cycled, reinstalled the system, used a paper clip to reset, but nothing works.

The problems seems to be with the satellite -- when I turn that off, all devices can get on line no problem, but, for obvious reasons, we need to be in range of the router -- the signal is weak upstairs where the satellite is located.

Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.

[FURRYe38]

What FW is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?

What app did you install? Circle? 

Did you reboot the system to see if the devices re-gained internet access? 

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@AdamG344 wrote:

I purchased an Orbi router + single satellite several months ago and all was working perfectly.  Tired of fighting with my kids about screen time, I installed the app on my phone one evening and used it to pause their devices (as well as one of mine -- I was heading out and I don't have a passcode on my ipad).

Upon unpausing, those particular devices can no longer get on the internet (though the ones I never paused work fine).  The devices are connected to the signal, but not the internet.

I've power-cycled, reinstalled the system, used a paper clip to reset, but nothing works.

The problems seems to be with the satellite -- when I turn that off, all devices can get on line no problem, but, for obvious reasons, we need to be in range of the router -- the signal is weak upstairs where the satellite is located.

Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.

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[CrimpOn]

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@AdamG344 wrote:

...I installed the app on my phone one evening and used it to pause their devices (as well as one of mine -- I was heading out and I don't have a passcode on my ipad).

Upon unpausing, those particular devices can no longer get on the internet (though the ones I never paused work fine).  The devices are connected to the signal, but not the internet.

I've power-cycled, reinstalled the system, used a paper clip to reset, but nothing works.

The problems seems to be with the satellite -- when I turn that off, all devices can get on line no problem, but, for obvious reasons, we need to be in range of the router -- the signal is weak upstairs where the satellite is located.

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Wow.  I have not used the "Pause" feature on the Orbi app.  (This is certainly not a fabulous endorsement!)

So, the "pause" survived a reset (but not a "factory reset", or was "reinstalling" the same as factory reset?) and appears to affect only the satellite?  I guess the satellite also been reset?

[ekhalil]

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@AdamG344 wrote:

........

I've power-cycled, reinstalled the system, used a paper clip to reset, but nothing works.

........

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Access Control does not work properly in the SW 2.2.1.210.

Please follow the following steps:

1. Use the web GUI to unpaus all devices
2. Disable Access Control on the web GUI
3. Reboot Orbi Router using the web GUI

Please do not use Access Control while on 2.2.1.210. Please update to 2.3.0.32 if you want to use this feature.

Also Circle is a much better way and reliable way to do device Access Control, that I'd recommend.

Good luck!

[AdamG344]

Ugh.  Nothing is easy. First, thank you for your help.  However. . .

I unpaused all devices, as instructed.  When I tried to disable access control, the instructions on how to do that required that I log in using admin and password, and nothing I tried (the defaults as well as all the Orbi/netgear passwords I'd recorded worked).  So I tried to reset using the serial number, which led to two security questions, the second of which inquired about my younger sister.  I don't have a younger sister, and definitely did not set up the router with that question.

Anyway, I thought I'd try to download the firmware update you suggested, but when I tried to do that on my phone through the app, I got a "something went wrong" message several times.

Any thoughts?

[FURRYe38]

You might try and upgarde FW:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/New-NetGear-Orbi-Firmware-Version-2-3-0-32-now-available/td-p/...

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@AdamG344 wrote:

Ugh.  Nothing is easy. First, thank you for your help.  However. . .

I unpaused all devices, as instructed.  When I tried to disable access control, the instructions on how to do that required that I log in using admin and password, and nothing I tried (the defaults as well as all the Orbi/netgear passwords I'd recorded worked).  So I tried to reset using the serial number, which led to two security questions, the second of which inquired about my younger sister.  I don't have a younger sister, and definitely did not set up the router with that question.

Anyway, I thought I'd try to download the firmware update you suggested, but when I tried to do that on my phone through the app, I got a "something went wrong" message several times.

Any thoughts?

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[ekhalil]

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@AdamG344 wrote:

Ugh.  Nothing is easy. First, thank you for your help.  However. . .

I unpaused all devices, as instructed.  When I tried to disable access control, the instructions on how to do that required that I log in using admin and password, and nothing I tried (the defaults as well as all the Orbi/netgear passwords I'd recorded worked).  So I tried to reset using the serial number, which led to two security questions, the second of which inquired about my younger sister.  I don't have a younger sister, and definitely did not set up the router with that question.

Anyway, I thought I'd try to download the firmware update you suggested, but when I tried to do that on my phone through the app, I got a "something went wrong" message several times.

Any thoughts?

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To upgrade to 2.3.0.32 you have to use the web GUI. If you lost the admin password and you did not have recovery questions setup then I'm afraid the only way to recover that is to do a factory reset! I hope that you don't have many settings to enter again! 🙂