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Re: Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights

sneh47
Aspirant

Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights

Hello

I have had an Orbi system (RBR50 and a satellite) for a year and everything has been fine with the latest firmware. Yesterday I reset my router to see if my performance in a game was related to the router. After that, the system worked fine for the rest of the night (atleast 5 hours).

 

Ever since today morning, I have been issues with the network not working, so my dad power-cycled the modem and the router. I called ATT and checked the modem, everything is working. I am using the modem directly to send this post and they enabled the wifi on the modem so my house still has wifi.

 

The issues on my orbi are weird. Everything on the Orbilogin dashboard is fine, no issues. I have reset the router many times. Turned on and off implicit beamforming, mu-mimo. Changed DNS to google. I am able to access youtube on my pc fine but nothing else. Sometimes speedtest or twitch would load. On my phone i was able to go on reddit fine while connected to Orbi wifi but nothing else.

What I feel like is happening, everytime the router was reset, I could go on any website for 20-30 seconds, run a speedtest and then everything just stopped loading except youtube for some reason(could watch any video). I have checked the cat5e cable and its working fine while connected from my modem to my PC. So I am not sure how to troubleshoot this.

 

EDIT: MY pc is connected to the router via ethernet |||||| I posted this from a reddit thread I made an hour ago

Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 1 of 9
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights

What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too? Built in router here by chance? If so, This would be a double NAT condition which isn't recommended. https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT
Couple of options,
1. Configure the modem for transparent bridge 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 

 

 

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 them to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected.

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

 

 

Message 2 of 9
sneh47
Aspirant

Re: Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights

Hi,

 

My modem is the 5268AC by Arris. I called ATT and put in bridge mode again so I could start testing again with all the possible WIFI channels and disabling the extra features such as daisy-chain and coexistence you suggested but it has the same behavior. I don't think these changes would help in my situation because I am testing on my PC which is connected to my router via Ethernet and still cannot get connection. For some reason Youtube still works fine on chrome yet nothing else will on the PC.

 

My orbi and satellite are about 45-50 feet apart like it has been for the past year. I have also only 1 wifi neighbor.

 

Very sad that I spent 350 on this setup and its not working after only a year. I tried calling netgear support but now they want me to purchase gearhead support because I dont have technical support anymore. I guess the Orbi is just bricked and can't route.

Message 3 of 9

Re: Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights

Guess you must have bust something in your earlier experimentation. Unfortunately, Netgear's support won't cover that so you are better off here. It is free.

 

It isn't obvious to me that your attempts at recovery have included the basic restart regime.

Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:

  • Turn off and unplug modem.
  • Turn off router and computers.
  • Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
  • Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it connect.
  • Turn on computers and rest of network.

 


@sneh47 wrote:

...I am testing on my PC which is connected to my router via Ethernet and still cannot get connection.

 

So what happens on the PC? Any messages?

 

I'm afraid "cannot get connection" doesn't give us much to go on.

 

You can help by providing detailed descriptions of what you are doing, where it goes wrong and what messages you see.

Message 4 of 9
sneh47
Aspirant

Re: Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights

Hi

 

Thanks for your guys' help. I'm sorry I cannot give a better description of my problems but basically everything looks fine on my PC(I have the PC ethernet icon on my bar) so I would assume its connected properly. However, I get the "This site cannot be reached" error page on any site I go to except Youtube for some reason(I assume that's is some cache issue). 

 

However, my dad and I figured out that AP mode on the orbi and using the modem is working fine. We turned off the wifi radios on the modem like the earlier post suggested and that's where we are now. Everything is working fine now so I assume whatever components get used in the router mode that don't get used in AP mode are not working properly. I don't think I'm losing much from running it in AP mode since the ethernet backhaul is working fine still. I still have Daisy-chain Topology off from my previous testing but I'll try it on and see if everything still works.

 

Thank you guys for responding and helping me out I appreciate it.

Message 5 of 9
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights

Enjoy. Smiley Wink

Message 6 of 9

Re: Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights


@sneh47 wrote:

so I assume whatever components get used in the router mode that don't get used in AP mode are not working properly. I don't think I'm losing much from running it in AP mode since the ethernet backhaul is working fine still. I still have Daisy-chain Topology off from my previous testing but I'll try it on and see if everything still works.

 

 


In AP mode, the Orbi does not use the router bit.

 

The symptoms you see are  indicators that you may have a modem/router in front of your router. That the Arris delivers wifi sort of confirms this.

 

Two routers on your network can cause headaches. For example, you can end up with local address problems. Among other things, the other router can misdirect addresses that the Netgear router usually handles, such as routerlogin.net or the usual IP address for a router, 192.168.1.1.

This explains some of the other drawbacks.

What is Double NAT? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

A lot of people use Orbi in AP mode – I do – often because they have better routers in front of it.

 

The Orbi loses a bit in AP mode, but not much. Don't tell your dad, but one lost feature is the ability to use Parental Controls on the Orbi.

 


@sneh47 wrote:

Hi

 

Thanks for your guys' help. I'm sorry I cannot give a better description of my problems but basically everything looks fine on my PC(I have the PC ethernet icon on my bar) so I would assume its connected properly. However, I get the "This site cannot be reached" error page on any site I go to except Youtube for some reason(I assume that's is some cache issue). 

 

 

One thing to check on the PC is how Windows sees the local network. When it first encounters a new network, it tries to protect you from nasties. So it decides ti label the network as a public network. It then blocks of things. To get your life back, you need to tell Windows it is a private network.

 

  • Network and Internet settings
  • Network Status
  • Change Connection Properties
  • Network Profile
  • Private

 

 

 

Message 7 of 9
sneh47
Aspirant

Re: Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights

Hey Michael,

 

I think you are right. I talked with a different person on a different forum and they came to a similar conclusion. I was doing all this testing as if the arris modem was in bridge mode but I guess that was not the case. The ATT support person I called to put it in bridge mode did not seem like he knew what he was doing because I had to ask him a couple of times to do it. One thing I did encounter that I should've mentioned is that when I factory reset the Orbi it always started with a page saying the IP address has been changed to avoid conflicts. I think the setup link had something like "BRS WANLAN conflict.htm". So I guess I could call ATT support and fix the problem but we don't really need Disney, Armor, or the parental controls which my dad doesnt need for his 25 year old son 🙂

 

Thanks for the help again

Message 8 of 9

Re: Orbi not working, No Error/Warning lights


@sneh47 wrote:

The ATT support person I called to put it in bridge mode did not seem like he knew what he was doing because I had to ask him a couple of times to do it.

 


This is not something that I would expect them to do by remote control. Usually it is done at your end through the browser graphical user interface. In the same way that you set up the Orbi in wireless access point mode.

 

Search the web for "arris 5268ac bridge mode" and there is plenty of advice.

 


@sneh47 wrote:

One thing I did encounter that I should've mentioned is that when I factory reset the Orbi it always started with a page saying the IP address has been changed to avoid conflicts.

 


 

That is a sign that your Orbi is starting in  router mode and has encountered another router on the network. So it has picked an  address that does not clash with the other router.

 

As you have found, you can easily put the Orbi into AP mode. Apart from Parental Controls pretty well everything else will still work. Unless, that is, Netgear adds software widgets like "Armor" to protect you from nasties out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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