Orbi with Alexa missing basic Alexa features

[parmenion]

I couldn't believe the Orbi with Alexa couldn't "drop in" or "announce". Those are very basic Alexa functionalities.

In this post from 2018, a Netgear employee says "It's coming via software update."

Well, here we are in 2022...

Honestly, I'm shocked Netgear would release such an unfinished product. If it were mine, I would've returned it immediately but I was helping a friend troubleshoot their unit regarding "drop-in not working".

Is this software update still coming or has this product been abandoned?

Even adding a real Alexa device nearby isn't a good workaround because they both start responding.

[CrimpOn · Accepted solution]

---

@parmenion wrote:

Is this software update still coming or has this product been abandoned?

---

Let's see.

• The most recent firmware release was 7/30/2021, which was three years after that 'promise'
• AX versions of the speaker-enabled Orbi satellite have not been announced
• in 2020, Amazon dropped the price to $99, perhaps as a "close out" special.
  (Today's price is about $250, maybe for those who have to get one.)

I would not pin my hopes on new firmware.

[CrimpOn · Accepted solution]

---

@parmenion wrote:

Is this software update still coming or has this product been abandoned?

---

Let's see.

• The most recent firmware release was 7/30/2021, which was three years after that 'promise'
• AX versions of the speaker-enabled Orbi satellite have not been announced
• in 2020, Amazon dropped the price to $99, perhaps as a "close out" special.
  (Today's price is about $250, maybe for those who have to get one.)

I would not pin my hopes on new firmware.

[pdeethardt]

Adding support for the announce function would be great. I didn't realize it didn't support that when I purchased mine and I was hoping to use it for Ring announcements in an area that also needed additional WiFi coverage. I was disappointed when I found out it couldn't be used for that.

[parmenion]

Yup. Netgear, I'm surprised you released such a product that doesn't even match a contemporary ~$25 Echo Dot. And called it Alexa.

Would make me suspicious for my own purchase decisions.

[IsabellaNora1]

Have you ever seen the notices “Syntax Error: Unexpected reserved word ‘await'” below when you open the firebase function?. If yes and you don’t feel confident doing it yourself. Our recommendations in this article are really suitable for you to correct them.