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Re: Orib Satellite Drops Connection

FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orbi Satellite Drops Connection

What distance do you have the satellites now?

 

I would try a factory reset on the satellites, possibly the router as well and set up from scratch...

 

Could try a FW downgrade and see as well...


@thesleepdoctor wrote:

Perhaps. I have just switched the location of my two satellites to see if the problem persists or moves. That should tell me whether it is a hardware problem or not.


 

Message 26 of 32

Re: Orbi Satellite Drops Connection

I can confirm it is not linked to just a single satellite... I switched my satellites' locations and the other one developed the problem. So I welcome your feedback.

 

the orbi base is hard wired in to the cable modem.

one satellite position is about 35 feet away on the same level; this is the one that loses access to the internet, though it continues to broadcast its own signal, causing items closest to that satellite to lose their internet connection. Walking away from that satellite and closer to the base allows the internet connectivity to return.

the other satellite is on a different floor probably fifty feet away from the base and the first satellite.

Message 27 of 32
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orbi Satellite Drops Connection

Seems like this one location seems to impact satellites...

 

Message 28 of 32
Euler13
Aspirant

Re: Orbi Satellite Drops Connection

@thesleepdoctor: As you've been having similar issues, I thought I'd let you know the latest...

 

I contacted support, which in itself is an ordeal. We're supposed to get 90 days free technical support, but when I log in to my profile on the Netgear website there are red crosses next to Hardware, Phone, Email, Chat. I eventually found a UK number and then you're faced with a robot voice that eventually asks for the first three characters of the serial number. My second character is S and nothing would get it to understand that. Clearly they're not expecting an S in that position, because it kept asking me to press the digit on the phone; yes, I know that some countries use letter on the phone number pad, but that didn't work either. After numerous attempts of saying it and pressing buttons it put me on hold for 30 minutes and I finally spoke with a very nice lady. She got me to make a number of changes and asked me to monitor how it goes. At least I've got a case number now if (when) I need to call back.

 

I did laugh out loud when she suggested that I needed to move the satellite further away from the router. My broadband modem is fixed, which is where the Orbi router needs to be placed. My TV setup is fixed, which is where the satellite needs to be located. I bought these devices to fit into my house setup, not the other way round: change my house setup to fit the router/satallite positions.

 

I wouldn't recommend you necessarily make the same changes because it's probably best to get support to direct you, but I did the following: I'd already disabled daisy chain topology (the first thing they suggested), then I disabled MU-MIMO and beamforming. I changed the CTR/RTS threshold values for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (2341 and 2345 respectively), changed preamble modes to long preamble, and changed the channels for both (06 and 44 respectively). I have no idea what those setting will do!?

 

I'll report back how things go.

Message 29 of 32
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orib Satellite Drops Connection

Hopefully this might fix it...keep us posted on how it goes...


 

 

Message 30 of 32
Euler13
Aspirant

Re: Orib Satellite Drops Connection

Okay, one month later...

 

Working with support has not been an easy feat. After several days of making changes, monitoring the device status, and calling back if there was a problem - there was - I make a lot of return calls. The same problem persisted.

 

After eight phone calls and nearly four hours on the phone making more and more changes, eventually they agreed to replace the router. I suggested that we have no way of knowing which is the faulty unit so just send two new units: router and satellite. Apparently they don't work that way. However, their system was down and they couldn't arrange an RMA. They'd call back later that day. They didn't. I called back the next day (Saturday). They couldn't do anything on Saturday, but they'd call me. They didn't. I called back on Monday. System still down, but they'd call back. One week later, no return call. I called again the following Monday and managed to get it arranged this time. However, can you believe I had to pay £20 for this privilege? There was a "free" option, but this meant paying yourself to return the unit, waiting for it to arrive back, then they would check it and send a replacement. You had full responsibility for packaging it and getting it back to them safely, covering all costs yourself. The paying option meant that they would send a replacement to your first, you then put your broken device in the packaging they used, use the pre-paid return label, and take it to a post office. It's a no brainer, but personally I think this is unreasonable when they've sold me a broken unit in the first place.

 

You can guess what happened next... no difference. So back to support and arranged for a replacement satellite. The email telephone chat receipt was a bit cheeky because it said, "Customer refused to diagnose." Really? Once again I had to pay £20 to replace their broken unit.

 

I've had the new satallite for just over one week now and so far no problems. I really hope this is the end of it and it was down to that faulty unit. It's a really great system, which has been let down by poor quality control, terrible customer care - don't get me wrong, the people I spoke to were really great - it's the system that's in place. After I've paid £300 for their top of the range product it should work out of the box. If it doesn't, then I'd expect maybe one or two attempts at doing fixes, but after that doesn't work they should be apologising for wasting my time and immediately, free of charge, sending replacements for both units with no obligation to return the original.

 

If anyone else has similar problems, then I'd recommend giving support a couple of goes, but after that refuse point blank to waste any more of your time and demand a replacement unit. Sadly it's going to cost you.

 

I'd like to thank you, FURRYe38, for your help. When I first spoke with support I told them that I'd had some great help from a member of the community and we'd spent nearly one month trying things.

Message 31 of 32
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orib Satellite Drops Connection

Glad the replacement unit worked out. Seems like working with NG support can be a hassle. Ya when sending stuff back to Mfrs, it's always a two way lane, the customer had to pay for shipping back. This is normal across the board for most Mfrs.

 

Hope your new unit will be fine now. Let hope you don't have to do this again. Smiley Frustrated

 

Enjoy. Smiley Wink

Message 32 of 32
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