RBK50 to RBK50

[jlheureux]

    I have a RBR50 Orbi (AC3000) connected directly to my ISP as a router with two RBS50 as satellites. My home is 4200 sqft with an upstairs and a downstairs with a three-car garage. I have an Arlo pro surveillance system with four cameras and two Arlo Q cameras. I have one satellite that covers my two-car garage (Arlo Q, and sprinkler system) and two bedrooms, no issues. I have a second satellite upstairs that covers my front door Arlo pro camera, Arlo Q camera, a guest room, my wife's office and my office no problems. On the main floor the router covers everything except a very weak signal to my man cave an 8 x14 shed in the back yard.

      I get speed from six Mbps to 45 Mbps. I can get it up to 150 Mbps if I move my upstairs satellite to the window. However, everything else upstairs resorts back to the router. Speeds then vary and the router is not balanced. I saw that I can get a RBR50 for around $100 vice $200+ for an RBS Satellite. I was wonder if I got the RBR50 could I downgrade it to an RBS satellite through settings or something? The satellites are crazy expensive for the consumer market. I looked through the setting and did not see anything. Something else, my current upstairs satellite is wired to my Synology NAS that supports a media share server and network backups for the house.  The media server is accessible throughout network. So, I don't want to move it but don't mind spending a $100 to bump my speeds to 150 Mbps in the shed.

Observation: I have determined the reason the router is getting horrible speeds (6 Mbps to 45 Mbps) even though it is in a direct line to the shed approx. 80 ft away. I have a 16 ft x 60 ft aluminum patio cover. It is acting as a “Faraday cage”.  When I move a satellite to the window upstairs direct inline with the shed and bypassing the patio cover, I get 150 Mbps speeds. So, I would love to hear if I can do an RBK50, RBS50, RBS50 and RBR50 and save more then a $100.  I want it to function how it does now in the RBK50, RBS50 and RBS50 configuration, if possible. Thanks in advance, and look forward to your response.

[CrimpOn · Accepted solution]

We get this question all the time from people who "got a gread deal" on an Orbi package and now have two routers.

You can install another Orbi router, but it must be configured as an Access Point (AP) and it will not be part of the primary Orbi "system".  i.e. it will be the same as any other WiFi access point, even a $50 model from Costco.  You can give it the same WiFi name and password as the primary Orbi system, but put it on a different channel.  Devices will not "roam" between it and the Orbi units like they do between the Orbi's.  I am not 100% certain (just close), but the Orbi router must be connected using the WAN (Yellow) port, which means it will not connect over WiFi, like Orbi satellites do of typical WiFi extenders do.

In short, if you don't already have it, it's not worth the money. Buy some other network extender.

[CrimpOn · Accepted solution]

We get this question all the time from people who "got a gread deal" on an Orbi package and now have two routers.

You can install another Orbi router, but it must be configured as an Access Point (AP) and it will not be part of the primary Orbi "system".  i.e. it will be the same as any other WiFi access point, even a $50 model from Costco.  You can give it the same WiFi name and password as the primary Orbi system, but put it on a different channel.  Devices will not "roam" between it and the Orbi units like they do between the Orbi's.  I am not 100% certain (just close), but the Orbi router must be connected using the WAN (Yellow) port, which means it will not connect over WiFi, like Orbi satellites do of typical WiFi extenders do.

In short, if you don't already have it, it's not worth the money. Buy some other network extender.