RBK53-100UKS Orbi AC3000 Tri-Band with Router and 2 Satellites - not working

[Danno1]

I have tried and failed to configure my Router and 2 satellites today, and returned, frustratingly, to my old equipment.

The two main problems have been:

1 Unable to configure one of the satellites connected via an ethernet cable.  My old equipment works find over the same cable.  I can see the satellite as a connected item on my Router, but I haven't found a way to configure it as a functioning Satellite.

2 Over the 5 hours or so that my Router and functioning Satellite have been configured today, I have had internet access for perhaps 10% of that time only.  I have gone back to my old equipment, which works fine again.

I am on Vigin Media broadband, and I upgraded to version 2 firmware this morning.

I have been unable to communicate with Netgear Support because live chat isn't working, the line is too poor for a telephone conversation, and setting up an email ticket isn't working either.

Does anyone have any suggestions please before I return the product as unfit for purpose?

Thanks

Dave

[st_shaw · Accepted solution]

Ethernet connection of satellites is expected in future firmware, but no information on when.

If you have Ethernet wiring to the office, then a wired access point would be best out there.

With a distance of 30m, I expect you will have a very difficult time finding a solution that allows you to move from house to office without dropping a call.  Doing this would probably require some sort of outside AP to bridge the gap. Your phone would have to be smart enough to handle the transition gracefully also.

Good luck.

[Mikey94025]

The Orbi and its satellites are supposed "to just work" when you connect them.  Your issues might be due to an older firmware version.

Since you have working Internet now using your old equipment, first try to connect the Orbi + satellites in AP (access point) mode to your existing router.  Setting up the new Orbi this way will enable you to configure things with working internet, get the Orbi firmware upgraded to the latest V2.0.0.74, etc.  Once you get the Orbi + satellites working as an wireless access point then you can do a factory reset and try to setup the Orib in router mode to really replace your old equipment.

[st_shaw]

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@Danno1 wrote:

1 Unable to configure one of the satellites connected via an ethernet cable.  My old equipment works find over the same cable.  I can see the satellite as a connected item on my Router, but I haven't found a way to configure it as a functioning Satellite.

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Not sure if this is your problem, but the satellites do not support connection to the router via cable. 

[Danno1]

Thank you Mikey,

i will try checking and updating he firmware if necessary.  I had thought I had done this already, but worth checking.

regards

Dave

[Danno1]

Thank you.

i contacted Netgear Support by phone yesterday, and they assured me that it was possible to connect the satellite to the router by Ethernet cable.  

If anyone has any further information on this I would be grateful.

Regards

Dave

[st_shaw]

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@Danno1 wrote:

Thank you.

i contacted Netgear Support by phone yesterday, and they assured me that it was possible to connect the satellite to the router by Ethernet cable.  

If anyone has any further information on this I would be grateful.

Regards

Dave

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Unless you have some brand new beta firmware that nobody has heard of, support is mistaken.  Disconnect the Ethernet cable from the satellite and try again. Also, make sure any old WiFi access points you have are turned off, to avoid interference. 

[Danno1]

Thank you again for your help.  An important feature I need is to be able to go from an office to my house without dropping a mobile call.  The office is 30m from he house and doesn’t seem reachable be ‘air’, hence Ethernet cable installed.  I was hoping Orbi would support this, but given that it doesn’t support cable between Router and Satellite, and the apparent reliability problems, I will need to return Orbi sadly and look again. 

[st_shaw · Accepted solution]

Ethernet connection of satellites is expected in future firmware, but no information on when.

If you have Ethernet wiring to the office, then a wired access point would be best out there.

With a distance of 30m, I expect you will have a very difficult time finding a solution that allows you to move from house to office without dropping a call.  Doing this would probably require some sort of outside AP to bridge the gap. Your phone would have to be smart enough to handle the transition gracefully also.

Good luck.

[Danno1]

Thank you.

I have accepted this as an explanation and solution to this thread, and so have returned my Orbi's to the shop pending a solution that will work for me.