RBR50 and RBS50 Ethernet stopped working

[drfrink24]

1 RBRv2 and 1RBSv2, been working fine for several months

Around 9pm CST last night, all my connected ethernet devices quit functioning, wireless devices are working fine;

Actions taken, with no results;

1.  Swapped switch, thinking it was bad, no improvement

2.  Tested backhaul cable using Cat5 testing equipment - tested fine

3.  Rebooted RBR/RBS, no improvement

4.  Tried direct wired connection to RBR with Ubuntu server - Link status shows 1000/Full in Orbi with fixed IP address, cannot ping/connect to the Orbi admin webpage

5.  Wired via switch - DHCP assignment fails, static IP address (same subnet) fails to connect to the admin webpage by IP address

6.  Updated both RBR and RBS to latest firmware v2.5.1.8 - no improvement

7.  Swapped RBR/RBS locations, trying the ethernet ports on the RBS - same symptoms/no improvement (this also tests leaving them unplugged for 1 minute)

8.  RBS won't connect via direct wired backhaul (this was working for months)

9.  Disabled Daisy Chaining (saw it in another thread) no improvement

10.  Changed the IP address and subnet on the router - no improvement

11.  Disabled/enabled the DHCP server on the RBR - no improvement

I'm perplexed as to how both the RBR and RBS seemingly lose ethernet functionality.  They are physically connected, link 1000/Full for all clients.. just not functional.  It's as if the RBR has quit routing all ethernet traffic (including the RBS Backhaul) except the WAN ethernet.. (I'm typing this from a wifi connected device, and it's working fine).

[drfrink24 · Accepted solution]

Tried two switches in the configuration, identical problems for both, so it was something on either both or one of the PCs.  Problem went away when I booted them to their OS.

[FURRYe38]

What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch in the configuration?

Is the Orbi system operating in Router or AP mode?

Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update? 

I would reset both RBR and RBS. Directly connect the RBS to the back of the RBR and walk thru the RBRs setup wizard with a wired PC and web browser. 

[drfrink24]

I've tried two switches - One of them is a 24 port netgear unmanaged 1gb switch, the other was a 5 port tplink 1gb switch.  Wired backhaul eliminates the switch(s) from the equation, wired backhaul doesn't activate/enable.  Direct wired to both RBR fails to assign DHCP addresses and elminates the switches from the equation.  Direct wired to Sattelite fails to assign IP addresses and eliminates the switches from the equation.  

No factory reset, as that would be my last ditch, nuclear option.

Router mode -  I don't want to use the ISP DHCP settings for AP Mode.

Wireless clients get IP addresses, updates are reflected.  Wired does not serve IP addresses.  Static address fail to ping gateway (yes, they are on the same subnet)

I will reset everything tonite, as obviously the Orbi system is a black-box that has no tracing/logging/debug capabilities.

reset > hard reset > factory reset > replace unit

I should have spend a few hundred more dollars for a real mesh system from Ubiquiti 

[FURRYe38]

Try this, factory reset the RBS and connect 1 wired PC to the back of the RBS. Don't sync it to the RBR. Just wait about 5 minutes. Open a web browser to 192.168.1.250 and this should present you with a log in page. Use admin and password. Can you get to the RBS default web page here? If so, Then try to resync with the RBR. Do this with the RBS in the same room with the RBR.

If a factory reset on the RBR and RBS fail to get the RBS re-connected, then possible the RBS maybe faulty.

[drfrink24]

So.. this one is super strange, and if someone has an idea what would cause this;

After factory resets, reconfigs and other tests..  I started to add back in devices to the Netgear switch.

I discovered that a switch connected in a room with two PC's was directly responsible for killing all ethernet traffic on both routers and all other devices.  Obviously, bad switch, right?  So I swapped it out with another switch.  Same problem.  Both machines were sitting on Bios password screens this entire time.  Sort of half-powered on.

So I booted them up to see if maybe there was an IP conflict..  Now everything works.

No f'n idea how this is even possible.

TL;DR

Had two machines connected via another switch that were doing something destructive on the wired network, but ONLY when they were sitting on their BIOS password screen, prior to OS boot.  

[FURRYe38]

What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch in the configuration?

Did you remove the switches from the configuration and try again? 

[drfrink24 · Accepted solution]

Tried two switches in the configuration, identical problems for both, so it was something on either both or one of the PCs.  Problem went away when I booted them to their OS.

[FURRYe38]

What is the Mfr and model# of the ethernet switch in the configuration? Just wondering. 

Glad the boot to OS fixed it. Odd that PC held at BIOS should cause network problems. Network isn't active at BIOS. 

Please mark your thread as solved so others will know.