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RBR50 keeps hanging

MFrerich
Aspirant

RBR50 keeps hanging

OK...Been having a problem for the last few months and it is getting worse.  I need some help before I decided to replace the Orbi completely. 

 

I have an RBR50 with 2 RBS50 and they are on the latest Firmware 2.7.0.70 however this issue has been going on with earlier releases as well.  

 

The issue is that the RBR50 stops responding therefor everything get disconnected.  If I am connected to one of the RBS50s it actually does not know there is an issue until I try to get to the internt, and the devices will tell me there is no internet connection, in otherwords the light ring never seems to go to magenta or amber.   In most cases the system will come back up on its own, but there has been times it won't.  To resolve it I have to reboot the RBR50.  

 

I know it is something in the RBR50 that is causing the issue as I can connect my computer directly into my DSL Modem and it works without issue but anything connected to the RBR50 does not works. 

 

I do have devices hardwired (eithernet cable) into each RBS50 as well as several into the RBR50.  Overall I have at least 22 devices connected, 5 Google Mini/hubs, 5 Wemo devices, 2 Xbox (hardwired to RBS50) 3 TVs, DirectTV boxes using there cable network but it is hardwired in to the RBR50, a computer, a laptop, a Printer, RainBird controller, ecobee, Denon Tuner, 3 Nest cameras and two smart devices (tablet and phone).  Yes it is a lot and several of them have constent feeds to the internet. I don't think this is extreme but I am wondering if the Orbi RBR50 is really designed to handle this much bandwidth. 

 

I was orginally running in AP mode with the RBR50 connected to a Centurlink C3000Z DSL Modem and the Modem was providing the IP Address for everything.  In this mode the RBR50 seemed to hang at least once a day and occasionally have mulitple hangs in a row.  The only real fix was to power it off for about 5 minutes and then it seemed to come back. 

 

Over the weekend I completely reset the system, the RBR50 and both RBS50s.  Went through the setup and let it configure itself.  It is now in Router mode and I thought it was fixed however in the last 2 days it has had the same issue again, it hangs.  I do not have Circle turned on or the Armor feature.  The only thing I have changed is that I put the SSID back to the orginal so I did not have to reconnect 20+ devices ...and I changed the Chanels for the 2.4G and 5G so they were not on the same channels as my neighbor. 

 

The whole setup is about 3 years old and this issue has been going on for about the last 4 months or so.  At first it was once a week or so, then twice a week and now it is to the point of Once a day.  In some cases it is 2 or 3 times in the same day and other days it is just once.  

 

Any suggestions?  Or am I at the limit of this system? 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 1 of 7
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 keeps hanging

What mode is the ISP modem in? If router, the Wifi radios on this modem should be fully turned OFF. Full bridge mode is recommended on the modem however. 

This would be a double NAT (two router) condition which isn't recommended. https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT
https://kb.netgear.com/30187/How-to-fix-issues-with-Double-NAT
Couple of options,
1. Configure the modem for transparent bridge or modem only mode. Then use the Orbi router in router mode. You'll need to contact the ISP for help and information in regards to the modem being bridged correctly.
2. If you can't bridge the modem, disable ALL wifi radios on the modem, configure the modems DMZ/ExposedHost or IP Pass-Through for the IP address the Orbi router gets from the modem. Then you can use the Orbi router in Router mode.
3. Or disable all wifi radios on the modem and connect the Orbi router to the modem, configure AP mode on the Orbi router. https://kb.netgear.com/31218/How-do-I-configure-my-Orbi-router-to-act-as-an-access-point and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7LOcJ8GdDo&app=desktop

 

Try option#1 first if possible. Then try #2...

 

If you turn OFF the RBS and leave just the RBR online. Does the RBR hang or experience this issue. 

Do both wireless and wired devices stop betting internet services when this happens? 

Does the RBR show any top ring light when then happens? 

 

Any Wifi Neighbors near by? If so, how many?

Message 2 of 7
MFrerich
Aspirant

Re: RBR50 keeps hanging

Currently all the WiFi Radios are turned off on the Modem and have been the whole time, it is only provided a connection from the Ethernet ports.  

 

I have not set it up as a bridge mode in my latest setup, becuase I wanted to make sure it was not the modem having issues, It is currently serving DHCP as well so that I can plug my computer into it and test the DSL connection. In the past I did have it in Bridge Mode when this all started.  I initially thought the issue was the DSL Modem so I switched it back to router mode so that I could test and make sure the DSL modem was still serving an IP and able to connect to the internet.  I currently have not switched it back to bridge mode as I troubleshoot this issue.  As most of us I am working from home, so when this happens I have to be able to quickly get back online and cannot wait for the RBR50 to reboot.  

 

I can test switching of the two RBS satilites and see if that helps, unfortunetly that limits what is connected to the system due to how spread out everyting is.  

 

Yes both Wired devices and WiFi devices stop connecting, my computer is connected to the RBR50 and it will also lose the connection, that is why I know it is something with the RBR50 that is hung.  When I look to see if there is any light at the top, it looks like it should be working as there is no indicator light lite. The power LED on the back is still on. 

 

Unfortunetly all the neighbors have WiFi and I can see most of their SSIDs, that is why I have tried to find channels which are not shared with the neighbors. 

Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 3 of 7
MFrerich
Aspirant

Re: RBR50 keeps hanging

Well Powering off the RBS50s did not help, the RBR50 hung again this morning, the good news is it was able to recover on its own. 

 

Also today there is not as many devices connected, I was actually away from the house when the issue happened, so no Smart Phone connected, no Laptop or computer and no SmartTVs on.  This is why I don't think the system is over loaded becasue there are days when I have way more devices pulling data and the system does not have an issue. 

 

Any other thoughts out there? 

Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 4 of 7
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 keeps hanging

Also try turning down the power output of the RBRs wifi radios from 100% to 50% and see if this changes anything. Under Advanced Tab/Advanced Settings/Wireless Settings

Message 5 of 7
MFrerich
Aspirant

Re: RBR50 keeps hanging

Well Turning down the power made things a little better but now I am getting hiccups.  So every once in awhile there will be a blip and the Satelites will go Magenta and the router will blink white breifly.   Once the Router is back to normal... the satelites will reconnect.  

 

So it is not completely hung at this point but it is still having a hiccup. 

Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 6 of 7
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 keeps hanging

I would make contact with NG support and see what options you have available to you.

@Blanca_O 

Message 7 of 7
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