Re: RBS50Y Is not a satellite only a connected device?

Greg00001 · ‎2018-12-16

I have the RBK50 system router plus satellite (RBR50 and a RBS50) both on the latest firmware. I have beed trying to add an RBS50Y to the system. After two phone calls with Netgear support and two different RBS50Y outdoor satellites I am told that it will on be seen as a connected device, not a satellite, but they say it is working as designed. When I login to the admin page of the RBS50Y it still uses the default password of password which even goes against the documentation saying the password would be synced with the router password. Also, using the orbi app it never shows as a satellite so that means I can never see which devices are connected to that satellite with in the app, only from the satellite admin page. As I write this I am awaiting another call back since Netgear was experiencing technical diffculties so they had to go. Does anyone else have the RBS50Y attached to a RBR50 and have it working as satellite? I'm getting ready just to return all the Orbi stuff while I can if it doesn't work as described in all documentation.

Thanks for any help.

st_shaw · ‎2018-12-16

I have an RBS50Y with an RBR50. It shows as a satellite in the connected devices screen and everything works as expected.

I added the satellite to my system using the WEB GUI, under Basic, Add Orbi Satellite. Is that how you added the satellite?

I would try the following in order:

Power OFF all Orbi units and bring them back up one at a time.

If that doesn't work, I'd try to reset the RBS50Y and add it again.

If that doesn't work, I'd reset the RBR50 and set it up again.

I would bring the RBS50Y close to the router when doing the setup.

Greg00001 · ‎2018-12-17

Support had me do all of those. I never received another phone call back after their 'technical diffculties'. I think they just need to get you off the phone within a certain limit not to make the call ratio look bad.

Is the RBS50Y your only satellite connected to your RBR50 or do you have others? I'm beginning to wonder if the RBK50 (the kit) is bad. It is a refurb by Netgear that I purchased.

st_shaw · ‎2018-12-17

I have an RBS50 as well.

If the kit is not defective in some way, the only thing I can possibly think of is maybe the reset didn't take effect. It is possible to think you reset the system without actually resetting it. A reset requires a very long hold of the rescessed button on the back of Orbi, until the LED blinks amber.

ekhalil · ‎2018-12-17

@Greg00001 wrote:

........... it will on be seen as a connected device, not a satellite, ..........

.

I saw this with one of my satellites. It appeared for some time as a device then it changed by itself to a Satellite. Have you give it some time between your trials?

Greg00001 · ‎2018-12-18

I had it on for two days but it still appeared as a device.

@ekhalil wrote:

I saw this with one of my satellites. It appeared for some time as a device then it changed by itself to a Satellite. Have you give it some time between your trials?

Greg00001 · ‎2018-12-18

@st_shaw wrote:

I have an RBS50 as well.

If the kit is not defective in some way, the only thing I can possibly think of is maybe the reset didn't take effect. It is possible to think you reset the system without actually resetting it. A reset requires a very long hold of the rescessed button on the back of Orbi, until the LED blinks amber.

They didn't have me reset the router itself, only the satellites, at level two support. I only had the RBK50 (kit) for a week when I decided to add the outdoor satellite. But you helped me solve my problem. He's what I did. First I have a different local IP address range than the router default because of my previous router and its setup. I have to keep my custom range because of multiple outdoor wireless cameras that are hard to access to change the IP settings. I also have many custom port forwarding rules and DHCP reservations setup. I backed up the configuration of the RBR50. I then did a hard reset (hold the reset button in) on the router (RBR50), the outdoor satellite (RBS50Y), and the indoor satellite (RBS50). After the router reset completed I went through the setup on my PC via the orbilogin.com page. I skipped the satellite setup. After that was complete I went to the add a satellite page and did the outdoor satellite (RBS50Y) first. Low and behold it actually appeared as a satellite with all the options to turn the LED on and off and disable the sync! I then did the same for the indoor satellite (RBS50) and it worked too! Now all I needed was to get cameras and custom settings back. I was not sure if I restored the router from a backup if it would wipe out the satellite configuration. I restored the config and after it restart and a few minutes later both satellites re-appeared! All seems to be working now and I have all my custom settings. AS a side note, I am less than impressed with Netgear's techincal support. Three hours of wasted time with them and the case was even escallated to higher level of support with call backs.

ekhalil · ‎2018-12-18

Great that your satellite is working as it should now.

st_shaw · ‎2018-12-18

Maybe the configuration didn't get transmitted properly to the satellite the first time around. Good to hear you got it working. Happy I could help you out. Sounds like you needed a thorough reset.

Winco · ‎2019-01-24

Hello all. I was referred to this thread (thanks Christian) as I too were experiencing the exact same issue as Greg00001 and previously found telephone technical support time-consuming and of little help despite my own efforts (with the advice of Christian) to resolve this issue. This self-help community forum is a much better route to go. I'll now follow the suggestion listed here and report back on my success so others can learn too.

Cheers - Winco

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-01-25

Let us know how it turns out for you.

@Winco wrote:

Hello all. I was referred to this thread (thanks Christian) as I too were experiencing the exact same issue as Greg00001 and previously found telephone technical support time-consuming and of little help despite my own efforts (with the advice of Christian) to resolve this issue. This self-help community forum is a much better route to go. I'll now follow the suggestion listed here and report back on my success so others can learn too.

Cheers - Winco

Winco · ‎2019-01-28

Hello all again.

This weekend, I followed the suggestions by a previous post. I struggled to get the RBS50Y to sync and connect to the Orbi Router for nearly an hour and a half of trying. It shouldn't be this hard in this day and age to set up an expensive piece of kit like this. Eventually I got it to regognise and connect as a Satellite. I then connected the indoor satellite so I now have the Orbi Router + Orbi Indoor Satellite + RBS50Y Outdoor Satellite.

What I didn't know until now and was not evident when initially setting up the Orbi RBS50Y Outdoor Extender, was the difference between 'Satellite' mode and 'Extender' mode and how this was the initial cause of my issue of not seeing the Outdoor Extender in the Satellite list. It is a flaw by Netgear in their set-up instructions as they don't make it clear when initially setting up.

The difference is this: By default, if you have an Orbi Router, your RBS50Y Outdoor Extender (a misnomer if there ever was one) automatically becomes added as a Satellite. If you have a router brand other than an Orbi router, you need to configure it to become an 'Extender'. When I was initially setting up, I was given this option. so logicaly, based on the name of the product - Orbi Outdoor EXTENDER, I chose the extender option rather than the satellite option didn't I! Hence it didn't show up as a salellite but as a connected device like all my other connected devices. Go Netgear!

I hope my explanation here helps some other poor soul who, no doubt, will too experience what I have. What a waste of time. BTW, I'm not that impressed with the backhaul coverage of the Outdoor Extender but that is for another topic thread.

Thanks again to those who have assisted me.

Cheers - Winco

st_shaw · ‎2019-02-01

@Winco wrote:

The difference is this: By default, if you have an Orbi Router, your RBS50Y Outdoor Extender (a misnomer if there ever was one) automatically becomes added as a Satellite. If you have a router brand other than an Orbi router, you need to configure it to become an 'Extender'. When I was initially setting up, I was given this option. so logicaly, based on the name of the product - Orbi Outdoor EXTENDER, I chose the extender option rather than the satellite option didn't I! Hence it didn't show up as a salellite but as a connected device like all my other connected devices. Go Netgear!

I'm very curious. How did you setup the RBS50Y and where/when did you see this "Extender Option" I have an RBS50Y and have never seen or heard of this. I just added the RBS50Y to my Orbi system through the Orbi web UI, just like I would add any other satellite. I've also never heard there was an option to use an Orbi satellite with anything other than an Orbi router, so that's interesting.

Greg00001 · ‎2019-02-01

I don't remember if I saw that during setup but I knew it did say if you have Orbi products use it as a satellite. I also remember it said you had to flash the firmware to extender mode if you wanted it as an extender with some other router since it comes with the satellite firmware. The box even calls it a satellite, not an extender. I myself was always trying to do the setup as a satellite but it always was listed as a connected device until I reset everything.