×

Introducing the Orbi 970 Series Mesh System with WiFi 7(BE) technology. For more information visit the NETGEAR Press Room.

Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
Reply

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

Geek95
Follower

Wired Connection to Satellite

Is it possible to use Ethernet to connect router and satellites?
Message 1 of 58
mdgm-ntgr
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite


@Geek95 wrote:
Is it possible to use Ethernet to connect router and satellites?

No, but this is a suggestion under consideration.

 

Part of the beauty of the Orbi solution is how it effectively connects the router to the satellites wirelessly. There is very good penetration.

Message 2 of 58
dmystic1
Apprentice

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

That would be a great feature and if it freed up the third 5ghz band for a true 3 band router with smart connect that would be even better.

Message 3 of 58
seany187
Star

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

I would also like this feature, especially since I currently have a second Nighthawk as my access point. I will be putting the Satellite in the same spot, seems silly not to hard-wire it.

Message 4 of 58
AncientGeekVT
Apprentice

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

This is great to hear.  I am building a house and need my wireless running in the next two weeks.  I'm planning on using a Cisco router with VPN , but want a good solution for multiple WAPs around the house.  I have wired connections in various logical places for WAPs.

Message 5 of 58
alanfca
Guide

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

I would like to request the ethernet backhaul feature option as welll.  Would be nice feature for those of us with pre wired setups in the house.  I believe that eero and luma do support the backhaul method of interconnectivity of mesh devices.

Message 6 of 58
serac
Guide

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

eero does support hardwired "satelites" and luma has promissed to with first software update after launch

Message 7 of 58
itGeeks
Apprentice

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

There very well maybe good penatration however there still is a need for Eithernet backhaul in situation such as installing in a detached garage.

Message 8 of 58
KWAHERN
Initiate

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

Nothing beats the penetration of a Cat6 cable

Message 9 of 58
SamirD
Prodigy

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

In terms of speed and connectivity wired>wireless, ALWAYS.

 

Meraki had a really terrific mesh product many years ago that these companies should just mimic.  It was beautiful--cloud managed, wired/wireless backhaul, poe capable, seamless (and I mean drop only one ping seamless) roaming between aps.  You can still buy the products if you can find them. They were only g though, so they can't support today's faster Internet speeds.

Message 10 of 58
itGeeks
Apprentice

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

Can we have an update on this? Is adding Eithernet backhaul even possible with the current hardware only adding this threw firmware? Or does there need to be a hardware change to add Eithernet backhaul? I have 5 locations that need a system like this but without Eithernet backhaul I will have no choice but to use Eero or Luma, This is a big miss for Netgear and I don't understand as good as Orbi looks on paper you would cut yourself so short by not supporting Eithernet backhaul. Please update me on this ASAP.

Message 11 of 58
seany187
Star

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

Hi All,

 

I created an idea for this, please upvote so netgear will add in a software update.

 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Idea-Exchange-For-Home/Netgear-Orbi-Wired-Sattelite/idi-p/1145210#M...

Message 12 of 58

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite


@itGeeks wrote:

Can we have an update on this? Is adding Eithernet backhaul even possible with the current hardware only adding this threw firmware? Or does there need to be a hardware change to add Eithernet backhaul? I have 5 locations that need a system like this but without Eithernet backhaul I will have no choice but to use Eero or Luma, This is a big miss for Netgear and I don't understand as good as Orbi looks on paper you would cut yourself so short by not supporting Eithernet backhaul. Please update me on this ASAP.


hi

 

its is possible and has been suggested it maybe an option for future firmware release

 

the concept of the orbi is a "whole home wifi solution" where wifi is the backbone and no ethernet is needed , this will become more relevent once mesh is also included

 

if you already have ethernet installed i wouldnt be going anywhere but a real wireless access point and a stand alone router as this is always going to be the best option , for the price of the orbi you can get something like a unifi edge router and unifi ac access point and imho for you achieve a far better result

Message 13 of 58
itGeeks
Apprentice

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

@peteytesting,

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post. I do understand and agree to a point about what your saying, I myself use Unangle UTM as my router salution paired up with Open-Mesh in my home but that said these salution can;t be setup by grandma and grandpa so these new bread of mesh home products that company's like Netgear, Eero, Luma and others are bringing to the table is great for the none tech person. The need for Orbi to support Eithernet backhaul is a must for any home that has CAT5/6 runs to rooms where these devices are installed, There is no substitue for wired if wired can be used. I think its great that Orbi has a 3rd dedicated 5GHz radio for the sole purpose of comunication to the endpoints if wireless mesh is the only option.

Message 14 of 58
Dima1007
Aspirant

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

Is it possible to add and use Orbi router in AP mode as second satellite?

Message 15 of 58

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

sure

 

if you mean set it to ap mode and it run as an ap and the sat then run as a further ap

Message 16 of 58
powrby4d
Guide

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

Still waiting on wired backhaul for the satellites. I get decent Wifi coverage with the Orbi but have issues getting connection for the backhaul band where I already have wired drops. Makes zero sense not to support both mixed wired and wireless backhaul. This should have been in the design specs day one.
Message 17 of 58

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite


@powrby4d wrote:
Still waiting on wired backhaul for the satellites. I get decent Wifi coverage with the Orbi but have issues getting connection for the backhaul band where I already have wired drops. Makes zero sense not to support both mixed wired and wireless backhaul. This should have been in the design specs day one.

 

 

think you will be waiting a long time as you may only see ethernet backhaul if someone in the 3rd party fw world takes intrest in the orbi system as a project and is willing to develope an open source project and firmware for the orbi

 

however i wouldnt recommend the orbi to anyone that already has structured cabling anyway as there are better solutions designed to take advantage of the ethernet

Message 18 of 58
powrby4d
Guide

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

Well that was the potential for Orbi to be convenient and flexible to place anywhere that it could be useful to do so, whether wired or wireless, with the distinct advantage that it did not look like an ugly access point with a bunch of cables in some rooms where it might matter, but it could extend the same network where performance is required but aesthetics may not matter. I think someone at Netgear dropped the ball without wired backhaul on the potential to bring together both markets for less technical and more technical customers, or at least the mix of aesthetics, flexibility, and performance all covered with one product line. And it's not like a selectable choice of wired or wireless backhaul is rocket science.

Message 19 of 58
Jmmelgaard
Tutor

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

I need a wired connection to overcome interference.  Do you plan a FIX to your oversite or do I need to return your product and buy a competitor's product?

Model: Orbi High-Performance AC3000 Tri-Band WiFi System (RBK50)
Message 20 of 58

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite


@Jmmelgaard wrote:

I need a wired connection to overcome interference.  Do you plan a FIX to your oversite or do I need to return your product and buy a competitor's product?


 

 

its not an oversight , its an intentional decision not to include it because the product is designed to provide whole home wifi without the need for ethernet backhaul

 

if you purchased the orbi with the expectation it would have ethernet backhaul the issue is with your expectation and or lack of looking at the feature set before purchasing

 

sure return it as if you have structured cabling already installed you dont need any of these mesh systems , all you need are wireless access points

Message 21 of 58
powrby4d
Guide

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

Maybe he just expected it to have the same functionality as every other AP and switch with the added capability of wireless backhaul such that the product was a net improvement over the industry standard, not a poorly-conceived trade-off of a crippled AP with an added band rather than a more flexible AP.

 

I'm not in a position to tell strangers what combination of wired and wireless they need for their particular situation. I'm quite sure that you aren't either.

Message 22 of 58
loomis1975
Luminary

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite

You have a point.  But its kind of like asking Tesla to FIX their OVERSIGHT that their cars don't use gasoline, because you can't always recharge your new Tesla everywhere. Dude, buy a Prius.

 

That being said, Linksys Velop does do wired backhaul automatically AFTER you set it up initially for wireless during install.

Message 23 of 58

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite


@loomis1975 wrote:

 

 

That being said, Linksys Velop does do wired backhaul automatically AFTER you set it up initially for wireless during install.

 

yes but like all these mesh systems if the ethernet backhaul is present it will always use it over its wifi backhaul and them make buying a mesh system useless and over priced as wireless access points will achieve exactly the same thing


 

Message 24 of 58

Re: Wired Connection to Satellite


@powrby4d wrote:

 

 

I'm not in a position to tell strangers what combination of wired and wireless they need for their particular situation. I'm quite sure that you aren't either.


 

 

is that not why we are here ??? and in every case if structured ethernet is present you are paying far to much for a mesh system that wont be used and where a few wireless access points achieve the same thing and in fact work better

Message 25 of 58
Top Contributors
Discussion stats
Announcements

Orbi WiFi 7