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Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

Jduggs
Tutor

Wired backhaul Orbi

Hi, i've just installed a new network point in my office. Router is downstairs and wired an ethernet cable from the router round the outside of the house into my office with a network point. I then plugged in my orbi satellite hoping it would connect wired but it still acts wirelessly. Do I need to have a network switch or will this not work?

Message 1 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

Check the LAN cable for quality and opertation. Maybe bad cable or terminating plug. 

CAT6 LAN cable is recommended. 

You can use a switch however it's not needed. 

 

https://kb.netgear.com/000051205/What-is-Ethernet-backhaul-and-how-do-I-set-it-up-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-Sy...

 

NG GS-105/108v4, D-Link DGS-105/108 and HP ProCurve 1400/1800 series switches work for Orbi systems.

 

Run a test with the RBS near the RBR with a ethernet patch cable to see if the RBS maintains ethernet status. If so, then your problem is elsewhere in the cabling or RJ45 plugs and jacks.

Message 2 of 17
Jduggs
Tutor

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

I connected a cable directly from the router to the satellite and this worked. Cable from the access point in the wall connects to my laptop fine so I know the internet is working. Just strange that if I connect the satellite to the lan port it does not act as if it’s wired in. Any other suggestions?
Message 3 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

Something with the cabling or jacks thats in wall would need to be looked at. 

Message 4 of 17
Jduggs
Tutor

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

But why does it work connected to my laptop? If it just didn’t work I would guess connection is faulty but it’s not if my laptop can connect fine?
Message 5 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

Could be anything, Something inbetween the port where you connect the RBR and the RBS is not working right. Possible that the cable termination jacks are slightly misconfigured to where the Laptop doesn't have a problem yet the RBR and RBS do. You proved the RBS to work via ethernet with a different LAN cable while near the RBR so it rules out that the RBR and RBS are the problem. Something between the RBR and RBS in wall is not right. You'll need a tech to help you flush out the lines in the wall, test the condition and configuration of the wires to see if there is any problems seen. Also older cables are not recommened. CAT6 at minumum. 

Message 6 of 17
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi


@Jduggs wrote:
But why does it work connected to my laptop? If it just didn’t work I would guess connection is faulty but it’s not if my laptop can connect fine?

Another test is to look at the Orbi web interface, Advanced Tab, "Show Statistics" box (see attached image).

Does the laptop connection show as 1000M/Full ?

Message 7 of 17
Jduggs
Tutor

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

I’ll take a look. Strangely, I just got it working with a cat 5e cable I’ve got but speeds were slow. Got 300mbps internet but wasn’t going past 90 wired. Tried a long cat8 cable and it wasn’t working?!
Message 8 of 17
Jduggs
Tutor

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

So, I found that there was a problem in the connection as suddenly laptop would not connect. So opened up box, ensured pins were in and it started working again but slowly. Looked at stats and it said 100/full, not 1000/full. The intermittently said connection lost. So there is a problem somewhere in the connection or cable. Going to analyse a bit more tomorrow and if all else fails, use a new cable and just plug directly into the satellite from the router. Bit ugly but at least I know that works.
Message 9 of 17
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

At typical house distances, cat 5e cable is entirely capable of gigabit speed.  In a previous life, when I installed ethernet cable problems were almost always with the termination at the jack.  Keeping the wires twisted as far as possible is tricky.  My practice was to leave extra cable so that I could cut off the jack and terminate a new one.  It doesn't help that the industry created two different jack standards (T568A and T568B)  Jacks on both ends have to be the same type.

 

Wikipedia has a fascinating article on how gigabit ethernet autonegotiates speed and duplex for a link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonegotiation 

 

(well, maybe 'fascinating' is a stretch)

Message 10 of 17
Jduggs
Tutor

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

Ok, so after further investigations the following has been found:

 

  • New LAN port wired in has some connection issues. Will address that at a later date
  • However, I ran a long Cat8 ethernet cable from the router to the satellite in the office upstairs to test it. Connected immediately - great. However speed test over wifi showed speeds only up to about 10MBPS when I should be getting 300mbps.

So, new question is, why is this happening? Cable has not been cut or re-wired. Connects instantly and is Cat8. The whole point of hard wiring a satellite upstairs was to get the speeds i'm paying for up there. Not to get even slower than I was earlier!

 

 

Message 11 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

So with a wired PC to the back of the RBR you get to spec speeds. 

Then with the same wired PC connected to the back of the RBS thats ethernet connected do you get spec speeds here as well? 

Message 12 of 17
Jduggs
Tutor

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

Got an Xbox hooked up to the router wired and this gives me spec speeds. Haven’t tried wired backhaul to satellite then wired from satellite to laptop. That may have to be a tomorrow test.

If I get spec speeds wired, why don’t i get close wireless?
Message 13 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

Ensure the PC is connected at the RBS and not the RBR. You might lower the power output of the RBRs radios temporarily to help with this. 

Check the specs of the wifi adapter on the PC. What connection modes and rates is it rated for? 

Ensure wifi adapter drivers are up to date. 

Message 14 of 17
Jduggs
Tutor

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

Ok, so new results now!!

Wired RBR to RBS. RBS rebooted and showed as wired. Tested WiFi and got full spec speed!

Tested to laptop wired but low speed. However, the machine tested on is quite old so not sure if that affects anything speed wise. My work laptop automatically signs me in to the company vpn which I can’t stop so speeds can’t be tested there!
Message 15 of 17
Jduggs
Tutor

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

Can I ask, does the initial wireless connection from the rbs to the rbr have anything to do with it? If I have the rbs in my office, the connection switches from orange to green. If I then hard wire, it gave me weird results.

I moved the rbs downstairs to the kitchen. Solid green connection and hard wired it worked flawlessly.
Message 16 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Wired backhaul Orbi

If the one PC is "quite old" then the adapter card in this PC may not be connecting to higher speed rates:

https://kb.netgear.com/19668/Link-Rate-and-Transfer-Speed

 

Old cards started out at 10Mb, older cards then supported 100Mb, around mid 2000's 1000Mb cards started appearing for the consumer and pretty common now days on current and new generation devices. Also CPU support speed on older PCs can effect speed and performances. Some single and dual CPU processors are not fast enough to hand testing and higher speeds. 

 

 

Message 17 of 17
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