×

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

disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

bhenry
Tutor

disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

I first got the Orbi mesh because our house did not have ethernet pulled to different parts of the house and i used the wireless backplane.   We are in a new house now with wired cat 6 to several points.  Since I own thise Orbi's I have been using them with wired eithernet to each BUT apparently the high frequency channels on the Orbi backplane crash with my sons Xbox One wireless controlers and headsets.  

 

I have both Orbi's connected with Cat6 anyway so I should not really be using the backplane at all but it seems like there is conflict happening - even though both Orbi's show wired backplane is being used.  Is there a way to turn off use of the wireless high end channels totally?  The only solution otherwise I can think of us to just buy a couple 2.4/5Ghz access points since i now have wired in multiple places in the house.

Message 1 of 16
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

The xbox conrollers and headsets don't use 5Ghz frequencies. My two Orbis don't crash my controller. Headset is wired for me though. 

Message 2 of 16
bhenry
Tutor

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

Sorry I may have mis-spoke it is only the Wireless Headset on his Xbox One that is the issue and it is apparently the Xbox One Wifi Direct protocal that uses 5GHZ on the One series.

 

 

5G wifi can interfere with your Xbox one controller. Try changing the default channel of your wifi router until the issue clears up. If you have the Astro A50s, avoid the higher channels. ... The Xbox 360 uses 2.4GHz RF for its wireless protocol for controllers and the Xbox One uses 5GHz RF.

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/a0vfvc/does_the_xbox_one_controller_have_a_5ghz/

Message 3 of 16
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels


@bhenry wrote:

BUT apparently the high frequency channels on the Orbi backhaul channel crash with my sons Xbox One wireless controlers and headsets.  

The only solution otherwise I can think of us to just buy a couple 2.4/5Ghz access points since i now have wired in multiple places in the house.


I did only a very brief search, and ideed this may be a common complaint. (This one account is a wee bit extreme.)

https://sumonix.com/what-is-wrong-with-the-xbox-one-controller 

The author seems to think that "wiring" the XBox controller and headphones is the only solution.

 

It is not clear to me that disabling the Orbi backhaul signal will actually address the problem, as my search found other posts claiming that XBox uses the same 5G channels as the Orbi "user devices", i.e. 36-48.  The Orbi backhaul channels are greater than 100.  (157 in the US and in the 100's in Europe.)

 

Swapping out the Orbi satellites for generic access points does not "turn off" the backhaul signal.  It is still there, waiting for a satellite to connect.  And, the replacement 5G access points are, after all, still using 5G.

 

Is there a setting in the XBox to configure the wireless connection between XBox and controller, headphones?

 

 

 

 

Message 4 of 16
bhenry
Tutor

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

The Xbox One uses the high frequency range 5GHZ for the Xbox One proprietary wireless headset connection and the the Orbi backplane is also using the high frequency range.  There is no setting on the Xbox One to change the frequency of the Xbox Direct wifi proptocal they use for the wireless headset.  

 

Note this is totally different than the 5GHZ wifi being used in the house that the Orbi will let you change.  Orbi will not let you change the backplane frequency.

 

So switching to a normal netgear or any other access point that just uses two radios, the 2.4 and the lower range 5Ghz would be fine. Its the fact the Orbi is using the high end range also for its backplane, which is the problem.  I just need the high end radio interference turned off.

 

 

Message 5 of 16
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

The back haul for Orbi is always enabled so if the ethernet connected is pulled or lost the RBS can reconnnect over the wireless backhaul radio. 

 

Try turning down the power output of the 5Ghz radio to see if this helps any. How close is the xbox and controller to the Orbi RBR or RBS? IF close, you may want to put more distance between them. 

Message 6 of 16
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels


@bhenry wrote:

The Xbox One uses the high frequency range 5GHZ for the Xbox One proprietary wireless headset connection and the the Orbi backplane is also using the high frequency range.  There is no setting on the Xbox One to change the frequency of the Xbox Direct wifi proptocal they use for the wireless headset.


I don't have an XBox One to experiment with, but I would be remiss not to point out that "high frequency range GHHZ" sounds a tiny bit ambiguous to me.  For example, when I searched for "XBox One controller frequency", this article popped up where a person used a frequency analyzer to look at the XBox One controller radio signal:

https://gist.github.com/devkid/4b3bd50760504d1b93ea684cfd3ed895 

He seems pretty certain that HIS XBox One controller was using frequency 5220, which is 5G channel 44.

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

 

One easy way to test this is to change the Orbi 5G channel to 36.  If restricting the Orbi to channel 36 makes the issue disappear, then the XBox is using the same 5G channels as the Orbi does for users, not for backhaul.

Message 7 of 16
bhenry
Tutor

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

Hi I need to make clear it is not the Xbox One Xcontroller that is having ANY issues with interference.  It is only the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 which connects wirelesly to the Xbox One.    I testesd this by turning off the Orbi's all together or using just the Orbi router and no satellites.  Just using the 5GHZ lower end channels like 36 does not cause an issue.  Apparenly the Orbi backhaul is using channels in the high end range 

 

The articke you sent on the guys controller frequency are not relevant because the Xbox One controller is not the issue, only the Xbox one headeset.

 

But my question was simple - can i turn off the the wireless backplane radios totally if I want to use the satellites 100% wired in a star topology.

 

 

Message 8 of 16
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

No.

Message 9 of 16
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

This is so frustrating.  I thought it would be simple to find a reference to the specific frequency (or frequencies) used by Microsoft XBox Wireless.  After an hour, all I can find is "higher frequency than 2.4G".  That's just not very helpful.  Nor can I find any reference to what frequency those headphones use, excep that they (also) support Bluetooth for connection to things other than XBox.

 

Would be really helpful to find a technical description of the frequency used by these headphones.

Message 10 of 16
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

Something that TB should know if one were to contact them. 

I see they don't list that info in the specs:

https://www.turtlebeach.com/products/stealth-700-headset-xbox-one

 

I see notice of a FW update for those. Not sure if that would be of any help. 

 

I use wire connected headsets for my gaming. I used to have wireless as well back in the day. 2.4Ghz was a problem back then. So I regressed to wired headsets. No problems since. Avoided using batteries as well. 

Message 11 of 16
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

All I can find is an article on "Troubleshooting" that confirms that the 700 headset is capable of using both 2.4G and 5G bands.  It recommends turning off one of the WiFi bands and letting the headset have unrestricted use of the other.  But, I see no mention of HOW the user would tell the XBox and headset to use a specific band:

https://support.turtlebeach.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000332094-Stealth-700-for-Xbox-One-Troubleshoot... 

 

My reason for wanting to know the specific frequency band uses by the headset is pretty simple.  Even "super high quality" sound cannot require more than a 20MHz channel width.  That could be relatively simple to avoid, if only we knew what it is.  The WiFi channel is different in the US than in Europe because of radio regulations.

 

There was a post back in March, 2020 where the user reported a method to disable the backhaul radio.  It would be a good idea to back up the configuration in case the Orbi has to reset if (when?) this does something horrible:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/ORBI-RBR-RBS-Broadcast-Storm-Problem-Ethernet-Backhaul-creates... 

No warranty (from me) that this works today or will work in the future.

 

Just personally, I would prefer that expensive consumer products have a better way to deal with WiFi interference than recommend, "Turn off your WiFi router".

Message 12 of 16
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

Ya when it comes to some consumer devices, some mfrs don't care what there devices do or happen to be suseptible to wifi noise and interferences. 

 

And for the cost of the wireless head set, there is a wired comparable headset as well. Avoid the wifi hassle and go wired IMO. 

Good Luck. 

Message 13 of 16
bhenry
Tutor

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

Yes I agree.  The only thing that has my geek still looking at this is, if I am completely wiring my backplane satellites I am not sure anything should be still going over the backplane, so I would like the option to turn that off or in full disclosure know nothing is still going over that higher end channel.  It seems to me that stuff is stil going over the wireless backplane.

Message 14 of 16
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels

Is seems the backhaul channel is always on regardless of ethernet use or not. One reason maybe that NG wants the ability of the RBS to re-connect wirelessly should the ethernet connection go down or be disconnected by the user. So the backhaul is always enabled. 

Message 15 of 16
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: disable wireless backplane to avoid high frequency channels


@bhenry wrote:

 It seems to me that stuff is stil going over the wireless backplane.


I guarantee that WiFi channel at least has the usual management traffic ("beacon" frame, etc.)  I don't use ethernet backhaul, or I would try the "radio hack" just for entertainment.  It shouldn't totally hose the router.

Message 16 of 16
Top Contributors
Discussion stats
  • 15 replies
  • 5079 views
  • 1 kudo
  • 3 in conversation
Announcements

Orbi WiFi 7