lack of knowledge/understanding

[tandrew49]

greetings,

I have an AT&T modem...trying to increase effectiveness in a fairly large home.  I have plugged in three orbi's.  One to the modem (RBR40) and one in an outlet about 15 feet away (RBS40) that I am using to boost a ring camera signal.  I have another plugged in an office (RBS20) that is not very far away from modem, but does have two thick plaster walls between them.

the unit at the modem and 2nd unit have the same network names.  the third orbi I purchased later and separately and it has a different network name.  I just realized this today as it seems like I am not getting much coverage.  when I try to connect to the third orbi with a different network name my devices cannot locate the network.  Do all three orbi's need to have the same network name in order for this to work.  I have tried using the password on the orbi and choosing each of the different security setting options but to no avail.

I really don't know where to go to find simple explanations about networking.  when I first got the orbi's they seemed to help but not so much now.  my home is two stories, older with a lot of plaster walls

any recommendations deeply appreciated.

peace

tom

[CrimpOn]

The Orbi that was purchased used (which I do, also) probably was originally part of an Orbi package and set up with a different WiFi name.  The trick is to do a "factory reset" on this satellite (using the famous paperclip) and then "sync" it to the Orbi router. 

Factory reset involves sticking the end of a paperclip into the tiny "Reset" hole on the back of the satellite close to the power plug and holding it until the power LED turns amber and then begins to blink.  Can take 15-20 seconds.  Once it blinks, pull out the paperclip and the satellite will be reset.  Here is a link to doing a sync:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePZSc7vnRlQ 

[tandrew49]

I can get it reset, but cannot get it to sync.

when syncing the satellites are they supposed to be close to each other and then moved to locations throughout the house, or are they supposed to be synced from the location they will be operating at.  none of these are really far form each other...RBR at the at&t modem, RBS40 only about 10 feet away, and RBS 20 about another 15 feet on the other side of the wall.

one more question, after syncing how can I tell if they are working, or keep working, individually.  The RBS40 is syncing but not the other.

[tandrew49]

sorry, one more thing, the ring light on the rbs20 never changes color, just flashes white the whole time

[tandrew49]

sorry to be so erratic here...i did locate the app on my phone so I can tell which ones are working and I am only getting signal from router and 1 sattelite

[tandrew49]

moved the rbs 20 closer to router but still not syncing...is the designation '20' significant.  I do notice that  sattelite is a lot smaller than the RBS 40

[tandrew49]

ok, i'm guessing the rbs 20 is just a bad piece of equipment.  Moved it to wthin about 6 feet of router and still can't get connection.

[CrimpOn]

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@tandrew49 wrote:

when syncing the satellites are they supposed to be close to each other and then moved to locations throughout the house, or are they supposed to be synced from the location they will be operating at.  none of these are really far form each other...RBR at the at&t modem, RBS40 only about 10 feet away, and RBS 20 about another 15 feet on the other side of the wall.

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My practice has been to do the original sync with the devices in the same room with the router.  At my age, dashing up and down stairs to get the 'sync' button pressed in time and observe the ring lights is a recipe for disaster.  I prefer to have everything in one place.

Having a satellite 10ft from the router is sort of a 'waste'.  The satellite will have a great backhaul connection, but the WiFi coverage of router and satellite will overlap almost completely overlap.  Most people find that someplace between 20 and 30 feet is a "sweet spot" where the backhaul remains strong and the area covered is large enough.  Netgear's only advice on where to place a satellite is "if the top ring turns amber, consider moving the satellite closer."

EVERY Orbi satellite works with every router.  Lots of people mix them successfully.

If pressing the sync buttons isn't working with the RBS20, you can try using the Orbi web interface which has an "Add a satellite" option on the Home Page.