RBS850 - satellite always out of sync - unable to update firmware or connect via browser
(note: the model typeahead doesn't seem to include the RBS850/RBR850/AX6000)
I have the RBR850 and one RBS850. The router firmware is V4.6.3.16.
I bought the Orbi system because I wanted to avoid running wires along my house and I needed something powerful to cover the length of the house, with the internet coming in at the very front. The router works well, much better than my old airport setup, but the satellite is giving me trouble. Things at the back of the house often (not always) connect (poorly) to the router and not the nearby satellite. I can't see what's connected to the satellite as it just shows a blank list.
If I plug my computer into the satellite and turn off wi-fi, the internet works as expected, so the routing within the system seems to work fine.
The satellite always shows as "Out of sync". If I restart it, press the sync button on both satellite and router, or factory reset it, etc., it will show as "Good" for a minute sometimes, but then reverts to "Out of sync" before long. When it's not blinking white, it's either blue or unlit — it never shows amber or magenta.
I thought I'd check the firmware, but the firmware update page shows no model number and no firmware version for the satellite, and the status column takes a while before showing "Service unreachable". I tried doing a manual update on the satellite (IP is 192.168.1.3), but that opens a popup to http://192.168.1.3/fwUpdate.htm and the browser says "192.168.1.3 refused to connect.". If I try to curl 192.168.1.3, I get:
curl -isv http://192.168.1.3
* Trying 192.168.1.3:80...
* connect to 192.168.1.3 port 80 failed: Connection refused
* Failed to connect to 192.168.1.3 port 80: Connection refused
* Closing connection 0
and the same goes for https.
The above two paragraphs hold true even if the (a) satellite is next to the router and (b) the satellite is connected to the router with an ethernet cable or (c) the satellite is connected to my computer with an ethernet cable (with my computer's wi-fi off) — no change in behaviour in these three scenarios.
I've poked at it for several days and finally spent most of today troubleshooting it going through various threads that seem vaguely related to these symptoms (there are many), but nothing seems to help.
Re: RBS850 - satellite always out of sync - unable to update firmware or connect via browser
I also tried turning the satellite off, removing it from the router, and then restarting it and factory resetting it while connected via cable to my computer. While it was flashing white, I tried to hit 192.168.1.3 and 192.168.1.250 (per this thread), but that didn't work. I tried setting my own IP address (since it would not give me one), but that didn't help. It kept blinking white, but then it eventually added itself to the router (!) and shone blue, and I'm back where I started.
Re: RBS850 - satellite always out of sync - unable to update firmware or connect via browser
There seems to be no way for me to update the firmware on the satellite. I've tried connecting my computer via ethernet, and the satellite to the router via ethernet, but it changes nothing.
I just tried changing the backhaul password to see if that forces anything. It resulted in the satellite going magenta. I still couldn't do anything via the browser if I connected my computer via ethernet directly to the satellite and manually set an IP (since it won't give me one). No amount of factory resetting or pressing sync buttons seemed to get the satellite to connect to the router, even if I tried re-adding the satellite to the router. But when I connected the satellite to the router via ethernet cable it seems to have updated it wrt the password and now it is no longer magenta. But:
* I still can't reach the satellite via a web page (its IP is now 192.168.1.19 — before it was 192.168.1.3)
* the satellite still displays no model number or firmware version on the update page
* the satellite still shows as "out of sync", even when 3 feet from the router and connected via ethernet cable
and thus there seems to be no way to update the firmware on the satellite that I can find.
I will try updating the router to v4.6.7.5 as you suggest (even though the link says to update the satellite first — but there seems to be no way for me to do that and that's the very thing I'm trying to fix, so … 🤷) and see if that changes anything wrt the satellite. And if that doesn't work, then do another factory reset on the router and satellite and re-add the satellite. And then… ?
Re: RBS850 - satellite always out of sync - unable to update firmware or connect via browser
I looks like the RBS850 is faulty. I bought a new one (it doesn't penetrate my small-but-longish London flat as well as I hoped it might, so a second satellite will be helpful anyways), and it works as expected, with none of the strange behaviours here, and I was able to update the firmware just fine.
I had a long chat with support, ran through a bunch of tests, fairly thorough, and we agreed it was defective.They opened an RMA. I requested the "next day service" (pay extra £20 and they are supposed to ship you the replacement and a box to send the defective one in, instead of you sending it in and getting the replacement after they've processed it). But for some reason it's been cancelled and they're trying to refund the £20. I'm not sure what's going on — hopefully I'll find out more next week.
