NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Netgear Orbi RBR20 Connectivity Gaps
Model RBR20, Firmware v2.5.1.16, two satellites. There are frequent gaps in connectivity as evidenced by multiple drops on Zoom calls (where I sometimes see a notice that my connection is unstable), ...
I had the same issue a few months ago when I first replaced my ASUS wifi router with a RBR20 and two RBS20. I used the RBR20 as just an AP as I wanted to keep my pfSense router/firewall. I upgraded my home system because the wife and I were both working from home due to covid and she was experiencing drops with the older ASUS. I brought the RBR20 and RBS20’s onboard and thought it was working but she still had dropouts right in the middle of zoom meetings. Not good. The units seemed to experience random rebooting sequences turning magenta or various colors and then would come back up but too late. The dropout was already devastating to home work flow.
All is good now and I’ll tell you what I did. For some reason it seems the units are extremely finicky about the distance between them. I have a 2800 sqft house and thought I’d spaced the units out adequately but perhaps not. I had the RBR20 in AP-mode upstairs at one end of the house, one RBS20 upstairs at the other end, and the other RBS20 downstairs in the middle. Nope, that wasn’t good. Long story short, I ended up taking the downstairs RBS20 out of commission and even turned down the transmit power on the RBR20 to 75%. That did it. Not a single dropout now for months. I’m leaving well enough alone and not going back to see if the power reduction alone was a fix or if just removing the 2nd satellite would have been successful. So in summary I’m running a RBR20 in AP mode and (1) RBS20. That covers the house as well as the back deck and no dropouts anymore. A larger house may need the other RBS20 but pay attention to the spacing and the transmit power. At least from my experience those were key factors.
I had the same issue a few months ago when I first replaced my ASUS wifi router with a RBR20 and two RBS20. I used the RBR20 as just an AP as I wanted to keep my pfSense router/firewall. I upgraded my home system because the wife and I were both working from home due to covid and she was experiencing drops with the older ASUS. I brought the RBR20 and RBS20’s onboard and thought it was working but she still had dropouts right in the middle of zoom meetings. Not good. The units seemed to experience random rebooting sequences turning magenta or various colors and then would come back up but too late. The dropout was already devastating to home work flow.
All is good now and I’ll tell you what I did. For some reason it seems the units are extremely finicky about the distance between them. I have a 2800 sqft house and thought I’d spaced the units out adequately but perhaps not. I had the RBR20 in AP-mode upstairs at one end of the house, one RBS20 upstairs at the other end, and the other RBS20 downstairs in the middle. Nope, that wasn’t good. Long story short, I ended up taking the downstairs RBS20 out of commission and even turned down the transmit power on the RBR20 to 75%. That did it. Not a single dropout now for months. I’m leaving well enough alone and not going back to see if the power reduction alone was a fix or if just removing the 2nd satellite would have been successful. So in summary I’m running a RBR20 in AP mode and (1) RBS20. That covers the house as well as the back deck and no dropouts anymore. A larger house may need the other RBS20 but pay attention to the spacing and the transmit power. At least from my experience those were key factors.
Thanks to both of you for your suggestions, some of which are beyond my current technical ability. What is not beyond my ability is unplugging one of my sateliites that is too close to one of the others, which I have done. I'll test this configuration over the next few days and return to this thread if that does not work.
If you need too, you might find some help from a local computer shop, friends, family or nieghbors to help you out.
Good Luck.
After disconnecting one of my satellites, I have had two Zoom calls for a total of 2:40 hours with no drops. Problem solved. Thanks for your help.
Hi, I have issues with my RBR20 performance. I have a town home 2800sqft, 3 levels. RBR20 in the basement and satellite on each floor above. I get 5-600mbps sitting next to router in wiffii. Hardwire is 950mbps. On the two other floors above i only get 250-300 mbps if i am lucky. Called tech support many times, many hrs, many settings and reboots later. They send me a new routers, and speed is the SAME. Nothing has changed. Why is it that I am getting NOT even 50% of the through put on wifii?? And less than 30% on the top 2 floors? Someone please help! cause i will shoot myself if I have another session with an Indian tech support who doesn't understand my problem and simply reading through a script. Thanks!
Depending upon your wifi devices you use with any wifi AC class router, most wifi devices max out at around 400-500Mpbs on wireless speed tests. This limitation is a hardware limitation with wifi AC devcices due to design and support. So if your seeing 300Mpbs on wifi speed tests this is about as good as you'll ever see on 5Ghz AC wifi. Your wired speed is to spec and that is good as well. Wired will always have better performance over wireless. Check with the mfr of your wireless devices for speed spec performance information.
cfusionusa wrote:Hi, I have issues with my RBR20 performance. I have a town home 2800sqft, 3 levels. RBR20 in the basement and satellite on each floor above. I get 5-600mbps sitting next to router in wiffii. Hardwire is 950mbps. On the two other floors above i only get 250-300 mbps if i am lucky. Called tech support many times, many hrs, many settings and reboots later. They send me a new routers, and speed is the SAME. Nothing has changed. Why is it that I am getting NOT even 50% of the through put on wifii?? And less than 30% on the top 2 floors? Someone please help! cause i will shoot myself if I have another session with an Indian tech support who doesn't understand my problem and simply reading through a script. Thanks!
