Netgear Orbi discussion thread

[sfx2000]

Wi-Fi marketing uses a lot of terms that aren't really true, the whole classing system for instance (AC1300, N750).

What would you suggest instead for products like Orbi, or Edimax' RE11, or Amped Wireless' Ally? Multi node / point wireless? Wireless system?

The Marketeer's set themselves up for that trap

With these multi-point device platforms, the system description would be apt...

MPWS - Multi-Point Wireless System?

 

[pete y testing]

What would you suggest instead for products like Orbi, or Edimax' RE11, or Amped Wireless' Ally? Multi node / point wireless? Wireless system?

just avoiding using the word mesh when its unnecessary, the orbi web page would read find without that one mention of mesh done right

 

[DanH]

I think it is fine. At the end of the day 99.9% of the people looking for a mesh type system could care less if it is truly mesh when it does what it does better than the other "mesh" systems and certainly to the laymen looks like it works the same way too. Think they marketed it just fine. Without mentioning mesh they would lose potential customers imo.

 

[thiggins]

Without mentioning mesh they would lose potential customers imo.

That's exactly why everyone is doing it. Mesh is the current Wi-Fi router fad, so all the cool kids gotta say they have it.

 

[Ronv42]

http://wificommander.com/

Great application....I have been using it with my neighbors who leave everything at default, or should I say Comcast who leaves everything at default.

 

[DanH]

That's exactly why everyone is doing it. Mesh is the current Wi-Fi router fad, so all the cool kids gotta say they have it.

I wouldnt say it is a fad, more that mesh really does solve a problem. I think people are starting to realize what problem mesh systems solve.
For instance, I was in the market to get a new router due to poor to zero wifi in the upstairs of my place. I naturally went looking for a BHR. Prior to spending $400-500 dollars on a router that I hoped would fix my problem, I decided to researtch it a bit. Naturally, I ended up here and read your excellent roundup and was sold on the Orbi. Had the orbi not at least associated itself with being a mesh system (and been so good at solving the issue of range), I probably would have skipped it.

I will say one thing is bothersome about it though. I do not believe the router has a generic default password that all Orbis can be reset to. The orbi camne with a piece of plastic on it that has the password, so if I ever lose that piece of plastic and end up needing to reset to factory default, what then?

 

[Ronv42]

I wouldnt say it is a fad, more that mesh really does solve a problem. I think people are starting to realize what problem mesh systems solve.
For instance, I was in the market to get a new router due to poor to zero wifi in the upstairs of my place. I naturally went looking for a BHR. Prior to spending $400-500 dollars on a router that I hoped would fix my problem, I decided to researtch it a bit. Naturally, I ended up here and read your excellent roundup and was sold on the Orbi. Had the orbi not at least associated itself with being a mesh system (and been so good at solving the issue of range), I probably would have skipped it.

I will say one thing is bothersome about it though. I do not believe the router has a generic default password that all Orbis can be reset to. The orbi camne with a piece of plastic on it that has the password, so if I ever lose that piece of plastic and end up needing to reset to factory default, what then?

Yes the same can be said for cable and DSL gateway's they put the label with the password on the device. But since those are "managed" by the provider they can remote in and set. To be safe just put the password in a safe place or use a password tool.

Picked up the Orbi 3 pack last night and going to start working on it today. Debating to use it just as a AP or go full router. My AC87R is doing great as a router and don't feel like Netgear's controls are as robust as Merlin's firmware.

 

[thiggins]

wouldnt say it is a fad, more that mesh really does solve a problem. I think people are starting to realize what problem mesh systems solve.

Maybe "fad" is the wrong term. Sales pitch may be better. My point is that some manufacturers are feeling they need to put "mesh" on the product box. Examples are AmpliFi and IDL Portal.

The main way mesh systems differ from a combination of AC1200 router and AC1200 extender are simpler setup, reduced feature set and MAYBE smoother roaming for a single hop configuration. The unique feature they bring is auto-configured multi-hop. You can't do that by chaining extenders, to my knowledge.

I wonder if you could have solved your dead spot problem with a router and extender?

 

[RogerSC]

I will say one thing is bothersome about it though. I do not believe the router has a generic default password that all Orbis can be reset to. The orbi camne with a piece of plastic on it that has the password, so if I ever lose that piece of plastic and end up needing to reset to factory default, what then?

My Orbi router has a label on the bottom that gives the complete default login URL and credentials. And yes, there is a default login, same as all Netgear routers ("admin", "password"). It also has the default wireless password, but you should change that when you reset it anyways.

Maybe yours doesn't have the label on the bottom?

 

[DanH]

My Orbi router has a label on the bottom that gives the complete default login URL and credentials. And yes, there is a default login, same as all Netgear routers ("admin", "password"). It also has the default wireless password, but you should change that when you reset it anyways.

Maybe yours doesn't have the label on the bottom?

Nah mine had a weird one labeled in a tear off piece of plastic at the top. I'll check when I get home though on the bottom.


Edit- Just got home and checked, well what do you know it is on the bottom. nice.

 

[pete y testing]

the only issue with the bottom label is its size , the txt is so small its almost impossible to read without magnification , not sure if "modernhat407" is the default passphrase and if it is who thunk of that , however it doesnt force you to change this in the setup and tbh i would think some might think thats secure as its not admin or password and maybe leaving them insecure

 

[DanH]

the only issue with the bottom label is its size , the txt is so small its almost impossible to read without magnification , not sure if "modernhat407" is the default passphrase and if it is who thunk of that , however it doesnt force you to change this in the setup and tbh i would think some might think thats secure as its not admin or password and maybe leaving them insecure

mine was funky but not as funky as yours ha! I changed it right away, but I think they are unique.

 

[RogerSC]

the only issue with the bottom label is its size , the txt is so small its almost impossible to read without magnification , not sure if "modernhat407" is the default passphrase and if it is who thunk of that , however it doesnt force you to change this in the setup and tbh i would think some might think thats secure as its not admin or password and maybe leaving them insecure

Yes, you can probably use the default login credentials as well, which is how a lot of routers have been taken over. A lot of routers out there still have their default login credentials. It sounds like they at least have given out some number of unique wireless passwords *smile*. Maybe all the default wireless passwords are unique, don't know.

 

[sfx2000]

Maybe "fad" is the wrong term. Sales pitch may be better. My point is that some manufacturers are feeling they need to put "mesh" on the product box. Examples are AmpliFi and IDL Portal.

I think the well has been well dipped and running empty with BHR's...

Prices are going down to sell off inventory, and vendors are spinning up towards other aspects...

Some might call this mesh - and for some of them, it is - others call this mesh when it's actually a matched set of repeaters - some with a dedicated backhaul, some not...

And then we have the mammals - the less that $100USD wired router/gateways - and they perform their job fairly well, better in some cases than the BHR's...

And Dedicated AP's are coming down in price - esp. in the AC1750/AC1900 class...

If one is on the fence, now is as good of time as any - and considering where the nascent market is headed - I think there's more than a few SNB forum members have been ahead of the curve...

 

[pete y testing]

I think there's more than a few SNB forum members have been ahead of the curve...

some of us are so far round the bend we are not even on the same race track

 

[sfx2000]

some of us are so far round the bend we are not even on the same race track

Pete - I think you would be the Hamilton to my Vettel over in Melbourne last fall (spring to us up north, lol)

 

[Ronv42]

and then we have the mammals - the less that $100USD wired router/gateways - and they perform their job fairly well, better in some cases than the BHR's...

Yep cleaning out my basement I found a case of 12 Buffalo 54G HP routers. These were top of the line a long time ago and was part of my business plans of putting routers into coffee shops in Wisconsin. The market is moving forward and I really like the back haul wireless solution promise especially where you can't get an Ethernet cable to a dedicated AP.

 

[Mikkel Winther]

I'm having some serious issues with Orbi and I can't figure out what I am doing wrong in the settings.

Below is the floor plan for my house, and my big issue is that when trying Speedtest and checking Netgears own app for signal quality, I get really depressing results from the kitchen (green blob), also from the office where the issue is the same but there are more walls between the router and the office, so it could be that, but not for the kitchen.

Orbi router is the R on the drawing, kitchen test area is green.

Results from Speedtest give me very strange results, swinging from 3mbps to 20mbps, while with the Netgear Genie app says I'm setting at about -55db at a 7-8 meter range with direct eye line to the Orbi router. No matter how close I move to the Orbi Router, I can not crack 20mbps over WiFi, so is the router limiting output in some way?

When I do a Speedtest on a computer that is wired via ethernet, my results are between 60 and 68mbps for download, and 22mbps for upload. So I know that my internet can do better then above results.


I used to have an Netgear Nighthawk X8 and I much better WiFi results from that in terms of speed, so I feel something is either wrong with the antennas on the Orbi or am I doing something wrong with the settings? Or am I expecting too much from the Orbi?

The area isn't littered with SSID's, there is around 8-9 available at any given time.

 

[pete y testing]

Orbi router is the R on the drawing, kitchen test area is green.

hi

so where have you located the orbi sat

and have you updated both the orbi router and sat to fw version 1.4.0.16

you certainly should be getting a better signal at that distance and -55db is quite low

btw whats those walls made of between the drawing room and kitchen

pete

 

[Mikkel Winther]

hi

so where have you located the orbi sat

and have you updated both the orbi router and sat to fw version 1.4.0.16

you certainly should be getting a better signal at that distance and -55db is quite low

btw whats those walls made of between the drawing room and kitchen

pete

Firmware is the latest as mentioned (1.4.0.16)

Originally the Sat was located below the kitchen in the basement. But for the past week it has been located here:

R = Router
S = Sattelite

The walls are a mix of single stone brick walls and plaster.


The limitation of hitting only 20mbps, is that some sort of limitation from 2.4Ghz? I suspect that the devices are automatically going for that frequency and not 5Ghz.