Why would netgear sunset wifi equipment (Orbi RBK753) by stopping software support? There is no explanation other than corporate greed. Netgear is not going to get another dime from me for the rest of my life.
I just bought an orbi 970 to replace my eero 7 max because i thought it was messing up my computer connection because i have a realtek 2.5 gbe and it is connecting like 94.? Mbps even if the setting is on 2.5 on the realtek. it was working when the connection (almost 3gbps) was plugged on 2.5 of the orbi but when I plugged it on tnhe 10G port it went back to 94mps. it's driving me nuts, any help would be appreciated.
My home network consists of an RBR850 in the basement, where internet enters the house, and a satellite on each of the first and second floors. Internet comes in through my fiber router > Orbi > ethernet switch that distributes internet to a handful of locations throughout the house. The satellites connect via ethernet due the size of my house, and because it's faster and more reliable.
It was working fine until I unplugged my Orbi base to relocate it earlier today, only for the satellites to decide they no longer wanted to connect on ethernet. After hard resets, the Orbi app wouldn't detect them. I was able to detect them by connecting them directly to the base station, but as soon as I connected them in their regular locations, back to zero. I had similar struggles years ago getting these things to work properly - I want to say the initial setup was similar five years ago, and it happened at least one other time since. On the other hand, I performed a hard reset without any issues maybe nine months ago.
Anyone have any ideas before I rush out and drop more money?
I'm hoping someone can help me to achieve what I am trying to setup for my home network, so my current network setup is
Virgin Media Hub 5 (Modem Mode) > GL.iNet GL-BE3600 (Router + DHCP) > Orbi RBRE960
I have wifi disabled on the router and Orbi handles my 3 wifi networks which are Skynet, Skynet_Guest and Skynet_IoT. I am using the out of the box guest and IoT modes built into Netgear Orbi, I would like to create separate vlans and have more control over the two other wifi networks. As it stands, I don't believe the guest and IoT wifi networks get their DHCP from my router and instead, Orbi handles it but I don't seem to be able to have any control over what IP range that is.
I hope its clear what I am trying to do, if someone knows if I can get it setup then that would be great!
I went through the setup and everything. it tells me to connect to my orbi's network and for SOME REASON it keeps saying "Connection failed" and won't let me connect to the orbi's wifi.
I've tried redoing it, I've tried turning off the router, I've tried every solution I could think of
If anyone has any solutions that has worked for them I'd love to hear it
PLEASE don't tell me I paid $106 for a brick and a frustrating app
EDIT: Added pictures to show what's up
I went through the setup process and all and it's telling me to connect to a wifi that doesn't even exist to finish the setup
And when it DOES show up, it says "failed to connect" before either disappearing on it's own, or disappearing upon refreshing the list, only leaving "Orbi_setup" in it's place, which the app doesn't let me use for anything. (I don't even know why that connection sits there)
I have 2 satellites with it, after a while, the satellite's light will glow blue.
EDIT2 2: I have an RBS10 model
EDIT 3: Problem solved! I wound up connecting a router into the modem, and connecting the ORBI into THAT router, then did the setup process, using the new router and the orbi instead
My whole go is much worse than before with the crappy Verizon modem.
I spent $1700 & am going to return this shit product.
I just moved from a 4,000sqft home to a 4,800sqft home (including basement) and just upgraded to the 971 (router + 2 satellites) and am having a nightmare experience setting these up.
The first one set up insanely easy but the satellite’s are what’s giving me a headache. I set those up a few days after the router just because I was busy.
For one, it never said it would find the satellites but when I went into the app, it noted they were both there.
After being connected, they constantly connect and disconnect. It will be solid blue, then flashing white, then magenta constantly like it has a mind of its own.
Any feedback on this? Worth a call to customer service? I have the 850 series now at my current home and have no issues.
EDIT: I did a full reset of the system and I’m having the same issues. Going to call NETGEAR tomorrow and see it’s because it’s too much power between the routers and satellites.
So its been about 24 hours since I setup my new Orbi 870 (2 Node system) and I'm pretty sure I'm going to return it. I'm coming from a TP-Link BE63 (3 Node System) (note I was also having intermittent wifi drop outs on this system which is why I decided to try something else)
To start with it took me almost 2 hours to get the Orbi up and running. I had to reboot/reset everything multiple times before it finally pulled a LAN IP address from my Fios ONT.
I kept my SSID's the same name, I have 1 that the 2.4 ghz, 5ghz and 6ghz share and then I have a separate for the IoT devices which I have over 70 of.
The non-IoT devices connected immediately, but none of the IoT devices. Then I realized the IoT SSID wasn't even broadcasting, I changed the name of the IoT SSID and the Password, I rebooted the device and nothing. Finally after turning off the IoT SSID and re-enabling it it finally showed up and most of my devices starting to auto-reconnect.
I'm still have issues with all my Dyson Fan/Purifier which seem to keep dropping the wifi as well as my Google Nest Homes that seem insanely slow to respond now.
A few other things I want to mention. Why has there been no Firmware updates since 9/10/2025 for this model. That is almost a year. I see that the 770 got an update in January of 2026 and the 970 got an update within the last week or two. Did they forget about the 870?
I find the Orbi App lacking compared to the TP-Link one. I can't search for devices by their IP address or MAC address, nor can I sort by IoT devices or what band they are connected on. I also don't see a way to turn on/off VPN without going into the web interface which seems to have a ton more options then the App. It also looks like there is no way to force a band or a specific node to a device.
My purchase included a year of Netgear Armor but I feel like once that expires I'm going to lose a lot of functionality. (I could be wrong but it looks like that holds most of the App features).
I guess my next option might be to try an ASUS. Anyone else have any of the concerns/experiences. I have about 29 days left to return it if I want to go that route.
Hello,
I bought the three pack (two satellites and a router) yesterday to replace my failing ASUS Zen Wifi system. My house is three stories, 3000+ square feet, with CAT6 in most rooms and a Quantum Fiber 5500XK for internet.
The router can't get to the internet and it's driving me mad. I restarted the set up process three or four times on the app then in a browser. If I plug a laptop in to the modem, I am online immediately with a public IP. When the router plugs in to the same port on the modem it gets 0.0.0.0 and the internet status shows "Waiting".
I work in IT but networking is not a strong point. I can't think of any reason why the router would be unable to get an IP when a laptop can. Any thoughts?
I have been a loyal fan of Orbi for a long time and lived through some negative experiences to keep that relationship alive but I finally took the plunge and could not be happier. Started with the Orbi not being able to update due to some kind of firmware glitch so I factory reset and did the manual updates to get me back to good.
After getting all of my devices back online, things worked okay for a few weeks and then the system just was dog slow for no reason whatsoever. Finally said screw it and tried a new system, TP-Link - Deco 7 Pro BE14000, at a fraction of the price of what an Orbi system would cost. I cannot believe the difference in speeds here. I am constantly getting 1 GB on all of my devices for the wifi connection.
I held on to the dream too long and wish I would have jumped sooner. It was you Orbi, not me!! Netgear has really dropped the ball with their products and support over the years, its sad because it used to be a great product. Good bye and good riddance!!!
Edit - I purchased the BE14000, not the BE11000.
Hi I've had the rbr850 and one satellite for my house for many years now. Honestly never had many problems and still works great for me. Not looking to upgrade but my family wants an outdoor tv and looking to see how I can upgrade the outdoor wifi. Most outdoor extenders i see only reach about 2000-3000 sq ft. I need something closer to 4000-5000.
My wifi currently gives an okayish signal to a about half my backyard but not where I need it by the pool. Does anyone have any idea how I can make this possible?
Would the rbs50y work? Should I get a few more RBS850 from eBay and put them outside? If so any idea for weather proofing? Or do I need to upgrade to another wireless set up that will give me a larger reach?
Released: June 23, 2026
Bug Fixes:
New Feature: Protection Engine - https://community.netgear.com/discussions/en-home-routers-nighthawk-wifi-ax6/netgear-nighthawk---protection-engine-feature-faq/2407634
Known Issues: IPv6 is still under review. If IPv6 is not working correctly, please disable it on the RBRs web page.
This is coming down Over The Air via Auto Update first to those who have auto update enabled or see this on the RBRs web page or Orbi app..
Download Link: https://www.netgear.com/support/product/rbe972s
NOTE: This is a major version update from v9 to v12. Firmware cannot be downgraded from v12 back to v9. If users are having problems after v12 has been applied, and have exhausted all troubleshooting in support forums, please make contact with NG support for continued help and information.
Firmware Update Instructions:
To update your router’s firmware, follow the instructions in your router’s user manual. To view your router’s user manual, visit https://www.netgear.com/support/product/RBE971.aspx#docs
I HIGHLY recommend after the FW is loaded on the system and it's back to ready, power OFF all Orbi units and the ISP modem/ONT for 1 minute. Then back ON with the ISP modem/ONT first, then RBR then RBS.
NOTE: Orbi app or the routers web page may not report seeing new FW updates. NG may not push this to there auto update services immediately and may activate the newer FW update being seen on there auto update services at a later time. User will have the choice to manually update if you want too.
FW UPDATE ALL Feature:
If there is a FW updated seen on the RBRs web page and all RBS are online and connected with GOOD STATUS, you can select the UPDATE ALL button option to have the RBR update the RBS and RBR. Update All button is seen on the RBRs Firmware Update WEB page on the Check for Updates FW section of the page. Once FW has been checked for an update and all devices show the FW update is available, select the UPDATE ALL button. Give 5 minutes for the process to take place.
IF MANUALLY UPDATING THE SYSTEM:
Be sure to update the RBS FIRST, then the RBR lastly.
Please navigate to the link below for step-by-step instructions on how to update your RBR971/RBS970:
NOTE: If continued problems are seen after a FW update, it's recommended to try a factory reset and setup from scratch with out loading any saved configurations from backup files. Use the ERASE button on the routers web page to factory reset the router:
Orbi Systems Manual Factory Reset Process | NETGEAR Communities
This sends a Factory Reset command to any and all connected RBS as well.
Quick Installation Guide, User Manual and Spec Sheet is here:
https://www.netgear.com/support/product/rbe971#docs
Let us know how it works for you...
Thank you.
I had a common toilet in the kitchen area that is not at line of sight to the 970 main router.
And it will be too expensive to add another 970 node in the kitchen area.
If I add a Wifi 7 repeater very near to that toilet area, will it slow down the entire network?
The repeater I am looking at is the TP Link RE235BE BE3600.
Having recently switched ISPs, and having gotten a new Eero Pro 7 included in the service, and the Orbi being EOL, I'm downgrading my Orbi RBK50 (one router, one satellite) to AP mode just for better coverage.
So, my question is, am I better off using the same SSID on both the Eero and Orbis, so all devices can just connect to whichever AP has the best signal, or am I better off having the Orbi use a different SSID, and then either being able to direct devices to connect to either the Eero or one of the Orbis, depending on which SSID I configure them to use? And then just letting some devices (phones, laptops) switch SSIDs depending on which one is stronger, but then being able to easily tell which they're connected to?
The Orbis are running the latest Voxel firmware (RBK50-V9.2.5.2.45SF-HW), and the RBR50 has an wired backhaul (as I think is required?), and then the RBS50 is using a wireless backhaul to the RBR50.
I recognize I could also put the Orbi back in router mode and use double NAT, but there doesn't seem to be any benefit to that, and more complications.
I currently run an Orbi RBR 760 mesh system with a "vintage-ish" Netgear modem (model C3000 cable modem-router) that maxes out at 300 Mbps. I am upgrading to a new modem to match the speeds I am paying Xfinity (1.3 Gbps). The new modem is a Netgear Nighthawk CM1200.
Question: Should I delete the Orbi app from my phone with the current installation and start fresh? Or when I power up the new modem / Orbi will the new hardware piggyback on the previous software?
Am I correct in assuming that I do not have to be concerned with the "bridge mode" and "AP mode" since the new device is only a modem?
Thanks in advance.
