Orbi on 2degrees configuration / alternate suggestions for whole house WiFi

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Orbi on 2degrees configuration / alternate suggestions for whole house WiFi

timmmay

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#280690 3-Jan-2021 19:47

A friend of mine has a two story house, with the Fritzbox 7490 not providing good WiFi everywhere. PB Tech recommended an Orbi which cost $678, which looks like a good device generally. Typically the Orbi would replace the Fritzbox. However, my friend uses a Fritz phone with the Fritzbox plugged into her home phone system so looks like they might need to use the Orbi in AP mode. This tutorial from Netgear says that you can't use the app to manage the Orbi, so you probably lose many of the advanced features.

Questions:

Can you use the 2degrees phone service with the Orbi directly?
Is there an alternative way to set the Orbi up, keep the advanced features, and the 2degrees phone service? Or does it have to be set up in WAP mode?
Should my friend just return the Orbi for something else? If so, what? I'd have thought a powerline network product with a WAP built into the client would do the job fine for less than $200. Given PBTech recommended a product that's not suitable I think they should be able to return it under consumer guarantees. They'd rather not bother returning it.

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michaelmurfy

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#2629840 3-Jan-2021 20:04

The Fritz!Box does mesh mode (just like the Orbi) and 2degrees sell the goods to make this work:

Another way is to purchase a Fritz!Box 7490 or above from the likes of Trademe and pair them up with the main router in mesh mode. If you use routers then this also extends DECT range (or activates the phone ports on those routers) else if you use the WiFi extenders this just simply meshes with the main router without doing phone.

Instructions: https://en.avm.de/service/fritzbox/fritzbox-7490/knowledge-base/publication/show/3354_Setting-up-the-FRITZ-Box-as-a-Mesh-Repeater/

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
Referral Links: Quic Broadband (use R122101E7CV7Q for free setup)

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Jiriteach

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#2629861 3-Jan-2021 20:18

timmmay:

A friend of mine has a two story house, with the Fritzbox 7490 not providing good WiFi everywhere. PB Tech recommended an Orbi which cost $678, which looks like a good device generally. Typically the Orbi would replace the Fritzbox. However, my friend uses a Fritz phone with the Fritzbox plugged into her home phone system so looks like they might need to use the Orbi in AP mode. This tutorial from Netgear says that you can't use the app to manage the Orbi, so you probably lose many of the advanced features.

Questions:

Can you use the 2degrees phone service with the Orbi directly?
Is there an alternative way to set the Orbi up, keep the advanced features, and the 2degrees phone service? Or does it have to be set up in WAP mode?
Should my friend just return the Orbi for something else? If so, what? I'd have thought a powerline network product with a WAP built into the client would do the job fine for less than $200. Given PBTech recommended a product that's not suitable I think they should be able to return it under consumer guarantees. They'd rather not bother returning it.

Answers to your questions -

1. Not on the Orbi directly. You'll have to install a ATA behind the Orbi.
2. Yes - set it up as the main router using PPPoE through to 2degrees. It works well BUT on full gig connections I have seen speeds max ~ 700mb/s as opposed to achieving full gig like you would with a FB. And you would have to have an ATA behind this for the phone line.

The simplest approach and one that I reverted to is to use the FB as the main router as setup the Orbi for mesh wifi as AP's. Its how my network is currently run except I use an EdgeRouter now. You wont loose anything useful that the Orbi offers that the FB cannot offer plus it has a built-in ATA.
Re - managing the Orbi via the app - what do you want to manage? I am still able to use the app and view all of the devices connected/firmware updates etc. else just use the web interface but again - with the FB as the main router - you rarely have to touch the Orbi. Im running 1 Orbi router and 3 satellites and its solid behind my EdgeRouter.

-- opinions expressed by me are solely my own. ie - personal