Contact NETGEAR Orbi Support

I had a nightmare with the setup. It didn’t recognize the satellite when it was 10 feet away. This app provides nothing but endless waiting. Search for the satellite? How about watching a spinning circle for 3 minutes? Now do that 20 times and you will start to get the idea. For some operations there is a progress bar, but for most it is just a spinner and a message to wait for several minutes. After a reset the router forgot all admin passwords (including the default!) and was inaccessible. Finally after some combination of resets and new setups and power cycles, it finally found the satellite. Ultimately I started the install around 5pm, and everything was up and running by 9pm. The router has been working well for 8 days, but the app is broken. The device list is populated, but the app says none of them are connected to the network. The network map shows both routers, but no connected devices for either of them. The web interface for the router works as expected and shows all connected devices properly. So it is clearly an issue with the app parsing the data provided by the router. Finally, the app forces you into creating an account, and demands personal information. It automatically signs you up for trials of some virus protection BS, filling my inbox with spam from a company that I never interacted with. Welcome to a world with ads ON your router. This app is pathetically poor, and 2 stars is a very generous rating.

I have been trying for over 3 hours to get this device setup. It won’t connect to my existing WiFi. And there is only a little card as a quick start. No operating manual at all. I can’t go back to any previous screens on the app. There was no ‘security’ verification in the app. Orbi shows up on my settings as unsecured device. Right now it’s not worth the $200 I paid for it. I can’t get ahold of any tech support that is advertised. Troubleshooting through their website...gave all info only to be instructed to contact internet service provider. I was on the phone with internet provider for almost an hour and I got so frustrated with them saying that my modem will be turned off when I connect orbi. Well...I got to get the dang orbi connected first. 🤬. ETA…a year later and this thing has given me nothing by headaches. Every couple of weeks I have to reset everything and start over. Now I’m being told that if I want phone support, I have to pay another $140. Because they only allow 90 days of support. I’ve used more than 90 days in this last year resetting this thing. They sure do want your money for a product that is crappy. And then more money to actually help you make it work. During my last reset, all of the info from it got wiped out of the app. ??? How???

Orbi routers are fast and easy to set up (initially). I installed the two-unit system (WiFi6) so that my family of four could all work at home and be on school/work Zoom calls at the same time. The hardware accomplishes that well. But NetGear’s Orbi software and apps, which are they require you to use to set these units up and then keep them running on an ongoing basis, are HORRIBLE! I am a 30 year-experienced technology executive, so I have seen MANY different admin software systems over the years. The NetGear software and apps are among the worst I’ve ever seen. God help you if you ever need to reset your password. Their system simply times out. Or the “default” password, which their own screens provide to you, simply is wrong. I have decades of experience administering networks and systems, so, while it is certainly possible, it is unlikely, that I have forgotten how to type. But no matter how accurate a typist you may be, if you are planning to set these systems up in a home environment, and you are NOT a tech profession, I would skip NetGear Orbi completely and instead get the Velop or Eero systems. You and your family will both be happier. Their software actually WORKS!