Setting up a mesh Wi-Fi system like Netgear Orbi requires more than connecting or configuring a router and satellites. Powerful signal, consistent speeds, and seamless connection rely on satellite placement. Poor satellite positioning hampers the signal transmission from even a strong system like Orbi.
The entire system lags if one connection is poor, such as the satellite being too remote or obstructed by walls. Devices disconnect unexpectedly, speeds decline, and irritation grows.
This blog covers the five most crucial aspects of Orbi satellite placement—what works, what doesn’t, and how to maximize your system without overcomplicating it. Simple modifications may improve signal drop-offs, synchronization difficulties, and dead zones. Let’s walk through them.
1. Don’t Plug in Anywhere
One of the most common errors made by users is they just plug in the satellite wherever they find a working socket. After turning on, the blue light may flash and the device may seem to be working. It’s not working properly. Not even close.
Orbi satellites broadcast and receive internet from the main router. That is why, placing the satellite too far from the router is absolutely worthless as the device won’t be able to function properly and transmit the required internet signals.
Do this instead:
- Plug in the satellite halfway between where your router is placed and where the Wi-Fi is poor.
- Make sure that it’s still in the proper range of the router, not on the edge of it.
- Avoid placing it near walls, particularly ones made of metal or concrete. They kill signals.
View signals as something tangible. In order for you to have a reliable internet connection, the satellite must be able to connect to the router properly. There is no other way out.
2. Don’t put the satellite on the floor or behind huge furniture
Majority of the users hide their satellites behind a sofa, in a cupboard, or even worse, on the floor. Then they ask why the signal is so weak.
Wi-Fi transmissions are like radio waves that won’t give up. They don’t like anything in their way. They don’t go through heavy furniture. And they surely don’t like bouncing off the ground.
The sooner you realize it is better that it functions better when the device has some room to breathe.
This is what you can do:
- Place it on a table or shelf at waist or chest level.
- Keep it away from large appliances like TVs and microwaves.
- Avoid placing it near the closets, corners, or any other small location.
3. The layout of your house is important.
Not every house is the same. Some are big and open, while others have strange lengthy passageways and solid walls. It matters, particularly for mesh networks.
If your house has more than two floors or is designed like a L or a U, where you put the satellite is highly significant.
For configurations with more than one floor:
- Place the satellite at an angle from the router, not immediately above or below it.
- Wi-Fi signals go laterally better than they do straight up or down.
For dwellings that aren’t formed right:
- You might require more than one satellite.
- Arrange them in such a way that the router and satellite are still able to transmit the signals among each other.
Here, trial and error might sometimes be the best way to go. Put it there and try it out. Try again after moving it.
4. The sync process doesn’t always go well.
You undoubtedly know what it feels like. You put everything in place. You believe it’s okay. But when the gadgets don’t connect correctly, the speeds are poor, and you’re not even sure if the satellite is synchronizing appropriately.
It’s very important to know how to connect the Orbi router to the extender.
When you’re not sure:
- Shut off the satellite and the network. Hold on a second.
- First, turn on the router. Wait till it has completely booted.
- Next, turn on the satellite.
- Hit the Sync button on the satellite and then the router.
Keep an eye out for that blue LED. That implies the sync worked. What if it becomes orange or pink? Something went wrong.
To reset orbi satellite, press and hold the satellite’s reset button (usually with a pin) for 10 seconds to restart it. Try synchronizing again after that.
5. You may just need a second satellite.
This one is going to be useful for a lot of people. You accomplished everything the proper way. You put it in the right spot. You did a good job syncing it. You still have that one place, maybe the basement office or the guest bedroom upstairs, where the internet doesn’t work.
It’s quite obvious. One satellite doesn’t always cover everything.
If you have:
- A big residence (more than 2,500 square feet)
- More than one floor
- People who use it a lot (such for 4K streaming, Zoom calls, and gaming)
In such cases its better get one more satellite. A second Orbi satellite could be what keeps your network hassle free.
And don’t worry, these satellites won’t bother each other. The system really does a good job of deciding which gadget should transmit signals to which satellite. The mesh system works like magic. But only if they are put in the correct spot.
Final Words
That’s it to the placement of the device. It takes more than plugging in the Orbi satellite to position it. More like plug it in, move it, and try again. But when it does click, it truly does.
You don’t have to be a network engineer. If it doesn’t work, just be patient, and remember that you don’t conceal the satellites behind a plant, and try synchronizing again. Oh, and occasionally if you reset orbi satellite, it works too.
