These days, an internet connection is no longer a luxury service. It’s an absolute necessity. With so many of us using it for vital services such as news, banking, and even working from home, we really need to have a solid connection 24/7.
Of course, there are many companies out there to supply that demand, with Orbi being far from the worst out there. There’s also the added bonus of having access to various internet points at any one time. Another perk is not having to change networks while you’re on the move. It all helps to bolster reliability.
That being said, we do realise that the chances you would have ended up reading this by choice are minimal. You’re here because you are facing the same problem a few others currently are – you can’t seem to connect to the internet on Orbi. That’s why we have decided to put this little guide together to help you out.
Unfortunately, there is no one single cause that we can attribute to the problem. So, we are going to have to run through quite a few options to cover all bases. With a bit of luck, the first or second one will work for you. So, let’s get started!
How To Fix Orbi Not Connecting To Internet
1. Check your connections and for service outages
The first thing we should always check when things like this happen is that all the connections into your modem are sound.
Always make sure they are hardwired to your internet enabled device by using the ethernet cable. This way, you give the internet the best possible chance of working and can rule out a few causes of the problem.
What we learn from this is that if the internet still doesn’t work, this will likely mean that there is a service outage in your area.
The best way to verify this is by getting in touch with your internet service provider to ask them. If there is an outage, all you can do is wait for it to be resolved. If there isn’t, there are a few other things that we can do.
2. Issues with the settings on the Orbi router
In some cases, the network connection/service will show up saying that it is available. Yet, you won’t be able to connect any devices to it, rendering it useless. When this happens, it is nearly always due to the settings on the Orbi router.
Rather than going in and painstakingly rooting through them, we are going to go a faster and easier route. We are instead going to simply reset the router.
To do this, all you need to do is take out the power source from the router. After that, just let it sit for around a minute. When you plug it back in again, the connection should be refreshed, improving its performance.
3. Check your connection cables
If the reset didn’t do anything to improve the situation, the next thing to check is whether the more solid elements are in good working order.
In particular, we are going to check the cables and their connections. To begin with, make sure that each and every connection is as solid as can be. There should be no wiggle, no looseness.
Next up are the cables themselves. Cables naturally begin to degenerate over time, so they do occasionally fail completely. Check the along the length of each cable thoroughly, making sure that there are no points where they are frayed.
In addition to that, if they happen to have any sharp bends, straighten them out. These will cause your cables to fray prematurely. If you notice anything that doesn’t look quite right, the best thing to do is replace the cable entirely.
4. Try a power cycle
Power cycling is also a very effective way to resolve connectivity issues. To begin, all you need to do is take out all connections to your Orbi and also remove all network devices.
Then, simply leave everything this way for at least 30 seconds before hooking everything up again. Once you establish the connections again, there is a decent chance that the issue will have been resolved.
5. Check for firmware updates
The next likely case of the issue is that your Orbi might be running on the wrong firmware version. Though these updates are generally automatic, it can happen that you may miss one here and there. When this happens, the performance of the router will begin to suffer. At worst, it will cease working as it should entirely.
The whole purpose of the firmware is to optimise your connection. So, to work around this, we will need to go and check for firmware updates manually. If you see that there is an update available, download it immediately and then check to see has the problem been resolved afterwards.
6. Is the router overheating?
Overheating can also cause havoc with any electrical device. Routers are no different. So, we would next recommend that you touch the router. If it is uncomfortably hot to the touch, this is likely the cause of the problem. In essence, this will all have been caused by the placement of the router.
If it can’t draw in enough air, it won’t be able to regulate its temperature. For now, all you can do is switch it off and let it cool down for a bit. Then, make sure that it is placed in such a way that it gets enough room to breathe.
7. Check the adaptors and switches
We’re going back to the super simple stuff for this fix, just to make sure we haven’t overlooked anything that we should really have brought up as a precautionary. First, make sure that the power switch is in the on position on the Orbi router.
While we’re here, let’s also make sure that the access point in turned on too. Now for the adaptors. You just need to make sure that the network adaptor is enabled, allowing for better connectivity.
8. Renew your IP details
We’re getting near the end of our list of tips now, so the net thing we are going to do is a little more complex. Let’s hope it works! In this fix, we are going to run you through how to renew your IP details. This should help fix the connectivity issue. If you haven’t done this before, we’ve laid out the steps for you below.
- First up, open up the “run” program and then type “CMD” into the bar.
- Then, add “ipconfig/release” in the bar. Press the enter button when you are done.
- This will open up another prompt. You will need to enter “ipconfig/renew” and then press enter.
- Your device will now receive a new IP address, hopefully resolving the issue.
9. Try a factory reset
At this point, if nothing has worked, you are right to consider yourself more than a little unlucky. We’re down to our last fix here! Here, we are going to restore the router back to its settings that it left the factory with.
It will wipe everything that has happened since you bought it, but it does stand a great chance at clearing out any lingering bugs. Here’s how it is done.
The first thing is to make sure that the LED power light on the router is on. Then, find the reset button on the router (it changes position from model to model).
Once you have found it, it will need to be pressed in and held down for around ten seconds. In some cases, a paperclip or something similar will be needed to get at it. After this, the problem should be gone.
The Last Word
Unfortunately, that’s all we have to fix this issue. If nothing has worked, that would indicate to us that the problem you are facing is more severe than most. In this case, all that you can do is get in touch with Orbi customer service to describe the issue.
While you talking to them, make sure to mention everything you have tried so far. That way, they will be better able to figure out what is happening, saving you both time.