HOW TO: Use Xfinity xFi Gateway with Orbi Mesh Router and Satellites in AP (Access Point) Mode

Xfinity xFi Features with Orbi

I've had the Orbi mesh WiFi system for a long time, and up until now, the only way to use it on an Xfinity network, as far I knew, was to put the Xfinity Gateway into Bridge Mode. By doing that, you loose many of the neat Xfinity network management and virus protection features. 

But now I've found a way to Put the Netgear Orbi into AP (Access Point) mode. 

Note: You loose some Orbi features by doing this. 

From a web browser, you go to orbilogin.net and then go to ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Router/AP Mode, and SELECT the AP Mode radio button.

After that, Reboot the Gateway, then, from a computer connected the the Xfinity Gateway, via a hardwired cable, Go to 10.0.0.1 in a browser, Login to the Xfinity Admin page, and DISABLE Bridge Mode.

Then, reboot all your Orbi's. 

After a while everything will come back. If your speed does not improve, reboot the Gateway.

Results:

First test on Fast.com was 100 Mbps, and that still wasn't right, so I rebooted the Gateway, and when it came back up, I was at 270 Mbps down, 37 Mbps up. 

That was better. 

Now I had the Orbi's using AP (Access Point) mode. The Xfinity iPhone App worked too. I also had my laptop computer directly connected to the Xfinity Gateway.

I also found xfinity.com/myxfi which showed me:

Gateway Test:

Plan Speed: 1,000 Mbps

Speed to Gateway 1,074,3 Mbps

Upload Speed 41.5 Mbps

Latency 9 ms

Test Speed to this device:

Download speed: 477.1 Mbps

Upload Speed: 37.9 Mbps

Latency: 11 ms

Protocol: IPv6

Host: Boston, MA

Speed Test Lookup Device

My MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2011) Expected WiFi Speed is 150-500 Mbps.

I'm going to be getting a new MacBook Air, depending on what is released on November 10th. I think that will help. ;-)

Internet Cable:

I looked up speed ratings on Internet cables and found how the categories of cables are rated:

Category	Max speed transmission	Max bandwidth
Cat 5	100 Mbps	100 MHz
Cat 5e	1,000 Mbps	100 MHz
Cat 6	1,000 Mbps	250 MHz
Cat 6a	10,000 Mbps	500 MHz

I had a Cat 5 cable, so I switched to a "Cat 7", which is listed at 10,000 Mbps, and is shielded. I think Cat 6, rated at 1,000 Mbps would be enough.

Here's the Fast.com speed test, with the "Cat 7" cable:

Download speed: 280 Mbps

Upload Speed: 36 Mbps

Latency: 9 ms

Xfinity.com Test Speed to this device:

Download speed: 752.2 Mbps

Speed test from Xfinity iPhone App:

Speed test to iPhone 11 Pro Max: 

Download Speed 177.9 Mbps

At what speed and bandwidth can my Orbi system transmit data?

The Orbi WiFi System’s Tri-band WiFi technology includes a dedicated 5 GHz (866 Mbps) band for communication between an Orbi router and satellite. The remaining WiFi bands are used to connect devices to your Orbi system.

The performance you experience depends on the devices, WiFi interference, and the construction materials in your home. In most circumstances, you can expect the following speeds:

• Up to 400 Mbps for older devices that support 2.4 GHz and 256 QAM
• Up to 866 Mbps for newer devices that support 5 GHz and 802.11 ac

Conclusion:

I think I'm on the right track, and am glad to have the Xfinity network management featured available. 

Update:

I presented at a conference and got good upload and download speeds, 429/33.

Update 11/7/20:

Now getting download speeds of 270/450/510/540/260

Review: Xfinity xFi Pods increased my dead spot coverage, but decreased overall speed

When I upgraded to the new Xfinity xFi Gateway (3rd Generation), the WiFi speeds in my house increased in speed and range.

There were a few 'dead spots' that needed a boost, so I got a 3-pack of Xfinity XFi pods to test, to see if they could help increase speed to those areas that were farthest away from my Xfinity gateway.



Setup was easy. The xFi smartphone app guides you through placement of hte xFi pods, and automatically recognizes them as you go from room to room to install them. The app allows you to add a descriptive name to help you monitor each xFi pod after installation.

My first test installed xFi Pods in the Livingroom, Kitchen, and Den, all are one floor below the Xfinity xFi Gateway (3rd Generation). For my second test, I removed the Livingroom xFi pod and moved it to the third floor bedroom, to be closer to the Xfinity xFi Gateway (3rd Generation). When researching online, I read that the WiFi signal hops from one xFi pod to the other, so having one on the third floor closer to the modem improved my performance.

In my testing, I found that although the xFi pods did increase the speed available at the farthest point from my modem, they decreased the speed in the rooms that are closer to the modem.



xFi Pods Frequently Asked Questions:

Pods will not exceed the maximum provisioned speed of your Xfinity Internet tier of service. Pods have a maximum throughput of 200 Mbps over a WiFi connection in laboratory settings. Other factors can affect speeds.

SPEED TESTS:

CONFIGURATION Prior to xFi Pod Installation

LIVINGROOM
Xfinity xFi Gateway 3rd Generation 120 Mbps

KITCHEN
Xfinity xFi Gateway 3rd Generation 100/110 Mbps

DEN
Xfinity xFi Gateway 3rd Generation 100 Mbps

FRONT DOOR
Xfinity xFi Gateway 3rd Generation 23 Mbps


xFi CONFIGURATION #1

LIVINGROOM
xFi Pod Livingroom 66/78 Mbps

KITCHEN
xFi Pod Kitchen 85/48/24 Mbps

DEN
xFi Pod Den 60/38/38/31/81 Mbps

FRONT DOOR
16/12 Mbps


xFi CONFIGURATION #2

BEDROOM
xFi Pod Bedroom 290 Mbps

KITCHEN
xFi Pod Kitchen 51 Mbps

DEN
xFi Pod Den 85 Mbps

FRONT DOOR
65 Mbps

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