Fixing Orbi 970 and Xfinity Gateway Combo Poor Speed [2023]
Millions of users connect their Xfinity gateways to Orbi mesh systems. One such user connected his Orbi 970 to the Xfinity (XFI ADVANCED GATEWAY) to fulfill his internet requirements. But, instead of getting improved network performance what he got was poor speeds on a computer hardwired to the router i.e. Orbi 970. The problem remained the same with other wired clients. Are you also facing the same issue with the combination created using Orbi 970 and Xfinity gateway? If yes, you can rely on this post to get a reliable solution.
What Actually Happened?
You must know that the Xfinity gateways arrive with built-in WiFi. Therefore, if you opt to connect your Orbi router to the Xfinity gateway, a DOUBLE NAT situation will be created which is generally not recommended.
How is DOUBLE NAT Created?
The function performed by a router or gateway to create the network is called NAT (Network Address Translation). Its function is to to change the WAN IP address provided by the ISP from public to private due to which multiple devices in the network can share it. DOUBLE NAT occurs if you try to connect your router to an ISP gateway.
This happened in the current situation because both the Orbi 970 and Xfinity gateway performed NAT. As a result, the network got split into two private networks, and the devices sharing a connection with one network face communication issues with those connected to other private network. Problems with Online gaming, SSL certificates, and VPN connections are likely to occur in this scenario.
Solution: Poor Speed with Orbi 970 and Xfinity Gateway
The most possible solution to fix the poor speed and avoid the double NAT situation is to CONFIGURE THE MODEM IN MODEM ONLY MODE. You can also set it up as a TRANSPARENT BRIDGE. However, you might need to contact your ISP to get this done. But, there’s an alternative. You can DISABLE ALL WIFI RADIOS ON XFINITY GATEWAY. You have to configure the modem’s IP PASS-THROUGH for the IP ADDRESS THAT ROUTER GETS FROM THE MODEM. After that, you can set up ORBI 970 in ROUTER MODE. Go through the paragraphs given below to know how:
Step 1: Disable All WiFi Radios on Xfinity
Start by connecting your computer to the Xfinity gateway directly and accessing the 10.0.0.1 IP address using a web browser. Enter admin and password into the Username and Password field respectively. Now, click GATEWAY and select CONNECTION. After that, you need to navigate to the WI-FI option. To disable the WiFi radios, select the DISABLE button adjacent to the WIRELESS NETWORK option. Lastly, click SAVE SETTINGS.
Step 2: Set Up the Router in Router Mode
You can set up your Orbi 970 in ROUTER MODE by simply following the instructions appearing on the Orbi app after completing the Orbi login process. But, we recommend you complete the process through a web browser. For this, first of all, connect the computer to the Orbi 970 router. Your router must be connected to the gateway. After that, you should access orbilogin.com or orbilogin.net.
Complete the login process using the default username admin and the password password. You will be asked for the mode in which you want to install the mesh router. Select the ROUTER MODE. The internet connection will be checked and a few prompts will appear. Follow them to complete the setup process.
Another Solution: Install Orbi 970 as Access Point
You also have the option of disabling all the WiFi radios of the modem and setting up the Orbi router as an ACCESS POINT. To change the operating mode of Orbi from ROUTER TO AP mode, you will have to access orbilogin.net on a device connected to the Orbi 970 router. After that, complete the login process using the details assigned to the router and click the ADVANCED tab. Choose the AP MODE option there and follow the prompts. The Orbi 970 and Xfinity gateway combo will work better after that.
To Sum Up
If we consider everything, then it can be concluded that COMBINING TWO ROUTERS created the DOUBLE NAT situation. To address the same as well as poor speeds with the Orbi 970 and Xfinity gateway combo, you are required to disable all the WiFi radios on the host gateway i.e. Xfinity, and set up the ORBI ROUTER IN AP OR ROUTER mode, whatever is your call.