If you don’t know how to tell if Orbi satellite is connected, then this guide is made for you!
Here we’ll unwrap the exact meaning of all LED light indications on your Orbi satellite so you can know when the device is connected and when not.
In addition, we’ll provide you with an in-depth explanation of how to recognize the connection status for fast and easy orientation.
To be able to tell if Orbi satellite is connected to the router you need to check whether you can connect to the satellite’s WiFi and utilize the internet.
In case there is no WiFi transmitted, you need to unplug and replug the satellite, then check the LED indications.
Let’s unwrap more about the Orbi satellite connection status!
How do You Tell if Orbi Satellite is Connected?
The quickest way to tell whether the Orbi satellite is connected to the router and receiving the internet is to check the LED lights.
The Orbi satellite has two primary LED lights one of which is the power light bulb and the circular ring LED light. Let’s begin unwrapping both LEDs!
| Orbi Satellite Power LED Behaviour | ||
| Solid Green | 🟢 | The satellite is powered on and receives an electrical charge. |
| Solid Amber | 🟠 | The Orbi satellite is currently booting the operating system. |
| Blinking Amber | 🟠 | The satellite is currently resetting to factory default settings. |
| Blinking Red | 🔴 | The Orbi satellite’s firmware is corrupted and needs a reset. |
| Satellite is OFF | ⚫ | There is no power supplied to the Orbi satellite. |
| Orbi Satellite Ring LED Behaviour (this lights shows the connection status) | ||
| Pulsating White | ⚪ | The Orbi satellite is currently starting (booting). |
| Solid Blue | 🔵 | The connection between the Orbi router and the satellite is good.The blue LED stays for 3 minutes and goes off. |
| Solid Amber | 🟠 | The connection between the Orbi router and the satellite is fair.The amber LED stays for 3 minutes and goes off. |
| Solid Magenta | 🟣 | The Orbi satellite was unable to sync with the wireless router. |
| No Ring Light | ⚫ | The Orbi satellite is synced with the router and working well. |
Hence, we can tell whether the Orbi satellite is connected to the Orbi router by checking the LED (ring) indicator, as per the indication.
From there, if we see no ring light, this generally means that the satellite is either connected and working or there is no power to the satellite.
Tip: To identify whether the satellite is working, check for a WiFi network using your mobile!
Wired or Wireless Orbi Connection – How to Know?
Since the Orbi satellite can be connected to the router both via Ethernet cable (wired) or via WPS (wireless).
To be able to immediately tell how the Orbi satellite is connected, you only need to check for an existing Ethernet cable connected to the back of the Orbi satellite.
In contrast, when there is no Ethernet cable, then the Orbi satellite is connected wirelessly to the router via WPS, which doesn’t involve an Ethernet cable.
In both situations the LED lights mean exactly the same thing, so now you know how to tell if Orbi satellite is connected.
How to Test Whether Orbi Satellite is Connected?
There are a few general ways to check whether your Orbi satellite is connected.
Method #1 Unplug > Replug the Satellite!
Well, if you currently see no light on your Orbi satellite, you can’t immediately tell whether their satellite is simply not working, or working well and connected.
In that regard, the easiest way to test if the Orbi satellite is connected would be by reconnecting the device from the power.
This will ultimately lead to an automatic reconnection process, which will be indicated first by the power LED and then by the ring LED.
As follows, exactly 3 minutes before the ring LED goes off again, you would either see a Solid Blue, Solid Amber, or Solid Magenta as an indication.
Reminder: Scroll up in the guide to check exactly what the color of your Satellite ring means!
Method #2 Try Connecting to the Satellite
The general misconception comes when the satellite is simply not showing any light and users often wonder whether it’s currently connected or not.
The short answer is, yes, the satellite is connected to verify, take your smartphone, go to the WiFi tab, and check for the satellite.
If your Orbi satellite is connected to the router and working, you would be able to find the SSID of the satellite in the WiFi tab of your smartphone.
To justify whether the satellite is working well, try to connect to the WiFi and surf the web to verify the speed, consistency, and workability.
Tip: You can use any 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WiFi-enabled device to test connecting!
Method #3 Use the Orbi Mobile Application
In case you didn’t know, you can easily check whether your Orbi satellite is connected to the router from the Orbi mobile application.
The Orbi app is available on Android and Google Play and is free for anyone to download so go ahead if you haven’t got the app installed already.
To see the Orbi satellites connected to your mesh network, follow the steps:
- Open the Orbi mobile application.
- Tap on the “Dashboard” button.
- Then tap on the “Network Map”.
- This will display the topology.
- Check if your satellite appears.
In case your Orbi satellite doesn’t appear on the network map in the Orbi app, it’s highly likely that the no light in your case means – no power.
Well, this is simple to resolve as all you need to do is check whether the satellite is connected to a functioning power outlet or then power on.
How to Tell if Device is Connected to Orbi Satellite?
The easiest way to tell whether there are devices connected to your Orbi router or satellites would be by using the Orbi mobile app.
In there, you have access to the “Device Manager”, which is a list of all devices that were ever connected to your Orbi network system.
- You would be able to see all devices, respectively online or offline.
- Open the Orbi app on your mobile device.
- At the Dashboard, tap on Device Manager.
- A list of all online/offline devices will appear.
This way you can see how many devices are currently connected and working with the internet from your Orbi router or satellites.
From there you can remove (unpair) devices manually and in real-time, as well as know how many of them are currently online or offline.
Does Orbi Satellite Ring LED Lights Stay On?
In short, no. The Orbi satellite ring LED only works for 90-180 seconds after the Orbi satellite has been connected to the router.
The light indicates a stable connection with the solid blue color, a fair connection with the amber, and a failed connection with the magenta color light.
This is why without reconnecting or using the Orbi app, there is no way of knowing whether the satellite is working or is turned off.
In case it turns out that the Orbi satellite is turned off, then you’ll need to inspect the power equipment and the power outlet before drawing conclusions.
Need More Help?
If this guide weren’t able to answer all of your questions, then it’s best to contact Orbi Support for additional assistance.
Also, it’s recommended to check the Orbi satellite’s user manual as all of the necessary information also exists in the documentation. Good luck!
Quick Recap:
Here we’ve learned how to tell if Orbi satellite is connected, and we now know that the blue or amber light means a successful connection.
In addition, we’re now familiar with the fact that shortly after the satellite gets connected, the ring LED light becomes dull.
To learn more Orbi satellite facts and solutions, check out our blog!
Read Next: Orbi Satellite No Light? – Here’s How to Fix
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.