Netgear Orbi With Sky: How to Set It Up Properly (and Fix Double NAT)
12 November 2026 · By Ethan Fernandes
Double NAT, strict NAT or devices dropping with Netgear Orbi and Sky? The right setup for this exact combination, step by step, and what to check if it's still not right.
Quick fix
Keep the Sky Hub as the router, put the Orbi into Access Point mode and turn off the Sky Hub's Wi-Fi. Sky's Hub has no modem mode, and replacing it needs special login details that most mesh systems can't use.
Rather we just fixed it? We can usually sort this remotely today, or visit you at home across West London. 7 days, until 9pm.
Get help todayYou've added a Netgear Orbi mesh system to your Sky broadband, and something isn't right: the Orbi app warns about double NAT, games show NAT type strict or moderate, smart devices can't be found, a work VPN keeps dropping, or phones hop between the Sky Broadband Hub's Wi-Fi and the Orbi. It usually works "well enough", but it isn't set up the way it should be.
The cause is that the Sky Broadband Hub and the Orbi are both acting as the router. Only one of them should. Here's the right setup for this exact combination.
The short version: Keep the Sky Hub as the router, put the Orbi into Access Point mode and turn off the Sky Hub's Wi-Fi. Sky's Hub has no modem mode, and replacing it needs special login details that most mesh systems can't use.
Why Sky Is Different
Sky's Broadband Hub has no modem mode. Replacing it altogether is also hard: Sky's connection needs special login details (known as DHCP option 61) that most mesh systems, including Netgear Orbi, can't enter. So the Sky Hub stays as the router. The good news is that Sky Talk, your home phone, and Sky Broadband Shield both keep working.
The Best Setup With Sky
- Connect the main Orbi unit to the Sky Hub with a network cable.
- Switch the Orbi to Access Point mode. Sign in to the Orbi settings at orbilogin.com, go to Advanced > Router / AP Mode and choose AP Mode. The satellites keep working.
- Open the Sky Hub settings, usually at 192.168.0.1, and turn off or rename the Hub's Wi-Fi so devices only join the Orbi.
- Unplug any Sky Wi-Fi boosters: they only work with the Sky Hub's own Wi-Fi.
- Restart the Orbi and check every room.
In AP mode some Orbi features, such as parental controls and Netgear Armor, are limited because the hub is doing the routing.
Still Not Right? Quick Checks
- Two Wi-Fi networks? If the Sky Broadband Hub's Wi-Fi is still on, devices may join it instead of the Orbi. Turn it off, or give it a completely different name.
- Restart in order: the Sky Broadband Hub first, then the main Orbi unit once the hub is online, then the other units.
- Main unit next to the hub, connected by cable. Other units about halfway to the weak areas, not in them.
- Use cables between units where you can. Wired connections between mesh units give much better speed than wireless.
- Smart plugs and cameras won't connect? Many only use 2.4GHz. See smart device won't connect to Wi-Fi.
How We Handle It
Getting Netgear Orbi and Sky working properly together is one of the most common jobs we do. We choose the right setup for your line and home phone, configure the hub and mesh, place the units for full coverage, use cables between them where possible, and make sure gaming consoles, VPNs, cameras and smart devices all work, tested in every room. See our Wi-Fi and home networking service.
Related Reading
Common questions
Yes. Keep the Sky Hub as the router and put the Orbi into Access Point mode, then turn off the Sky Hub's Wi-Fi.
No. Sky's Broadband Hub doesn't have a modem mode, so the usual setup is to keep the Sky Hub as the router and run your mesh in access point or bridge mode.
Usually not. Sky's connection needs special login details (DHCP option 61) that most mesh systems, including Netgear Orbi, can't use. Keep the Sky Hub and connect the Orbi to it.
Yes. Sky Broadband Shield works at Sky's network level and Sky Talk runs through the Sky Hub, so both keep working when you add mesh behind the Hub.
Still stuck? We can fix it for you
Most problems like this can be fixed remotely today, anywhere in the UK, or with a home visit across West London. DBS checked, insured, 7 days a week until 9pm.
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