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MacrossMike's avatar
MacrossMike
Apprentice
Jul 18, 2017
Solved

A way to disable auto-update of firmware? (V1.12.0.18)

Hi all,

 

I've searched the forum here for this a few times and come up dry, so I figured I'd just come out and ask:

 

Is there any method to disable automatic firmware updates on the Orbi (RBK50)?

 

 

Firmware version 1.12.0.18 basically annihilated my previously solid Orbi setup on 1.11.0.20 firmware release, and the usual diagnostic steps (factory reset, rollback and reinstall, etc.) don't solve the problem.  As is, every satellite is useless with the 1.12.0.18 firmware preventing them from switching their wireless access points on, and using the WiFi directly from the router is inexplicably slow enough to be mistaken for dialup even though testing on my modem confirmed it's not my internet connection (which is still moving at a decent clip of ~150mbps).  Rolling it back to 1.11.0.20 gets me full functionality again, but only until evening when the Orbi automatically updates to 1.12.0.18 again and puts me right back.

 

 

Is there a way to prevent the Orbi from automatically updating its firmware so I can roll back to a non-broken FW build for a while until Netgear fixes the hot mess that is 1.12.0.18? 

 

I work from home a fair bit, and with 1.12.0.18 my home network is crippled to the extent that I can't even get on my company's VPN anymore, and rolling it back every few hours or using a MiFi for everything are not viable long-term solutions.

 

Any advice the community can offer to stop the automatic updater (or get me a beta firmware build that doesn't deactivate my satellites) is greatly appreciated.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

~Mike~

automatic updates
rbk50
Troubleshooting

8 Replies

  • esiebert7625's avatar
    esiebert7625
    Star
    Jul 18, 2017

    Yes manually updating will stop it from auto-updating is what Netgear support told me. So far it's been almost a week and it hasnt auto updated after I manually downgraded to 1.11.0.20. You just get a nag message in the console saying an update is available.

     

    Alternately go to Advanced, Security, Block Sites and add downloads.netgear.com as a blocked site.

    • MacrossMike's avatar
      MacrossMike
      Apprentice
      Jul 18, 2017

      Thanks esiebert7625, I'll have to give the Block Sites option a try.

       

      I've manually reverted the firmware to version 1.11.0.20 several times already, but once the system is idle for some unspecified amount of time (usually in the early hours of the morning) it automatically re-updates itself to version 1.12.0.18 and I'm back where I started.

       

      (It'd be real nice if Netgear added a little option in the debug menu or something that would allow us to go in and turn off automatic updates, like most other manufacturers do.)

    • BrianKennedy's avatar
      BrianKennedy
      Aspirant
      Jul 29, 2017

      I've added every netgear domain that I'm aware of and the router still auto updates to 1.12 . As soon as it does I lose https:// connections. Any other domains they may use that I can block?