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Forum Discussion
Android 8 Crashes Orbi
I've been tracking down an issue where my Orbi just suddenly drops wifi and reboots. I've isolated it to be associated with an Android device running 8.0 or higher. And I've proven it turning off wifi on my Pixel (now running 8.1 with the same issue) and starting out using my old Nexus 6P on 7.X. No issues for 2 straight days. I upgraded my 6P to 8.0 and BAM. Router crashes periodically when using this device. Turned that phone off and also kept my Pixel wifi off. 2 straight days, no issues.
Obviously there is something in Android 8.X that is causing issues but a client device should NOT be able to crash a router! Anyone else having this issue? I've even tried factory resetting both my Pixel and my router. No dice.
Any suggestions? Is there a way to dump a log file before a crash (or at least periodically so we can see what's happening?
221 Replies
- Yes I an having the same issue, where whenever my Pixel 2 XL wakes up my Orbi reboots disconnecting all my devices. It is very annoying. I have not seen it happen though on my original Pixel XL, both of which are in 8.0 with the November security patch. I was wondering if it was an app doing it but haven't had much chance to troubleshoot further yet. I don't remember it happening when I first got the phone, but not positive. I have noticed some times it is fine, I don't get any reboots for the day, then it reboots and it will keep rebooting everytime I wake my phone up.
- Yes!! Definitely happens when waking the phone up. Almost guaranteed to happen in that situation.
I know that it doesn't happen on Android 7. I've confirmed that.
Super annoying! I've had to leave my wifi off in order not to drive the family crazy!
I just upgraded my Orbi to 2.1. I've turned my Pixel wifi back on to see if the issue still exists. In guessing it does. Will test over the next few days.- Yes it is still happening for me on 2.1, and 2.1 seems to have an issue with WiFi passwords, possibly ones that have a $ sign in them, when it reboots none of my devices will connect anymore. I have to change the password to something else using the web interface and then change it back using the app, then it is fine till the next reboot. So for now I just have forgot the network on my phone.
This exact issue has been happening to me for the last two weeks when two of my Galaxy S7 Egdes got their December Security update. So its affecting Android 7.0 as well. As long as those two phones aren't connected to my WiFi everything is fine. I've also gotten a replacement router from Netgear, which also is affected by the rebooting. There is no reason any client device should crash a router like this.
lprzybylski EXACTLY!! That's the most baffling part of the whole thing to me. How in the WORLD a client device is causing a router to reboot is well beyond me!
I worked with Netgear 2nd level support for over an hour. They semi believe me what I was telling them and I mentioned this thread many times. They wanted debug logs from both the router and satelite before and after the reboots. They enabled the Start Debug Log Capture when boot up option and started a packet capture from the debug.htm page. They wanted me to connect my phones which I did. I haven't been able to get the router to restart since. Its going on 20+ hours with the debug capture going. I have no idea if this extra load on the units is preventing the issues, but I wanted to pass it along in case anyone else wanted to try it as well.
Has anyone tried any other versions of firmware on the Orbi router to see if these issues only affect specific versions?
lprzybylski - I don't think you can recreate it just like that. It happens after a long sleep on my phone, generally in the morning, or if I am busy with work and I don't touch my phone for a few hours. I've had uptime of around 5 hours today after it disconnnected once at 3am and again at around 9:30am today. I know about the 3am because my wifi devices nag me via email or the app when they don't have internet.
But that's discourating...to think they don't believe you or worse...haven't though of that as a posibility. Sure, the phone connection could trigger something else which is causing the reboot, but it does happen. Enough people have reported it. I started troubleshooting settings on my phone like turning off wifi calling. My 2.4 GHz phones don't affect the Orbi the same way.
- Oh yes you can. My Orbi has literally rebooted over 20 times today prior to taking both our Pixel phones off wifi. It only needs about 10-15 minutes of snoozing. Then bam. A reboot as soon as the phone wakes up.
Just to confirm everyone's hunches and to add to it, I have the Pro System, 2 Satellites, and about 29 other random devices. Kept rebooting for the last week +. After reading this systematically took my 4 Android phones and Galaxy Tab2 off the network and tested each. ALL caused a reboot as soon as they connected.
The phones are 3 Galaxy S7 and one Galaxy S8+. So it may not be just android 8 or 8.1, it looks like it may be the 7s too with the security update.- Thanks for confirming. I have a S8 with Android 7 and I've had reboots everyday without fail for a while now. Strangely I've been up for over a day without any reboots. And I've been using my phone regularly. I'm trying to think what's different.
Neither the debug logging or the separate access point connected to the network worked for long. This issue must have more to do with then just the WiFi on the phones, because when my phones were connected to the separte AP they show up as wired connections. And they still brought down the network.
- Some websites are now reporting this issue: http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/12/24/android-8-oreo-may-causing-wi-fi-connection-problems-mesh-routers-like-netgears-orbi/
I have two Google Pixel XL's and one new Google Pixel 2 XL all running Android Oreo 8.1. For the past month or so since updating to 8.x my Orbi RBK50 system would disconnect and I noticed that it was actually rebooting. After finding this thread I can definately confirm I am seeing the same issue as others running Android 8 devices on Orbi. I have disconnected all three Pixel phones from my network and since then it has been rock solid as it had been the previous 7 months proior to Android Oreo. This needs to be corrected ASAP.
Here are the steps I have tried:
Orbi firmware updated to 2.1.1.16
Reset Orbi back to factory default
Satellite set to use wired backhaul
Disconnected satellite
Not a Single Android 8 device in my house and i have the same exact issues.
I think this is a general issue with the ORbi, caused by a variety of devices, but occurs more often with Android 8.
Granted my Orbis have issues with crashes and slow downs 5+ times a day
Ever since using a Pixel 2 phone on my Orbi system, the system constantly (at least 6+ times per day) dicsconnects all devices from my WiFi for a few minutes after using the Pixel 2 after it's been dormat for an hour or so.
How is it possible that adding a new device can disconnect 25 different devices? I dont understand, and am pretty disappointed in the Orbi system.
Unfortunately whenever I try to open a support case I get a message that the serial number is already in use? I'd appreciate some advice!! This us using the newest Orbi firmware, but I also downgraded to an older version that worked fine for months at a time and it had the same issue?
Adding a device doesn't disconnect the others (directly); rather, the Pixel is doing something that causes a kernel panic on the Orib, which causes it to reboot, which then disconnects all of the other devices.
To my knowledge, nobody has identified what the root cause is yet, so there is no real fix available.- I can't figure out which is more absurd. The fact that Netgear hasn't even aknowledged the issue or the fact that they have a router that allows itself to be crashed by a client device.
I have Samsung Galaxy S7 and Note 8 with Nougat 7.1 and December Patch and have the same problem.
It is not with only Pixel devices with Oreo 8 but also with Samsung devices with &.1
For what it's worth, i was about to return my second set of Orbis (RBK50), but decided to give it one last shot on an older firmware. I too, was having reboot issues on both satellite and router, although i have no Oreo devices, only 7.0 and 7.1. With 2.1.1.12, 2.0.0.74, and 2.1.1.16, whether in router or AP mode, the Orbis would reboot at what seem like random times. I judiciously checked the system uptime on both router and satellite mutliple times per day, and never got an uptime past 12 hours or so.
I downgraded to firmware 1.11.0.20 a few days ago (in AP mode), and i am pleased to report that i have not had a single reboot. I have not changed anything else...same surge protectors, same ethernet cable to router, same position in the house, same devices on the network. My uptime right now is 2 days 14 hours. Additionally, i am noticing that ALL my devices that can connect to 5 Ghz channel, ARE. With the other firmware versions, i noticed alot of my devices would stay on the 2.4 channel, even though another nodes 5 ghz was strong.
For $199, i think i will keep the Orbis (in AP mode), and hope that a fix is forthcoming for version 2.0+.
I would NOT suggest those running in Router mode to downgrade that far down, as numerous security patches have been implemented in later versions, but for me, running an Asus router as the router, this Orbi version seems to be the most stable.
Good luck everyone, and Happy New Year!
- Solid five days of connectivity while out of the country as evidenced by uninterrupted Nest cam streams. When my Pixel 2 XL on 8.1 connected to my Orbi system upon return, the router reboots started again. Toggling mobile data off when on wifi seems to resolve the problem. A rooted phone and Tasker might be a temporary solution until Google and Netgear push out a fix.
richjklee wrote:
Solid five days of connectivity while out of the country as evidenced by uninterrupted Nest cam streams. When my Pixel 2 XL on 8.1 connected to my Orbi system upon return, the router reboots started again. Toggling mobile data off when on wifi seems to resolve the problem. A rooted phone and Tasker might be a temporary solution until Google and Netgear push out a fix.I can't find the link at the moment, but arlier today I stumbled accross a post in another forum about a Pixel device that was having problems wtih WiFI, but *only* when 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz networks were using the same SSID, and it made me wonder if this is somehow related. I would be curious to know if setting separate names for the differerent networks on the Orbi would make any difference (I think there's another topic here that describes how to do that). I would try it myself... except I'm not able to replicate the crashing problem.
- I disabled implicit beamforming and reboots stopped atleat for a day. Will have to test further.
This is the longest I have gone without a reboot.
FYI I am using Samsung galaxy note 8 and Samsung galaxy s7I wouldn't hold your breath. I didn't do anything, reboots stopped for like 3 days, then they've been just as frequent as ever the past two days. I hadn't touched the Orbi configuration at all or added/removed any devices. I don't know, or care, where the issue is, but Netgear needs to fix it. I got a few smart home devices for Xmas that I feel so stupid for wanting because my home internet is a piece of crap now.
guzzijason I think the mesh issue with Android 8 has been resolved with 8.1 but I'm not certain. But I DO know that my Pixel running on 8.1 is doing JUST fine on my Eero network and it uses the same SSID for 2.4G and 5G. Zero issues for nearly two weeks now. Nothing but rock solid performance.
FWIW I currently have a Linksys WRT3200 tri band which is experieincing the exact issues you guys are regarding Latest
Android... my Samsung S8 , Nexus tablets knock my Linksys offline when connecting then I experience multiple disconnects
requiring re-boots... my wife has an Apple IPhone 8 and it has no issues connecting nor does any of my Windows PC's..
me thinks this is an Android issue, not a router issue...
