New Orbi firmware 2.1.2.18 update issues?

Richard1864
Luminary
Jan 28, 2018
Microsoft admitted several months ago to a XBox firmware issue causing identical issues to what you’re experiencing, but hasn’t yet fixed it in XBox firmware updates. Nor has Microsoft given a timeline as to whe they will fix it. All I can get out of Microsoft is that issue is the same as with Google’s Android and Chromecast; when waking or turning on XBox throws more than 100,000 packets at the router, forcing the router (every router not just Orbi) to reboot.
- Rip_93
  Aspirant
  Jan 28, 2018
  It looks like Google play services update rolled out to most of my Google devices (too many to check). Everything is back to normal. It's hard to beat the orbi speeds. Tried 3 other mesh systems during these issues and didn't see any improvement other than stability at the time. Orbi seems to be the fastest and best coverage for my needs and roaming from satillite to satillite works very well. Solid signal in every corner of my house.
  - stormlight
    Tutor
    Jan 28, 2018
    Add me to list of people experiencing wifi drops with the satellites. I have the Orbi since January 2017 and once I set it up, I experienced no issues what so ever for over 11 months.
    
    For almost a year, my Orbi ran perfectly in AP mode behind a Fios Quantum Gateway G1100. Then we switched providers, set up the new Motorola MB8600, factory reset the Orbi to router mode. Reset the same basic configuration settings, and have had nothing but problems ever since. Initially, the absolute only changes were the change in hardware and the change from AP mode to router mode on the orbi. We have experienced wifi drops almost constantly now. Our devices say we're "connected, no internet". If I login to Orbi, it shows the satellites and devices connected but the devices have no internet. We also have a PS4 wired to one of the satellites, it also looses internet connection.
    
    So then I tried different combinations of Beamforming, MU-MIMO and Fast Roaming on and off. Daisychain is off, as it should be for my satellite placement. I tried rolling back the firmware and then the 2.1.2 beta firmware. I was on the same firmware (2.0.0.74) before and after the change from AP mode to router mode and the change in hardware. So it seemed unlikely the firmware by itself is the issue. With the beta however, things actually seemed to stabilize after a couple of days. Still experienced an occassional wifi drop but only every few days.
    
    For the last few days, family is complaining about internet again. Now I see the Orbi's firmware were updated to 2.1.2.18. Anyway to know when the firmware was updated? Not sure how much longer I'm willing to put up with this. The Orbi was great when it worked, but if it's satellites aren't going to work correctly, might just have to return it.
- Jotnar1965
  Initiate
  Jan 30, 2018
  What type of XBOX?
  
  Is it the XBOX 360, 360s, XBOX One, XBOX One S or the XBOX ONE X?
  
  Or is it all of them?
RogerSC
Virtuoso
Jan 28, 2018
wrote:
MORE JUNK FIRMWARE AGAIN!
I was on 2.0.0.74 and disabled auto-update after the 2.1.1.16 farce and went back to 2.0.0.74. But, last night it autoupdated anyway to 2.1.2.18. (I must have missed something in nvram. Never mind, that's not the point I'm making here...) Now every time the xbox is switched on, the Orbi reboots! Go on, Netgear, you've spent the past month blaming Google for your own programmers' incompetence. I think it's about time you started blaming Microsoft? (Or, you could just, you know, get some decent programmers and maybe even splash out on a TEST TEAM? Here's a URL to help you https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_testing )
That was my experience as well. I carefully followed all the steps in the cited posting on both the router unit and satellite unit, and tried more than once. The Orbi still auto-updated, despite that. It takes a varying amount of time. It can update in a matter of minutes, hours, or days.

What I'm doing now seems to be working...I've been on firmware V2.1.1.16 now for going on 4 days. I have an R7800 as my "main" router, using Kong's dd-wrt. The wireless radios on the R7800 are turned off, and I've used "Access Restriction" for downloads.netgear.com and download.netgear.com. The web admin GUI on the Orbi, in AP mode, still shows that there's newer firmware, but so far the Orbi hasn't done the downloads of it.

So, my plan seems to be working, which makes me happy. I feel that I need to be able to control the firmware that's being used on the Orbi, since it's pretty clear at this point that problems are coming from the mix of clients that one has interacting with the particular firmare release. Got my fingers crossed, but so far, so good *smile*.
- RogerSC
  Virtuoso
  Jan 29, 2018
  wrote:
  wrote:
  MORE JUNK FIRMWARE AGAIN!
  I was on 2.0.0.74 and disabled auto-update after the 2.1.1.16 farce and went back to 2.0.0.74. But, last night it autoupdated anyway to 2.1.2.18. (I must have missed something in nvram. Never mind, that's not the point I'm making here...) Now every time the xbox is switched on, the Orbi reboots! Go on, Netgear, you've spent the past month blaming Google for your own programmers' incompetence. I think it's about time you started blaming Microsoft? (Or, you could just, you know, get some decent programmers and maybe even splash out on a TEST TEAM? Here's a URL to help you https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_testing )
  That was my experience as well. I carefully followed all the steps in the cited posting on both the router unit and satellite unit, and tried more than once. The Orbi still auto-updated, despite that. It takes a varying amount of time. It can update in a matter of minutes, hours, or days.
  
  What I'm doing now seems to be working...I've been on firmware V2.1.1.16 now for going on 4 days. I have an R7800 as my "main" router, using Kong's dd-wrt. The wireless radios on the R7800 are turned off, and I've used "Access Restriction" for downloads.netgear.com and download.netgear.com. The web admin GUI on the Orbi, in AP mode, still shows that there's newer firmware, but so far the Orbi hasn't done the downloads of it.
  
  So, my plan seems to be working, which makes me happy. I feel that I need to be able to control the firmware that's being used on the Orbi, since it's pretty clear at this point that problems are coming from the mix of clients that one has interacting with the particular firmare release. Got my fingers crossed, but so far, so good *smile*.
  Netgear auto-updated my firmware after about 5 days. So two things I've learned:
  
  1. Using dd-wrt on my main router does not deter auto-update.
  
  2. Restricting access to "downloads.netgear.com" and "download.netgear.com" doesn't stop auto-update.
  
  Leaving me with the question of what is the URL that Netgear's using for auto-update? I was looking for the procedure "firmwareUpgrade" (I think that was it) that's used when you click on "newer firmware is available" banner, but I have not been able to find the GPL source code archive for the Orbi. Seems to have been made more difficult to find on Netgear's servers.
  
  Netgear wins this round, but the search goes on. I'm a very persistent person.
  - sleepr88
    Apprentice
    Jan 29, 2018
    Seems Netgear can't write good software for the Orbi, or these forums (I've had posts disappear also, that I did not edit)

Forum Discussion

New Orbi firmware 2.1.2.18 update issues?