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Forum Discussion

roarty58's avatar
roarty58
Guide
Nov 06, 2021

Orbi cannot verify server identity

This appears to be a recurring issue for many users.  Has a solution been found?   I get a message, "cannot verify server identity" and it references m.hotmail.com.  The certificate is Netgear's ow...
plemans's avatar
plemans
Guru - Experienced User
Nov 07, 2021

try enabling ipv6 and also try the different dns

roarty58's avatar
roarty58
Guide
Nov 07, 2021

Tried the Google DNS, issue went away for about 12 hours, then returned this morning.  Trying OpenDNS next.

 

IPV6 - I don't know much about it, but will try it.  I've read that is can cause some issues.  Will try it and update on results tomorrow.

 

  • roarty58's avatar
    roarty58
    Guide
    Nov 07, 2021

    IPv6 is enabled and I continue getting the error and some of my devices continue to be unable to connect to the internet even though they are connected to the router.

     

    Using OpenDNS servers.

    • CrimpOn's avatar
      CrimpOn
      Guru - Experienced User
      Nov 07, 2021

      This issue has come up before, but I cannot remember enough about the specific cases to search the forum and find them.

       

      There are two different issues:

      • Attempts to reach certain URL's are blocked, which somehow redirects to the Orbi router.
      • The Orbi router has a self-signed SSL certificate, which offends modern web browsers and they throw up the "Not Trusted" error message and will only proceed to the Orbi web site if the user finds a tiny almost hidden link that says, "I want to go there anyway."

      Although the error messages appear one after the other, they are about different problems.

       

      One thing is certain: The move by web browsers to use secure connections if at all possible has unintended consequences.  Years ago, Netgear had secured SSL certificates for a batch of URL's, including routerlogin.com, routerlogin.net, orbilogin.com, orbilogin.net.  (I think there were 6 or 8 URL's in total.)  In August of 2019, the certificates expired.  No one at Netgear has ever published an explanation, so customers are left to wonder: (a) did someone at Netgear just forget to renew the certificates? (b) did the certificate authority wake up and say, "Hey, we can't have thousands of web sites all over the world claiming to be Netgear. They are customer devices, not Netgear devices." and refuse to renew the SSL certificate.  Nobody knows.

       

      So Netgear was stuck. They wanted to make modern browsers happy and they can't.  If the Orbi web administration provides only http connection, web browsers scream Insecure! When they provide https using a self-signed certificate, web browsers scream Not Trusted!

       

      This is also one of those annoying situations in which some users are affected, but not others.  For example, I can browse to m.hotmail.com just fine. (and anywhere else).

      Searching the forum is going to take some time.