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Forum Discussion
Orbi RBR50 Non responsive, won't factory reset
After two years of working flawlessly my Orbi RBR50 router stopped working. I have two satellites RBS mdels connected to it. The power light is on and it is green. I tried to cycle the power - did...
Try this:
https://kb.netgear.com/000059634/How-to-upload-firmware-to-a-NETGEAR-router-using-Windows-TFTP
Need to press the reset button for 30 seconds then release, then it send to PUT the command and upload the FW.
I had a problem on a Windows 10 PC where this didn't work to use TFTP, so I switched to a WIndows 7 PC and the TFTP worked.
I try the tftp and get an error with the -i option flag. Mine is a Mac and no Windows machine to work with.
The fact that I never get to a flashing yellow/amber power light is also concerning.
Possible the RBR is bad. Something to contact NG support about to see what your options are at this point.
After 15 years using Netgear I'm throwing in the towel. I have the same problem here with my RBR50. No moving parts but it just stopped working. Green solid light on the power no matter how many seconds I hold down the button. White flashing ring light no matter what I do. Unable to TFTp anything because it perpetually stays in a mode where it's booted up and won't look for FW updates.
Just bought an Eero WiFi 6 system today. So far so good!
My RBR50 and RBS50 have been rock solid for almost 14 months since I purchased them for the pricely sum of £249.99 from Amazon.
However I too have been plagued by this issue. It first started 3 weeks ago late in the evening (12:34 am) where after much frustration I was able to use a TFTPD client to flash the firmware to an older version. This seemed to do the trick and I was a happy camper again working merrily taking part in the many MS Teams calls my life consist of nowadays. However this has now happened again (Again late in the evening - 10:30 pm ish) and only this time it's left the RBR in permanent state of booting up (constant white pulsing, with green power led). All attempts to factory reset or flash the firmware to an older version are failing to have any impact, it simply ends up in a permanent white pulsing state with green power LED.
I find it incredibly frustrating that such expensive equipment should fail for no apparent reason and dubiously not longer after the warranty expiry. What really rubs the salt in the wound is i've been so impressed with the RBR50 model i've advised 2 other family members to acquire them, let's hope they don't end up in the same position just after their warranty expiry!!
I will now be voting with my feet and never buying Netgear equipment again and advising my friends and family to do the same.
Disgruntled of Ipswich.
I thought it interesting at first when Netgear would offer for purchase an extended warranty, and premium service. It is a router I thought, and is solid state, what could go wrong. I now look back and think that Netgear understands how much can go wrong, and how much they screw up with their firmware upgrades. It really speaks to a lack of proper engineering. How much we pay for this failure of engineering goes beyond the initial sticker price/shock. Lost time trying to figure things out, cost of courier fees to get replacements, and the impact to our work when you don't have a viable internet connection.
I too am waiting to move on. At this point, due to a consolidation of two networks, I actually have a backup RBR50 so when this one goes I will switch to that one (I have to feel that I am recovering some of my investment). When that one goes it is looking very likely that the eero Pro 6 will take over the command of my network.
Kurtster wrote:After 15 years using Netgear I'm throwing in the towel.
Just bought an Eero WiFi 6 system today. So far so good!
That's my next system. I am going to start phasing out Netgear. This last debacle and ZERO comms from netgear is a clear sign that customer loyalty means nothing to them.
The fact that Netgear chooses to be ignore its base and watch long term consumers go elsewhere is truely telling of where their priorities are. This is a reson why you see startups succeed at surpassing the incumbents.
I have a second Orbi RBR50 so when the first one dies the second one will replace it, delayiing my migratioon to the next platform and giving other companies time to build even better products. What is certain, I won't be looking to what Netgear offers when the time arrives.
