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Forum Discussion

SymonB's avatar
SymonB
Tutor
Sep 12, 2019

RBR50 DNS Issues

Have the Orbi RBR50 all on the latest firmware. Have reset the entire router and satellite units. DNS keeps locking up. All devices connect to the Orbi fine yet when accessing the internet it locks u...
FURRYe38's avatar
FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
Apr 06, 2020

You can enter in custom DNS on the RBRs web page under Basic/Internet. Select the
Domain Name Server (DNS) Address section and  select Use These DNS Servers. Enter in any known working DNS, Quad 1 or 8. Google DNS like quad 8s and 8.8.4.4. Save and apply. 

 

Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last update? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMw4ePACgc4
https://www.howtogeek.com/434350/how-to-factory-reset-a-router/

Might try this and also power OFF the ONT for1 minute and back ON. Walk thru the setup wizard. 

Spiffywerks wrote:
6 days later after turning off traffic meter and Disney Circle, still having issues.

Setup:
Frontier ONT (Alcatel ONT I-211M-L) > Orbi RBR53 (v.2.5.1.8)

It was good for 3 days, but past three days having to reboot the router at least once a day. Rebooting the ONT doesn’t resolve the issue.

I cannot set a manual DNS in the router because it requires I also create a manual IP address which I cannot do. I’ve tried and there is no connection at all afterwards. Probably the way the ONT is setup?

All this trouble started after working from home and using a VPN client on my desktop to connect to work. Not sure why that would affect the entire network’s DNS.

 

Spiffywerks's avatar
Spiffywerks
Guide
Apr 06, 2020
  • Manual DNS - Not able to. Explained in following paragraph
  • Reboot ONT - Yes, have done this many times. Does not resolve the issue. Router is the issue.
  • Factory Reset - No, have not attempted yet. Will try sometime when everyone is not needing it. between daughter, wife, and myself, we're using the internet from 7 am - 10 pm everyday for work and school activities.

 

I cannot set a manual DNS without first setting a Static IP address. Option for Manual DNS is greyed out on the interface unless I click the option for "Use Static IP Address" first. Disabling DHCP completely kills the connection with the ONT. If I turn off DHCP and leave the settings in the router, the router cannot communicate the with ONT anymore.  Everytime I reboot it gets a new WAN IP address.

 

What gets me is this setup was fine for the past 9+ months and suddenly this is happening after  we started working from home. -______-;

  • FURRYe38's avatar
    FURRYe38
    Guru - Experienced User
    Apr 06, 2020

    Try this, After you reset, disconnect the RBR from the ONT, and then setup the RBR. Be sure you don't enable Circle or Armor. Manually go in and edit the DNS setting. You should be able to select the DNS setction with out having to change the DHCP option. 

    Once you get there and make a change, save and apply then reboot the RBR and soon as the RBR starts the reboot, reconnect it to the ONT. 

    Try this when you get a opening. 

  • milenkojmb's avatar
    milenkojmb
    Guide
    Apr 06, 2020
    It has now been about a week since I performed a factory reset and then left armor and circle disabled. I have not had the issue once. It has gone back to rock solid stable.
  • Spiffywerks's avatar
    Spiffywerks
    Guide
    Apr 06, 2020

    Okay, I will give this a shot when I've got a chance. Thanks.

     

    FURRYe38 wrote:

    Try this, After you reset, disconnect the RBR from the ONT, and then setup the RBR. Be sure you don't enable Circle or Armor. Manually go in and edit the DNS setting. You should be able to select the DNS setction with out having to change the DHCP option. 

    Once you get there and make a change, save and apply then reboot the RBR and soon as the RBR starts the reboot, reconnect it to the ONT. 

    Try this when you get a opening. 

     

  • Spiffywerks's avatar
    Spiffywerks
    Guide
    Apr 16, 2020

    Just an update. Day 4 after performing a hard reset. Haven't lost connection again since. Armor and Circle disabled.

     

    Thanks for the assistance!

  • daverichard4's avatar
    daverichard4
    Guide
    Apr 21, 2020

    Looks like Netgear just released new firmware, 2.5.1.16. But they don't mention what the update fixes, ha!  Hopefully it fixes this issue!

  • EvilJohn's avatar
    EvilJohn
    Aspirant
    Apr 22, 2020

    I'm find this issue with dnsmasq to be pervasive. I factory reset the modem and the dns failures go away for some period of time say, weeks, the performanc slowly degrades requiriing yet another factory reset. There's still something going here (memory leak maybe?) and netgear has not addresses the issue.

     

    I wish there was an option to disable this dnsmasq. it's poorly implemented and killing a very capable hardware problem. I don't really want to replace this system, but unless this gets addressed I won't have a choice.

  • daverichard4's avatar
    daverichard4
    Guide
    Apr 22, 2020

    Agreed.  I have already decided my next purchase will not be a Netgear product because of this issue.  I would have suspected an issue like this be addressed pretty quickly....service availability is priority one.  I understand that all products have problems, but I feel how a manufacturer responds or doesn't respond in this case, is the distinguishing factor for a good manufacturer.  Their lack of response to this issue has left a bad taste for me now for Netgear.  Has anyone tested any other wireless mesh systems with good success?

  • tomschmidt's avatar
    tomschmidt
    Virtuoso
    Apr 22, 2020

    I likewise have reported DNS issues to NG for the RBR50.  Their response was to use a different device to provide DNS DHCP IP resolution for the LAN.  This is unacceptable, as a router is supposed to provide that basic functionality.  I likewise will never buy from NG again.

  • FURRYe38's avatar
    FURRYe38
    Guru - Experienced User
    Apr 22, 2020

    The issue is not a FW issue. Thought we haven't seen anyone mention using v16 and Circle as of yet to see if maybe NG resolved this. However this is a Disney Circle issue and NG is aware of it. Those of us using v8 or v16 FW don't use Armor or Circle have not been seting any kind of DNS issues. 

     

    Factory reset your RBR and set up from scratch. Do not enable Circle. Armor doesn't seem to cause this problem. Use Armor as you see fit if needed. 


    For anyone having problems with DNS, besure Circle is disabled on the RBR. Also please post about any Circle issues over in the Disney Circle forum:

    https://community.netgear.com/t5/Circle-Smart-Parental-Controls/bd-p/en-home-circle

     

    Good Luck. 

    daverichard4 wrote:

    Looks like Netgear just released new firmware, 2.5.1.16. But they don't mention what the update fixes, ha!  Hopefully it fixes this issue!

     

  • FURRYe38's avatar
    FURRYe38
    Guru - Experienced User
    Apr 22, 2020

    Thanks for letting us know. 
    Hopefully NG will fix the Circle issue that cause problems with DNS. 

    Any Armor or Circle problems seen please post in there persective forums. 

    https://community.netgear.com/t5/NETGEAR-Armor/bd-p/en-home-armor

    https://community.netgear.com/t5/Circle-Smart-Parental-Controls/bd-p/en-home-circle


    Enjoy. :smileywink:

    Spiffywerks wrote:

    Just an update. Day 4 after performing a hard reset. Haven't lost connection again since. Armor and Circle disabled.

     

    Thanks for the assistance!