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RBR50 spontaneously bricked itself this morning - factory reset has no effect - what are my options?
I woke up to find I had no wifi and no internet. My two satellites had solid magenta rings. The router had power but no illuminated ring. I I tried to connect directly to the router via ethernet I couldn't get an IP or connect to the config page. I powercycled the router with no effect. After some googling I decided to try "hard resetting" and that also doesn't work which leads me to think it is bricked. No matter if via the regular method (holding the reset button for ~15 seconds per the Netgear video) or via the "30-30-30" method I saw mentioned. The green power light always stays green (never flashes, never amber or any other color) and the resets are having no effect (still can't get an IP, not broadcasting wifi, etc). At this point I've held the reset button for minutes and powercycled it dozens of times and it doesn't do anything.
After <1 year in use am I really left with three pieces of useless plastic unless I opt to spend money on a new RBR50 router which apparently can simply fail at any time, risking that I have to repeat the cycle? Is it even possible to buy a replacement RBR50 since they seem to be OOS everywhere?
24 Replies
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.If tftp doesn't work, try nmrpflash.
I've had luck with that when tftp didn't work.
plemans wrote:If tftp doesn't work, try nmrpflash.
I've had luck with that when tftp didn't work.
https://github.com/jclehner/nmrpflash
Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it and it didn't work/was not able to flash the firmware. It never detects the router once turned on ("Waiting for physical connection." leads to "Error: Ethernet cable is unplugged."). I tried all the ports.
FURRYe38 wrote: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.Where and what are steps 1 though 5 in that document?
Seems like NG is leaving out some important steps, like how to prepare the router for the TFTP connection...
Thanks but I tried that already via these instructionns and it doesn't work.
https://kb.netgear.com/000059633/How-to-upload-firmware-to-a-NETGEAR-router-using-TFTP-client
The instructions seem to assume that the router still responds to the reset procedure (e.g., both sets of instructions refer to the power LED changing color) but that does not happen on my unit no matter how I reset it. And ignoring that and proceeding anyway results in nothing (pressing PUT does nothing/never completes).
cortex wrote:
vajim wrote:
cortex wrote:I woke up to find I had no wifi and no internet.
Any recent firmware update by chance?
Not that I performed. Does the unit auto-install new firmware? If so I wouldn't know -- and since I can't get to the configuration page I can't tell what firemware it's running.
How about the app?
Some are confused about firmware updates using the app. Unless there are major security updates you are in control.
