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Forum Discussion
cvin
Mar 29, 2021Aspirant
is netgear on here? or just helpful people in a general forum?
i did not find a feedback page for netgear so did a chat to send feedback and the person sent me here and then hung up i would like to know if netgear monitors these forums? thank you
CrimpOn
Mar 29, 2021Guru - Experienced User
Apart from feedback about Netgear, is there a specific issue that perhaps people could help with?
Like many others, I had no issues until long after my 90 days of "complimentary support" had expired.
I was reluctant to purchase support from Gearhead, so I came to the forum and people offered several solutions.
cvin
Mar 29, 2021Aspirant
basically it has never worked on the iphone app for updating, not once
i set all my stuff for auto update and dont have to deal with this kind of thing ever but cannot figure out how to set auto update on here???
was able to go to the orbi/login and update it that way but still do not see anywhere to set it for automatic?
have a big problem with a company that does not want user input to improve their products, have to guess netgears main business is large business not individuals and they dont care about us
i would gladly have paid netgear $20-25 to do this for me so i did not waste an hour doing google searches for answers but the only option i could find for help is $90 for 6 months, my problem is not big enough to need to pay that much
it is just disappointing and i dont need to give a business like this my money and will not when i upgrade
i appreciate your help
- CrimpOnMar 29, 2021Guru - Experienced User
cvin wrote:basically it has never worked on the iphone app for updating, not once
i set all my stuff for auto update and dont have to deal with this kind of thing ever but cannot figure out how to set auto update on here???
Updating Orbi firmware is one of the major areas of frustration. When the product first came out (2016), Netgear silently pushed firmware updates in the middle of the night. There were several instances of customers SCREAMING, "STOP DOING THIS." and Netgear switched to making the user resposible for updating firmware.
I can understand how Netgear came to believe that a smartphone "app" to manage WiFi routers was a necessity (a) to match other products, and (b) because so many customers no longer own computers with ethernet ports (or even computers at all). MY view is that the Orbi "app" is a disaster.
- It has no way to handle many of the Orbi options.
- It has a history of "being wrong."
- Firmware updates are really inconsistent.
The "good news" is that updating router firmware is not urgent. Although routers often have firmware vulnerabilities, they are almost entirely on the LAN side, not from the internet.
- cvinMar 29, 2021Aspirant
thanks for that info
i am using apple/safari and when i sign into the orbi login it does not show anywhere for me to set auto updates? is this just not available anymore for those that do want it?
seems it would be an option and we could pick what we wanted
when i finally got into orbi login it showed my router 7-8 updates behind... so it freaks me out
all my apple stuff updates automatically, for security reasons i wanted to be up to date all the time
i want this thing to be a solid security wise as it can, but it sounds like you dont think these updates are a big deal for security?
is it true that any "big" safety updates are pushed and done automatically?
again thanks for the help
- CrimpOnMar 29, 2021Guru - Experienced User
cvin wrote:thanks for that info
i am using apple/safari and when i sign into the orbi login it does not show anywhere for me to set auto updates? is this just not available anymore for those that do want it?
s correct. There is no setting for automatic firmware updates.
I have one Orbi system on 2.3.5.0 that is quite stable and secure. The other is on 2..7.2.104 and was affected by the Daylight Saving Time fiasco. Newer is not always better.
Far too many posts on this forum begin with, "The app said" or "I got an email" and updated Orbi firmware, "NOW, I this horrible problem"
I have as yet never seen a post that starts with, "Dumb old me, I neglected to keep my Orbi firmware current and ... (this happened)."