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Forum Discussion
Flash008
May 30, 2019Luminary
Firmware 2.3.1.100
I am not sure what to say about this new firmware. My parents alway taught me, “If you don’t have something nice to say, then say nothing at all”. Yet, I was also taught, “if you have a probl...
- Jun 03, 2019
All,
We have received a list of comments from Flash008 and are reviewing them. Please note that there is nothing in the world that makes us happier than seeing happy and satisfied customers and users of our products. At NTGR, we take pride in our products and seek to please our customers.
In regards to the response that MrJosh provided, his point is that Orbi Pro was designed to be a DIY product for business owners that are not network engineers. I has the features to meet the needs of that group of users. But it looks like the success of the product, has resulted in unforseen expectations for features such as SNMP or Syslog which is not something that a small business owner would require.
in other words, Orbi Pro was not meant to replace a product like our WAC540 that has all kinds of bells and whistles.
Please bear with us as we are going through all the comments received which is a summary of all of your points and we'll have a dialogue and work through them.
Finally, we are doing our best to wow our customers, but please don't interpret this as commitment to implement features.
Orbi Pro Product Management
ibmman69
May 30, 2019Star
I made a post yesterday about many of these issues yesterday in the regular Orbi forum because this one was down for the past few days.
They supposedly moved it to this forum, but I can't find it, and when I click on it in my profile it just brings me to the main forum.
I agree w/ everything you're saying esp related to the SSID issues. Auto updating seems to be another common complaint that Netgear shruggs off and says we've installed the firmware incorrectly. Sorry. No. In the GUI when it's selected it's still in place according to the command line, so it's a Netgear problem not a user issue (at least in my case).
I have spent at least 3-4 hours fixing broken IoT and smart devices devices because of this SSID garbage. I still can't get my Fujitsu scanner back up and working correctly, and I spent an hour with it alone this morning.
They clearly don't care what customers for these products on their "higher" end want/need. People have complained about this SSID stuff for as long as I've owned the product. I should've sent this stuff back as soon as I realized a work around was needed to create separate SSIDs for 2.4GHz and 5GHz. THEN they take away the work around, but add the feature to WiFi 2??? Why not add it everywhere. Not everyone wants all these SSIDs floating around. Now I have to have one that is Admin for the main channel and then my 2 network names on the secondary.
The whole thing is just ridiculous. If they can't get simple stuff like this right then I'm left to wonder the security of this thing.
At this point, after the time I've wasted over the last week or so, I want them to buy this setup back from me. I don't want their product anymore.
Maybe we need to see if there are any class action lawyers willing to take this up?
ibmman69
May 30, 2019Star
I propose we start and over/under pool on how long before anyone from Netgear responds, and even gives lip service to our concerns...
- Flash008May 30, 2019Luminary
Well, I am hoping within 2-3 days. But I would accept a week (especially if executive staff gets involved). I have decided to approach this from the bottom and the top. We must assume the Netgear staff that monitors this forum are lower level managers and technical staff. I have moved this concern to the office of CEO at Netgear. I intend to be persistent concerning this and will reach out continuously to the CEO, Marketing, PR and other Netgear BUs. I would assume, at some point, a top ranking official will finish their golf game and begin sending some emails, and making some calls.....
Then we wait, watch, and see what happens.
If nothing happens, then we all must accept this problem is company wide! And that observation should cement any opinions you have about doing any future business with Netgear.
I am hoping this is an isolated issue and limited to the BU handling this product.
I have worked in IT for 2+ decades. Most companies have a product manager that handles specific products (conception-to-market). This person should be able to engage very high-level Netgear people and "splash the water" to get something done.
So, let the games begin. Everyone can post their “bet” about “how long for response”. My bet will be 1 week to get something meaningful from Netgear. And not one of thier passive, copy/paste, useless, responses.
If any of you receive private messages from Netgear offering buy-back options. I would suggest you contact the CEO office and inform them. I support any resolution you choose as a free market consumer, but it would be shameful to accept a buy-back as this would only reflect Netgear’s position that “they have no intention of honoring the Orbi Pro product”.
- MrJoshWMay 31, 2019NETGEAR Employee Retired
Flash008,
In regards to the feature requests that are listed. They have been submitted to engineering and have been under review. I do not have a confirmation if they are planning on being implemented as we do offer wireless access points that support these features. At this time the Orbi Pro does not support SSID seperation on the wireless bands as well as VLAN support in AP mode as these features being requested are found in our access point products and not the Orbi Pro.
As for improvements with Orbi Pro with Insight, any features being implemented with Insight is handled by our Insight team who do not develop the firmware builds for Orbi Pro. Hopefully this helps.
- Flash008May 31, 2019Luminary
MrJosh,
First, let me express appreciation for the bravery of your response. As you can see, we were expecting to be completely ignored. Hence, why I have begun communication with your executive team and other upper-level officials.
Unfortunately your response plays directly into the concerns I, and others, have expressed.
The list of features requested has “SEVERAL” replies from Netgear indicating, leading, implying and flat-out committing to the release of many of the features requested. I don’t have time to go back and find each Netgear response which states; “To be released in a future firmware”, “We agree with the request and are working on adding this soon”, etc, etc, etc. The valid point being, Netgear has responded in such a way to leave NO OTHER interpretation of, “The feature will be added”. For you to now claim “the features were reviewed, and engineering is PLANNING to implement these features only validated my comment of “When? Its been almost a year, no communication from Netgear, and it’s almost time that we move on to the next cycle of WIFI 6 products that Netgear is currently promoting”.
Furthermore, “At this time Orbi Pro does not support SSID separation on the wireless bands as well as vLAN supporting AP mode as these features being requested are found in our access point products and not Orbi”…Josh, MrJosh, Have you ever heard the term “double-speaking”?
1. “At this time”, implies something will happen in a future time.
2. “They have been submitted to engineering and have been under review”, implies you are still working on adding these features.
3. “I do not have a confirmation if they are planning on being implemented as we do offer wireless access points that support these features.”, implies you actually don’t know anything, and you are insinuating it will not happen because you don’t want Orbi Pro competing with other Netgear WIFI products.
4. “At this time the Orbi Pro does not support SSID separation on the wireless bands”, You do know you just released firmware 2.3.1.100 that “DOES” support SSID separation on the wireless bands via “profile 2”. So this statement from you is “WRONG” and shows an “intent” for Orbi to offer this in some capacity. Although, currently a useless capacity via firmware 2.3.1.100.
5. “as well as VLAN support in AP mode as these features being requested are found in our access point products and not the Orbi Pro.” Again, several Netgear responses showing a crystal clear plan to implement this feature “in a future firmware update”. Now, you imply that we must buy other Netgear products that offer these features as Netgear has no intent to implement these feature requests.
6. “As for improvements with Orbi Pro with Insight, any features being implemented with Insight is handled by our Insight team who do not develop the firmware builds for Orbi Pro.” Thank you for confirming the right hand does not talk to the left hand at Netgear. I think most of us learned that a long time ago….Or maybe only me. Your quality of software, technical and customer support, has reflected this truth abundantly over the last years.
MrJosh, looking back at you response. Do you now understand “double-speaking”. You say one thing, then your next words invalidate you previous comment.
MrJosh, it is not my intent to be rude, make fun, or cause an argument for the sake of arguing. I truly spent my very specious time writing these comments seeking a quality, timely, and truthful resolution. This is something others and myself seem to struggle deeply and widely with concerning Netgear. I don’t know your title within Netgear and your relationship with your teams and top level management. It is my “assumption” you are a mid or lower level employee (or contractor) who has the dirty job of reading and responding to this forum. Hence, I do not blame you for the Netgear Orbi pro short-comings, false advertising, bait-and switch tactics, ignoring the customer, incompetent software development, lack of software lifecycle releases, lack of product alignment, and Netgear inconsistency with responses throughout this forum and other forums as well. MrJosh, it’s not your fault (I assume), and again I applaud your bravery for responding to this thread.
Unfortunately your response only validates everything others, and myself, have claimed.
I am not the person who looks for lawsuits. I would much rather, shake hands, agree to disagree, I return your property, you return my property (money), we insure both parties can walk away without any hardship. But Netgear has really opened the door to SEVERAL arguments from MANY customers that you mis-led them. You advertised a product that does not perform well within it’s base functions. You committed to features that you have not and “imply” will not release. It’s all documented in this forum, Google cached, and sitting in many forum members email boxes. With the handful of attorneys I have interacted with, some looking for that quick blood sucking opportunity to make a quick dollar…..Netgear has really exposed themselves. I don’t know what country you sit in, but in The United States of America, we have MANY laws that are designed to punish companies and regular people whom sell “something”, that does not work properly, advertises and commits to features, only to not provide them, and expects to keep the money. I am “confident” each of these concerns a half-witty attorney could prove to a courtroom jury….
Many of your Orbi Pro customers will tell that Judge and Jury their purchase was solely based on advertisement and commitments communicated by Netgear. Many of these customers are well outside of their return policies and have no other method to seek reimbursement for a product that will never perform, meet or execute, the abilities they were led to believe were possible by Netgear.
This is bad business, unethical, immoral and in many countries…AGAINST THE LAW.
HINT: Apple has been sued for far, FAR, less. And they lost.
So, what can we do to work with NEtrgear to resolve these issues?
What expectations should be have concerning the features requested, and committed to?
What is an estimated timeline?
What method of recourse should Orbi Pro customers expect from Netgear if you are unable or unwilling to “make good” on your several comments, implies, and other mis-leading statements that we would get something you are now claiming we will not.
Thank You MrJosh for your help and communication. We look forward to a very quick reply. Perhaps you should involve your management before your executives have a chance to get involved. Executive staff loves a proactive employee. Just a suggestion. With the 100+ views within 24 hours on this thread, I assume, maybe, some of them, might be your bosses.
Goodnight
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