Ok. So I have been at this since I bought my first XR500 from Amazon on March 28, 2018. For the first few months everything was great, didn't even have to blink at the router much less reboot it daily. That is not so much the case now. I have now gone through 2 RMAs with Netgear to try and get this issue resolved because my router is supposed to be this thing that just works, not makes me work for it. I have lodged numerous support tickets to try and get this solved and have gone through the following between support requests and others (many others) who are having the exact same problem I am: Beta Firmware Current Firmware Step back a version of Firmware Disable DHCP and Assign Static IPs to my devices (A default function of the router, this is not an answer to the problem, it's a bypass.) Disable Instant-On on my XBox (Again, a bypass for the bigger problem. I shouldn't have to change a default function of another device I own to make my router work the way it's supposed to.) Run Diagnostics in the background to forward and see why the hardware is failing Removing devices from my network that on my R7000 worked without any problems together that are now supposedly a problem on my XR500. I've tried checking the Disable Port Scan and DoS Protection in the WAN Setup due to the overwhelming amount of incorrectly identified DOS Attack log entries from Microsoft, Google, Blizzard, Steam; all perfectly valid communications. Yesterday I received my 3rd XR500, (Purchased from Amazon, RMA Replacement, RMA Replacement) and wouldn't you know it, I woke up this morning to disabled LAN Ports. Shocking. At this point I am truely at a loss for words. I installed the newest router, updated the firmware (current version is 2.3.2.40) and still, the same problem. I have loved my Netgear products since the first one I bought, but this one has disheartened me severely. I don't know if this is a flaw with the DUMA OS or with the hardware within the XR500. I am truely at the end of my rope here. If there is a way to do an RMA replacement for a different router I would take it at this point. I'd even pay the difference to upgrade to an XR700 and hope that doesn't have the same problem. If anyone has anything that they have figured out to add to this that I haven't figured out, tried or done to get this to go away, I'm open to suggestions.

The issue wasn't encountered by users until towards the end of last year and not all users encounter it. It's been a hard one for us to pin down and it has multiple teams working on it, even the Xbox team. I am just speculating that it could be a cause. We've definitely found instant on mode on the Xbox triggers it. The only other alternative at the moment is to put a switch behind the XR500 and that seems to prevent it. Until the fix is provided these are the only alternatives for those with the issue.

I'm glad there are multiple teams working on this and I do hope they find a solution, soon. I hear you on the speculation, I have only speculation myself. I'll look into the switch on the back end as an alternative for the hardwired devices for now to stop the need to reboot. Thank you.

For a start disabling your firewall is not a great idea, those protections stop nasties getting through, and those packets may get dropped brieffly but will if needed make it as the router tends to be a biut paranoid but better than letting everything though as it is now. It will drop malformed packets, so when a packet with an error is received by the interface of the router, it will throw up a log entry and drop the packet. Running without a firewall is dangerous tbh. Just a long shot but in settings Network setup, did you set connection mode to always on, and Idle time out time out to 0? If not the ports go to sleep till they are needed, which is dictated by the idle timeout. So over night with not much going on that may well happen. Just a thought.

Sorry to hear that, it is being invesigated and you've tried I think all of the potential workarounds/solutions so there may not be much I can do. Do you have any devices that use a standby mode or that use automatic updates?

Devices that I have in my network environment: XBox One Gaming PC (Win 10) Gaming PC (Win 10) Asus Android Tablet Samsung Android Tablet Galaxy S8 iPhone 8 I have disabled Sleep mode on both PCs to avoid network shutdown. Both PCs are on Windows automatic updates, but that can't be disabled. Aside from that, nothing else has a sleep mode capability.

PolikosFoinix

Star

Jan 26, 2019

XR500 Lan Ports - Fatal Flaw

Ok. So I have been at this since I bought my first XR500 from Amazon on March 28, 2018. For the first few months everything was great, didn't even have to blink at the router much less reboot it daily. That is not so much the case now. I have now gone through 2 RMAs with Netgear to try and get this issue resolved because my router is supposed to be this thing that just works, not makes me work for it.

I have lodged numerous support tickets to try and get this solved and have gone through the following between support requests and others (many others) who are having the exact same problem I am:

Beta Firmware
Current Firmware
Step back a version of Firmware
Disable DHCP and Assign Static IPs to my devices (A default function of the router, this is not an answer to the problem, it's a bypass.)
Disable Instant-On on my XBox (Again, a bypass for the bigger problem. I shouldn't have to change a default function of another device I own to make my router work the way it's supposed to.)
Run Diagnostics in the background to forward and see why the hardware is failing
Removing devices from my network that on my R7000 worked without any problems together that are now supposedly a problem on my XR500.
I've tried checking the Disable Port Scan and DoS Protection in the WAN Setup due to the overwhelming amount of incorrectly identified DOS Attack log entries from Microsoft, Google, Blizzard, Steam; all perfectly valid communications.

Yesterday I received my 3rd XR500, (Purchased from Amazon, RMA Replacement, RMA Replacement) and wouldn't you know it, I woke up this morning to disabled LAN Ports. Shocking. At this point I am truely at a loss for words. I installed the newest router, updated the firmware (current version is 2.3.2.40) and still, the same problem. I have loved my Netgear products since the first one I bought, but this one has disheartened me severely.

I don't know if this is a flaw with the DUMA OS or with the hardware within the XR500. I am truely at the end of my rope here. If there is a way to do an RMA replacement for a different router I would take it at this point. I'd even pay the difference to upgrade to an XR700 and hope that doesn't have the same problem. If anyone has anything that they have figured out to add to this that I haven't figured out, tried or done to get this to go away, I'm open to suggestions.

25 Replies

Netduma-Fraser
NetDuma Partner
Jan 26, 2019
Sorry to hear that, it is being invesigated and you've tried I think all of the potential workarounds/solutions so there may not be much I can do. Do you have any devices that use a standby mode or that use automatic updates?
- PolikosFoinix
  Star
  Jan 26, 2019
  Devices that I have in my network environment:
  
  XBox One
  
  Gaming PC (Win 10)
  
  Gaming PC (Win 10)
  
  Asus Android Tablet
  
  Samsung Android Tablet
  
  Galaxy S8
  
  iPhone 8
  
  I have disabled Sleep mode on both PCs to avoid network shutdown. Both PCs are on Windows automatic updates, but that can't be disabled. Aside from that, nothing else has a sleep mode capability.
  - Netduma-Fraser
    NetDuma Partner
    Jan 26, 2019
    If you follow this you can try to disable automatic updates and see if that works: https://www.easeus.com/todo-backup-resource/how-to-stop-windows-10-from-automatically-update.html
- billmarch
  Aspirant
  Apr 15, 2019
  Windows 10 is great but the forced upgrades are ridiculous. As far as I can tell there is no known way to permanently disable the updates. If you disable the update service, there are scheduled tasks that run regularly to re-enable them. If you cancel the scheduled tasks, as soon as you reboot your computer they get added back. The possible solution is that there should be a registry key you can set to alert you that windows 10 updates are available instead of automatically installing them.
  - FURRYe38
    Guru - Experienced User
    Apr 16, 2019
    Something you'll have to discuss with MS.
    
    Good Luck with that.
    
    billmarch wrote:
    
    Windows 10 is great but the forced upgrades are ridiculous. As far as I can tell there is no known way to permanently disable the updates. If you disable the update service, there are scheduled tasks that run regularly to re-enable them. If you cancel the scheduled tasks, as soon as you reboot your computer they get added back. The possible solution is that there should be a registry key you can set to alert you that windows 10 updates are available instead of automatically installing them.
FURRYe38
Guru - Experienced User
Jan 26, 2019
Your not alone:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-Pro-Gaming-Routers/xr500-LAN-ports-sometime-will-stop-working/m-p/1592454/highlight/true#M2120
sivola
Tutor
Aug 08, 2019
How do i get this firmware the link says "denined access"
- Netduma-Fraser
  NetDuma Partner
  Aug 08, 2019
  The link was removed - it was just about checking for a firmware, there isn't a new one to download currently.
  - sivola
    Tutor
    Aug 08, 2019
    Thanks so much for Netgear and DumaOS for providing such bad support lets see how many more years until and if this problem would be solved

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XR500 Lan Ports - Fatal Flaw