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Forum Discussion
Does Netgear have an ombudsman to escalate issues ?
Despite an RMA and 6+ months of back and forth - I have received no resolution to my issue - because of the delaying tactics and slow responses via engineering, L2 support I am out of the window to dispute it with my credit card company or Amazon
Is there an ombudsman or consumer advocate within Netgear who can help hear concerns ?
Context : On a Fios 1 gig network (850+ mbps wired ) I only get about 400-430mbps constantly on different devices even when sitting next to the router - latest iPhone ( WiFi 6 ) MacBook Pro 2018
Timing:
Call 1 : Support tried - changing channels ( locked me out of the router, couldn’t connect)
Escalated to L1 or some other support
Accepted device replacement needed
Call 50 - months later
Beta firmware - didn’t work
Latest firmware - didn’t work
Long pause - 1+ months
RMA process started -
Warnings about needing a credit card
Device arrived
Setup with same ssid - none of the devices could connect
Reset to default settings
Upgrade firmware - no connection WiFi network seen
Message support to call - no response for 2 days
Downgrade firmware - same issue
Upgrade firmware - same issue , can’t connect
Reset
Hardwired and tried again ignoring app and going to console
Setup succeeded
Speedtest - new hardware, no difference
Change channel
Locked out, devices won’t accept password
Reset
Hardwire
Go back to console - ignore app
Setup succeeded
$700+ Hundreds of hours and another $700 hold later , back to square one
Please let me know if you know of a reliable escalation path
Is there an ombudsman or consumer advocate within Netgear who can help hear concerns ?
Context : On a Fios 1 gig network (850+ mbps wired ) I only get about 400-430mbps constantly on different devices even when sitting next to the router - latest iPhone ( WiFi 6 ) MacBook Pro 2018
Timing:
Call 1 : Support tried - changing channels ( locked me out of the router, couldn’t connect)
Escalated to L1 or some other support
Accepted device replacement needed
Call 50 - months later
Beta firmware - didn’t work
Latest firmware - didn’t work
Long pause - 1+ months
RMA process started -
Warnings about needing a credit card
Device arrived
Setup with same ssid - none of the devices could connect
Reset to default settings
Upgrade firmware - no connection WiFi network seen
Message support to call - no response for 2 days
Downgrade firmware - same issue
Upgrade firmware - same issue , can’t connect
Reset
Hardwired and tried again ignoring app and going to console
Setup succeeded
Speedtest - new hardware, no difference
Change channel
Locked out, devices won’t accept password
Reset
Hardwire
Go back to console - ignore app
Setup succeeded
$700+ Hundreds of hours and another $700 hold later , back to square one
Please let me know if you know of a reliable escalation path
13 Replies
If the issue is the 'wireless speed' you're getting with that router. I think you are hitting the limit already with that router.
I might be wrong though, however 300-400 Mbps wireless with AC seems to be pretty decent. In any case the router you are using is a Wifi 5 (AC) router, so it doesn't matter that you use client that are wifi 6 (AX) capable, the bottleneck remains the router.
I am sure Netgear support must have said this. They can't be that bad right, keeping you months on support and doing pointless RMA's.
The forum you are now in is for Wifi 6 (AX) btw.
Most wifi devices max out at around 400-500Mbps, even on AX mode. The main issue is that some of these devices antenna configurations only support 2x2 which has it's own limtation on performance. Devices with 4x4 antenna configurations can handle more speeds, like seeing near 900Mbps.
I would note that my Mac Book Pro seen around 700 once or twice. Most of the time test come back at around 400-500 range. However my Mac Book Pro 2018 is AC only supporting. My iPhone 12 Max is around the same range, however its AX supporting but 2x2 antenna configuration. If I connect my ASUS GT-AX11000 wireless bridge mode to the Orbi system, I can see near 900Mpbs however it's 4x4 antenna supporting.
I would reach out to Blanca_O and ChristineT
- I cannot find the option to select RBR850 as the option in the model - it’s RBR 850 not RBR50
Updated title to reflect- Support has been working with me for months now and I have not heard anyone suggest this is the Max - that’s quite a drop from less than 1 feet away
The link I referred to was for Wifi 5 AC though. Here is the link to the router you are using now:
Wifi performance should be +400-800 Mbps I suppose.
What Firmware version is currently loaded?
What is the size of your home? Sq Ft?
What is the distance between the router and satellite(s)? 30 feet or more is recommended in between RBR and RBS to begin with depending upon building materials when wirelessly connected.You can find other speed diagnosis steps in the community faq: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-AX/Community-FAQ-My-Orbi-speeds-are-slow-inconsistent-and-don-t-my/m-p/1982974/highlight/true#M7849
