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Forum Discussion
FURRYe38
Oct 08, 2021Guru - Experienced User
New - RBR750 / RBS750 Firmware Version 4.6.5.14 Released
Enhancements:
Adds support for the RBS350
Security Fixes:
Fixes security vulnerabilities.
For more information about security vulnerabilities, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/secu...
- Oct 09, 2021
WOW, this morning about 2am i decided to update my two ORBI RBS satillites first. and that went ok, till a fantom ORBI showed up in my Orbi App. i then proceeded to update the RBR750, that went well till it said it was online but it wasnt. i followed the directions according to Furrye38, (ty) and i unplugged the sats and then the router, waited 2-3 minutes then i plugged in the router and then the sats and waited........it took a few minutes and the router came online then the sats followed. it still took some time for all my devices to get back on line (about 60), which is normal thing that has been happening. then today was the test. we had some heavy thunderstorms roll in, these south florida storms alway knock out some power or damages some weak transformers to were the power goes on and off real quick. it happened 3 times in a half hour i also have the comcast modem and the RBR750 plugged into a surge and battery back up. the weakest like here is the sats, no battery-back up for them and they used to take forever to re-sync but after the upgraded firmware last night, WOW, the ORBI's came right back online which shocked me, i thought i would need to reboot the sats. but no input from me and the whole system came back online quick. i am no IT guy here but this is a major inprovement from the previous firmware that almost killed the ORBI system. thanks to all here on this forum, i have learned alot from here.
ellen2298
Nov 11, 2021Apprentice
Thank you for such a detailed response! Honestly I don't mind tinkering and for someone who knows nothing I have become pretty good at it. From what you said, it seems like my issue is that even though my 752 is in AP mode, since the router is also Orbi (needed it at the time for the parental controls) I can't block the auto updates. I tried adding download sites in the blocked sites on my RBR50 but still autoupdated. I also had tried going back to the 3.20 version but couldn't get the telnet to work but it may just be that i don't know what i am doing enough to be able to do it.
It is a shame to me to stop using the 752 altogethersince it was amazing before but I need to be able to block the firmware update. Maybe I should get an ASUS router/mesh system and still use the 752 for the extended coverage that I need. Do you know if parental controls only run in router mode or do they work at all in AP mode? I would think they would not but just wanted to confirm.
A lot to think about here and sadly another research project. I really don't need plug and play but i can't keep having the torture of what has gone on. I haven't even spoken about the fact that the update on my RBR50 caused the Circle parental control to stop working and now the Netgear Parental control glitches every time there is a power outage or reboot requiring factory reset of the router each time and then reinstalling orbi app and starting from scratch with setup of parental controls. It has been a very rough couple of months and not sure how much more I can take.
tak1313
Nov 11, 2021Luminary
ellen2298 wrote:Thank you for such a detailed response! Honestly I don't mind tinkering and for someone who knows nothing I have become pretty good at it. From what you said, it seems like my issue is that even though my 752 is in AP mode, since the router is also Orbi (needed it at the time for the parental controls) I can't block the auto updates. I tried adding download sites in the blocked sites on my RBR50 but still autoupdated. I also had tried going back to the 3.20 version but couldn't get the telnet to work but it may just be that i don't know what i am doing enough to be able to do it.
It is a shame to me to stop using the 752 altogethersince it was amazing before but I need to be able to block the firmware update. Maybe I should get an ASUS router/mesh system and still use the 752 for the extended coverage that I need. Do you know if parental controls only run in router mode or do they work at all in AP mode? I would think they would not but just wanted to confirm.
A lot to think about here and sadly another research project. I really don't need plug and play but i can't keep having the torture of what has gone on. I haven't even spoken about the fact that the update on my RBR50 caused the Circle parental control to stop working and now the Netgear Parental control glitches every time there is a power outage or reboot requiring factory reset of the router each time and then reinstalling orbi app and starting from scratch with setup of parental controls. It has been a very rough couple of months and not sure how much more I can take.
It is coded in the Orbi firmware (all models) to NOT allow blocking of updates. That's why if you are using another Orbi as router, you have to go back to whatever firmware still allowed telnet in your model. Once you enable telnet, there are instructions in the forums on what to change to block auto updates.
But if you are going to go through that hassle, you can simply force the old firmware of your 750 series to the .10 version of v3 as it was the last firmware to allow telnet. Go in with telnet, and disallow updatehs. The benefit of that firmware is that it's not foobarred like all v4 versions, and it was prior to the DNS foobar of v3 that caused them to come out with the v4 to begin with.
But if you like far better routing controls, far better features, AND free parental control and dns protection, pick up a used Asus (anything from the 68u is good - 86u even better - and put it in front of the Orbi. Set the firewall to block the Orbi update domains, and you're all set.
There were a few DNS security issues that eventually led to NG updating v3 to the point that it broke (because their coders s*ck big time), but it will be moot because the Asus will be doing all that.
AND with the Asus, you can run Merlin which is even better than the stock Asus firmware. Google Asus Merlin. Asus is based on OpenWRT so there's a great user group in the SNB forums that work the Merlin version. It pretty much looks and works the same as stock Asus, but the group (especially Merlin) works the tweeks and bugs out to make it even better - and they update pretty regularly.
- ellen2298Nov 11, 2021Apprentice
Thank you again! I did bring the firmware back to the oldest v3 but but I don't understand well enough how to telnet. I tried but couldn't seem to get to the debug page. Last time I used telnet was in the 90s!! I am very open to buying a new Asus router to go in front. I assume there is no issue using the Orbi router connecting as AP to the Asus. I wondered if they would be difficult to work with together but many people here seem to be doing it. Since the Orbis are Tri-band is better to get a triband Asus router?
I will look into the Merlin. Seems like a great idea! Thanks again!
- d700Nov 11, 2021Apprentice
What about just a wired router/switch in front of the Orbi...eliminate WiFi all together, keep my Ethernet connections stable. Thats topology I'm considering at moment. Anyone recommend a good wired router perhaps one capable of 2.5 or 5Gbps for some future proofing?
- tak1313Nov 11, 2021Luminary
ellen2298 wrote:Thank you again! I did bring the firmware back to the oldest v3 but but I don't understand well enough how to telnet. I tried but couldn't seem to get to the debug page. Last time I used telnet was in the 90s!! I am very open to buying a new Asus router to go in front. I assume there is no issue using the Orbi router connecting as AP to the Asus. I wondered if they would be difficult to work with together but many people here seem to be doing it. Since the Orbis are Tri-band is better to get a triband Asus router?
I will look into the Merlin. Seems like a great idea! Thanks again!
Just make sure you turn the wifi off on the Asus. Put the Orbi in AP mode and run cat from a LAN port of the Asus to the WAN port of the Orbi. The Orbi essentially becomes the wifi radio for the Asus while all routing - DHCP, DNS, firewall, any fixed IP, etc. is controlled through the Asus UI under LAN settings.
Put the update domains to block in Firewall > URL filter
- ellen2298Nov 11, 2021Apprentice
Thanks so much! Sorry for the dumb question in advance but why can't I login to the orbi router to change to ap mode while the internet is on the ASUS. Too much interference so the login wouldn't work? I have become very comfortable and familiar with the web GUI for orbi so I didn't understand. Sorry again for my ignorance.
- tak1313Nov 11, 2021Luminary
You HAVE to log in to the Orbi to switch it to AP. The manual (as well as posts) go over the procedure. Once the Orbi is in AP, you will see a lot of options dealing with ROUTING greyed out (because the Orbi is now just operating the wifi of your network.
By wiring a lan port to the Orbi's wan port, the router just sees the Orbi as a hardwired ethernet switch except everything is connecting to it via wifi instead of by ethernet cables.
https://kb.netgear.com/31218/How-do-I-configure-my-Orbi-router-to-act-as-an-access-point
Interestingly, the instructions don't mention using the WAN port of the Orbi. I believe with Orbi (as in many routers in AP mode) you can use either lan or wan ports, but the behavior is different each way. I recall when using a LAN port, the light acts a little weird because the programming of the Orbi is such that it thinks there is no internet connection because it looks for it on the WAN.
Try both and see. I read once that someone couldn't see what devices were connected to which satellite when using the WAN, but I have no problem with the Orbi Web UI (I rarely use the app). When I look at the devices on the router, however, I can see all the devices, but because it's just one big switch to the router, it makes no differentiation as to what device is connected to which satellite.