NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
New - RBR850 / RBS850 Firmware Version 7.2.6.21 Released
New Features: 09/08/2023
Supports Separate SSID IoT network.
https://kb.netgear.com/000064267/How-do-I-enable-or-disable-the-Internet-of-things-IoT-network-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-6E-System https://...
Update went smooth, no issues so far.
I've had the RBR850 and 1 satellite since they came out. I've been checking for updates via the ORBI iOS app and there never seemed to be any, so I thought the auto-update feature must be working.
Not until I began to look for information on the RBR850 support for VLANs did I discover that, in fact, there have been firmware updates. Many firmware updates, none of which my RBR850 received.
Here's the 'before' portion via the AP's admin screen from today:
And after a manual update:
Now, my Orbis sit behind a pfSense security gateway, but the Orbi's are not prevented from going out to the WAN via a firewall rule.
Is there a reasonable explanation other than a problem with the Netgear's update process?
_dood
Have seen others with Orbi sitting behind firewall devices that can and do seem to block some traffic from getting from the Orbi system or Orbi app to certain NGs AU services. I've not had this issue however mine doesn't sit behind a firewall device.
It's recommended to check NGs download site or here in the forums for notices of FW updates that you can and is recommended to manually update Orbi systems using a web browser. Be sure to update the RBS first then RBR lastly.
_dood wrote:
Many firmware updates, none of which my RBR850 received.
According to the RBR850 support site, v7.2.6.21 is the first update since v4.6.14.3
The release notes show this became available on Sept 8, 2023. Over the years, Netgear seems to have a distinct pattern regarding firmware updates:
- New firmware appears on the support site where some users discover it and choose to update to it. Despite a Quality Assurance process (that is not publicly documented - perhaps thought of as a Trade Secret) and (in this specific case) a beta test period involving a number of community volunteers, more wide-spread use tends to uncover unexpected situations.
- Depending on what these early adopters report, at some point (again not documented) Netgear causes router firmware to be able to detect the new firmware and install it. Generally, this is more than one month after it shows up on the support site. (in some cases several months) Of course, customers who do not look at the firmware update web page or the Orbi app will not be aware of this. In past years, at least one firmware update was pulled because of negative feedback and did not make it to this step.
- At yet another point in time, Netgear can cause the web interface and Orbi app to throw up a prominent announcement on their home page, "New Firmware Available". Again, customers who do not look at the web or Orbi app will not be aware of this.
- Finally, Netgear may elect to use their option to force the update without notice. (It's in the Terms and Conditions that no one reads.) And, yes, customers who do not look at the web interface or Orbi app are blissfully ignorant.
This update to the 750 and 850 product firmware was substantial. (Hence the abrupt jump from version 4 to version 7.) Netgear may have felt that less than a month is too soon to move on from Step 1.
Thank you for that explanation. Maybe the jump from version 4 to version 7 appears that way for RBR850, but that same software stack has had many more updates for other products (4-->5-->6-->7).
Love my Orbi, too. Though thinking of looking for a WAP that supports VLAN tagging.
The Orbi Pro line may support VLAN on the wired LAN.
