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RBR750 (Orbi Router) Firmware Version 4.6.11.1
Dear Community, Yesterday I received an email from netgear stating that new firmware is available for my Orbi Router: While checking the version and the release notes I find that the latest ...
It is a continuing mystery that some Netgear customers receive these email messages about new firmware and others do not.
New firmware is a complicated situation. Netgear appears to follow a distinct pattern:
- New firmware arrives on the support web site, where some users find it, install manually, and comment on the process.
Users who do not check the support web site are blissfully unaware. - During this time, routers that "check in" with Netgear several times each day are not informed that there is new firmware available. One might conclude that the goal is to provide informal feedback to Netgear as to whether the new firmware is stable. Over the past couple of years, some firmware updates have been quietly withdrawn after reports of major problems.
- At some point, routers that check in are informed, "there is new firmware", and users who seek to find new firmware will notice it and have the option of installing it.
Users who do not look for new firmware are blissfully unaware that it exists. - At another point, user who simply open the Orbi 'app' or the web interface, will be presented with an announcement, "there is new firmware". And they may choose to install it.
Users who do not open the 'app' or the web interface remain unaware of new firmware. - The last step is when Netgear silently installs the new firmware in the middle of the night.
Users who never open the Orbi app or open the web interface will never notice any of these steps. Nor will they recognize that there is new firmware.
You appear to be in the situation where there is new firmware, but checking for it does not return a positive result. Why Netgear would send out email when the router does not detect new firmware is beyond comprehension.
Ask a simple question, and get a rant from someone who cannot find documentation that explains what is going on.
- New firmware arrives on the support web site, where some users find it, install manually, and comment on the process.
It is a continuing mystery that some Netgear customers receive these email messages about new firmware and others do not.
New firmware is a complicated situation. Netgear appears to follow a distinct pattern:
- New firmware arrives on the support web site, where some users find it, install manually, and comment on the process.
Users who do not check the support web site are blissfully unaware. - During this time, routers that "check in" with Netgear several times each day are not informed that there is new firmware available. One might conclude that the goal is to provide informal feedback to Netgear as to whether the new firmware is stable. Over the past couple of years, some firmware updates have been quietly withdrawn after reports of major problems.
- At some point, routers that check in are informed, "there is new firmware", and users who seek to find new firmware will notice it and have the option of installing it.
Users who do not look for new firmware are blissfully unaware that it exists. - At another point, user who simply open the Orbi 'app' or the web interface, will be presented with an announcement, "there is new firmware". And they may choose to install it.
Users who do not open the 'app' or the web interface remain unaware of new firmware. - The last step is when Netgear silently installs the new firmware in the middle of the night.
Users who never open the Orbi app or open the web interface will never notice any of these steps. Nor will they recognize that there is new firmware.
You appear to be in the situation where there is new firmware, but checking for it does not return a positive result. Why Netgear would send out email when the router does not detect new firmware is beyond comprehension.
Ask a simple question, and get a rant from someone who cannot find documentation that explains what is going on.
Boy did you just scratch an annoying itch I've had for a while now. It makes sense that they would release this to a few customers at a time to test for instabilities, however, the email bit truly is broken. My bet is that they don't always have a way to match up the right user with the system that's meant to get the OTA update. Seems like an easy (software) problem, but then again, I'm just happy they release firmware updates at all.