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Forum Discussion
TP-Link connection showing on RBR760 new out of the box
Hi, I'm experiencing an unusual issue and can't seem to get to the bottom of it. Last week, I purchased a brand-new Netgear Orbi RBR760 mesh system from Costco, still in its original packaging. D...
My vote is for the factory. I have never seen anything that describes the process Netgear uses to:
- Create credentials for a new package (SSID/password)
- Print out a label with these credentials, the router product number, and serial number
- Write the credentials into read only memory so that they will survive a power cycle and a Factory Reset.
Do they use:
- A WiFi connection?
- An Ethernet connection?
- A connection to the serial pins on the motherboard (before screwing the case together)?
Simply have no idea how they do it.
There could be a brief time during which the router is powered up with some default SSID/password that is used during the process and there happen to be some TP-Link devices which get connected during that interval? Or, maybe it has no WiFi SSID and there are some TP-Link devices connected to whatever LAN is used to configure products?
(For sure, Netgear Orbi's are manufactured and packaged in China, where TP-Link is a major supplier of IT equipment.)
There is zero chance that this issue would make it through the Netgear 90 day support structure to someone who knows things (and cares).
I would delete those devices and move on.
I can confirm it is from the factory and the "factory reset" doesn't really clear everything. I can't get into a lot of detail about why and how I know this but Netgear is aware of this behavior. It is a bug, in my opinion, but I also can't create a scenario where this causes any problem or security risk other than confusion and a mistrust of the data you see from your router.
Scott
- Thanks so I take it you’ve seen this before on your own devices? Can you offer as to whether it’s part of the Netgear testing process before sending out devices to the consumer? Thanks again!
Yes, I have seen this on my own devices and others that I work with. I don't have any insight into the Netgear testing process but this behavior seems fairly common.
Scott