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Forum Discussion
Took a firmware update on RBR752 and now cannot access router!
I signed into my Orbi app on my phone and saw an update was available for a remote Orbi network I have at my Winter home. So, I updated. Now, when I try to access the router through the app, I'm told it's offline. I have internet service and can RDB into my computer at the house, so I know it's up. If I try to go in by IP address, I get a "192.168.1.1 refused to connect" error in the browser.
So, how do I fix this? Is there a way to revert back to previous firmware? I have RDP access to the computer (Windows) on the network down there, and the router is plugged into a smart plug, so I can restart it that way.
Any help would be appreciated!
16 Replies
920cody wrote:
I have RDP access to the computer (Windows) on the network down there, and the router is plugged into a smart plug, so I can restart it that way.
The router does not respond to ICMP? (ping?) from the Windows desktop?
Are there any other devices that the computer can communicate with on the LAN?
Are you using http or https in the web browser to reach the Orbi router?
Yes, a smart plug can be used to power cycle the router, but be very careful. Many smart plugs do not require WiFi access to follow a schedule, because schedules are typically kept on the smart plug itself. (It requires WiFi access for the app that controls the smart plug to create the schedule, but once the schedule has been created the plug typically needs only electrical power. I verified this on a couple of brands of smart plug by setting up a schedule to turn the plug off at a set time and turn it back on again 1 min later. It might be a good idea to test this if you have one of the same brand of smart plug available where you are now.
First step would be to confirm that the smart plug app is able to communicate with the smart plug.
99% of Orbi routers use 192.168.1.1 as their address on the LAN. Have you accessed the router by that IP before?
On the Windows computer, the command line ipconfig /all will display the IP of the subnet gateway IP address, which should be 192.168.1.1.
"The router does not respond to ICMP? (ping?) from the Windows desktop?"
Yes, it does respond to ping.
"Are there any other devices that the computer can communicate with on the LAN?"
Yes, I can connect to webcams and access the internet. I can access the satellite RBS750 from the computer. I have not updated that.
"Are you using http or https in the web browser to reach the Orbi router?"
I'm using http.
For the smart plug, I've already done a reboot of the router using the smart plug. I set it to turn off and turn on 1 minute later. It worked fine. I can still access the plug from the app on my phone.
I've set my router to be 192.168.1.1 and have had no issues accessing it using that ip, until I updated. I did an ipconfig/all and it showed 192.168.1.1 as my gateway.
The browser comes back with this message when I try to connect to the router via http://192.168.1.1.
Hmmm… can't reach this page
192.168.1.1 refused to connect.
Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?
A complete pull of the power adapters for a period of time after the factory reset then walk thru the setup wizard and setup from scratch with a wired PC and web browser. https://kb.netgear.com/22697/How-do-I-install-my-NETGEAR-router-using-the-router-web-interface
920cody wrote:
Is there a way to revert back to previous firmware? I have RDP access to the computer (Windows) on the network down there
This is another potential pitfall. Certainly, the remote computer can download the previous version of firmware for the router (and satellites?), unpack the zip file, etc. However, web access to the router/satellites is essential in order to access the Manual Firmware Update menu. No web access means no access. In addition, the instant that the router reboots after a firmware change, internet access is cut off until it reboots successfully and restores the connection. If it doesn't come up correctly, you are cut off permanently.
This may be a case where RDP access to a computer on the LAN may be what you have to live with until a return to the winter home. For example, there may be an alarm system that relies on internet access to function. Security cameras, thermostats, door access for cleaners, etc. etc.
