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Forum Discussion
OrbiTechDude
Jun 06, 2025Apprentice
The community has waited six months for a firmware update
NETGEAR, the community has waited six months for a firmware update, yet critical issues persist—especially regarding wireless backhaul performance, Apple device compatibility, and overall network stability.
The entire Orbi 970 community has voiced similar concerns across multiple forums, citing poor speeds and stability problems. Based on my testing, I suspect wireless backhaul may be an ongoing problem all along but has only been clearly identified now.
At a minimum, an official response from NETGEAR would be appreciated. Additionally, despite enrolling in the beta program, I have yet to receive any updates regarding admittance.
My urgent questions:
1) Can NETGEAR confirm whether a **firmware fix** is in development?
2) Can I join **beta testing** to assist with troubleshooting?
If I receive no response by Monday or Tuesday, I will escalate via a support ticket. My intended actions include:
- Requesting RMAs for my two add-on satellites to rule out faulty hardware.
- Installing beta firmware if available to continue in-depth testing.
- Engaging directly with engineers for structured troubleshooting.
The Orbi 970 has potential to be an outstanding system—but only if stability issues are properly addressed. If NETGEAR resolves these problems quickly, the system's premium price will be fully justified. However, until clear progress is made, I strongly advise potential buyers to reconsider.
I sincerely appreciate any input from the community and NETGEAR representatives. Instead of looping through the same troubleshooting steps, let's work together to diagnose the firmware directly.
I'm an experienced IT professional, and I have exhausted every possible avenue. Stop the runaround—analyze the debug logs, test the firmware with the variables I provide, and let’s resolve this.
Thank you all for your time!
30 Replies
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
Thank you wvkregten . I would sincerely hope they have one already in the works. I agree, these bugs are not acceptable.
- wvkregtenLuminary
Did you contact Cindy Pu or Eric Liao, aka the real beta team of Netgear for this?
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
On Facebook, NETGEAR on their official Facebook page advised me to fill out a web form at a link they provided. I can contact Cindy or Eric though if you feel that would better suit my request.
- wvkregtenLuminary
up2u
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
I’ll do so just to confirm my request was carried successfully. Thank you for the intel.
So NG is aware of the issues at hand with the 970 series system. They working on things. Seems to be more than just NG at work on this since these issues effect Apple, Android, NG and the chipset mfr. Seems to be more at play and maybe taking longer that we all would like.
For anyone wanting to get into the beta test project, please sign up here:
Category: Home Solutions - Beta Firmware (Private) | NETGEAR Communities
No guarantees with this either.
We are all waiting so we'll need to be patient while this is being worked on.
If users have just bought a new 970 series system, you may re-consider for now and wait for a bit more time to pass for NG and all involved to get things working better. Up to you though.
FYI, StephenT and Negear are not valid user accounts anymore.
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
That is fine. I am glad there is at least acknowledgment in the background. Do you or anyone know of wireless back haul issues present in this firmware? I’m trying to se if it’s a bug in the firmware or if these add on satellites for some reason just don’t play nice with the RMA replacement system I have.
Thank you for the FYI on users, I mainly just wanted to ensure these things are on Netgear’s radar given like I said, there have been no public firmware updates for around 6 months now for this system.
I don't. I haven't had my 970 series on since the first of the year I believe. I saw no issues with BH back then, however most of my testing back then was ETH BH.
I know one user has had his system online ever since then however his is ETH BH as well. Has been seeing in frequent router reboots/crashes during long up times on his system. Seems to be am memory leak issue we presume. donawalt
I haven't been testing my 970 series since I don't have a new gen Apple or Android phone. So my iPhone and Android pad are not effected by users with newest gen phones and pads. I had it online last month to test for RBR AP mode and RBS being ETH connected to a Managed switch. Fails there.
One user posted that setting his system for WPA3 only on the main WLAN along with manual channels showed that Apple device staying connected at at 6Ghz frequencies. However draw back for that is that non WPA3 supporting devices will fail to connect that had been connected to the main WLAN. Alternative would be to put those devices on the IoT network. This is short term work around for this wanting to give that a try.
- TOPS119Apprentice
That should have been im sure Netgear is aware of the situation and FURRYe38 Been dealing with this issue for about a year now with no result nor answer. I came up with my solution based on the fact this is my third 3 pack the last two has the restart issue, iv gotten this set and there is no restarting happening, but I also notice that the power supply is totally different.
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
My original RBE973 was RMA’d and to confirm, yes, the power supplies were majorly redesigned.
Old:
New:
I’ll have to disconnect one of those in order to get the details on that.
When I received my 7 orbi components, one of the power adapters was defective. I just snipped the cable for the tip is not as universal as other sizes and spliced in a higher quality 19VDC 5Amp adapter. No problems doing that. ...m
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
Here’s a photo of the new:
The white with the very light grey makes it hard to capture the details. If that isn’t clear enough for you to decipher, I can type out the specs.Looks like 3.42Amps and 64watts on new power brick vs 3.16Amps and 60watts
I'll check mine today and take some speed tests as well.
- SanerApprentice
TOPS119 : can you please send a full picture of the new power supply, with the details of the texts printed on it : voltage + amper etc.. I just want to check if I already have this same powe supply ? My 972 has been bought on October 2024. I don't know its manufacturing date but it should not be so old...
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
Want to give an update. Rather than go through a mostly unnecessary RMA for add-on satellites, I went ahead and purchased add-on satellites from Amazon for the 970. New ones came with newest power supply design.
At first I thought it would solve the wireless backhaul problem, but then issue resurfaced to where entire network became throttled. Then, with my known fix, removed the satellite connected via wireless backhaul and speeds are normal.
Therefore, the Apple device woes that is fine it needs more time, BUT the wireless backhaul is an issue present in 9.22.5.3 that should be fixed sooner rather than later.
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
Correction: 9.12.5.3
- wvkregtenLuminary
New firmware is out via auto update:
Firmware Version V9.13.1.2_1.3.24 GUI Language Version V4.0.0.22_2.1.30.3 Protection Engine Version 2.2.214.4/1.0.0.2049 https://community.netgear.com/discussions/en-home-orbi-be/new---rbe970-series-v9-13-1-2-firmware-via-auto-update/2459457
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
Yeah, saw today. Interesting that they only mention iPhone 16, but I’m betting it’s more than that hopefully. Netgear finally made a case to get beta access. I just need to submit photos of the bottom of my unit for verification purposes. Do they just need a photo of one of the satellites or everything? One is enough, no? I will be updating to this one later this evening.
Yes was relased already. So give it a try: https://community.netgear.com/kb/en-home-orbi-firmware-releases/new---rbe970--rbe971-firmware-version-9-13-1-2-released/2460006
I highly recommend doing a power cycle of the system off for 1 minute then back on afterwards. If issues are still seen, a full factory reset and set up from scratch will be needed.
No need to contact NG support.
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
Thank you very much for listing everything to the T,BedfordHome .FURRYe38 , I don’t care if this offends you. I’m sick and tired of your standard response every time there WIDESPREAD issues with his system. I have shielded Cat6A everywhere in the home and things are fast and speedy consistently AS LONG as I have no wireless backhauled satellites connected. Minute I add wireless backhauled alongside wired, speeds get capped at 150-200down out of my 300down, 50up plan from my ISP. I have changed my DNS servers to 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 and that has helped, but very minimally.
It’s Netgear’s crappy firmware that I have yet to see an ounce of care to address no matter if I contact support or share my frustrations here. Turning off randomizes, etc. is redundant. I HAVE NO INTERFERENCE, I know how to avoid it and I have no neighbors immediately adjacent. It’s not an interference problem and all satellites are adequately placed. Your experiences are meaningless because you don’t have the same variables. All of your satellites are wired, which is why (and I have told you this many times) you will not see any issues.I can get the speeds back to max from ISP if I stay with hardwired satellites only, but I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO REMAIN LIKE THIS. The whole point of a mesh system is to primarily be wireless, but hardwired where needed. I am holding them accountable and I don’t care how long it takes, this is a Netgear issue, not anyone else’s.
Why they can’t figure these issues out or listen to more than 5 people complaining about the system is beyond me. This community is flooded with reports.OrbiTechDude... I appreciate your points fully. It is incredibly frustrating to learn of this level of poor product quality when you think that this is not their initial orbi release! They've had 700 and 800 series products where the basics of IPv6, memory management, UI device/state presentation, mesh technology and overall network stability matters should have been worked out. A four RBS limit was known back in the 7xx and 8xx days several years ago. I actually asked and have written chat response saying that this problem was resolved in the 9xx series. Clearly it was not as admited to in a recent chat.
I too was working in a home where there are NO competing WiFi signals from neighbors - the only RF sources from one HP printer (which I turned off) and some nanny-cams. But NG tech support jumps to the conclusion that my problems were due to wireless factors. The joke is all RBS are 10G LAN attached to RBR. Go figure.
I am fortunate because my client didn't fire me and decided to give me a second chance. I ended up reviewing the NG small business PR60X with WBE750 access points and the ASUS ZenWiFi. I ended up going with the ASUS product as I have over a hundred systems installed with ASUS over the past decades. As an old man, I just need a life without drama. I felt ASUS would give me that.
I respect all your posts orbitechdude (others as well you know who you are). What it amounts to was my customer has only a femto-second of patience. He decided to 'chuck' the Orbi because we haven't any knowledge on when' NG will fix the problems.
I just installed the ASUS gear 3 days ago using the same 10G LAN switch and cabling used in the Orbi project. All satellites are wired backhauled and the network monitoring gear reports no device outages/crashes, no outages by Verizon FIOS, all wired client-side devices remain attached since the install.
The call I received from NG support an hour ago confirms I did well to abandon the Orbi for this size product. The message received from NG regarding this new firmware was that it addressed an improvement on stability but not to the level I needed (i.e., 1 RBR and 6 RBS). They said the engineers were not able to get beyond 4 RBS and maintain stability; they asked me to prune the netz down to 4 RBS. WIth 20K sqft to cover that is not possible. I did ask if they would share where the instability is occurring, but no commitment to find out was offered; and thus.. A "Waiting for Godot" situation was happening given no detail on cause was shared nor a committed to delivery date to fix the max 4-RBS limit. They also said that Orbi 970/971 was not designed for larger homes. Something the NG advertising literature, websites and sales channels omit from their guidance!!! Shame!!The small-business product was tempting but given this was a 'Second/Last Chance" situation for me with this long-term customer, I had to eliminate as many unknowns as I could to succeed.
You're right asking to be part of the 'inner group' to know what work arounds you might be able to share with others on this forum. But in the absence of such inner participation, we can only guess at possible remedies based on the actions we have each taken. We generously share those thoughts and ideas on this forum which is all we can do; unless you can do a back-hoe replacement.
I wish you happier days and better success soon. Thank you for your detailed lists and insights.. marcel villaflor for the "BedfordHome"
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
I saw a post somewhere, forgot exactly where of finding that the newer Orbi systems need ECS capable DNS servers in order to perform as expected.
So far (knock on wood), the change from my ISP’s servers I have used for years in all my systems to Quad9’s ECS enabled DNS servers has allowed maximum bandwidth consistency from my ISP plan across all of my devices (INCLUDING my Apple TV 4K boxes).
My ISP doesn’t support IPv4, but as Apple devices perform better with IPv6 along with my Ubiquiti equipment, I did a IPv6 in 6to4Tunnel mode and specified the below IPv6 DNS servers as well.Quad9 Secured DNS w/ECS: Malware blocking, DNSSEC Validation, ECS enabled
IPv4
9.9.9.11149.112.112.11
IPv6
2620:fe::112620:fe::fe:11
HTTPS
https://dns11.quad9.net/dns-query
TLS
tls://dns11.quad9.net
Please submit a support ticket with NG support then. Of your not willing to let some of us help you out then you’ll need to contact NG support for those having issues. Not everyone is having problems with there systems.
We don't presume any thing here in the forums, as there are many different configurations, setups, and environments. Not everyone is the same. So why we ask same questions to get the details from each user who posts.
Give the new FW a try is all you can do. Up to you check it out. If you continue to still see issues, then let NG support know as we can effect fixes in FW from here in the forums. All that is beyond forum help.
Good Luck.
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
No, not everyone, but don’t in the slightest think there isn’t issues with the system when you’re not running the system with the typical setup most owners will.
- OrbiTechDudeApprentice
Not sure how you think I’m not willing for people to help me out when everything has been exhausted here and through support.