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Forum Discussion
Alexa not supported on RAX80??
Hey Netgear...
Am I tripping or did you guys just release a brand new AX wifi6 device that doesn't support Alexas?!
Did I just upgrade my X6 (supported) to an RAX80 to lose my Echo Spot and Echo show?
Well according to Amazon support that's exactly what I did. The normal Echo dots seem to be ok, but the show and spot are constantly losing connection due to "authentication error " which really means, Netgear is denying our connection.
And Amazon told me they have repeatedly asked Netgear to permit the port usage listed here implicitly:
UDP 123, 443, 4070, 5353, 40317, 49317, 33434
But obviously its not allowed on the RAX80 yet because its not in the list:
https://www.netgear.com/landings/amazon-alexa/
So, I just spent $400+ to lose my video cameras, room to room conferencing, door monitoring, baby webcam.
Thanks Netgear. Retarded.
Am I tripping or did you guys just release a brand new AX wifi6 device that doesn't support Alexas?!
Did I just upgrade my X6 (supported) to an RAX80 to lose my Echo Spot and Echo show?
Well according to Amazon support that's exactly what I did. The normal Echo dots seem to be ok, but the show and spot are constantly losing connection due to "authentication error " which really means, Netgear is denying our connection.
And Amazon told me they have repeatedly asked Netgear to permit the port usage listed here implicitly:
UDP 123, 443, 4070, 5353, 40317, 49317, 33434
But obviously its not allowed on the RAX80 yet because its not in the list:
https://www.netgear.com/landings/amazon-alexa/
So, I just spent $400+ to lose my video cameras, room to room conferencing, door monitoring, baby webcam.
Thanks Netgear. Retarded.
31 Replies
Hi, frustration understood - however you are mixing two different things here.
CyberTri wrote:
Am I tripping or did you guys just release a brand new AX wifi6 device that doesn't support Alexas?!
...
But obviously its not allowed on the RAX80 yet because its not in the list:
https://www.netgear.com/landings/amazon-alexa/What Netgear does show here is the ability to get some limited control of some features by using Alexa skills, like enable/disable the guest WLAN. The absence of this feature does not imply it is supposed to block the various Echo device [W]LAN->cloud
There are many features not available on the RAX routers as of writing, like
- Amazon Alexa integration
- Google Assistant integration
- Live Parental Controls
- Circle by Disney
- Netgear Armor
Availability somewhere between late 2019 and never as per a few vague information we've received.
CyberTri wrote:
Did I just upgrade my X6 (supported) to an RAX80 to lose my Echo Spot and Echo show?
...
Well according to Amazon support that's exactly what I did. The normal Echo dots seem to be ok, but the show and spot are constantly losing connection due to "authentication error " which really means, Netgear is denying our connection.
...
And Amazon told me they have repeatedly asked Netgear to permit the port usage listed here implicitly:
...
UDP 123, 443, 4070, 5353, 40317, 49317, 33434That's a complete different beast - can't understand either that these routers are not allowing full transparent access from the [W]LAN to the Internet (unless some controls are limiting). Definitively a bug!
ChristineT Christian_R really, this is ridiculous!!! And the absence of the leading edge features does speak on it's own.
- Ok. I see that list is regarding Alexa skills, but there is definitely a bug or port rejection coming from the RAX80.
Fyi...I disable UPNP because I don't want ports being announced to the external internet as my webcams like to tell the world what ports they are listening with. Maybe that's an issue. Not sure. Maybe we need to trigger ports to be permitted. Why does this only happen with Alexas that have a screen?
Netgear. Please reply. What is the problem here? Why does the Echo Spot and Show disconnect from wifi and claim authentication error?
Does anyone know how to enable logging so I can understand what is really going on? I am a security engineer. I am willing to troubleshoot and beta test a solution!
CyberTri wrote:
Fyi...I disable UPNP because I don't want ports being announced to the external internet as my webcams like to tell the world what ports they are listening with. Maybe that's an issue. Not sure. Maybe we need to trigger ports to be permitted. .... I am a security engineer. I am willing to troubleshoot and beta test a solution!Unlikely - the ports required are outgoing [W]LAN->Internet - these devices don't require a direct access from the wild Internet. And no, UPnP (AFAIK again not required neither for Echo & Co. nor for the Alexa skills) does not tell any ports to the world - they will be "just" exposed o the WAN/Internet interface.
I'm as curious as you are on what Netgear will tell us about this issue.
- I had the authentication error also and was able to fix it by removing network from Echo Spot and adding it back again and specifically selecting WPA2. I no longer see the error.
Hello CyberTri,
I will forward this to the Engineering team and provide an update as soon as possible.
~Christian
- Please do!!
- Having the same issues, only they didn't start with the nighthawk. I had an Orbi that did the same thing for around a year before i bought the rax80. Happens with the spot and show 2nd gen, but not echo 2nd gen, dot 2nd gen, or show 5. I've had times when that would work flawlessly for weeks, then out once to over twenty times daily. Even tried making them forget and re- entering the wifi and still said incorrect password. Tried changing authentication type, setting static ip, all sorts of things, but not having any luck.
- Exactly! It happens mostly for my first gen Echo Spot. It's clear that Netgear has problems with Amazon equipment and they refuse to discuss it.
If you havn't already tried this, disable smart connect (the service that manages whether you are on 2.4 or 5 GHz automatically). That resolved connectivity issues with all my Alexa Devices.
- But... that's a feature I want and need to use? I don't want my devices connecting to two different SSIDs. And only Netgear has this issue. Not Asus. Not Dlink. Not Google.
Netgear.
Hey Netgear. If the older gen Amazon devices don't work with authentication between 2.4 and 5hz smart connections. Here's a thought. Ask Amazon to tell you what their aspect their devices have trouble with and release a patch.
Can I fix it for you? Im a security engineer. Give me access to the base code and an Amazon contact. I will fix it for you.
CyberTri wrote:
But... that's a feature I want and need to use? I don't want my devices connecting to two different SSIDs. And only Netgear has this issue. Not Asus. Not Dlink. Not Google.Are you sure?
- Asus RT-AX88U owners have to use the guest network or disable the smart tri-band to make any Echo Dot connect (check the Amazon.com comments on this router from the last few weeks!)
- Dlink - I don't know, have not investigated.
- Google does have a Wi-Fi 6 router?
I see your post is from early 2019. I just purchased this device on Feb 2020, almost a year later, and the issue has not yet been resolved. I have 3 echo dots, that will not connet to the internet. The setup freezes before I can key in my password, so Netgear is still blocking the Echo Dot. I am not sure about the other echo products. Also, I called in for help; was kind of a joke; the CSR keep trying to check other features and never, ever, told me that the echo dot is not allowed by Netgear. His final answer, go to amazon and reset the device to new status, then try it again. I wasted several hours resetting all three devices; still no connection. I spent time on each one because they were all purchased at different times, I was hoping maybe the last one I purchased would connnect. This is a bunch of BS. I purchased the RAX80 AX6000 or aka, $360 issue. I will give it a bit of time, and may have to return this product and go with another vendor. I think I have 14 days from Bests Buy.
- I don’t know what to say. Spectrum sent a specialist out, not the normal cable guy. He told me that the modem is finicky on their network and he could not get it to work properly. I have the same set up at another house with Cox Cable and it works great. All I know is it does not work in Big Bear on Spectrum. Asus does work super well and is not finicky. FYI.
- Glad you found this forum. Yes. Sometimes it seems that the Echo devices are not compatible. Once user said the only way to get them to work is to disable smart connect which takes both 2.4hz and 5hz ssids and combines them into one wifi network.
I won't be doing that as it's a primary reason I bought the RAX80 router.
NETGEAR.... stop ignoring the issue and get a fix in place. You have plenty of beta testers in this forum. You already admitted it is an issue. You can combine ssids in your lab and see that gen 1 Echos (specially dot & spot) have problems. It used to only be an issue with UPnP (garbage) turned off. Now my Echo Dot always fails!CyberTri There are different parties involved: On both sides (Netgear and Amazon!), the radio chipset maker, the radio firmware (binary code loaded at boot time into the radio controllers). Well possible the wireless client involved does struggle when the radios are sending out additional control frames... That won't be the only client which does have (or had) interoperability issues with the "new" Wi-Fi 6 radios (Inhell was very prominent, almost no newer wireless client associated initially!) or with some enhanced management frames (for roaming/neighborhood information) what prohibited several other mobile phone or IoT to associate with a wireless.
Netgear has integrated at least three different vendors Wi-Fi 6 radio chipsets in this product line - Broadcom (RAX80 ,RAX200), Qualcomm (RAX120), and Intel ex.Infinion (RAX40) - all have some pros and cons (like features not available(), and all have some issues.
OMG I wished I read this info before I purchased my router I have several aleax show, dot and spots and right now I am having issue with the show... I purchase the router due to the WFH and remote learning... when will netgear fix this issue.. alexa is a necessity like internet.
Please advise
