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Forum Discussion
Netgear RAX200 - Strange fan behaviour and awful fan noise
I am using a Netgear RAX200 router. The router typically has about 50 devices connected, although the majority are IOT devices like lightbulbs which don't have high data or bandwidth demands. Th...
What Firmware version is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6A STP is recommended.
Does this happen with both wireless and wired devices?
What channel configurations are currently set on the router?
Do you have Smart Connect enabled or disabled.
Does this happen if you say change the PW to something different temporarily. Then apply the change and only connect say your phone or pad to the router? Does the fan keep turning OFF and ON? Change the PW back to what you had before after checking this.
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
Recommend setting the default DHCP IP address pool range to the following after applying and a factory reset: 192.168.#.100 to 192.168.#.200.
https://kb.netgear.com/24089/How-do-I-specify-the-pool-of-IP-addresses-assigned-by-my-Nighthawk-router
https://kb.netgear.com/25722/How-do-I-reserve-an-IP-address-on-my-NETGEAR-router
I would power OFF the ISP modem for 1 minute. Factory reset the router and power it off. Power ON the ISP modem and let it sync. Then power ON the router and walk thru the setup wizard again using a wired PC and a web browser.
Press the back reset button for 15 seconds then release.
https://kb.netgear.com/31486/How-do-I-reset-my-Orbi-system-to-factory-default-settings
Or use the ERASE button on the routers web page to factory reset the router:
https://kb.netgear.com/000062081/How-do-I-erase-the-configuration-settings-on-my-Orbi-WiFi-System
https://kb.netgear.com/9665/How-do-I-perform-a-factory-reset-on-my-NETGEAR-router
Or use the ERASE button on the routers web page to factory reset the router:
https://kb.netgear.com/24233/How-do-I-erase-the-configuration-settings-on-my-Nighthawk-router
Something I put under any router I have online:
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Cooling-Receiver-Playstation-Computer/dp/B08ZSJFNMS
Sadly, NG didn't include custom controls on the RAX series like they did back when they did the XR7000 and R9000 router models.
Thanks for the response. It'll take me a while to go through all the steps, particularly the full factory reset.
Great suggestion on temporarily changing the password too. This should help me to rule out the possibility of my devices causing high load.
I'll follow up but too answer some questions so far:
- it's on latest firmware 1.0.6.138
- it's connected to a BT homehub 4 ISP router
- I'm not sure of the network cable standard. I will look at replacing it with the standard you suggest, but I'd have a hard time believing the issue could be related to this.
- smart connect is disabled
- three bands are enabled - channels are Auto for 2.4ghz (currently channel 1+5), 44, 100.
On the prospect of an external fan; I'd hesitate to add an external fan as my router is in my living room and that would affect both the noise and aesthetic.
Also, I suspect that the fan issue is not temperature related for these reasons:
- it seems to come on and off at regular intervals (I'm going to time it when I get a chance to see...)
- Even in low ambient temperature the fan still comes on and off at the same intervals as it did in the Summer time when the ambient temperature was much much higher.
- Having looked at the debug.htm page in my browser, CPU usage is always low
(as an example, this is what it looks like with 45 devices connected: CPU1: 1.48% CPU2: 1.40% CPU3: 0.94% CPU4: 0.94%. I don't think the CPU usage is high enough here to be causing excessive heat...).
I'd also be interested if anyone else with this router can reproduce this issue. All I need to do is open the nighthawk application on my phone, and as soon as it connects, this is what seems to place my router into "noisy mode" where the fan comes on every few minutes and continues to do so indefinitely.
I do think it's whatever way the nighthawk app is connecting to the router, is inducing some bug. I'll do some additional hunting...
Great suggestion on temporarily changing the password too. This should help me to rule out the possibility of my devices causing high load.
I'll follow up but too answer some questions so far:
- it's on latest firmware 1.0.6.138
- it's connected to a BT homehub 4 ISP router
- I'm not sure of the network cable standard. I will look at replacing it with the standard you suggest, but I'd have a hard time believing the issue could be related to this.
- smart connect is disabled
- three bands are enabled - channels are Auto for 2.4ghz (currently channel 1+5), 44, 100.
On the prospect of an external fan; I'd hesitate to add an external fan as my router is in my living room and that would affect both the noise and aesthetic.
Also, I suspect that the fan issue is not temperature related for these reasons:
- it seems to come on and off at regular intervals (I'm going to time it when I get a chance to see...)
- Even in low ambient temperature the fan still comes on and off at the same intervals as it did in the Summer time when the ambient temperature was much much higher.
- Having looked at the debug.htm page in my browser, CPU usage is always low
(as an example, this is what it looks like with 45 devices connected: CPU1: 1.48% CPU2: 1.40% CPU3: 0.94% CPU4: 0.94%. I don't think the CPU usage is high enough here to be causing excessive heat...).
I'd also be interested if anyone else with this router can reproduce this issue. All I need to do is open the nighthawk application on my phone, and as soon as it connects, this is what seems to place my router into "noisy mode" where the fan comes on every few minutes and continues to do so indefinitely.
I do think it's whatever way the nighthawk app is connecting to the router, is inducing some bug. I'll do some additional hunting...
geowars2 wrote:
Thanks for the response. It'll take me a while to go through all the steps, particularly the full factory reset.
Great suggestion on temporarily changing the password too. This should help me to rule out the possibility of my devices causing high load.
I'll follow up but too answer some questions so far:
- it's on latest firmware 1.0.6.138
Might update FW as well: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-with-WiFi-6-AX-and/New-RAX80-RAX200-Firmware-Version-1-0-10-140-Released/td-p/2242204/jump-to/first-unread-message
- it's connected to a BT homehub 4 ISP router
Is this router bridged? Having a router infront of another router can be problematic as well. This would be a double NAT (two router) condition which isn't recommended. This would be a double NAT condition which isn't recommended. https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT
https://kb.netgear.com/30187/How-to-fix-issues-with-Double-NAT
Couple of options,
1. Configure the modem for transparent bridge or modem only mode. Then use the NG router in router mode. You'll need to contact the ISP for help and information in regards to the modem being bridged correctly.
2. If you can't bridge the modem, disable ALL wifi radios on the modem, configure the modems DMZ/ExposedHost or IP Pass-Through for the IP address the NG router gets from the modem. https://kb.netgear.com/25891/DMZ-on-NETGEAR-routers
https://kb.netgear.com/24086/How-do-I-set-up-a-default-DMZ-server-on-my-Nighthawk-router
3. Or disable all wifi radios on the modem and connect the NG router to the modem, LAN to LAN configure AP mode on the NG router.
https://kb.netgear.com/20927/How-do-I-change-my-NETGEAR-router-to-AP-mode
Try option #2 first...
- I'm not sure of the network cable standard. I will look at replacing it with the standard you suggest, but I'd have a hard time believing the issue could be related to this.
- smart connect is disabled
- three bands are enabled - channels are Auto for 2.4ghz (currently channel 1+5), 44, 100.
On the prospect of an external fan; I'd hesitate to add an external fan as my router is in my living room and that would affect both the noise and aesthetic.
Then fan I suggested has speed controls and is fairly quiet. Would sit under the router.
Also, I suspect that the fan issue is not temperature related for these reasons:
- it seems to come on and off at regular intervals (I'm going to time it when I get a chance to see...)
- Even in low ambient temperature the fan still comes on and off at the same intervals as it did in the Summer time when the ambient temperature was much much higher.
- Having looked at the debug.htm page in my browser, CPU usage is always low
(as an example, this is what it looks like with 45 devices connected: CPU1: 1.48% CPU2: 1.40% CPU3: 0.94% CPU4: 0.94%. I don't think the CPU usage is high enough here to be causing excessive heat...).
Ya, Wouldn't be doing that. Lets try a FW update after a factory reset to check this.
I'd also be interested if anyone else with this router can reproduce this issue. All I need to do is open the nighthawk application on my phone, and as soon as it connects, this is what seems to place my router into "noisy mode" where the fan comes on every few minutes and continues to do so indefinitely.
Your the first reporting this kind of fan behavior.
I do think it's whatever way the nighthawk app is connecting to the router, is inducing some bug. I'll do some additional hunting...- Thanks again.
Apologies, I am already on the latest firmware (V1.0.10.140_1.0.79), not sure where I got the other version from.
The BT homehub router does not support a bridge or modem only mode. Given the docs you linked, I'll look into setting the Netgear to access point mode but I will read the docs first, as I don't understand its side effects well and don't want to negatively affect my IoT devices which generally work fine.
Fwiw, The routers are approximately 40-50cm apart and whilst I can disable the wireless radios on the homehub, I've actually chosen to enable the 2.4ghz radios on the opposite end of the spectrum in my ISP router, so that I can connect some devices it (currently there are 16). Unfortunately I have at least one device which refuses to work with the Netgear router, notably my Nest smoke alarm, so this forced me to do so. I then connected some additional devices to my ISP router for the purpose of spreading the load.
I'll look into the fan some more, so thanks for that. If I could look into using a noctua fan through a controller that would be ideal as I'm not, excuse the pun, the biggest fan of fan noise.Lets try a Factory reset and if you can try option #2 on the ISP router for the RAX. Lets try the ISP routers DMZ for the RAX in router mode as well.
But first thing, try changing the pass word on the SSID and see what happens.
Ya the fan in this routers are the greatest. Why I chose a external fan solution for my needs.
Keep us posted on how it goes.