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Forum Discussion
CM600 firmware not upgraded by Time Warner Cable
I wanted to upgrade the existing firmware (V1.01.05) of my cable modem (CM600). Netgear website says that for Time Warner Cable (TWC) I should have V1.01.12 and that I cannot upgrade manually. I have to go to my ISP provider to upgrade the firmware. So, I went to TWO local TWC offices and both said they don't upgrade the firmware and I should contact Netgear. I was also given a phone number for TWC technical support (1-877-313-2337) and they said the same thing - they don't upgrade Netgear firmware and I should contact Netgear for firmware updates. So, what do I do?
33 Replies
Hello TonyinCNY
It is pushed out by the ISP I would call tech support and ask for the higher modem support typically they call it L3 they will know more about this.
DarrenM
I got TWO phone numbers to call for help from the TWO local TWC offices. I got NO HELP from each of the offices and NO HELP from each of the two phone numbers I called. So, I don't know what "magic" technical support numbers you may have but the two technical support numbers I called were manned by idiots who wouldn't know a modem from a router.
Hello TonyinCNY
I do not have a specific number you will have to ask the customer service rep to transfer you to the Internet support experts.
DarrenM
Do t listen to the guy saying they will push it out. You have version 5, that router is up to version 13. It will work up to 1000mbps, and than it turns into toast if you get 300Mbps service.
I just spoke with TWC support online and was also told to contact Netgear as well.
TWC told me that they do not upgrade customer owned modems as they cannot accees customer owned modems to update them. Is that true?
To my knowledge, TWC has never offered the CM600 as a leased modem only an approved modem for customers to buy. If that is true, who is the this update for if we can not use it?
If Netgear states to contact the ISP, and the ISP says to contact Netgear what is the solution? Is it possible for Netgear and TWC to speak to each other and figure out a solution for customers who own their modems?
Hi Sponger -
Sorry to hear you are in the same boat as me. But, it does give me some satisfaction that I'm not the only one who fell into this Netgear-TWC quagmire. I don't know why TWC would say they can't update our modems because they can't access them. If they can't send a signal down the line to update the firmware then I would be more than happy to bring my modem into any TWC office for a hands-on update. Seems like two companies throwing a lot of B.S. That's why I say DO NOT BUY. If Netgear will not update their equipment and their directions to get updated from our ISP doesn't work then why buy or use Netgear equipment?
I did actually talk to "advanced support" on the phone yesterday, a very nice rep I might add. The rep asked the reasons why I wanted to update the modem and I stressed to her the importance of keeping a modem upgraded for security and performance, also offering to give TWC temporary access to my modem's admin page to perform the upgrade if necessary. She asked if I was having issues with the modem and I did mention to her that every once in a while the modem would lose signal and have to be rebooted. At this point I am waiting to hear back, but I figured I would not get a reply until the work week.
I'm having similair issues. I called and the teir 3 tech seemed to not be able to help me. I've been reseting my modem often hoping it will update.
I did notice that netgear updated their website 3/16/2017 to show charter with the 1.01.12.
https://kb.netgear.com/000036375/What-s-the-latest-firmware-version-of-my-NETGEAR-cable-modem-or-modem-router?cid=wmt_netgear_organic- Also, now that Charter bought TWC there is no more modem rental fee. Have you considered just using their free modem? Then any issues are theirs to resolve and you'd get firmware updates.
My sister did this recently; she had TWC in Cleveland, sold the SB6141 she bought to avoid TWC modem rental fee and picked up free modem from local Charter office.Now THAT I haven't heard about. No monthly charge for using THEIR modem? I'll get down to the local office on Monday and check that out. Thanks for the heads-up. It does seem a shame that I wasted $100 on that NETGEAR modem, though.
TonyinCNY wrote:Now THAT I haven't heard about. No monthly charge for using THEIR modem?
Yes, there are many complaints online that Charter doesn't have a separate rental fee, so there is no savings by having your own modem.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-charter-cable-modems-20151117-story.html
Old FCC chair Tom Wheeler was trying to do something about this, I doubt Ajit Pai will:
I think using their modem since you are paying for it anyways will save you some grief. If anything, if you continue to have problems they can't blame it on customer owned equipment.
Frustrated? You bet cha. Same dropped connectivity that I began to experience aboout 11/22/2017. No matter how many service calls, or upper teir support personnel I deal with, everyone passed the buck, back n forth. Never in the history of modern computing (been in the industry now for 40 years) have I experienced such a cocophany of bulltihs in my life. NetGear says to go through the ISP, the ISP tells me that they cannot update my personally owned equipment. I live out in the sticks in central Texas, and the only ISP here is a little company called SuddenLink (I call them SuddenStink) who've apparently never heard of a concept called "customer service". Getting the same feeling from NetGear these days, despite owning and maintaining a NetGear ReadyNAS^ Ultra, Arlo home video system, and the CM600 (un-upgradeable) cable modem (stuck in the forever limbo of version .05).
Are we as customers to believe that all involved parties, including US the OWNERS of this equipment, meant to be held hostage by this double speak of actionable issues that we bring up to both our ISP's as well as the company that we've placed our hard earned money into their pockets? What the lleH is going on here? All I want (as a paying customer) is a product that can be maintained (as NetGear obviously understands since they develop the FW upgrades to their equipment) to a standard of which I should be entitled to.
Someone in authority at NetGear needs to contact me directly, and get the BS resolved.
TO ADD INSULT TO INURY - I bought a NETGEAR wireless router (AC1750). After a couple weeks, IT CUT MY INTERNET SPEED IN HALF. I was ready to raise hell with Time Warner until I took the router out and hard-wired everything. My speed went back to normal. And, NO, their support offered no solutions for that gear, either.
Fool me once, shame on YOU. Fool me twice, shame on ME. That'll be the last NETGEAR item I ever buy.
Please Read:
NO CABLE MODEM MANUFACTURER CAN UPDATE FIRMWARE.
This is the biggest reason to not have a Modem/Router Combo! If your ISP refuses to update firmware, they think it will not solve any problem, you should rent a modem or deal with out of date firmware and whatever performance or security issues that entails.
ONLY THE ISP can provide Firmware updates as has been said many times! ISPs will not let untested firmware run on their network, otherwise it would be easy to spoof and steal service or remove speed caps in config files. Most L1 tech support do not know the difference between a modem and a router, the L1 tech I got today said that they did not update firmware on customer owned equipment, I asked to talk to L2 or a supervisor, and the tech said he wasn't lying to me. I replied that I didn't think he was, but that he had bad information. He put me on hold and called L2 support and came back a few minutes later saying that L2 would help me with getting a new firmware pushed to my modem. A few minutes later the update was on it's way.
I was running 1.01.05 out of the box, purchased in March 2018 from Amazon. Netgear support website says that Cox has approved 1.01.14. After the L2 tech pushed the update and the modem came back online I went to the Modem IP and now I am on version 1.01.12. Until Cox decides to push 1.01.14, there is nothing I can do to update. Maybe persistance will let you talk to the right tech to get the updates pushed, you have to talk to the technical expert support, not the guys working with scripts and call quotas.
Any tech who claims that Netgear can update the firmware is lying or misinformed if it is a modem approved by the ISP.
I didn't even need to contact Netgear support becuase I've read threads like this on every modem manufacturer webpage, customers who do not understand that the manufacturer cannot update firmware on Cable modems need to just rent a modem and be done with it.
