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Forum Discussion
Router wifi settings gone after power outage
After a power outage, my Nighthawk router's wifi settings were gone and only I found default Netgear SSID's. I was able to log into the router with my admin password and other network settings seem t...
> After a power outage, my Nighthawk router's wifi settings were gone
> [...]
A typical power failure is seldom a clean off-on event, so some
device confusion is possible.
> I had to completely redo all my wifi settings. (create SSID's,
> security settings, guest wifi, etc.)
ADVANCED > Administration > Backup Settings
> How do I prevent this issue the next time the power goes out [...]
That may be difficult. Better power conditioning (as from a UPS)
might help.
> [...] or when I have to unplug the router? [...]
Is that enough to cause the problem?
> Is this a known bug?
That depends on how you define "bug".
This issue is not power condition or spikes. It happens when power is removed and then restored.
If you want to prevent these issues, get a UPS!
While a surge suppressor will help some with spikes a power outage may also have a power sage, spikes and other things happen. A good UPS will isolate you from these issues. I have my modem and router both on a UPS just for this reason. For what a router needs they are not that expensive and frequent power outages could in some isolated cases damage the router. I have a whole house surge suppessor, but know that will not protect the electronics like a UPS will.
- While a UPS is good to have, it should NOT be a necessity. The router should NOT lose all its settings due to a simple power interruption.
myersw Good advice for protection and persistent Internet access. Not a resolution, and shouldn't be suggested in place of the fact a hardware or software issue is occurring with these routers. The most severe issue is the security vulnerability which is created. The Wi-Fi is wide open for anyone to connect when the device settings are lost. There is a large number of users which wouln't even think to check the security was still enabled (or know to). Then anyone can connect and their private network is compromised.
Imagine if you were to move your router to another room, you will literally be walking with your router, cables and UPS all in tow! Nonsense... and please take a picture.
The UPS is essential though!
I just had the same issue. I merely powered off my router, then turned it back on. All my settings were gone and the SSID's were back to default and 'Open'. It took me hours to change my settings back, and then re-connect all my home WIFI devices - lights, plugs, etc.
Has anyone seen a solution? Is there a firmware update. I never had this problem before with other routers.
Since when does ANY equipment require a UPS to work properly? This is piss poor design in my eyes. Plan and simple.
TinaG
I started this thread nearly 2 years ago and Netgear still hasn't fixed this serious security problem. Totally agree that a UPS is just a DIY fix to Netgear's poor design and customer experience. This is the last time I buy Netgear equipment.
