1. Why is there no support page for the XAV5601 (or the 2-kit, XAVB5601)??2. Just installed this kit. Speeds are good, connection is made around 350 Mbps according to the Powerline utility. BUT, the connection drops every now and then. When I'm surfing the web, Google Chrome sometimes says 'Sending request..' and after a while I get to see a DNS error. My modem/router (192.168.0,1) isn't reachable as well. This takes a minute and then the connection seems to work again. This is unworkable .. any hints?Tried reproducing this, thought it especially happened when they just 'woke up' but it also happens when they've been operating for a while.I didn't have this problem with a network cable / wireless.

Unfortunately I have the same problems, the connection dropps all the time, so the backups I'm trying to run are never completed. Really bad.

Unfortunately I have exactly the same issue. Although the connection seems to be in good status, green light switched on on both adapters, the connection drops every now and then.Without something changing on the status lights of the adapters. The drops lasts for some seconds and then the connection is up again. Something should be done about this!

These are the vagaries of Powerline homeplugs. You will not know how well they will perform, including in sustained function, until you try them. Also, do not believe what the utility says. It has been reported that no Powerline company's utility is factual, ie they all overstate the true extent of function.Go to Smallnetbuilder.com and search on Powerline or Homeplug for very informational review articles and forum posts including troubleshooting tips.

Looking at the CPL adapters when the connection is lost, it seems that the adapter is doing a soft reset every now and then. It reboots it self with no reason, the connection is quite good and i can get more than 120mbps in both directions. it's pity because when they work fine the connection is real fast.

I am having the same issue. I hooked up the XAVB 5601's, and for about a week I got pretty much the connection speed at the router replicated at my laptop. However, as of this morning, the connection began to drop periodically, to the point where I could not use the web at all. Running Speedtest.net showed a brief surge, then a drop to very low speeds.I checked and rebooted the BT Infinity modem, the router, and each adapter in turn. Did a factory reset on each adapter too. For a little while it looked as if it was sorted, but then the problem came right back again.What I don't understand is this - if it works beautifully for a week, and nothing has changed in my domestic electrical setup, why the sudden appearance of this issue? I'd welcome some guidance on what - if anything - can be done to resolve the problem.As a supplementary question, I came across this:"Does the XAVB5601 support firmware upgrade?The XAVB5601 has a firmware upgrade tool for upgrading the firmware which you can download in the Netgear web side."I found this information at:http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/20937/~/xav5601-faq'sI've searched the Netgear site, and can find no trace of such a tool. Clearly a case of the right hand not knowing what the left is up to.

XAVB5601 problems | NETGEAR Communities

71 Replies

Dodot
Aspirant
Jun 12, 2013
I have the same problem, connection is lost every now and then.
I am using XAVB5601 with firmware 0.2.0.7 CE.

Is this the latest firmware version available?
Why is there no information on the website?
Can I decrease the link speed to make it more reliable?
Is there anyone at Netgear working on this issue?
Dodot
Aspirant
Jun 12, 2013
I am having the same problem, connection is lost every now and then.
I am using XAVB5601 with firmware 0.2.0.7.CE on both adapters.

It this the latest version of the firmware?
Can I somehow decrease the link speed to make it more reliable?
TKA
Aspirant
Jun 12, 2013
Glad someone wrote into this thread, forgot to reply with my solution!

Believe it or not, my connection goes down when Thunderbird fetches mail. It doesn't happen often, it doesn't happen every time... but every time it DOES happen, it's when I manually or automatically try to retrieve mail with Thunderbird.

Now I have NO idea why this is, but once I stopped using Thunderbird - and changed nothing else - the problem was gone. I went back to Thunderbird and sure enough, I got disconnects again. Switching the 2nd adapter (that goes to my PC) to a D-Link reduced the frequency of disconnects to a few times a month, so there's definitely something fishy here.

Anyway, if you want to try a quick & easy solution, try turning off some software.

TKA

Aspirant

Jun 12, 2013

TKA wrote:
I've got this problem as well. I thought I got it solved with Netgear support (changed cable and router port), but it seems the "fix" only lasted the weekend. Beats me why the weekend was trouble-free, but if that issue with the door vibrations is real, then I can see how a weekend might be more peaceful in this apartment building.

TKA wrote:
I've got this problem as well. I thought I got it solved with Netgear support (changed cable and router port), but it seems the "fix" only lasted the weekend. Beats me why the weekend was trouble-free, but if that issue with the door vibrations is real, then I can see how a weekend might be more peaceful in this apartment building.

PS. I bet that weekend was trouble-free because I don't read e-mail on weekends. I have three accounts in Thunderbird that use three different IMAP4 servers and three different SMTP servers, all password-protected with SSL security enabled.

MvE
Aspirant
Jul 06, 2013
I have the same problems. Get disconnected several times in a hour. Firmware v0.2.0.7CE.

Is there really no way to update the firmware? Just bought it so asking for a new one will not make a difference. Guess buying this was just a waste of money :mad:
Jimrk
Aspirant
Jul 10, 2013
I have to report the same problem - loss of connectivity 2 or 3 times per hour. Really poor for devices designed for media streaming.
Firmware v0.2.0.7CE.

I purchased the XAVB5601's to replace a failed Comtrend device. I had no connectivity problems with the Comtrends.

The Powerline Utility software states there are no software updates available and from the look of this thread Netgear appear to be ignoring the issue.

I wouldn't recommend Netgear power line devices based on this experience.
begad
Novice
Jul 31, 2013
I too have been having serious problems with my XAVB601 powerline adaptors but I may have solved my problem.

I was using them initially to mainly stream content from my NAS server and it seemed to be working great but I then starting to get drop outs when I started using Spotify, iplayer, XBMC and it seemed to happen more often if streaming HD content from the internet.

It seemed that the dropouts only occurred when I access the internet so I decided to change the MTU value on my mac mini from the default 1500 to 1458 (which BT, my ISP recommended setting) and was able to stream over 3 hours or HD content from the internet without a single dropout.

Not sure if changing the MTU has solved my problem or last night was a fluke but I will keep you informed.
begad
Novice
Jul 31, 2013
I too have been having serious problems with my XAVB601 powerline adaptors but I may have solved my problem.

I was using them initially to mainly stream content from my NAS server and it seemed to be working great but I then starting to get drop outs when I started using Spotify, iplayer, XBMC and it seemed to happen more often if streaming HD content from the internet.

It seemed that the dropouts only occurred when I access the internet so I decided to change the MTU value on my mac mini from the default 1500 to 1458 (which BT, my ISP recommended setting) and was able to stream over 3 hours or HD content from the internet without a single dropout.

Not sure if changing the MTU has solved my problem or last night was a fluke but I will keep you informed.
begad
Novice
Aug 01, 2013
Just over two hours of HD streamed last night without a single dropout...
begad
Novice
Aug 06, 2013
After 3 nights of drop out free usage the drop outs are back with a vengeance...

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XAVB5601 problems