NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Trek PR2000 DHCP-problems, keeps dropping connections, maybe workaround
Hi!
Some days ago I bought the new Netgear Trek PR2000 mobile wireless router. Purpose was to have an AP for all my devices while traveling and being able to connect them to a hotspot or hotel wifi.
Configuration was fine and I was able to connect to my home network in wireless client mode. My home router is a TP-Link TL-WR1043ND running OpenWrt 12.09 Attitude Adjustment, wifi with WPA2-AES, serving DHCP.
The Trek was able to connect and the whole system was running. Unfortunately I realized, that the Trek kept dropping connections every 3-5mins with the annoying Netgear genie popping up and trying to reestablish a connection. Sometimes it worked, later on the Trek failed to connect at all.
Since I read that OpenWrt Attitude Adjustment might be having problems with certain wifi connections, I upgraded my WR1043ND to Barrier Breaker. The connection drops continued, especially under OSX nearly every minute. The WR1043ND showed various DHCP- and wifi-failed-to-acknowledge-errors in its log.
After trying all possible setting changes in the Trek-config (and shortly before returning the Trek), I found something like a workaround. In the Trek-config I disabled the DHCP-Server for the LAN-zone and assigned static IPs to the connecting clients. Well at least until now this seems to be working fine. No more dropped connections, no more annoying genie popping up and trying to reconnect, the whole system seems to be working.
But at the moment I'm kinda confused about the reason. In my understanding, the Trek connects to a hotspot and gets an IP-address assigned by the hotspot-DHCP. Then the Trek uses NAT to connect the attached clients to the internet. Actually the DHCP-IP-addresses assigned by the Trek to the clients connected to the LAN-zone shouldn't affect the DHCP-settings of the hotspot-network at all. Normally the private IP and DNS-settings are just for the private client LAN, aren't they? If I'm not completely wrong with my assumption, there might be a bug in the DHCP-server of the Trek or the way how dynamic IPs of the client LAN are handled. Starting from the point where I changed to static IPs in the client LAN, there were no more error messages in the log of the WR1043ND.
Strange thing... Maybe someone could correct me if my assumptions are wrong? Btw, I'm using the Trek PR2000 stock firmware (which is something like 1.0.0.9) since there's no other available.
Thanks.
Some days ago I bought the new Netgear Trek PR2000 mobile wireless router. Purpose was to have an AP for all my devices while traveling and being able to connect them to a hotspot or hotel wifi.
Configuration was fine and I was able to connect to my home network in wireless client mode. My home router is a TP-Link TL-WR1043ND running OpenWrt 12.09 Attitude Adjustment, wifi with WPA2-AES, serving DHCP.
The Trek was able to connect and the whole system was running. Unfortunately I realized, that the Trek kept dropping connections every 3-5mins with the annoying Netgear genie popping up and trying to reestablish a connection. Sometimes it worked, later on the Trek failed to connect at all.
Since I read that OpenWrt Attitude Adjustment might be having problems with certain wifi connections, I upgraded my WR1043ND to Barrier Breaker. The connection drops continued, especially under OSX nearly every minute. The WR1043ND showed various DHCP- and wifi-failed-to-acknowledge-errors in its log.
After trying all possible setting changes in the Trek-config (and shortly before returning the Trek), I found something like a workaround. In the Trek-config I disabled the DHCP-Server for the LAN-zone and assigned static IPs to the connecting clients. Well at least until now this seems to be working fine. No more dropped connections, no more annoying genie popping up and trying to reconnect, the whole system seems to be working.
But at the moment I'm kinda confused about the reason. In my understanding, the Trek connects to a hotspot and gets an IP-address assigned by the hotspot-DHCP. Then the Trek uses NAT to connect the attached clients to the internet. Actually the DHCP-IP-addresses assigned by the Trek to the clients connected to the LAN-zone shouldn't affect the DHCP-settings of the hotspot-network at all. Normally the private IP and DNS-settings are just for the private client LAN, aren't they? If I'm not completely wrong with my assumption, there might be a bug in the DHCP-server of the Trek or the way how dynamic IPs of the client LAN are handled. Starting from the point where I changed to static IPs in the client LAN, there were no more error messages in the log of the WR1043ND.
Strange thing... Maybe someone could correct me if my assumptions are wrong? Btw, I'm using the Trek PR2000 stock firmware (which is something like 1.0.0.9) since there's no other available.
Thanks.
hksteve I would like to inform you that the fix is now available in our download page.
Feel free to update your firmware and provide feedback.
Thanks!
185 Replies
Hi
Looking for help here too.
As with many users, I am using this to connect multiple iOS devices to the wifi in a resort that I am staying in, using one of the free acess codes that is given to us (we use theother for the laptops)
The problem manifests itself as the iPad/iPhone keeps moving away from the Netgear signal onto the wifi hotspot. When I reconnect one of the devices, it then either connect to the internet without problem or then looks to reboot. Very occassionaly i'll then be taken through to revalidate the the resort wifi access code for the device.
Reading through this thread, I seem to be having the same unlaying problem, or am I missing something?
Thoughts/advice would be very welcome.
Thank you
Sorry
Forgot to add that
1 - last year used the same device in a similar resort and had very little problem with it.
2 - This year, no end of instability, so I upgrades the firmware to PR2000-V1.0.0.14_1.0.1
3 - No real improvement since the upgrade (but no worse either)
Regards
- Hi all just thought I'd report back regarding the rebooting issues I was having with the device. After jumping through all of netgears hoops to obtain the beta firmware, I'm happy to say I've had no further issues. I would like to thank Elaine for her quick response in the matter however the engineering dept could do with poking with a sharp stick to get them to move a bit quicker on releasing this long over due fix. Now that the product is working as it was intended to I can honestly say it is a fantastic little device and would have no trouble recommending it once the firmware becomes publicly available. I'm sorry to all those still stuck and looking for help as I would love to provide the beta firmware to you but unfortunately I fear netgear would hunt me down and do unspeakable things to me if I were to do that. I'm sure that if you ask Elaine nicely she will look after you.
Damianbru2basics Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad that it did resolve the problem you're having.
Per our engineering department, a "tentative" release date for this FW will be at the end of this month or the first week of March.
Overtaxed Let me forward your case to our support team.
ElaineM
Thank you for escalating this so quickly - they have been in contact.:smileywink:
I have printed and signed the NDA but do not have access to a scanner.
Will customer support be happy with a photo of each page?
Regards
Overtaxed
- Hello everyone just popping in to say after several months using the beta I still haven't had the reboot issue happen at all. Im not sure what the hold up is but I had an idea about the beta. Why not make it available on your website but as a beta with the disclaimer that the user accepts to download. Also making reference that this should only be used for users with this specific rebooting issue. I'm sure you'd have a lot less returns and happier users as well as satisfying your legal team regards the NDA stuff
sreeni Thank you for the update. As much as we want to post the beta right away, our engineers would like to review each cases submitted to thoroughly understand the root cause of the problem.
Each cases were carefully reviewed to make sure that they did not miss anything while they create the fix. Rest assured that your feedback will be forwarded to the management.
We thank everyone who participated and had given time dealing with this issue. Soon, this beta firmware will officially be released.
Again, thank you all for being NETGEAR loyal customers!
- I'm more concerned that the NDA has to do with these beta firmwares haven't been tested for security vulnerabilities and such, so they can't/won't release it as an official firmware.
I feel that if this wasn't a serious issue it would be funny.
Hi,
I bought my device on 1st of February and I have the same problem that I red in this thread.
I use my PR2000 in Router Mode and I need it because my computer hasn't an ethernet port, so with this device I should take advantage to use ethernet connection that is better than wifi connection in my accommodation.
But it lost connection and my PR2000 reboot every two minutes after connection with my PC, therefore only one connection at time.
It's useless.
I saw that the BETA FW version make this device more stable than the latest stable release, if you can send me this version I can try it.
I look foreward for your support.
Regards"NETGEAR PR2000 FW V1.0.0.14_1.0.1"
I'm registered here only for have support for my PR2000 that it never worked properly. I'm still waiting for a reply about Beta FW or the exact release date of the updated FW. The weeks continue to pass and I bought an unuseful travel router that isn't supported by its manufacturer. I believed that Netgear was a mark of quality, but apparently it isn't so.
I hope to receive a quick response, I don't want think that I've trashed my money by purchasing this product.
I look forward for a reply.
Kind Regardsuomonero91 I have forwarded the request to our support team.
They'll be in contact with you separately.
ElaineM I'm going on a long trip soon and need a travel router for this time. Based on a few hours of research the Netgear Trek N300/PR2000 is the optimal solution for me, but I'm fearing the disconnect issues mentioned here, being reported for many months now. Therefor: could you please send me the beta firmware, as it seems to fix the issue? I could then happily buy the router and look forward to my trip, as all alternatives are frustrating. Thanks!
Just chiming in to this thread since I just received a brand new Trek for an upcoming trip.
Rebooting right off the box, but I'm certain we can get this little bugger stable with proper feedback and testing. Mind you, I have a limited return window and no proof the engineers are actively working towards a fix, and a little worried that it's been in circulation for some time now...
...and the sega begins lol Can't be any worse than the end-all-be-all Linksys WRT1900 reboot monster...
ElaineM I opened a support case asking for the beta firmware because I am having the same dropped connection problems with my new Trek router. I am traveling next week and I could really use this fix before that. Unfortunately, the tech ignored everything I said and just started on their script of standard troubleshooting steps that I've already tried. The case is #26555363. Can you please forward to the appropriate person who can send me the beta firmware? Thank you!
Maineiac12 Let me make a follow-up on your case.
It's looking good folks, no disconnects like with .14... I'll test some known exploits, some real world benchmarks alone with some general use I would expect on an average trip this weekend. For me range, security, and stability are key in an off the interstate hotel...
ElaineM, I was contacted by NETGEAR support and they provided me with V1.0.0.14_1.0.2_TD182_t of the firmware. Is that the same thing as the 0.15 people are discussing in this thread?
Maineiac12 That's the same.
I am experiencing similar disconnect/dropped connections, pls help resolve my case #26631701 to allow me to have access to the beta firmware. Thanks!
Model : PR2000 N300 TREK
