Can't rollback to the most recent factory firmware after rolling back from DD-WRT on Netgear R7000

I'm trying to update the firmware on my old Netgear R7000. I initially tried flashing it with the latest DD-WRT beta release (2024), but I wasn't satisfied with it. I decided to revert to the factory firmware, starting with the initial release, R7000-V1.0.3.24_1.1.20.chk.

After successfully booting and configuring the initial firmware, I attempted to update it through the router's GUI. However, each time I clicked "Check for Update," it seemed unable to connect to the update server. I suspected that the factory firmware might be too old and the update link may have changed.

Consequently, I flashed the most recent factory firmware directly. However, after flashing and restarting, I could no longer access the GUI, neither through routerlogin.net nor the IP address 198.162.1.1. Furthermore, my computer's Network Adapters no longer recognized the router, whereas with the initial firmware, it was recognized as "Nighthawk5G."

I reverted to the initial factory firmware again, restoring normal functionality. I then tried installing firmware versions one by one, gradually working my way up. The last version that worked without issues was R7000-V1.0.7.10.1.2.3, but it's still quite old.

I even considered that firmware versions might differ across regions since I originally purchased my R7000 in China. However, flashing the latest firmware from Netgear China resulted in the same problem: the router was either detected as an "Unidentified Network" or got stuck in a "Connected-Disconnected Cable" loop.

I've been performing all flashes using NMRPFLASH.

What steps can I take to successfully install the latest firmware on my router?

Thank you