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Did I make a mistake with NetGear $$$$$
Caution very long post seeking honest opinions.
I am 68 and computer electronics, read the F---- manuals smart guy with a rural since 1994 dial up internet home network I am IT?NOC guy for. Current WORKING system is Linksys based. But over time the upgrades drove me to web based GUIS I don't have faith in. They don't seem to work well with a ISP outage. ISPs...mostly rural do not and basically can not communicate with customers when THEIR side is down. Thus when there is a problem I always need a way to explore MY complicated network and determine if local area or WAN fault.
Did mention I am retired Army, fixed income and know I should invest in Enterprise level CISCO based solutions...Too bad I am ultra frugal...grin. Not considering a Linksys solution, I had to fuss between NetGear and ASUS new network devices. Along came Amazon with very good prices for refurbished items. My past high dollar refurbished electronics (always buy the Asurion warranty for cheap) has been worth my while. So NetGear got the nod for 2 NightHawk R8000, 1 EX8000 on the cheap.
So next month May 2022, my ISP (30Mbps down @$100) is dead and contract for NextLink rural broad band starts with a 100Mbps down @$120.
My current 2.5 acre micro ranch has main house in center of square (480' X 520') with several out buildings, 2 are occupied, but ALL metal (essentially Faraday caged). We have a very good electronic front gate 125' from main house and a BUNCH of Wyze based indoor and our door cameras all 2.4 Ghz.
And as a large ranch house has a variety of vacuums robots(5) switches, bulbs, thermostat, plugs (42 devices IOT) to manage via network and ALEXA.
Surprisingly I have been able to keep up...Old guys can relate...humor cuz this is getting long
The Shops WE work in daily, both have Cat5e burial run in trees to the 150'+ distant metal buildings. I have new Cat7 high grade outdoor Ethernet cable to run to both shops. Right now the devices inside the shops live OK with the reduced bandwidth for internet and HD Roku streaming.
2 adult Empty nest home W/ occasionally adult kids or guests, so guest network assess required. no young kids so parental controls are not needed.
Part of my NOC / ISP desires is to try to prepare for 4K streaming and newer and newer IOT devices that can exploit 5 or 6 Ghz
OK that's the topography so why the title of this thread?
I am exceedingly distressed with much of my discovery these last three months reading ALL the user forums and my discussion with the paid for Gear Heads support guy(s)
WTF Netgear ? Over 30 firmware updates and most Forum Gurus are always suggesting to back out to FW from 2020
Geni App not supported but Nighthawk app not ready fore actual NOC IT duties...Un acceptable
Any one want to buy $600 worth of devices while I rethink my new network hardware
OK some one of you Gurus talks me OFF the Ledge cuz I have nearly read every post on my boxed products back to 2019 and really not interested in starting a NEW network with all the notes I have accumulated
Win10 pro on 6 CPUs , High end 4K ROKU, High end Denon 7.2 eARC capable AV SYSTEM. Total cord cutter
I am OK with brand loyal opinions...why else would you be reading this crap
But if you have a legit Idea that some other brand is more ready for prime time...please opine...at this point my only real modus is bang for the buck and easy of true NOC / IT control
Fred Ret 1Sgt Army
Deeply apologizing for this question with a rant
fredvon4 wrote:
I already know I am hosed with NetGear because no support for Genie and I do NOT want MY NOC on a Android tablet or smart phone.
I have not tried using Nighthawk routers in AP mode with an app, but I do know that I can use an app to control an Orbi router in AP mode.
I can also control more than one router on separate Internet account by enabling remote management and using Anywhere Access.
Again, you may have landed yourself with extra problems through your choice of devices. Using purpose built APs rather than repurposed routers might have been better.
I suspect that other brands will land you in the some territory.
10 Replies
i'm not a 100% netgear diehard. I like their equipment but the firmware has been getting harder and harder to believe in. The subscription model for added features bothers me quite a bit. I feel like some of these should be included like other consumer brands do.
But with that said, the firmware has been sketchy for quite a while with most all consumer gear. I've had flagship devices from both tp-link and linksys that struggled. One of the devices I tried (and still have) was a flagship device and still didn't get a single firmware update. (and not because there wasn't issues).
So while I'll say netgears firmware has issues, at least there is still updates to it. For example, the R7000 was released in 2013 and is still getting updates. Its had its own share of firmware issues but at least its still being worked on.
The R8000 was released the year after in 2014. So its 8 year old equipment that still getting updates (I know there's something in the works for dns issues).
So am I diehard Netgear? No. If I find equipment I like that works well, thats what I go with. But so far, I've managed to keep my setup working even if I might have to use a little older firmware once in a while.
Are you having issues with it you need help with?
Sir I have read at least 200 of your advice so I deeply appreciate your opinions.
Perhaps with some more personal info you might feel comfortable directing me...at least with hints on where to google or explore.
I started my rural life with ATT dial up on d-link and later linksys WRT modems. Learned how to tweak internals to get reliable 256Kbps on voice twisted pair...frustrating in 1996~7 when urban families sent photo laden e-mails...bet you can relate.
My job after enlisted army was Operational Test Command Fort Hood as a test officer for enterprise software systems...Ironic as it were with a heavy aircraft maintenance background.
That said in the Army I was an anomaly in the early 80s because I was a computer building nerd with my own BBC. I could build a better Dos based computer for friends that the radio shack TRS 80 crap.
Command took notice and sent me to several schools...mostly to manage Intel 380 mini computers on Zenix OS for the Ft Eustice aviation school house.
Thus I was DOS 1.1 and Unix/Zenix/COBAL/FORTRAN versant much to the chagrin to any Army IT managment folk...me a lowly staff sergeant
A terrible amount of words to say I pretty much know about technology and security.
I am very pissed that today there is not a home turn key ISP WAN to complicated LAN set of management software and hardware for the typical dummy (that I am not)
Each system I explored has some fatal flaw. NetGear product sales seem to omit the flaws (I get it...sales) and I screwed up NOT finding this forum until I had $880 in product on hand.
The more I read the less confident I am to establish a home network I can see ENTIRELY and manage with the software tools provided..IE Genie/NightHawk app....and I am incensed that there is NOT a usable Win 10/11 Network managment GUI
Thanks for reading.....back to my weekly system backups
As plemans said "Are you having issues with it you need help with?"
We don't need to know your life history. Just a detailed but concise description of what is going wrong on your network.
The only useful information I can see it in your footer where it says:
R8000 x 2--Rx8000--dumb switch x2
If that is accurate, then I can see an obvious problem. But who knows?
