The post is about R7900P X6S AC3600. After upgrading the firmware to 1.4.2.84_1.3.42, I constantly experienced this ‘Hmm, we can’t reach this page’ error in Microsoft Edge, or similar messages in Google Chrome / Firefox. Initially, I was not sure if there is any direct relation due to the router firmware update. But if I tether my laptop to my T-Mobile hot spot or have it hardwired (Ethernet) directly to the modem, such error messages do not appear. The problem happens almost all in cases where the pages are being forwarded to different sites. I downgraded the firmware to 1.4.1.68_1.3.28, which was a stable release, such error messages go away. It seems version 1.4.2.84_1.3.42 is a troublesome release.

I have escalated this thread to our engineers for them to take a look at the issue. DarrenM

After 2 weeks of extremely frustrated people, downgraded from 1.4.2.84_1.3.42to V1.4.1.68_1.3.28 based on others comments. While on the newest version and running Armor, we would get 'This site can't be reached' on 2/3rds of domains including community.netgear.com. Multiple refreshes later would usually allow access to the site, but unfortuantely, the 1.4.2.84 version is causing denial of service. In my case, the windows (chrome) error is DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG Netgear... the other workaround that you could include as an option in your software is to allow us end users to configure the primary and secondary DNS servers in the DHCP configuration on your products. Even though most people are using your router for DHCP, providing the option to configure custom DNS servers would allow us to bypass the faulty DNS config in the 1.4.2.84 release or potentially future releases. Please provide updates to resolve the DNS service issues! Running older firmware is scary in terms of security compliance.

YES, I did all of these before downgrading the firmware. I was even thinking the possibility that uprading to 1.4.2.84_1.3.42 somehow bricked my R7960P router. SO I started looking for a cheap one on eBay, and I actually bidded one at $25.00:) These error messages didn't showup when I was tethering my laptop to my TMo phone on an out of town trip last week, so I had to think it's either the ISP modem, or the router.

And did the router downgrade successfully? hornywell wrote: YES, downgrading is just the same as upgrading. It will give you a message saying you are uploading a lower version. And if we are sure the lower version works fine, you can go ahead. That's exactly what I did.

THanks for letting us know. Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed. https://kb.netgear.com/24231/How-do-I-back-up-the-router-configuration-settings-on-my-Nighthawk-routerEnjoy.

Error after R7960P Firmware Upgraded to 1.4.2.84_1.3.42

52 Replies

mjcyber
Tutor
Jan 10, 2022
NetOp
Tutor
Mar 22, 2022
I can confirm 100% that 1.4.2.84_1.3.42 is still BROKEN firmware! Ping your gateway and you will find >1ms latency even on a wired connection. Run DNS through the router and it will not load web sites on the first try with a timeout. If I refresh a website I get the DNS to resolve. Trace route also fails to resolve on the first attempt! The latency to the gateway on a directly connected wired connection less than 10 feet away from the router is showing Netgear Engineers are not properly testing firmware releases for routers. IS THIS PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE? This seems like WILLFUL NEGLIGENCE on Netgear's part and needs to be fixed ASAP. Even the damn wifi 10 feet away with only 2 PCs connected has triple digit ms latency at times with this firmware! No one is using the network at all right now. Netgear you must fix this!

C:\WINDOWS\system32>tracert cert.org
Unable to resolve target system name cert.org.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>nslookup cert.org
Server: UnKnown
Address: 192.168.10.1 <<< BROKEN ROUTER FIRMWARE 1.4.2.84_1.3.42 >>>
Non-authoritative answer:
DNS request timed out.
timeout was 2 seconds.

<<< DIRECTLY WIRED CONNECTION LATENCY >>>
C:\WINDOWS\system32>ping 192.168.10.1 -t
Pinging 192.168.10.1 with 32 bytes of data
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.10.1: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=64
- FURRYe38
  Guru - Experienced User
  Mar 22, 2022
  
  What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
  
  Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update? A complete pull of the power adapters for a period of time after the factory reset then walk thru the setup wizard and setup from scratch.
  I would power OFF the ISP modem for 1 minute. Factory reset the Orbi router and power it off. Power ON the ISP modem and let it sync. Then power ON the Orbi router and walk thru the setup wizard again using a wired PC and a web browser.
  
  Otherwise you'll need to roll back to prior working version of FW.
DickScheel
Aspirant
Apr 17, 2022
I've been following this thread for a long time, after initially updating from V1.4.1.68_1.3.28 to V1.4.2.84_1.3.42 and encountering the problems discussed here. A few days ago (April 14 2022) I saw that Netgear released a newer firmware version, V1.4.3.88_1.3.50. I hoped that this newer version would fix the 1.4.2.84_1.3.42 bug. Unfortunately, I am still encountering the same problems as we have all been discussing for V1.4.2.84_1.3.42, so I had to again revert back to V1.4.1.68_1.3.28.
- c627627
  Tutor
  Apr 17, 2022
  Thank you very much for saving us all a lot of time by confirming that NETGEAR has not taken our reports seriously and has again willfully allowed this major bug to stay in place, even with the latest Firmware release.
  
  I was waiting to see if a post like yours pops up and it did... 😞 New firmware is firmware of death again.
  
  So what does this come down to, incompetence or are they really implementing planned obsolescence even though this router is really not that old? It will be hard not to think of this, next time we are in the market for a router. I mean by this time surely they DO know about this bug, right?
  - c627627
    Tutor
    May 06, 2022
    So I've been having a nightmare situation again until I realized that by restoring settings, I restored Router Auto Firmware Update
    
    Don't forget, you MUST disable it after flashing back, or else Netgear will keep updating the working Firmware with new Firmware that causes problems.
    
    ADVANCED > Administration > Router Update >
    !!! MUST SELECT DISABLE under Router Auto Firmware Update > THEN CLICK ON APPLY !!!
    only
    then
    Browse > Browse to bug-free Firmware R7960P-V1.4.1.68_1.3.28.chk > Upload > OK
    
    And don't forget you need an ethernet cable, wireless Firmware downgrade may not work.

Forum Discussion

Error after R7960P Firmware Upgraded to 1.4.2.84_1.3.42