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Forum Discussion
New - R8500 Firmware Version 1.0.2.160 Released - EOL
Security Fixes: 08/05/2022
Fixes security vulnerabilities.
For more information about security vulnerabilities, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/security/
Enable IPv6 Auto if you con...
OK, the old Catch-22...
Turn on IPv6 and you cannot use OPENDNS custom filtering since you cannot "register" your IPV6 address with them. With IPv6 off on the Netgear R8500 you can use custom filtering with the regular OPENDNS DNS but with the latest firmware you get a few random DNS errors that sometimes recover themselves, sometimes don't. Here is what I ended up finding and doing:
Since my kids are older now, I decided I would be fine with the general Parent Controls OPENDNS can use by default without an account or custom settings. This will block the basic "bad" stuff and unable to be customized. Here are my settings now:
Internet: DNS (i.e., IPv4) USE THESE: 208.67.220.123 and 208.67.222.123 (these are OPENDNS basic filter without using an account)
ADVANCED: Advanced Setup: IPv6: USE THESE: 2620:119:35::123 and 2620:119:53::123 (these are the OPENDNS basic for IPv6)
Note that each "number" is four digits so add zeroes in front of those shorter. Also, "::" means fill in "0000" where needed and as many as needed (i.e., first address is really 2620:0119:0035:0000:0000:0000:0000:0123)
Now I am getting the filtering I need (or can live with) and no DNS errors. Firmware .144 was the last one that worked fully with OPENDNS on my R8500. Netgear needs to get the firmware working without the need for IPv6 and OPENDNS needs to get IPv6 addresses allowed in the Dashboard to be registered for custom filtering.
Dan
After installing v1.0.2.154 August 2021 and then quickly reverting back to v1.0.2.144, I finally installed v1.0.2.160 here in September 2022. I had still been getting periodic DNS errors with x.144, but had learned to just live with them. After installing x.160, I didn't see a difference in that problem, so I finally tried out the IPv6: 6to4 Tunnel option and it does appear to have helped. Of course, test-ipv6.com points out 6to4 is less than ideal.
Unfortunately, although everything seemed fine all the rest of the day, after upgrading the firmware to 1.0.2.160 *and* also enabling IPv6 6to4 (which is the only way to get rid of the now infamous DNS errors across multiple Netgear routers), now this morning my R8500 just up and crashed. I had to power cycle the stupid thing. I can't recall that happening, basically, ever, since I bought in the fall of 2016. Great.
What was happening when the router seemed to "crash"?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6 is recommended.What all do you have connected to the router?
Do you have Access Controls, Armor, Circle or Traffic Meter enabled?
Has a power off for 1 minute then back ON with the ISP modem and router been performed since last update?
Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:
Turn off and unplug modem.
Turn off router and computers.
Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on computers and rest of network.Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?
CogX wrote:
Unfortunately, although everything seemed fine all the rest of the day, after upgrading the firmware to 1.0.2.160 *and* also enabling IPv6 6to4 (which is the only way to get rid of the now infamous DNS errors across multiple Netgear routers), now this morning my R8500 just up and crashed. I had to power cycle the stupid thing. I can't recall that happening, basically, ever, since I bought in the fall of 2016. Great.
Well, my R8500 router went belly-up again two hours later and I had to unplug the power cord and plug it back in a second time. It all seemed to be fine the rest of the day and evening, but we'll see what a new day brings. Clearly, either the upgrade to the current firmware is the cause and/or the fact that I was forced to enable IPv6 6to4 to finally get rid of the infamous DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN errors that have plagued Netgear routers (multiple models, if one scours this forum site) for going on two years now.
The sad thing is, I had been hoping to limp along with this router until (definitely non-Netgear brand) WiFi 7 routers showed up on the market, until I started reading that isn't going to be realized now until 2024. I guess a stop-gap Asus router is in my near future...
What was happening when the router seemed to "crash"?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6 is recommended.What all do you have connected to the router?
Do you have Access Controls, Armor, Circle or Traffic Meter enabled?
Has a power off for 1 minute then back ON with the ISP modem and router been performed since last update?
Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:
Turn off and unplug modem.
Turn off router and computers.
Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on computers and rest of network.Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?
CogX wrote:
Well, my R8500 router went belly-up again two hours later and I had to unplug the power cord and plug it back in a second time. It all seemed to be fine the rest of the day and evening, but we'll see what a new day brings. Clearly, either the upgrade to the current firmware is the cause and/or the fact that I was forced to enable IPv6 6to4 to finally get rid of the infamous DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN errors that have plagued Netgear routers (multiple models, if one scours this forum site) for going on two years now.
The sad thing is, I had been hoping to limp along with this router until (definitely non-Netgear brand) WiFi 7 routers showed up on the market, until I started reading that isn't going to be realized now until 2024. I guess a stop-gap Asus router is in my near future...
I turned on the 6to4 couple days ago and have not had an issue. DHCP setting in IPv6 was also working for last week+ before that. My only remaining issue is using OPENDNS custom settings with IPv6 turned on. I have not tested with "6to4" setting. OPENDNS does not support IPv6 for IP address custom setting so using the general filters that do work on IPv6 (see my note above). But, IPv6 does need to be on to not get the DNS errors.
Dan
My router crashed again (spontaneously rebooted) this morning, as soon as I got up.
It didn't crash all day yesterday, but did those two times the day before. Actually, it could be crashing and rebooting multiple times when no one is around to actually notice, as I don't have any external logging to track it.
I just disabled IPv6 and manually rebooted, to see if this router crashing continues at which point I'll assume it is ultimately due to installing the current firmware revision and not the IPv6 settings.
(My gut tells me it will keep crashing, but now it's a waiting game. Of course, I also just purchased a new router, because although I've been doing IT support since the 1990s, and this all second nature, my entire work life has been dealing with this kind of nonsense 50-70 hours a week, I don't need to be having this aggravation at home all the time as well. Can't a person just buy anything reliable anymore, ever? EVER??)
Kind of hard to help out or get a better idea of your environment if you don't give feedback to the questions presented.
I guess all this is no longer important as you have something else replacing the R8500.
Good Luck.The not so funny thing is that there are multiple different threads for multiple different Netgear models, but we all have the same DNS error issues, but there's no easy way for us to collectively try to work through any of this, across all models, to maybe see if there is some "ah ha" solution beyond just wishful thinking that the Netgear programmers will some day figure this all out - you know, that they haven't been able to figure out in the past 18 months.
My R8500 did the same thing, after upgrading to the current firmware, finally relenting to enable IPv6, saw the DNS errors go away, but then the router started crashing. I was about to order a new Asus brand router, but then change my mind as now I think I'm going to go the build-your-own router router, so in the meantime I disabled IPv6 and so far my R8500 has stayed up since. But then of course the DNS errors came back. In the scheme of lesser evils, having the periodic DNS errors is better than having one's entire home network crap out for 5 minutes at a time as the router reboots.
