New R7000 Firmware Version 1.0.11.100

Guide

Apr 18, 2020

Portwey84 wrote:
Bottz

It's entirely hypothetical, but the firmware issues might be affecting older routers disproportionately. From what users on this forum have indicated, these R7000 units have been made in different factories in different countries, some in China, some in Vietnam.

Just because one router looks identical to another doesn't necessarily mean that the components used inside are identical. Over the years, electronics and components change. I'd be surprised if a router made 5 years ago and one made within the last 12 months stripped down side by side, would be utilizing exactly the same electronic components. There have been advancements in WiFi tech and components over the years. Who's to say that the wireless components used haven't altered between batches built between 2014 and 2020? This may or may not have a bearing on whether firmware updates will have the same degree of success between identical models of different manufacturing years from different factories. Maybe this is the reason why my own router for example, isn't suffering any ill effects at all from the latest firmware update.

The fact there are routers like the R7000 that allow you to choose which OS to run on it, like you would any other computer is something I enjoy.

I may like the hardware spects of both a computer, or even a router in this case, but may have issues, or just not like the stock firmware/ os.

The issue I have with most consumer routers has mainly been, the quality of the hardware, and / or firmware / os.

In the case of the R7000 I first tried FreshTomato firmware, as suggested on this thread, but that wasn't a good fit, and I had issues with speed. So, I went back to DD-WRT, which I had run on my R7000 last year for several months straight. After going back, I regained great speed and stability, and because DD-WRT doesn't support WPS, I don't even have that functionality anymore to deal with, which was another ocmplaint here on this thread. At the end of the day, for me, I considder my issues resolved at no cost to me, other than time, to manually configure settings stock firmware either doesn't have, or try to do for you, and also reading about settings and how to set them.

With this said, I plan to do this the more professional way when I needs a physical new router, by getting a wired only router, and a seperate asccess point so I don't have to depend on one device for both, especially if there are wireless problems than it won't take down the whole network to fix. (At least, it shouldn't)

michaelkenward
Guru - Experienced User
Apr 18, 2020
Bottz wrote:
Also, if Netgear has different hardware in different revisions of the r7000 then they should have made a different model number with different firmware all together.

It is called the R7000P.
- Bottz
  Tutor
  Apr 18, 2020
  I understand that Netgear has different models with different firmwares. It sounds like people think that there are different variations of the r7000 with different hardware. This could explain why some people have success with the latest firmware and why some don't. Either way, this all come down to Netgear doing a poor job testing their firmware before releasing, otherwise I would have a usable router on 1.0.11.100.
Portwey84
Virtuoso
Apr 18, 2020
Bottz To be absolutley clear neither I nor anyone else knows whether or not Netgear have specified different internal components to the exact same model of router since it was first introduced. Car manufacturers make changes to components on vehicles on the assembly line. It's perfectly possible to have two identical cars made on the same production line several weeks apart that might have had changes implemented, either through modification necessity or a change of supplier, that is why when you go to purchase a part for a vehicle, you should always supply the VIN number of the vehicle. This is why personally I'm doubtful that my 2019 built R7000 AC1900 router has the exact same identical hardware in it as one that was built in 2014/15/16 or 17. Only a full strip down of one that came out of the factory last week against one built 5 or 6 years ago is going to provide that definitive answer.

If there have been component changes since the first R7000 AC1900 model was produced a few years back, then we as users will never know. It could even be that Netgear when they produce a firmware update aren't aware that component changes might cause firmware update issues between routers of the exact same model several years apart. You'd think Netgear would be aware through extensive testing but we don't know what their internal testing procedures of the firmware are. They might be testing the firmware on a router that's only a few weeks old from the factory, not one that was produced six years ago.

At the end of the day, users do at least have a choice whether or not to update the firmware on their kit, but if a firmware is offered by the manufacturer, then it should be tested thoroughly on different production year models (of the EXACT same model) to ensure there are no bugs. Netgear don't delete all older firmware from their own support pages each time they release a new firmware. On the one hand, they're offering an update with 'fixed' security patches but on the same page, they're giving users the opportunity to rollback to an older firmware still stuck(I'm assuming) with the same security flaws that they have allegedly fixed on newer updates. It confuses the bejeebys out of me if I'm honest!

And to make things absolutely clear, I'm solely referring here to the R7000 AC1900, not the R7000P. Although similar, they are different models of router providing different specs.
- michaelkenward
  Guru - Experienced User
  Apr 19, 2020
  Portwey84 wrote:
  
  And to make things absolutely clear, I'm solely referring here to the R7000 AC1900, not the R7000P. Although similar, they are different models of router providing different specs.
  
  Different brand of core chipsets.
  - Portwey84
    Virtuoso
    Apr 19, 2020
    This thread could quite literally go on and on. Basically differing groups of users across a global market experiencing different outcomes applying official firmware to the same model of router and for the sake of clarity, the R7000 AC1900, though this could equally apply to any model of router that is identical in a particular product range.
    
    The router has been available for sale for some considerable period of time, several years in fact. It has been produced in at least two different countries that we are aware of.
    
    The internal components from the very first models manufactured to the latest leaving the factory, are absolutely identical in every respect. Anyone care to do a complete tear down of two identical routers made 4 years apart to see if this is the case?
    
    Netgear test their firmware on identical routers that are several years apart in terms of production to ensure that the firmware functionally works on a router that was produced six years previously, the same as it does on a router that left the factory yesterday? Only Netgear can answer that one.
    
    Some users quite literally upgrading firmware probably for the first time ever, in some cases leapfrogging numerous updates only to find that the latest firmware is not applying correctly or has become corrupted or has led to their router 'bricking'. Why is this happening? no one knows. There is as we now know, a procedure/solution in place to return a 'bricked' router back to a functional state as long as the correct procedures are followed.
    
    Some users may or may not be carrying out firmware updates via hardwire ethernet but are carrying out firmware updates via WiFi/using the App or 'trusting' that the auto update feature will handle the firmware update properly without any problems. Again, entirely user choice how one handles the update side of things. Some users may not be following the correct update procedures at all and thus causing the problems themselves. Only the end user has the answer to that one.
    
    Different settings are being used, so some users have firmware updates enabled for auto updates, some have disabled auto update, disabled UPnP, turned off Logs and various other 'tweaks'. No one really knows what settings will work best, it seems the user has to either 'trust' default settings or take advice from what others have tried.
    
    We don't know if all router owners keep their WiFi clients up to date. Whether or not their phones are utilising the latest os or their pc's are running up to date os or have the latest WiFi drivers etc. If I use my own laptop as an example, it has various Intel components including the WiFi drivers. I utilise the Intel update service frequently and my WiFi drivers have been updated numerous times over the last 4 years that I've owned my laptop. I'm not having WiFi issues on any of my devices, my router isn't 'dropping' 5g wireless. Perhaps I'm just lucky? The answer simply is, I don't know.
    
    Reading through a lot of the threads, many R7000 AC1900 owners swear by firmware v.42 stating it is the most stable firmware. That's an all encompassing analysis. That may well be the case for them for a router that is a few years old, but it may not be applicable to a router that was produced last week. The 'advice' to rollback to an earlier firmware version should be viewed with caution. In effect, if like mine your router left the factory last year on v.64, why would I 'rollback' to a version the router never had in the first place? Doing so could potentially introduce issues that were never there in the first place. At the end of the day, Netgear don't pull their old firmware updates but allow users to rollback to a whole list of official firmwares they've released over the years. Commonsense would say only ever rollback to what your router left the factory with.
    
    So, what would the advice be to anyone reading this thread? Well of course at the end of the day, it's down to you, the user. Do you take the risk of updating your 5 year old router to the latest firmware because Netgear have 'fixed' security holes and updated things like the GUI only to potentially end up with problems you never had in the first place, or do you just leave things be and stick it out on an older firmware that works for your particular router? You could of course update your ageing router to the very latest released firmware and suffer no ill effects whatsoever! The choice is entirely yours but remember, for every person that claims they've suffered problems with the latest firmware update, there will be plenty of owners who will have had an entirely successful update, myself included.
    
    So it's easy to claim a piece of kit is an absolute bag of bolts, but at the end of the day, the kit is only as good as the support provided to it by the manufacturer, firmware included! and of course the end user who ultimately needs to ensure they carry out the correct procedures when performing functions such as upgrades.

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New R7000 Firmware Version 1.0.11.100