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Forum Discussion
R7960P firmware not upgrading
I have attempted multiple times to upgrade my current firmware, V1.4.1.44_1.3.5, to V1.4.1.50_1.3.10 and it fails. I have tried letting the router update itself and also downloading upgrade zip file ...
Funny that Ihave recieved this email from Netgear and the firmware update bug still exsists and users are not able to update their firmware!!!
DarrenM , any updates after your escalation?
I just checked when version 1.4.1.50.1.3.10 was last updated.
Last Updated:03/20/2020 | Article ID: 000061779
At this point, there are only a couple of logical conclusions that one can draw from Netgear's lack of response:
- There is a language barrier involved. The Netgear support staff does not speak English, and accordingly, does not understand that their customers are having this problem.
- Netgear does not have adequate QA and test procedures. This problem is so basic, it's apparent that Netgear never tested this change outside the lab where it was developed, other than on the equipment with which it was developed.
- Netgear's marketing guys (i.e. who sent the emails to customers) have never heard of, talked to, or seen, a support developer or technician.
- The off-shore (outside USA) owner of Netgear could give a flying leap about service and support, once they'd made the sale.
I've already posted that I'm an IT professional. I'm not a network pro, but I know servers, clients, networks, switches, and routers pretty well, and have been using Netgear equipment both personally and professionally for 20 or 25 years. I went from understanding and sympathizing with Netgear's staff (hey, who hasn't rolled out a buggy release; it happens), to being irritated, to being pretty darn angry. When Netgear is sending me email about an update I didn't apply, it means (1) they have my email, and know what equipment I am running, (2) they know from their distribution software which routers have applied their updates, and which have not, and (3) they think that this customer is too stupid to keep their router updated. However, they don't seem to know or care, that I CAN'T apply their latest firmware update rollout, because of NETGEAR'S own incompetence.
I just bought this router and can't return it. At this point, I'm done with Netgear. I can cite other tech companies which dissolved into putty once they off-shored their operations, and that I will no longer buy from, personally or professionally. I'm adding Netgear to that list.
I'll never buy Netgear equipment again, nor recommend Netgear products.
- I have been fighting for the past 2 months to get this thing to update. It says it updated but shows the old firmware. I go to open a support case and it says the support is expired. I have owned this router since the end of October last year. I am half convinced this is a used device as I would hope I get more then a couple of months of support
Toki73 wrote:
I have been fighting for the past 2 months to get this thing to update. It says it updated but shows the old firmware. I go to open a support case and it says the support is expired. I have owned this router since the end of October last year. I am half convinced this is a used device as I would hope I get more then a couple of months of supportLOL, I bought mine in late January, and it was covered under support when this first occurred, and I think COSTCO has a 90 day return policy on electronics. However, I expected to be a minor "nit" that Netgear would quickly remedy. I was naive - I was a 25+ year customer. I had no clue the company had changed hands, and that both quality control and customer support had fell off a cliff. I definitely wish I had returned this router back in early March, and picked up .... ANYTHING else.
I don't panic when new firmware releases come out, because they are routine. Just as when I'm installing and testing Oracle software, I let new releases "age" a bit, before installing, so this issue didn't alarm me. However, now that there are a slew of PUBLISHED security holes in this router's firmware, the hackers have all the knowledge they need to penetrate our networks, and we have no defense whatsoever. It's gone from a "nit" to a major F***KING issue, at this point.
Make sure that EVERY device on your network, including cell phones, tablets, printers, etc., has some sort of updated virus protection and a firewall up. The best firewall is device related, i.e. at the switch to the head of your network, which would be your router. It is now unreliable, if and until, Netgear chooses to fix the vulnerabilities, and release firmware that we can actually apply to our routers.
It's at the point where it may be better to sell off this Netgear router on Craigslist, and buy a new one from another manufacturer. I haven't bought one from any other company since Linksys was king of the hill. Time to educate myself, and find a new vendor.
- Just as a heads up, I do believe Costcos returns on electronics is for large appliances and your router is not considered that. I think someone posted the return policy in this thread on page 2 and it lays out exactly what "cannot" be returned and a router is not listed. Just Google "Costco Return Policy" and it will pop up. You can return this product as it is not listed in the 90 day return policy items at all.