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Forum Discussion
Nighthawk WiFi 7 Router RS700S new firmware update not alerting???
This router is advertised as "The most powerful & advanced Nighthawk router ever." yet there is no indication or alert to the latest firmware (Version 1.0.9.6), why is that?
The latest firmware was released JULY 7, 2025 & seems to address about 9 bugs (security issues) and add some features yet the router wont bring this to my attention, I had to go dig for it.
Am I missing something? Even my Buffalo Airstation router from 2012 would indicate a firmware update so why is this "Flagship" router silent regarding what seems to be an important update?
Not impressed so far....
7 Replies
Did you make contact with NG support about the beta?
No, I decided to just leave it on what it came with (1.0.7.86) after reading into it more. It seems to be handling my network of 80+ devices without issues so far.
I had another problem with the registration/activation of the Netgear Armour they go on and on about but support has been useless so i've moved on.
The router works but at this point I don't feel like it was a premium upgrade to my Asus ET12, not sure if I'll try something else or keep it at this point...
Ok.
Good Luck.
All these years of playing with routers (Buffalo, Netgear, TP Link, Amplifi, Asus) and they still can't get the FW issues worked out.... Last few years i've been just purchasing the current higher end models (TP Link AX10000 then the Asus ET12) and now I've moved onto this RS700S and every one of them had some kind of minimal Firmware drama, lol...
My main reason for interest in the current FW is the ability to turn off the wifi radio which I was shocked after discovering it was missing upon setup... I have to admit this is one of the most boring routers I've played with in a while but it appears to be working so I'll let it do its thing for now.
I think this was adressed in a beta FW. Up to you though.
The latest firmware is dated 6/30/2025 (on the actual firmware file). The Release Notes are dated 7/7/2025 because apparently Netgear reloaded the entire Knowledgebase on July 7 and every article was dated 7/7/2025.
Netgear's practices for releasing firmware continue to be a puzzle to users because
- There is no actual documentation on it, and
- They appears to change over time, and
- It also appears that the Nighthawk and Orbi software teams may follow different practices.
The general feeling on the Forum seems to be:
- Unless your system is not functioning well, there is no need to rush to update to the latest firmware.
There have been occasions when "early adopters" discovered serious issues with new firmware and decided to "go back". - If there is a serious security threat, Netgear will probably "push" the firmware to protect users who never look at their systems.
NG can turn OFF or not push new FW based on user experiences.
There is known issues with v.6 FW that has been posted by many others. NG IS aware of the issues. Most likely reason why NG isn't auto updating users routers currently. Some have gone back to prior working version of FW and we can recommend using v.6 FW.
Keep what is loaded for now or reach out to NG support and ask about a beta that maybe available for you to try if you want too.
