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Forum Discussion
Streamline Upgrade; Old NightHawk to New NightHawk
Background info -
Recently received email from Netgear Support that my existing router (NightHawk AX1800 WiFi 6, serial# 689B0C7PA0131, purchased/installed March 2021) will no longer receive service updates starting May 2026.
The email from Netgear Support suggested upgrading to a NightHawk WiFi 7 RS100 router.
Appreciate the recommendation. Don't need to upgrade to a mesh router (small square footage building), have had excellent performance with the AX1800, would welcome upgrade to WiFi 7.
I then proceeded to check on info at Netgear.com about the RS100 router.
Difficulty -
In order to upgrade from NightHawk AX1800 to NightHawk RS100, I will have to setup the newer RS100 router from 'scratch'. I will have to manually, configuration page-by-page, type in all my customized network configuration settings for the AX1800, one-by-one, that have accumulated over 5 years of use (lots of configuration info).
The AX1800 router, if not all NightHawk routers, has the capability to output an encrypted, binary coded ".cfg" file that can be used to very quickly, painlessly, backup/restore all the configuration settings, etc, for the AX1800 -even to another AX1800 (if old router dies).
HOWEVER, after visiting with Netgear chat support (both AI and human), NO such quick/easy option exists for UPGRADE of a NightHawk from an older to a newer model NightHawk (AX1800 to RS100).
I cannot simply take the encrypted/binary coded .cfg file from my old, existing AX1800 (which has ALL my 5 years worth of configuration settings) and simply import/load that into a newer RS100 router (via the backup/restore feature).
I realize the newer RS100, or any newer router especially going from WiFi 6 to Wifi 7, will have many, many new features/settings (ie, the .cfg file for a RS100 would probably be much, much larger and have many different, newer settings than the older AX1800). However, and maybe I am over-simplifying things, wouldn't the older AX1800 settings be somewhat of a smaller subset of the newer, more enhanced RS100 settings?
Recommendation/suggestion/discussion -
Would there possibly be some overlap, commonality between the .cfg files? If there was some commonality, would it be possible to have some kind of utility program that could take the AX1800 config settings in its .cfg file and 'seed them' into the proper format for the RS100 .cfg file?
As to encryption, have the 'upgrade utility program/feature' use current unique encryption key for the AX1800 .cfg file to decode its info to plain text/ASCII, etc, and then use current unique encryption key for the RS100 to encrypt that info into a .cfg file for backup/restore into the RS100 (with the proper format, sequencing, etc).
This would streamline the upgrade process from AX1800 to RS100 by an order of magnitude or more (mere minutes? using .cfg files versus much, much longer, having to manually by hand, page-by-page, type in settings with many, many more opportunities for errors).
Surely other customers would also benefit from such an "upgrade feature" for their routers -especially if the utility program/feature could be made to work across different models for other router upgrades.
I think the coding effort would be worth it for customers/end-users. If not incorporated directly or built-in for the router, then offer it for purchase as an router feature upgrade.
Why not make it easier for the customer to upgrade, purchase newer models, be more user-friendly)
-instead of causing the customer to spend more of his/her valuable time for setup when they have already the setup working on their existing router.
8 Replies
No. You'll need to take screen captures from the old router and use them for references on the new one.
Only NG would have abilities to decrypt backup cfg files.
Understand that though some of the features maybe similar or same between routers, it's FW and other system differences that cause cfg files to not be compatible. So NG keeps models with in models and tied to there cfg files and doesn't make them specific. Making a cross compatible cfd could bring opportunities for errors and problems in system operation and instability. So if a new router needs to be setup, needs to be done from scratch. Been like this for years and seems industry wide.
Setting up my RS500 from scratch literally took 10-15 minutes for me. What manual configurations have you done in your current router other than renaming SSID's and firewall changes?
In my case, duplicating the current configuration entails:
- 50+ entries in the LAN Setup table to reserve specific IP addresses for devices.
- Opening the Attached Devices display and editing each entry to provide a "User Friendly" device name, device type, and select the appropriate category from the drop down menu.
- Setting up DDNS and OpenVPN and downloading the OpenVPN configuration files.
Allowing for the inevitable typos and corrections, the process takes close to 1-2 hours.
p.s. Even though the existing router is scheduled to stop receiving updates in May, there is no need to panic. There is ample time to consider what the market has to offer and compare it with:
- The number of devices you expect to have connected over the next 3-5 years
- Whether you anticipate having devices which support the 6GHz frequency band over the next 3-5 years
The RS300, is twice the cost of the RS100, but supports more devices, higher LAN speeds, and the 6GHz WiFi band. $180 over 60 months is about $3.00/month more. When I purchase a new system, I plan to pay more attention to support options. Although my default so far (televisions, ovens, security cameras, etc. etc.) has been to reject extended warranties, Netgear's 90 days of 'complimentary support' has caused me to focus more on support options than I did before.
First off,
Thank you to FURRYe38, coolwifi, and CrimpOn for your responses!
Done enough router setups to understand the need for having records (screenshots, etc) of existing router configuration for new router setup.
CrimpOn has the closest understanding of my situation, although my situation is less extensive than his. I'm closer to his situation than coolwifi's. I totally agree with FURRYe38's comment about "...been this way for years and seems industry wide." But does it always have to be this way forever?
Not always the best in explaining myself, and probably confused folks with my recommendation.
The audience for my post includes BOTH users such as yourselves, as well as Netgear Staff and engineers who read these feedback forums.
Indeed, my recommendation could only be accomplished by Netgear -as they alone have full understanding of the software and hardware for their routers. Not really wanting a "cross compatible .cfg" file (FURRYe38) -way too difficult to implement/maintain. There is commonality in configurations as far as fairly standardized settings (eg, naming SSID's, etc).
Granted, a new router would need to be powered up and recognize attached devices on your network(s). But once that is done, why not (Netgear staff and engineers) have the capability for the router to upload a file (possibly in MS Excel csv format, etc) that would contain the 50+ entries for the LAN setup table with the reserved IP addresses for devices, all "User Friendly" device names/types/categories, etc, and then the router would modify applicable settings as necessary. Don't have to necessarily use only the .cfg file approach to streamline the setup.
To make router setup more efficient, less error-prone, do not need to have an all-inclusive utility that does everything from beginning to end. Have the utility feature/program 'bite off' and perform smaller chunks of the setup process (especially portions susceptible to typing errors).
Again, really appreciate your comments/feedback (hope Netgear staff and engineers are reading).
A prosumer brand like Ubiquiti would fit your use case for migrating the configuration from a older device to a newer device. Netgear consumer devices are meant ideally for plug and play.
Netgear Staff and engineers who read these feedback forums
And....... there's the problem. In the eight years I have participated in the Community Forum, only a small handful of posts have ever been by anyone indicating Netgear employment. and those were invariably in the form of, "I sent you a Personal Message" in regard to a strangely complicated issue with a new product. Unlike some vendors, Netgear's Community Forum is exactly that: a place for users to discuss. Netgear staff and engineers are all working on assigned tasks. If any of them happen to visit the Community Forum, it is on their own time.
There is actually a forum where users can make suggestions:
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RS150v2/RS150v2-140-130_QSG_UM_EN.pdf
In order to upgrade from NightHawk AX1800 to NightHawk RS100, I will have to setup the newer RS100 router from 'scratch'. I will have to manually, configuration page-by-page, type in all my customized network configuration settings for the AX1800, one-by-one, that have accumulated over 5 years of use (lots of configuration info).
This is a nuisance.
Exporting the full config could be difficult, as options do change over time. But it would be much simpler if you could export/import csv files for ip address reservations and mac address controls - and that would certainly be easy for Netgear to do.
There is actually a forum where users can make suggestions:
Yes, but this particular suggestion has been made many times for many years, and so far no action by Netgear.
Unless you're paying for multigig speeds, the RS100 isn't that much of an upgrade. If it was me and I was looking for upgrade options while retaining the ability to transition between systems?
I'd move to a open source setup like opnsense.You'd simply build a cheap router without wifi and use the current router as an access point. I picked up a cheap Intel N150 with 12g of ram and 2x multigig ports all for around $100. It runs as my router and then I just use a mesh system for my wireless in AP mode. Much more secure. Is upgradable, has backup options that can be transferred over, better security, built in DNS blocking, etc. Much better system.
