This is ridiculous. I am about to switch back to Asus system again.

Whoever decided not putting an option to disable auto upgrade should be fired immediately!

Another one of these has also been started:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Idea-Exchange-For-Home/Stop-unscheduled-firmware-updates-in-Orbi-AX/idc-p/2143895#M3740

Being made aware of this one from Netgear's best friend - FURRYe38 - I'm commenting here too.

This last update pushed to Orbi routers - 4.6.3.16 has caused a LOT of turmoil and unnecessary issues drastically impacting productivity across the world. 

Netgear has some explaining to do and until satisfied - sales will diminish across the board as many of us are recommending people steer away from Netgear anything.

I'm in IT, and firmware updates are tested on dev systems, and then scheduled and rolled out to production. Could you imagine any company, airline, ecommerce site, etc. allowing their routers to be automatically updated without proper testing and scheduling? Home users should have the same option, even if automatic updates are enabled by default. I agree the average home user doesn't even know what firmware is, but I support multiple computers for family and friends, and it's very difficult to debug when you have no access or idea what the issue is. Please allow disabling auto-updates even if there is a disclaimer regarding vulnerabilities and liability.

Pleaad

I am so sick of companies forcing updates before you might be ready or get to review the changes. Fine to allow it for those that are willing to risk an arbitrary update but it certainly should NOT be the default. And it should only enabled by the end user (perhaps part of a setup wizard). This is especially true for firmware. It sucks in Windows. It sucks even more for devices that may be in use.

This is so disgraceful and incompetent. The computing world is becoming a total disgrace.

Hate, hate, hate this bullying attitude and you know it would have been no work to keep the choice but they had to go and actively remove it from the baseline firmware.

Please Netgear, come to your senses. Everyone, please come to your senses.

SW_ ,

You are absolutely correct as there was one of my satellites that did auto-update to 2.3.1.44, although I haven't had any other satellite do it. I just wanted to let you and others know that the Orbi shouldn't be auto-updating after FW 2.30.28.

It is always “Better to have, and not need, than to need, and not have.”

:smileyhappy:

Have a good one,

Hi DorkiOrbiFW ,

For some unkown reasons, it seems that some folks are still experiencing forced firmware auto-updated as recently as 2.3.1.44.  Here is another post from a different user with firmware 2.3.0.32.  There are more similar posts in that thread.

It could be that NETGEAR has decided to stop forcing auto-updated on Orbi users, but it's strange how it's still happening.  By the way, I am one of those users who will always update my Orbi to the latest firmware and you are right that I don't really this feature.  However, as someone said:

“Better to have, and not need, than to need, and not have.”

Cheers!  :-)

SW_ , while it may please some to enable this feature, you really do not need to. Ever since the release of firmware version 2.3.0.28, your Orbi system should no longer auto-update. However, in the act that it does, great work in finding the necessary commands necessary to enable this via telnet. Even though I know Orbi in the inside (telnet), I wouldn't have come up with this, so I thank you for sharing and outlining what's needed to enable the hidden feature.

Thank you,

The Orbi Mechanic (@DorkiOrbiFW)

If you want to see "Orbi Router Auto Firmware Update" Enable/Disable switch, check out this Orbi Router Auto Firmware Update Switch.

DorkiOrbiFW Ya my bad, I just loaded mine to check and I don't see any kind of option to disable Auto Update. Seems that SW_ has given mis-information....:smileyfrustrated:

I just updated the RBK50 system I have to v48 and it's working well. Manual FW file load on the units then full factory reset and setup from scratch. No problems thus far.

In response to FURRYe38 , you are incorrect... I don't know how that's possible as I have updated my grandmother's RBK50 system to 2.3.1.48 and it does not have that option. Personally, my own RBK40 unit does not have that option and is running 2.3.1.48. I don't know how the hell these other people are having that option, as it confuses the s*** out of me.

Now, NETGEAR you are really starting to anger the hell out of me! I have messaged you multiple times to correct your support websites to list the current firmware version multiple times for various devices and you still do not do it. Perhaps, it is because your Orbi firmware team still sucks?! Get yourselves on the right track.

I love the Orbi in terms of hardware, but firmware is AN ABSOLUTE MESS! My speed isn't 100% there, but it has gotten better after that 2.3.1.44 update.