Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

billg118
Guide

CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

I've got the CAX80 and something very strange just happened.

I restarted the device through the admin console through Firefox on my phone. I pressed the big reset button and when it booted back up the wifi settings were wiped.

Both the 2.4 and 5 GHz SSIDs we're set to Broadcom with no security.

It's working fine now but I don't understand why it happened and I'd really like for that to not happen again.

Any ideas?
Message 1 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

What Firmware version is currently loaded?

 

Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last update?

 

Be sure to save off a backup configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if this happens again.

Message 2 of 13
tamanaco
Apprentice

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

My suggestion is that you backup the CAX80 router configuration every time that you make a change to its settings. I use this method to avoid having to reconfigure it manually. I just restore the most recent configuration. 9 times out 10 if the router reboots it goes back to factory-like settings. You have to re-enter a new Admin password and sometimes re-add the the AP names and AP Keys.

Message 3 of 13
siglackner
Tutor

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

This just happened to me for THE SECOND TIME.  It's beyond frustrating and makes no sense.  In my case, my internet service went down for about three hours today.  As the router typically does when it can't find an internet signal, it went through a series of restarts until the service was restored.  As soon as it was restored, all my WiFi settings were wiped/reset to default (BROADCOM SSID, no security, etc.).  The last time this happened was after a power outage when, not only were my WiFi settings wiped, but the router itself completely reset and I had to login through the browswer and re-establish an admin account. 

Why is this happening.  I'd like to ask Netgear, but of course, I'm past the 90 days since my purchase, so all they want is a credit card if I call them.  This is ridiculous.  A router at this price point should not crash/lose settings during a reboot or power outage.  I am on current firmware and, while I fully appreciate the need for a backup, I shouldn't have to rely on a backup every time the modem resets or is powered down.

Message 4 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

What Firmware version is currently loaded?

 

Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last update?

 

Be sure to save off a backup configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if this happens again.


@siglackner wrote:

This just happened to me for THE SECOND TIME.  It's beyond frustrating and makes no sense.  In my case, my internet service went down for about three hours today.  As the router typically does when it can't find an internet signal, it went through a series of restarts until the service was restored.  As soon as it was restored, all my WiFi settings were wiped/reset to default (BROADCOM SSID, no security, etc.).  The last time this happened was after a power outage when, not only were my WiFi settings wiped, but the router itself completely reset and I had to login through the browswer and re-establish an admin account. 

Why is this happening.  I'd like to ask Netgear, but of course, I'm past the 90 days since my purchase, so all they want is a credit card if I call them.  This is ridiculous.  A router at this price point should not crash/lose settings during a reboot or power outage.  I am on current firmware and, while I fully appreciate the need for a backup, I shouldn't have to rely on a backup every time the modem resets or is powered down.


 

Message 5 of 13
billg118
Guide

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

Hi Im the OP.

 

Running FW 2.1.2.6 which is the newest version.

 

I have never done a factory reset. This FW is what came on it when I bought it.

 

Saving a backup isn't a solution here. What if I'm out of town and my power goes out? When it comes back on my CAX80 config would be broken and it would be broadcasting two unsecured wifi networks for anyone who wants to join. That's SUPER bad.

 

Now again I'll say this doesn't happen after EVERY restart. I restarted it yesterday and it came back with all settings fine. But every once in a while on a restart it'll do this and it sucks.

Message 6 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

I recommend doing a factory reset on the modem and setup from scratch after the FW was updated and see if the problem continues. 


@billg118 wrote:

Hi Im the OP.

 

Running FW 2.1.2.6 which is the newest version.

 

I have never done a factory reset. This FW is what came on it when I bought it.

 

Saving a backup isn't a solution here. What if I'm out of town and my power goes out? When it comes back on my CAX80 config would be broken and it would be broadcasting two unsecured wifi networks for anyone who wants to join. That's SUPER bad.

 

Now again I'll say this doesn't happen after EVERY restart. I restarted it yesterday and it came back with all settings fine. But every once in a while on a restart it'll do this and it sucks.


 

Message 7 of 13
siglackner
Tutor

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

I must echo what @billg118 said...

Saving backups and restoring is not a solution to this problem.  The router clearly should not be losing configuration when powered down or reset.

Also, when my first crash occurred about 45 days ago - the result of a power outage, as opposed to an internet service outage - I did, in fact, do a full factory reset, re-setup my network entirely and ensured the firmware was up to date.  That obviously did not correct the situation as it happened again yesterday.

Will someone from Netgear please respond and acknowledge this issue and offer some input as to how/when it will be corrected.  This is not an inexpensive router and I bought it to provide reliable and resilient internet service in my home, based on my experience with Netgear products and its reputation.  I am often away from this home and rely on my internet service for remote management and security.  As it stands, both are at risk every time there's a power outage or an ISP service interruption - hardly reliable or resilient, and certainly not up to Netgear standards.

Message 8 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

What Firmware version is currently loaded?

 

Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last update?


@siglackner wrote:


Saving backups and restoring is not a solution to this problem.  The router clearly should not be losing configuration when powered down or reset.

Also, when my first crash occurred about 45 days ago - the result of a power outage, as opposed to an internet service outage - I did, in fact, do a full factory reset, re-setup my network entirely and ensured the firmware was up to date.  That obviously did not correct the situation as it happened again yesterday.

Will someone from Netgear please respond and acknowledge this issue and offer some input as to how/when it will be corrected.  This is not an inexpensive router and I bought it to provide reliable and resilient internet service in my home, based on my experience with Netgear products and its reputation.  I am often away from this home and rely on my internet service for remote management and security.  As it stands, both are at risk every time there's a power outage or an ISP service interruption - hardly reliable or resilient, and certainly not up to Netgear standards.


 

Message 9 of 13
siglackner
Tutor

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

@FURRYe38 

 

Firmware v 2.1.2.6

 

And yes, as mentioned in my last post, the last time this happened, I did a factory reset and setup from scratch.  Firmware didn't update, as this appears to be the latest firmware version - at least, when I attempt a firmware update it says there is no newer firmware available.

Message 10 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

So if a power outage happens the modem completly looses its configuration and goes back to default setting?

@vkdelta 


@siglackner wrote:

@FURRYe38 

 

Firmware v 2.1.2.6

 

And yes, as mentioned in my last post, the last time this happened, I did a factory reset and setup from scratch.  Firmware didn't update, as this appears to be the latest firmware version - at least, when I attempt a firmware update it says there is no newer firmware available.


 

Message 11 of 13
siglackner
Tutor

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart

Two different, and random, behaviours...

 

1) Power outage...when modem restarted, it lost it's setup credentials (not sure what to call it) so the modem was behaving as if it hadn't been installed yet (no admin user account, etc.).  When I went through the installation process and re-established credentials, all of my configuration was still there, EXCEPT for WiFi, which got wiped back to default settings.

 

2) Internet service outage...modem reset multiple times while internet service was down (that would be expected, I suppose, as it tries to get an internet signal).  At some point during one of those resets, all WiFi settings were wiped again, back to defaults, so when internet service was finally restored, I had to re-configure WiFi.  Before I re-configured WiFi, I did a full reboot of the modem just to make sure.  No success.  

 

Bottom line is that there's something flakey going on if the modem reboots or resets, as is evidenced by other postings on this thread.

Message 12 of 13
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: CAX80 Wifi settings wiped after restart


@siglackner wrote:

Two different, and random, behaviours...

 

1) Power outage...when modem restarted, it lost it's setup credentials (not sure what to call it) so the modem was behaving as if it hadn't been installed yet (no admin user account, etc.).  When I went through the installation process and re-established credentials, all of my configuration was still there, EXCEPT for WiFi, which got wiped back to default settings.

OK, this should not be happening. 

 

2) Internet service outage...modem reset multiple times while internet service was down (that would be expected, I suppose, as it tries to get an internet signal).  At some point during one of those resets, all WiFi settings were wiped again, back to defaults, so when internet service was finally restored, I had to re-configure WiFi.  Before I re-configured WiFi, I did a full reboot of the modem just to make sure.  No success.  

FYI, for the CAX, yes, if the modem loses signal from the ISP on the coax line, it auto reboots in a loop until the ISP signal on the coax line comes back. Nothing we can do about this. However WiFi settings should not be cleared out though. 

 

Bottom line is that there's something flakey going on if the modem reboots or resets, as is evidenced by other postings on this thread.

 I have mine in modem only mode so I have not seen this. I'll be checking mine this weekend however.

 

Will see if we can get some NG review on this. 

@vkdelta 


 

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