Reviving a bricked C7000v2?

[ChestnutBestnut]

Hi all! First time on this forum, since I've run up a bit of a crazy road trying to figure out how to revive my (quite new and not super cheap!) C7000v2 / Nighthawk AC1900 modem-router combination unit.

I've moved apartments recently, and while I was activating it in my new place with my ISP, I think I may have unknowingly restarted it in the middle of a firmware update triggered by my ISP, effectively bricking it. (It was working perfectly in the old place for a year.) I started down the path outlined here for a tftp firmware reinstall, but then realized based on a post from this forum that that option isn't viable for a router-modem combo unit, only for standalone routers (oof). I heard going through the ISP was the only way to reinstall firmware in such a case, so I tried that, but the support folks didn't know what I was talking about and just tried to send a reset code. Hoping someone here has more experience; seems like the right place to come to!

TLDR: unit is bricked and I'm trying to fix it.

Symptoms:

• Does not appear to boot (lights briefly flash, then all appear solid, most of them orange) - manual (page 114) indicates this is an internal fault and likely a hardware issue
• Does not respond to reset button after 7 seconds (per the manual) or 30/30/30 trick
• Occasionally (and randomly?) flashes lights when using reset button, so it's doing something, but it doesn't cause it to boot properly
• Does not produce any LAN WiFi network, so I can't use any of the PC- or app-based control panels to install firmware
• Prior to the bricking, I was having trouble getting an internet connection in the new apartment (hence multiple activation requests and the interrupted activation)

Would love any suggestions to revive what has otherwise been a very reliable piece of hardware. It's quite possible that it's not a firmware issue, that's just the only result I've found so far that could explain what's happening.

[plemans · Accepted solution]

Might be bricked then

[michaelkenward]

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@ChestnutBestnut wrote:

Hi all! First time on this forum, since I've run up a bit of a crazy road trying to figure out how to revive my (quite new and not super cheap!) C7000v2 / Nighthawk AC1900 modem-router combination unit.

While many questions about routers are generic and could be answered anywhere, some things need specialist knowledge. In this case, you need advice that only cable modem experts are likely to know about.

You might get more help, and find earlier questions and answers specific to your device, in the appropriate section for your hardware. That's probably here:

Cable Modems & Routers

I will ask the Netgear moderator to move your message.

[plemans]

it sounds like you might have indeed bricked it. 

Its one of the reasons we don't usually recommend combo units on here is when you do brick them, there isn't much an end user can do to recover it. 

You've tried resetting with the coax disconnected?

You've tried the 30/30/30 reset?

The only other thing I'd recommend trying is to bring the c7000 to a different location with the same ISP and see if they can provision it there. Maybe there's a line issue and its not fully provisioning it. 

IF that doesn't work, you'd want to start an RMA process if you're still within warranty

[ChestnutBestnut]

Regarding location swap - got it, makes sense!

Plemans -

• Sadly it's outside of the Netgear warranty by two weeks, and the tech support is pretty limited beyond 90 days. Wish I'd known about the modem-router combo shortcoming before buying!
  
  • Talked to Netgear support for a hardware check, and they seemed to think it wasn't a firmware issue if there were lights other than the power LED illuminated, and if the power LED was illuminated green rather than amber...is it possible there's any other class of issues that could be at play?
• Just tried the reset again with coax removed, and also the 30/30/30 with coax removed - no dice
• We've had a separate modem and router here from prior roommates (who are moving out and now want said items) that worked well enough on this coax connection (although they did have intermittent outages) - do you think it's still worth trying a different location given that prior hardware worked?

Question: When the ISP sends a reset code, is that the same as them forcing a firmware update / reinstall? Or is it worth trying to go back again and specifically request a firmware reinstall?

As an aside, new observation: The lights blinking once (randomly) actually aren't connected to the reset button; they just happen every now and then while it's plugged in.

Thanks very much for your help!

[plemans]

The reset signal either clears out settings or just reboots. To do a re-provision, they'd need to remove it from the account and re-add it. 

Have them try that. 

Are you able to hardwire a pc/laptop into it and connect at 192.168.100.1?

or even ping it?

[ChestnutBestnut]

I'll give it a shot.

I tried the 192.168.100.1 thing - no dice. No ping either.

[plemans · Accepted solution]

Might be bricked then

[ChestnutBestnut]

Rip C7000v2 2022