Draconian Forced Firmware Policy - MR1100 & LBR20

[18outrage]

Looking for feedback from Netgear on your Firmware policies:

1. Please allow users the option of blocking automatic firmware updates

2. Please provide complete and descriptive release motes to allow reasonable assessment of firmware updates, example LBR20 2.6.3.50 fw seems to have re-written the partition structure and disabled telnet access, while Netgear release notes say, Fixes bugs and issues. Anyone else find this incredibly annoying?

3. Please advise what is going on with Netgear forcing 12.06.21.00 updates on the MR1100, despite their being zero information from Netgear on the release.

ty

[pcspecialistpdx]

The auto-update didn't even complete on my neighbor's MR1100-2A1NAS and left him with no internet until I did the only thing possible to fix it and that leaves him without LAA and no way to get it back.

My two MR1100-100NAS haven't auto-updated, I wasn't even aware they will.

[berderking]

@JohnPeng Why are we getting forced firmware updates on devices we own outright? We should have the right to opt out if we want to!

[schumaku]

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@pcspecialistpdx wrote:

The auto-update didn't even complete on my neighbor's MR1100-2A1NAS and left him with no internet until I did the only thing possible to fix it and that leaves him without LAA and no way to get it back.

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Leaving alone that s**t happens - awful if one has to relay on a single wireless devices, no doubts:  MR1100-2A1NAS is an AT&T device (probaly the same for @18outrage on the initial post) -> Software update for the Netgear Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (MR1100) - (Latest Update as of ... Netgear does only list documentation -> MR1100 – Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot Router (AT&T) for this ATT model variant.

In my understanding, warranty and at least first level support is handled by AT&T. Well possible, there are fixes and enhancements for the carrier.

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@pcspecialistpdx wrote:

My two MR1100-100NAS haven't auto-updated, I wasn't even aware they will.

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This are standard Netgear devices - and there is no such update published on MR1100 – Nighthawk M1 Mobile Router (that's the open US market model) - note there are various variants listed on https://netgear.com/support/ 

The fine documentation from the above support page does say:

===

Note: Firmware updates with new features and bug fixes are available at
downloadcenter.netgear.com. Some products regularly check the site and download new
firmware, or you can check for and download new firmware manually. If the features or
behavior of your product does not match what is described in this manual, you might need
to update your firmware. 

===

[schumaku]

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@18outrage wrote:

2. Please provide complete and descriptive release motes to allow reasonable assessment of firmware updates, example LBR20 2.6.3.50 fw seems to have re-written the partition structure and disabled telnet access, while Netgear release notes say, Fixes bugs and issues. Anyone else find this incredibly annoying?

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Unfortunately, Netgear is very substandard in providing informative and comprehensive firmware release notes, especially in the consumer area.

Telnet (shell access) was - different form various other products - never a feature. Needless to say, if one does hear we did this for security reasons (sigh) it does always leave the interested user with the idea we-have-to-hide-something.

Ref. the partition structure change (I have no idea if it happened) a vendor must have good reasons. The risk doing this is much higher than just a simple firmware update. But then, they need to have the base of installed products up to speed, for current and future interoperability and coming-up features and services. That's why giving the average Joe the chance to disable the updates they will face issues and unwanted support effort in the future.