Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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Re: Circle Home Plus

eyrieowl
Tutor

Circle Home Plus

Hey,

So, I recently moved from a Nighthawk R7000 I'd been using for several years to an Orbi system.  I'm in general happy with the Orbi...but I've run into difficulty in setting the parental controls back up.  In particular, I've been using Circle, and Circle Go for my kids portable devices.  However, I seem to be unable to set the Circle Go back up...and from looking at the Circle support, it sounds like they're phasing Circle with Disney out, in favor of their new "Circle Home Plus".  Given that Circle with Disney has been and is an important selling point for these routers, what is the plan for Circle support in the future?  Will the Circle software be upgraded to allow us to move to the new Circle Home Plus?  I really am loathe to purchase some other device to support parental controls after shelling out on the Orbi's, and I'm a bit disappointed to find Netgear still touting the Circle with Disney as though it's a viable alternative when it really seems not to be going forward.  Can anyone shed any light on any of this?

 

Thanks!

Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 1 of 9
eyrieowl
Tutor

Re: Circle Home Plus

Also, just to add, I'd really appreciate a forthright answer b/c I have subscriptions I'm paying for for both Circle and Circle Go, and I'd like to have clarity on whether I should cancel those as they'll be useless, or not....

 

Message 2 of 9
Mastersuntzu
Initiate

Re: Circle Home Plus

I’m in the same boat. My R7000 Nighthawk died during the latest firmware update. Rather than fight the inevitable, I accepted its death and proceeded to BestBuy to purchase a new router with WiFi. I chose the Orbi because I wanted to continue using Circle and CircleGo. I can’t begin to explain how frustrated I am that I now have to purchase the Circle Plus too! Will Orbi be updating its firmware/OS to support Circle Plus?
Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 3 of 9
schumaku
Guru

Re: Circle Home Plus

Appears there are multiple misunderstandings....

 

  1. Premium for Circle on Netgear requires only the Circle subscription, not both Cirlce and Circle Go. If you have both subscriptions charged on your account, please look here -> https://support.meetcircle.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003335191-Two-Subscriptions-Appear-for-My-Circle...
  2. The "standalone" Circle by Disney solution (with the Circle box - which is not required with the router based Circle on Netgear) is replaced by the Circle Home Plus.
  3. The feature set of Premium for Circle on Netgear -> https://support.meetcircle.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001380692-What-is-Premium-on-Circle-with-NETGEAR... continues to be available.
Message 4 of 9
Mastersuntzu
Initiate

Re: Circle Home Plus

There is no misunderstanding. I am aware of your three points. The issue is that if I want to continue managing my kids iPhones outside of my home I will now have to purchase separately the new Circle box. Prior to Circle discontinuing Circle Go I could manage devices within and outside of my WiFi network. With the new arrangement there is ZERO value in having Circle via Netgear. Once I purchase the new Circle Device I will have all the features of Circle without Netgear adding any value. In short...why select a Netgear router with Circle included when you will have to buy a separate Circle device anyway. As angry and frustrated as it makes me I have conceded that I will need the new Circle device to continue managing my devices the way I was able to prior to this awful change in the Netgear/Circle partnership. I will now have to disable the Circle feature on my Netgear Orbi so that the two different Circles/Profiles don’t conflict/compete with each other.
Model: RBK53|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi System
Message 5 of 9
schumaku
Guru

Re: Circle Home Plus

True. Missed some words I had in mind before hitting [Post]. Only Netgear and Circle Media Labs can explain on how they want to provide continuity for their existing customers - for now when it comes to Circle Go, and probably more in the future. The point is neither the new box nor the Circle Home Plus - much more the effort of keeping the Circle code on the Netgear devices up to speed, ensuring the compatibility with the cloud services involved, and how the existing Netgear Circle Premium customers can continue to maintain the subscription for the mobile service.

@Christian_R the shutdown of the Circle Go service by the service provider is a bigger problem Netgear must take care of.

Message 6 of 9
DexterJB
NETGEAR Moderator

Re: Circle Home Plus

Hi @Mastersuntzu, as stated in the announcement by Circle here:

 

"If you are already a Circle Go customer, the supporting services will continue to operate as normal. Only potential new customers will be affected by this change."

 

Dexter

Message 7 of 9
eyrieowl
Tutor

Re: Circle Home Plus

That announcement is useless for existing customers who switch devices, but thank you for parroting what we'd already read for ourselves.
Message 8 of 9
raven_au
Virtuoso

Re: Circle Home Plus


@schumaku wrote:

Appears there are multiple misunderstandings....

 

  1. Premium for Circle on Netgear requires only the Circle subscription, not both Cirlce and Circle Go. If you have both subscriptions charged on your account, please look here -> https://support.meetcircle.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003335191-Two-Subscriptions-Appear-for-My-Circle...

Are you sure this is correct?

 

You don't "need" Circle Go with the Premium For Circle on Netgear but there is no mention about Circle Go for mobile devices in the Premium fee and the link above essentially says that you will have two subscriptions if you want to use Circle Go with a Netgear router.

 

Of course you might not even be able to subscribe any more ????

 

Message 9 of 9
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