Re: Nighthawk D7000 2.4Ghz WiFi issues

DKenward · ‎2017-12-12

Just re-tweeted the post from @boiledfrog which can be accessed via this link: https://twitter.com/dmkenward/status/940489769112494080 I would urge @Jovian @IAK @michaelkenward @jimbaxter to re-tweet as I did. Netgear make it very hard to talk with them directly which is not great customer service. Clearly needs a Firnware fix as the new update is failing authentication on all devices that use 2.4Ghz (could just be devices are not given long enough to authenticate but I am no engineer to know the answer). Adjusting the settings within the router does not work. Re-setting to manufacturer conditions and inputting settings manually does not work. Playing around with settings is a sticking plaster solution (which does not work) and needs a cure so as not to happen again and not compromise speed or functionality of the router by tweaks which do not work.

dajones9686 · ‎2017-12-12

same problem....has anyone tried to rollback the firmware? I have had the modem around a month and the problem just started not sure if I had a recent firmware update.....very disappointed in netgear. Bought from Amazon will ensure customer feed back is updated with these issues

michaelkenward · ‎2017-12-13

@dajones9686 wrote:
....not sure if I had a recent firmware update.....

It isn't likely that you got an update without knowing about it. It is usually one of those "There's an update, do you want it?" prompts.

By "same problem", is this 2.4 GHz wifi clients losing their connection? Is this all wifi devices?

@dajones9686 wrote:
....has anyone tried to rollback the firmware?

People have tried all manner of things. Sadly, there is no single "this will fix it" answer. Here are some of the tricks people have tried, along with a few that have come up over the years:

if you haven't done so already, factory reset the device to erase its memory of earlier bugs
flash the memory manually again
tell the 2.4GHz band to use a particular channel and not Auto
tell the 2.4GHz band to use Auto and not a particular channel
turn off the 5GHz band
if your device supports it
toggle (change) the setting for Enable or Disable Smart Connect
turn the wifi on and off manually with the switch on the top (It masquerades as the wifi LED.)
roll back to an earlier firmware

Of course, you should also do the standard things, like positioning your devices to ensure that your wifi isn't getting swamped by interference, locally or from the neighbours.

Then there is the stuff you can do with wifi clients, like telling them to forget their link with the wifi source and reestablishing the connection.

This list may be long, but there may be other things that I have forgotten.

If you do find something that works for you, you can help others by reporting back the moves that worked for you.

Good luck, you may need it.

Jon81 · ‎2017-12-13

Just chiming in to say having the exact same issue. Have tried factory resets. Channel switching etc. But authentication just dies after 2-3 hrs.

Judging by everyone hitting the issue at the exact same time i'm pretty sure this is related to a date issue in the firmware and that it is probably a simple fix for Netgear so hopefully we can make enough noise to get them to listen. Its basically unusable atm. I'll have to consider another brand.

jimbaxter · ‎2017-12-13

@dajones9686 wrote:
same problem....has anyone tried to rollback the firmware? I have had the modem around a month and the problem just started not sure if I had a recent firmware update.....very disappointed in netgear. Bought from Amazon will ensure customer feed back is updated with these issues

I thought the same thing and tried rolling back to 1.0.1.48 and 1.0.1.44 with a full Factory Erase after the firmware update and setting up the system manually each time instead of using a backup. It did not make a difference.

I wonder if the firmware could have changed something in the HW that is not undone when you roll back?

I am waiting for a replacement router from Netgear, I will let you know which firmware it has on it.

Jon81 · ‎2017-12-13

@jimbaxter wrote:
@dajones9686 wrote:
same problem....has anyone tried to rollback the firmware? I have had the modem around a month and the problem just started not sure if I had a recent firmware update.....very disappointed in netgear. Bought from Amazon will ensure customer feed back is updated with these issues
I thought the same thing and tried rolling back to 1.0.1.48 and 1.0.1.44 with a full Factory Erase after the firmware update and setting up the system manually each time instead of using a backup. It did not make a difference.

I wonder if the firmware could have changed something in the HW that is not undone when you roll back?
I am waiting for a replacement router from Netgear, I will let you know which firmware it has on it.

My guess is there is some date issue in the firmware that has messed up authenication. It isn't something that has been changed in any of the firmwares and is a long standing bug. So once the date hit a certain point in this month the bug has shown up. Hence causing everyone to have the problem at the same time. (Think millenium bug) I'm out of warranty or i would be returning mine. Pretty annoyed tbh. This is a massive bug and judging by this thread it's happening to most if not all of D7000 owners.

I can just about survive just using 5G for a few days if they're going to roll out a fix. But the silence has been deafening so far. Won't be buying Netgear again at this rate.

Marco_N · ‎2017-12-13

Hi, i have the same problem since 1 week (no update or changed any setting), i had no problem for almost 2 years..i literally never reset it

tryed firmware 1.0.1.48 1.0.1.50, factory reset before and after firmware update, let the wifi without password but after 16/24 hour all my devices (ps4, netatmo thermostat, smart tv and x 2 smarthphone) get disconnected. If i try to reconnect i get message "authentication problem"

restart will fix it for 1 day

5.0 ghz is disabled

its still in warranty for 3 months, but i hope thei can give a fix soon..

spacelab · ‎2017-12-14

First time posting here as I stumbled on to this forum while looking into the 2.4 ghz channel drop that started happening to my D7000 a few days ago.

I've noticed that if you go the router firmware download page for the D7000 (rather than through the web interface which said I had the latest version available) there is now a later version available than those mentioned here, V1.0.1.52_1.0.1 (release note page has update timestamp of 12/14/2017). I was running V1.0.1.50_1.0.1 and experinced the problems noted here with the 2.4ghz channel.

https://kb.netgear.com/000053106/D7000-Firmware-Version-1-0-1-52

I've now installed this manually via the interface page upload process and will see if it resolves this issue and will report back. It's working for now of course as a reboot normally resolves this for a brief period.

Jon81 · ‎2017-12-14

@spacelab wrote:
First time posting here as I stumbled on to this forum while looking into the 2.4 ghz channel drop that started happening to my D7000 a few days ago.

I've noticed that if you go the router firmware download page for the D7000 (rather than through the web interface which said I had the latest version available) there is now a later version available than those mentioned here, V1.0.1.52_1.0.1 (release note page has update timestamp of 12/14/2017). I was running V1.0.1.50_1.0.1 and experinced the problems noted here with the 2.4ghz channel.

https://kb.netgear.com/000053106/D7000-Firmware-Version-1-0-1-52

I've now installed this manually via the interface page upload process and will see if it resolves this issue and will report back. It's working for now of course as a reboot normally resolves this for a brief period.

Great find. I'm installing now. I wish they would publish a changelog!

Marco_N · ‎2017-12-14

I got another wifi crash today.. after 10 hours after reset.

I just istalled the 0.52.. lets see if this work.

Marco_N · ‎2017-12-14

Great.. wifi down 2 times in 10 hours with 1.52

DKenward · ‎2017-12-15

Coincidently I finally managed to contact customer service who directed me to the support page that had the new firmware version: V1.0.1.52_1.0.1

Strange this is not an update via Genie but never the less I updated and had great hopes but 8 hours later the authentication issue has returned so will be contacting Netgear again and hope it does not end up being another 35 minute call.

I am in the UK and if interested here is the detail to get in contact with Netgear:

Phone: 0808 1011230

Numbers to press before speaking with someone: 1411111

Please ring and report your issue as the more people who do they might make this a priority as I am not sure they look at Twitter or this community.

michaelkenward · ‎2017-12-15

@DKenward wrote:

Coincidently I finally managed to contact customer service who directed me to the support page that had the new firmware version: V1.0.1.52_1.0.1

It can take a few days to roll the thing out on the automated system.

Putting new firmware on the support pages also means that the first people to use it are a bit more knowledgeable than those who have trouble working out how to unzip a file and manually update firmware.

For anyone who hasn't found it yet, get the new version here:

D7000 | Product | Support | NETGEAR

It is dated 12/14/2017, which means 14th December 2017 in the real world.

The only change it promises in Netgear's typically useless Release Note is "Security Enhancement".

Tomhurst · ‎2017-12-15

I've installed firmware 52 and it's still dropping. This is awful, half the things in my home are offline!

DKenward · ‎2017-12-15

As the firmware 52 update did not solve the issue I went back to PC World and changed the D7000 for a new one and hope this works now.

Should not happen after 11 months and even odder that the issue was not caused by any firmware update but from out of nowhere which affected all of us I expect the same way.

I am not updating the firmware shipped with the router hoping that the issue will not happen but I will be back if it does!

michaelkenward · ‎2017-12-15

@Tomhurst wrote:

I've installed firmware 52 and it's still dropping. This is awful, half the things in my home are offline!

You may have missed this somewhere in the discussion, but did you "factory reset" the device after applying the new firmware? Or any of the other tricks that came up in conversation?

Maybe you tried. You don't say.

Sadly, there is no single "this'll fix it" move, but different people have found that one or more of them works.

Jon81 · ‎2017-12-15

@michaelkenward wrote:
@Tomhurst wrote:
I've installed firmware 52 and it's still dropping. This is awful, half the things in my home are offline!
You may have missed this somewhere in the discussion, but did you "factory reset" the device after applying the new firmware? Or any of the other tricks that came up in conversation?

Maybe you tried. You don't say.

Sadly, there is no single "this'll fix it" move, but different people have found that one or more of them works.

I'm going to have to disagree with your last line. Literally no one in this thread has found a fix for this.

michaelkenward · ‎2017-12-15

Jon81 wrote:

I'm going to have to disagree with your last line. Literally no one in this thread has found a fix for this.

Sadly, this is not the only thread that goes into the defects in the latest firmware for the D7000. Easy to miss it, but others have been more successful.

PS What's the difference between "no one" and "literally no one"?

DuteMan · ‎2017-12-15

t has been 48hours since my last issue and everything seems to be working again. I am using firmware V1.0.1.50_1.0.1, I'm in the USA and my ISP is Centurylink.

This issue started last Friday for me and seems to be resolved as of Wednesday night. Fingers crossed. I have tried all the options, resets, reboots, etc. and nothing worked.

Interesting they provided a new firmware in the middle of this mess but did not communicate it. I am holding off updating to see if any of you find success with it. It doesn't sound like it. I'll update if I have issues, but I have done nothing other than have my kids cross their fingers the wi-fi work.

jimbaxter · ‎2017-12-15

Hi,

I recieved my replacement D7000 under the warranty and it is a V2 so I cannot test the updated software.

I assume they no longer send out D7000 V1's.

One thing I found was that if you had registered the product with Netgear, which the installer tries to force you to do, you get a 2 year Hardware warrenty. Thought I would mention it as I was not aware of this warrenty extension until I visited my.netgear.com and logged in last week.

Jim

dajones9686 · ‎2017-12-15

thanks Jim I may go that route....sounds like they did right for you definitely improves opinion....just hate dealing with warranty issues over the phone/web.....did you set it up via customer service on the phone?

Jon81 · ‎2017-12-16

So after 48 hrs on the new firmware my 2.4g has gone again. Please get this fixed Netgear. It's a very expensive brick atm.

DKenward · ‎2017-12-16

So my replacement router suffered the same 2.4Ghz issue. Decided to then update the firmware to 52 as I thought not doing so would be the answer.

8 hours later and still working but if issue occurs I will ask Netgear for a D7000 v2.

Interesting that a v2 should be released so quickly. Question is why? The following conversation implies if true that maybe it is a chipset issue hence a change in v2 https://community.netgear.com/t5/DSL-Modems-Routers/What-s-the-difference-between-the-d7000-and-D700...

@jimbaxter It would be good to know if the D7000v2 works or still has the same issue after 48 hours which is the longest time there has been a stable connection for all of us?

michaelkenward · ‎2017-12-16

@DKenward wrote:

Interesting that a v2 should be released so quickly. Question is why?

Because that is how Netgear works. It produces a steady stream of "V" updates for popular products. Technology moves on. New chips and standards arrive. Then there are the changes that Internet service providers make in the technologies they use. Think NBN in Australia and IPv6 everywhere.

V3s are pretty common. I have even seen V5s. They are usually a couple of years apart.

The original D7000 is two years old. Hardly "so quickly" in a fast moving business.

spacelab · ‎2017-12-16

Following the 52 firmware update 48hrs ago, it appears that my 2.4G network is still authenticating for now. I see that many of you have reported that the problem persists on the 52 firmware, but thought I should provide you with an update nevertheless. I will continue to monitor it.

Perhaps we should all turn off our Christmas lights? 🙂 You never know, but the interference from them may be why this problem is suddenly experienced by everyone at the same time!