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Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

al1701
Novice

Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

I would just like Netgear to support the owners that have 3700 v1 and v2.:mad:

My 3700 v2 constantly drops internet connection, even though sometimes it shows it connected, requiring reboot every several days or sometimes several times each day. This seems to be an ongoing problem for a lot of owners of these modems and is discussed in the Netgear forums. Some say it is not recognizing the DNS automatically after awhile for new sites, but will still work on open connections in the browser and suggest putting in your own DNS primary and secondary address to keep the connection open when looking up new sites versus obtaining automatically, but I am finding this still does not solve the problem 100% and Netgear needs fix the glitches with an update.;)

I should have a router that works correctly, especially a common function like accessing websites.:confused:

I shouldn't have to go out and buy a new router ;ike the 3800 with new firmware that supposedly is the newest and latest fix since I just bought this one a few weeks ago and this new improved version wasn't available.

I have heard some owners are flashing their V2's with the 3800's firmware since it is essentially the same modem inside except for ram configurations and they are working correctly with the 1.0.0.16 firmware. Is that what I have to do to get it to function correctly?
Message 1 of 23
Simon0
Novice

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

3rd party firmware, AP mode only, or wait for fixed firmware. I believe they are aware of the issues and are only incorporating those fixes in their newest routers though... We can just hope they will not abandon us v1 and v2 owners.

V1 was actually quite good in my opinion when used with older firmware, V2 had some firmware issues which tarnished it somewhat when released initially. If you have v1, there is actually quite a few different firmware releases you can try to see which one works best for you.

Just make sure it's not intermitten hardware failure that is causing the drops.

Good luck!
Message 2 of 23
Fociz
Novice

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

The more I read the more It seem's both versions of this model have been defective from day one, and what's worse is their incompetent tech support and lack of any real resolution and communication with their customers.

90 days support is pretty darned lackluster and a cop out imo.
I realize the industry now farms much of their support out of country but it's still infuriating when you need help and all you get is a sales pitch from someone representing Netgear whom you can barely understand.
Message 3 of 23
Maltz
Aspirant

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

I agree completely, and I will never be buying another Netgear product because of my experiences with the 3700. Further, they have already had three sales go to Linksys and Apple because of my recommendations to friends.

That said, one thing that has worked for me to work-around the DNS issue is to put the DNS numbers manually in the computer's setup, not the router's. That way the computer ignores the router's DNS repeater and goes directly to the source itself. It's worked well for me to fix that particular glitch.
Message 4 of 23
al1701
Novice

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

Simon0 wrote:
3rd party firmware, AP mode only, or wait for fixed firmware. I believe they are aware of the issues and are only incorporating those fixes in their newest routers though... We can just hope they will not abandon us v1 and v2 owners.

V1 was actually quite good in my opinion when used with older firmware, V2 had some firmware issues which tarnished it somewhat when released initially. If you have v1, there is actually quite a few different firmware releases you can try to see which one works best for you.

Just make sure it's not intermitten hardware failure that is causing the drops.

Good luck!


Well, I have the v2 and the first thing I checked was my modem. When the loss of internet happens I can unplugged the ethernet on the main computer nearby and hook it up directly to the modem and I have instant internet service, so it is not the modem. It has something to do with the DNS protocol in the router. I have tried putting in ATT primary and secondary DNS addresses but it only works for a while, if you are already on a site connected it seems to let you continue surfing within that domain, but if you go somewhere else it can't make the connection, but it shows you are connected to the internet and lights seem to indicate that it is trying to connect or that it thinks it is connected.
I don't know, it is just stupid that it cant do the basic function it was designed for. It would be different if it was a DNLA issue they were tryin to support and having problems, but just trying to connect to the internet is a basic function of the router and should JUST WORK.
I may flash it with the 3800's firmware and see if that changes things. I am 2 weeks in and it is just frustrating. Upgraded to firmware to 1.0.0.10 and that seems to be worse or no better.
Message 5 of 23
al1701
Novice

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

So I need to do that on each computer. so much for the router functioning like it is suppoe to.LOL..:rolleyes:
Message 6 of 23
al1701
Novice

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

So i need to put it in each computer to to use a $130 piece of garbage to get on the internet, rediculous.
Message 7 of 23
KevTech
Tutor

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

al1701 wrote:
Well, I have the v2 and the first thing I checked was my modem. When the loss of internet happens I can unplugged the ethernet on the main computer nearby and hook it up directly to the modem and I have instant internet service, so it is not the modem. It has something to do with the DNS protocol in the router. I have tried putting in ATT primary and secondary DNS addresses but it only works for a while, if you are already on a site connected it seems to let you continue surfing within that domain, but if you go somewhere else it can't make the connection, but it shows you are connected to the internet and lights seem to indicate that it is trying to connect or that it thinks it is connected.


Is this DSL or Cable?

If DSL then the modem may be router and modem and if so you need to use bridge mode on the modem.
Message 8 of 23
al1701
Novice

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

KevTech wrote:
Is this DSL or Cable?

If DSL then the modem may be router and modem and if so you need to use bridge mode on the modem.


It is DSL and I used to have a 2wire Gateway but started having problems with it and it was the 2nd gateway I had bought and decided it was time to upgrade to N wireless since most of our newer computers were n wireless and ATT didn't have any new gateways that supported n wireless,typical behind the times so I went with 3700 v2 router since 3800 was not available. Wish I had waited and just used the 2Wire until the 3800 came out.
Anyway I had a Westell C90 modem that ATT had sent by mistake instead of the 2 wire years ago so I put it into service.

The modem works perfect when hooked up directly to the computer when the router goes down and loses internet connection, so it is not the modem.
Seems to be a DNS issue that others are having, but it seems Netgear has fixed the problem with the 3800's new firmware, but have yet fixed it for the 3700 v2 which is essentialy the same modem except for ram memory.
So why can't or won't they fix the 3700 with new firmware to fix these problems.
Message 9 of 23
KevTech
Tutor

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

What firmware are you using?

My router has been solid since upgrading to 1.0.0.10 but i had issues with 1.0.0.8 firmware. Wireless was disconnecting all the time with 1.0.0.8 firmware.
Message 10 of 23
KevTech
Tutor

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

al1701 wrote:
Anyway I had a Westell C90 modem that ATT had sent by mistake instead of the 2 wire years ago so I put it into service


Have you tried placing the modem into bridge mode?

This may help: http://www.voipmechanic.com/westelltobridge.htm
Message 11 of 23
Simon0
Novice

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

al1701 wrote:
Well, I have the v2 and the first thing I checked was my modem. When the loss of internet happens I can unplugged the ethernet on the main computer nearby and hook it up directly to the modem and I have instant internet service, so it is not the modem. It has something to do with the DNS protocol in the router. I have tried putting in ATT primary and secondary DNS addresses but it only works for a while, if you are already on a site connected it seems to let you continue surfing within that domain, but if you go somewhere else it can't make the connection, but it shows you are connected to the internet and lights seem to indicate that it is trying to connect or that it thinks it is connected.
I don't know, it is just stupid that it cant do the basic function it was designed for. It would be different if it was a DNLA issue they were tryin to support and having problems, but just trying to connect to the internet is a basic function of the router and should JUST WORK.
I may flash it with the 3800's firmware and see if that changes things. I am 2 weeks in and it is just frustrating. Upgraded to firmware to 1.0.0.10 and that seems to be worse or no better.


You are correct, i was also having such issues and some others as well, and decided to use a separate router awhile back and the wndr3700 as an AP. I hope they release an update soon.
Message 12 of 23
al1701
Novice

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

KevTech wrote:
Have you tried placing the modem into bridge mode?

This may help: http://www.voipmechanic.com/westelltobridge.htm


KevTech,
Thanks for the incite about checking the bridge mode. Did not think it had to be in bridge mode since it only had one ethernet port hookup and did not know it also worked as a router function and could cause conflict with my Netgear. My 2wire was configured in bridge mode in the setup since it was gateway modem. Didn't think this Westell functioned the same way, but based on the link it seems to indicate this could happen, so we will see..:o

I did upgrade to 1.0.0.10 a few days ago to see if it would improve the dropping internet problem.

I will try this and see if it solves the issue. I am/was getting getting great down and up speeds and everything seem to function well except the dropping internet. Great 28ms ping rates,1ms jitter and no packet loss. Our DSL is 8000 down and 512 up fiber optic connection with speedtest coming in around 6100kps down and 432 kps up so it works for our setup ok.

We have an ATT microcell for added cell phone coverage, Directv home with 5 receivers, 4 laptops, 3 desktops, 3 PS3's and 2 Iphones.My kids play online games COD, Disney, Stream movies, etc and it just seems to keep up with everything.
Our 3700 v2 gives great coverage and the added bonus with the n coverage has greatly increased speed on all of our devices that use it.
If this solves the problem I will be happy with our purchase of the product, so time will tell and I will update about results after these changes.;):)

Al
Message 13 of 23
Urgje
Aspirant

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

Hi,

After buying the WNDR3700v2 a couple of weeks ago I had very similar problems. After trying and testing all kinds of solutions and various versions of the official firmware, I came close to return it under RMA. As a last resort I flashed it with the (then) latest Gargoyle OpenWRT firmware. And since that day the router has been rock stable and offering more functionality that the original firmware does.
So my advice to (rightfully) frustrated anbd indignated owners of that specific router; set it up with Gargoyle and your worries are over!
Message 14 of 23
kritikos29
Aspirant

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

hi guys!
i have worst problems with my dgnd3700 so i can fully understand you all especially about the firmware update part... before you start knocking your head at the wall -like me- please make shure of these modem settings:

1)nat type disabled.
2)dhcp disabled.
3)bridge mode (or rfc)
3)firewall and upnp disabled

thats the basic settings for bridge mode but im sure im missing something here cause im in a rush at the moment and i have no time to check my equipmet. hope this helps someone if you have any further questions ill be glad to check it out for ya!
Message 15 of 23

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

Urgje wrote:
So my advice to (rightfully) frustrated anbd indignated owners of that specific router; set it up with Gargoyle and your worries are over!
Thanks for the tip. It appears this router isn't officially supported by Gargoyle. Which firmware did you use and how did you know which one to install?
Message 16 of 23
al1701
Novice

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

RocketJSquirrel wrote:
Thanks for the tip. It appears this router isn't officially supported by Gargoyle. Which firmware did you use and how did you know which one to install?


RocketJSquirrel,
This is what he had at the bottom of his post. WNDR3700v2 - Gargoyle 1.4.0.

Since I found the bridge mode on my Westell everything seems to running smooth. At first after updating it to Bridge Ethernet it seemed to lose download speed, so I unplugged the modem and router for 10 minutes and then rebooted modem first then router. It is now showing 6100kbps down and 452 kbps up on Speedtest.net and pingtest shows no packet loss 28ms ping and 1-2ms flutter which is great. This is on ATT fiber optic dsl showing 8000 down and 512 up connection. The ATT speedtest shows 7100 dn and 432 up which is to their closest server locally.

Westell says their modem also works as a router and that it could cause problems with the nat and dns connection being conflicted so hopefully that was the problem. It would work great for a time then just couldn't connect to the internet but the home network worked fine.

I was considering the 3800 firmware since I had read the 3700 v2 were similiar in build except for RAM and others had flashed them and they were working, but Bob over on AVS forum said it could brick them even though they seemed to be working fine., that outwardly they are similiar but inside there are some differences, so I don't know. Maybe someone will actually take a 3800 apart to compare them and find they are the same they just don't want us to know that so we don't flash them and get a 3800 essentially working in a 3700 box.;)
Message 17 of 23

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

al1701 wrote:
RocketJSquirrel,
This is what he had at the bottom of his post. WNDR3700v2 - Gargoyle 1.4.0.

I have signatures turned off. There is at least one particularly prolific poster on this forum whose large and repetitive sig I find annoying. IMHO, people should put information in their posts, not in their sigs.

Also, 1.4.0 is a version number, not a firmware identifier. If you go poking around the Gargoyle or other 3rd party firmwares, you see that you need to be very specific about what firmware you install.
Message 18 of 23
Urgje
Aspirant

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

Hi,

If you're still running your 3700v2 with the 'official' firmware (whatever version), you need: gargoyle_1.4.0-ar71xx-wndr3700v2-squashfs-factory.img (or the NA version when you're living in North America).
If for some reason (like I did) you already flashed it with some DD-WRT or OpenWRT firmware, you need: gargoyle_1.4.0-ar71xx-wndr3700v2-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin

You can find them for yourself by going to http://www.gargoyle-router.com/download.php. Choose the Atheros AR71xx Architecture and the 1.4.0 version of the firmware, since some first experiences with the latest 1.4.1. seem to point out some problems with that one.

Any questions, please come back and ask.
Message 19 of 23
kritikos29
Aspirant

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

Urgje wrote:
Hi,

If you're still running your 3700v2 with the 'official' firmware (whatever version), you need: gargoyle_1.4.0-ar71xx-wndr3700v2-squashfs-factory.img (or the NA version when you're living in North America).
If for some reason (like I did) you already flashed it with some DD-WRT or OpenWRT firmware, you need: gargoyle_1.4.0-ar71xx-wndr3700v2-squashfs-sysupgrade.bin

You can find them for yourself by going to http://www.gargoyle-router.com/download.php. Choose the Atheros AR71xx Architecture and the 1.4.0 version of the firmware, since some first experiences with the latest 1.4.1. seem to point out some problems with that one.

Any questions, please come back and ask.


would that work at the dgnd3700 u think?
Message 20 of 23

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

Urgje wrote:
If you're still running your 3700v2 with the 'official' firmware (whatever version), you need: gargoyle_1.4.0-ar71xx-wndr3700v2-squashfs-factory.img (or the NA version when you're living in North America).
Thanks much for the specifics. I'll give this a try when I'm the only one in the house to avoid squawks from someone who thinks maybe I mess with this computer stuff too much. 😉
Message 21 of 23

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

Urgje wrote:
Any questions, please come back and ask.
One last question: does Gargoyle support attached USB drives? I'm using a very vanilla Seagate 2TB hard drive with an ext3 file system.
Message 22 of 23
Urgje
Aspirant

Re: Why can't Netgear get my 3700 v2 to work correctly as a Router

RocketJSquirrel wrote:
One last question: does Gargoyle support attached USB drives? I'm using a very vanilla Seagate 2TB hard drive with an ext3 file system.


Hi,

Apologies for the late reply, but it's been a bit hectic the last week.
To answer your question; yes, the Gargoyle 1.4.0 firmware certainly supports USB connected drives. I'm using a 320GB external drive with three partitions here. And it's working across the network just fine.
Message 23 of 23
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