Nighthawk LTE hotspot + automatic firmware nightmare

[nhantenna]

I live in the United States.  I have an AT&T issued Nighthawk LTE hotspot running on AT&T network.  For the last several weeks I have been reading this forum about automatic firmware updates occurring unexpectedly with all sorts of firmware update problems.

Here is my story.

1) I run without battery.

2) I run with Anker Quick Charger.

3) My Nighthawk has been working perfectly for months.

4) All of a sudden Nighthawk internet outage.

5) Walk up to Nighthawk device completely dark.  No LEDs.  No display.  Pushing Nighthawk button does nothing.  Has my Nighthawk been fried?

6) Power off Nighthawk.  Power on Nighthawk

7) "Updating device.  Do not power off"  We didn't know for sure before, but we know now, AT&T Nighthawks get automatic firmware updates.

😎 Nighthawk goes completely dark.  No LEDs.  No display.  Pushing Nighthawk button does nothing.  No completion message.

9) Power off Nighthawk.  Power on Nighthawk

10) "Updating device.  Do not power off" What is happening?  Did the firmware fail?  I see a tiny progress bar, but it is not moving.

11) Nighthawk goes completely dark.  No LEDs.  No display.  Pushing Nighthawk button does nothing.  No completion message.  What is happening?  Is my Nighthawk firmware now corrupt?  What in the world happened?

12) Power off Nighthawk.  Power on Nighthawk

13) "Updating device.  Do not power off"  Looks like the firmware update has corrupted my Nighthawk.  I am now stuck in an infinite loop.  The progress bar looks like it has gone a bit further.

14) Nighthawk goes completely dark.  No LEDs.  No display.  Pushing Nighthawk button does nothing.  No completion message. 

15) Power off Nighthawk.  Power on Nighthawk

16) Repeat above steps over and over and over and over and over again and you will notice the progress bar moves a little bit further each time.

17) "Netgear" "AT&T Logo" "You have xyz number of unread messages" Finally success right?  Wrong!

18) Nighthawk goes completely dark.  No LEDs.  No display.  Pushing Nighthawk button does nothing. 

19) Power off Nighthawk.  Power on Nighthawk

20) "Netgear" "AT&T Logo" "You have xyz number of unread messages"  Now have blue LED flash to indicate connected.  Sure enough I am back up and running with forced NTG9X50C_12.02.06.00 firmware.

1) The product experience is shamefully bad.

2) The automatic firmware update process is shamefully bad.  I have been updating firmware for 30 years and have never seen anything this bad.

3) The unexpected, unplanned internet outage is unacceptable.

So many ways to improve here:

1) Let me enter my email address in the Nighthawk firmware.  Instead of taking my internet down without warning, why not send me an email telling me to take action within xyz days.  Provide me with step by step directions on how to complete the firmware upgrade since it is not normal all right there in clear language in the email.  For example, send me email 10 days out.  send me an email 5 days out.  send me an email 2 days out, etc.  Giving me plenty opportunity, notice, and education on what is about to happen.  The current lack of documentation on firmware AT&T forces on end users is banannas and obviously totally unacceptable.  How many Nighthawk units were returned to AT&T as a result?  How many AT&T Nighthawk customer ticket/calls were opened because of this?  How much end user time is wasted because AT&T did not bother to test the Nighthawk update first?

2) Let me opt out of automatic firmware updates in Nighthawk firmware.  I am not aware of any device on AT&T network that forces firmware updates by disabling the device.  If AT&T did that to people's phones there would be class action lawsuits filed the same day.

3) Need better update text on the Nighthawk display.  "Reboot 1 of 5"  "Reboot 2 of 5" "Reboot 3 of 5" etc.  "Firmware installation complete".  Anything is better than what we currently have.

[shizam76]

Good afternoon!  I just joined this forum, because I had the same issue as you!  I am at&t as well.  I also run the nighthawk with NO battery.  I also bought a QC 3.0 brick to plug in because the brick that was sent with the device isn't strong enough to run wifi (which I have disabled now anyhow because I am hooked in to my Asus router via ethernet) AND data at the same time.

I got back from Vacation last month to no internet.  I checked the nighthawk and it appeared to be off.  I know you said you saw no LED blinking, however I had an amber LED blinking rapidly...however it was so DIM and fast that if you didn't stare at it, you would never know it was blinking like that.  My unit did the same thing.  Would repeat turning "off" when trying to do the firmware update that somehow the system pushed to it and forced it to do on its own.

I had to get the box out, put the battery in so that update would finish.  I then took the battery out.  Am I going to have to leave the battery in this thing, so it doesnt lock up with the next forced update?  Are these "lock up" boxes faulty, do we need to exchange them?  Anyone know what is going on?  I have read somewhere else about someone having the same problem....dim amber LED, etc....but I can't find it now.  I wish I bookmarked it.

I should add my firmware date is 02/07/2018 version NTG9X50C_12.02.06.00

It also says "last checked for firmware" on 04/01, so it is going out on its own to check for new firmware every couple of weeks.

[nhantenna]

"I just joined this forum, because I had the same issue as you!"

the nighthawk devices are carrier/location specific.  if you are AT&T United States, you should have same experience as other AT&T United States nighthawk owners.  Especially when it comes to AT&T nighthawk firmware.

"however I had an amber LED blinking rapidly...however it was so DIM and fast that if you didn't stare at it, you would never know it was blinking like that."

we have the same dim LED issues.  you are not alone.

"I had to get the box out, put the battery in so that update would finish. "

i never put the battery back in mine.  it took many reboots to get the firmware updated, but it eventually updated.

"Am I going to have to leave the battery in this thing, so it doesnt lock up with the next forced update?"

it all depends on the firmware update.  if AT&T firmware is going to take your nighthawk offline, it does not matter at all whether your battery is in or not.

"Are these "lock up" boxes faulty, do we need to exchange them?  Anyone know what is going on?"

Let's start with the nighthawk community first?  Any nighthawk owners out there comment on their forced firmware updates?

1) Did the firmware automatically update without any user intervention?

2) Did you have to manually reboot the nighthawk?

3) Did you have your nighthawk battery in or out?

Then on to netgear reps.  @ArodiD Any comments on multiple reboots to get forced firmware to install?  Is that normal/expected?  How should the forced firmware installation work?  Right now users are walking up to Nighthawks that have no lights and the Nighthawk button does nothing.  That is a bad way to start the firmware update process.

[nhantenna]

"so it is going out on its own to check for new firmware every couple of weeks."

the forced firmware problems will continue unless AT&T/Netgear changes how the process works.  AT&T/Netgear can and will take your Nighthawk offline at any time they please with no warning.  If you have it at a vacation home, use it for security/alarm systems at a business, use it in other places you can not quickly get to, you are out of luck.  once nighthawk users have one or two bad experiences with the forced firmware problems, they will stop using the nighthawk.

[nhantenna]

Then on to netgear reps.  @ArodiD Any comments on multiple reboots to get forced firmware to install?  Is that normal/expected?  How should the forced firmware installation work?  Right now users are walking up to Nighthawks that have no lights and the Nighthawk button does nothing.  That is a bad way to start the firmware update process.

##############################

@ArodiD @DarrenM can anyone from netgear respond?

[nhantenna]

As we are expecting the new Nighthawk LTE hotspot April firmware shortly, we want to know how the firmware updates should go.  @ArodiD @DarrenM can anyone from netgear respond to the original post in this thread?

[JasonN]

Hi nhantenna & shizam76,

Let me bring this up to my internal team and figure out a solution for you two.

I will update you two when I am provided with the information. :]

- Jason N

[shizam76]

Thank you @JasonN!  Also advise them that the same thing happens when going into the GUI via a web browser and you select "reboot router".  It then goes into this "off mode" with the amber light blinking dim and very fast.  Had to unplug and plug back in to get it to actually reboot and come back up.

[nhantenna]

@JasonN"Let me bring this up to my internal team and figure out a solution for you two."

thank you jason!

[nhantenna]

@JasonN i'm following up on this thread.  if netgear is still releasing a new firmware in april, we have one business day left before the automatic firmware problems start happening again.

[JasonN]

Hi nhantenna & shizam76,

I don't believe there will be another firmware in April. Also I wanted to ask you both. Are you two using a custom APN rather than the default broadband APN?

Please let me know. :]

- Jason N

[nhantenna]

@JasonN "Are you two using a custom APN rather than the default broadband APN?"

I have never changed my Nighthawk LTE hotspot APN.  I purchased my Nighthawk LTE hotspot directly from AT&T with AT&T SIM.  APN remains at the out-of-the-box default value set by AT&T.

[shizam76]

@JasonN me too....I'm using this at&t nighthawk out of the box.  Did not change the APN.

[JasonN]

Hi nhantenna & shizam76,

I pmed both of you for further assistance. :]

- Jason N

[nhantenna]

@JasonN I replied to your PM.

[nhantenna]

@JasonN

1) Any status on this firmware issue?

2) Target date for next Nighthawk LTE hotspot firmware release?

[JasonN]

Hi nhantenna & shizam76,

I have forward your issue to my internal team with the information you both have provided me. They will contact you as soon as they are able to.

Thank you. :]

- Jason N

[shizam76]

Thank you @JasonN !

[nhantenna]

@JasonN I am following up on this thread.  Any updates?

[nhantenna]

@JasonN I am following up on this thread.  This thread is 38 days old without any technical response from Netgear.

[JasonN]

Hi nhantenna,

Thank you for notifying me. I will follow up with my internal team. I will update you when I have contacted them. :]

- Jason N

[nhantenna]

@JasonN I am following up on this thread.  This thread is 55 days old without any technical response from Netgear.  Please escalate.

[nhantenna]

@JasonN @Blanca_O I am following up on this thread.  This thread is 63 days old without any technical response from Netgear.  Please escalate.

[Blanca_O]

Hi All, 

Please be informed that NETGEAR and AT&T are working on a firmware. We will provide update once new information will be available. 

Regards, 
Blanca 
Community Team
 

[Blanca_O]

Hi All, 

We just had a new firmware certified by AT&T that should fix the issue. Please log into the MR1100 UI and check for an update to get the latest firmware.

The FW should NTG9x50C_12.02.06.01 and PRI should be 2.15

Please provide us feedback once you have the lastest firmware installed. 
 

Regards, 
Blanca 
Community Team