Re: BLOCKED websites!

NeilAlanH · ‎2024-02-16

I bought this router as an alternate choice for my cable company's router. all seemed fine at first, but then the router started blocking one of the websites my husband uses. When he tries to access the website, a netgear screen pops up stating that the site is a potential threat. When I called netgear at first, they told me this was an issue with my virus program, but I called McAfee and that was untrue. I tried downloading the nighthawk app so I could enter the URL on the THREATS page, but I could not login, and quite frankly, i did not want a free trial that would cost $100 per year after the trial was over (this is what I was told would happen when I was talking to the support agent). I am very angry and upset about this; i will not buy a netgear product again. I bought this product from netgear as an alternative for my router; i do not need virus or hacking protection, I am getting that from mcafee. any ideas here? anyone know of something else I can do? thanks!

michaelkenward · ‎2024-02-17

@NeilAlanH wrote:

all seemed fine at first, but then the router started blocking one of the websites my husband uses. When he tries to access the website, a netgear screen pops up stating that the site is a potential threat.

What was that Netgear screen? What was the exact message.

If it isn't sensitive, can you tell us what the website was? Sometimes they have out of date security certificates that can throw some browsers into a tizzy.

Are you sure that the router is blocking this? Have you tried this in a different browser?

These days browsers can get picky about the security of the web addresses we throw at them. They will display some garbage about insecure, but there is often a "here lie demons" link somewhere on the page that lets you take your life in your hands and get at the site.

If this is a Netgear screen, then maybe your new router is being helpful and has turned on the free one-month trial of Armor that it uses to try to suck you into a subscription. You van just turn off Armor. For once, this is something most easily done with the Netgear App than a web browser and the graphical user interface (GUI).

Armor

Look at the Armor setting. If it is on, turn it off and ignore the doom and gloom warnings.

When I called netgear at first, they told me this was an issue with my virus program, but I called McAfee and that was untrue.

McAfee is not omniscient. It is just like anyone other business and will try to pass the buck back to your router. Did McAfee even try to diagnose what might be happening?

I tried downloading the nighthawk app so I could enter the URL on the THREATS page, but I could not login, and quite frankly, i did not want a free trial that would cost $100 per year after the trial was over (this is what I was told would happen when I was talking to the support agent).

I'm with you there. I don't need any security help fro Netgear and have never used Armor.

Did you fail in your attempts to download the Nighthawk App? Or did it fail when you started using it?

What was it that you could not login to? The app requires several stages when you start to use it: Wifi, Anywhere Access and finally the router. Once done you shouldn't need to keep doing that.

One other suggestion would be to login to the GUI and see what messages are saved in its logs.

Finally, the usual boilerplate questions to eliminate some of the more common issues that crop up here.

What firmware version do you have on the device?

A number is more useful than "the latest". There may be newer versions, or "hot fixes", that do not show up if you check for new firmware with an app or in the browser interface.

If there is one it might also help if you told people the make and model number of the modem/gateway/ONT that connects this router to the Internet. Is it, by any chance, also a router, with a set of LAN ports on the back?

I ask because a lot of people turn up here trying to put a router behind a modem that is also a router. That can complicate troubleshooting.

schumaku · ‎2024-02-17

@NeilAlanH wrote:

When he tries to access the website, a netgear screen pops up stating that the site is a potential threat.

Not much we can help, lack of any insight. A screenshot or the like could be useful. @michaelkenward was already very complete with his post.

@NeilAlanH wrote:

When I called netgear at first, they told me this was an issue with my virus program, but I called McAfee and that was untrue. I tried downloading the nighthawk app so I could enter the URL on the THREATS page, but I could not login, and quite frankly, i did not want a free trial that would cost $100 per year after the trial was over (this is what I was told would happen when I was talking to the support agent).

I tend to trust users telling us they never enabled the free trial. Somehow I doubt Netgear Armor (built on Bitdefender) does take any actions without ever been enabled.

In case you did, you could turn-off Armor at any time -> How do I turn NETGEAR Armor on or off using the Nighthawk or Orbi app?

NeilAlanH · ‎2024-02-17

hello all. Firstly, I want to thank all of you for your reponses. Here is some additional information:
the blocked website is: https://forum.dreamcap.org/

The message we were getting stated that netgear has identified the site as a potential security risk. We did try accessing the site in different browsers with no success.

I agree with michaelkenward when he says that netgear has turns on the free one-month trial of armor and they're trying to suck me into a subscription. Here's a problem with that: I cannot get into SECURITY within the nighthawk app. It wants me to activate the trial, and I do not want to do that. I bought the router as an alternate for the router given to me by SPECTRUM mainly because i needed 2.4 and 5.0 connectivity, and I wasn't getting that from my SPECTRUM router. I do not, under any circumstances, want security protection from netgear. I have McAfee for that. Quite frankly, I find it appalling that Netgear is offering a 'free trial' and subsequently would want $100 per year.

Last night, we discovered that if we try to access the site on our desktop and laptop, and remove the https://, we can access the website. not so easy on the iPad, but we discovered that if we try www.forum.dreamcap.org on the iPad, and THEN try the regular URL, **that** works. However, I am not optimistic about this being a final solution because last week when I called NETGEAR's support desk, and complained about this "sucking me into a subscription" business, the problem went away for about one week. THen, yesterday, I called them again, and once again they were of no help, but the problem disappeared again. Meanwhile, I keep getting emails from NETGEAR asking me if I want to follow up on the case I created last week, and to follow the "link below" to advise of an update, but when I click on the link, I get nowhere!

Regarding my call to McAfee: McAfee did try to diagnose the issue; they remotely accessed my PC, tried the website and saw the error message from NETGEAR stating that NETGEAR determines the site (URL) has a security issue.

I think the best solution here would be to follow schumaku 's suggestion to turn off armor. However, when I go to SETTINGS ---> SECURITY, it wants me to activate the trial, and if i try to activate the trial, I get a message "Error. Failed to subscribe. SECURITY. Activation Failed. We could not activate NETGEAR ARMOR on your router. Try again", but of course, trying again gives me the same results.

additional thoughts?

NeilAlanH · ‎2024-02-17

wait a month?? huh?

michaelkenward · ‎2024-02-17

@NeilAlanH wrote:

hello all. Firstly, I want to thank all of you for your reponses. Here is some additional information:
the blocked website is: https://forum.dreamcap.org/

I got straight in with no problem. Two browsers. Firefox and Edge.

Did you try a different browser?

Did you answer the questions about the firmware on the router and the modem/gateway/ONT that sits between you router and the Internet? I can't find them.

Quite frankly, I find it appalling that Netgear is offering a 'free trial' and subsequently would want $100 per year.

It is called marketing. Everybody does it. Netflix. Amazon. Microsoft. The New York Times. Sneaky but hardly appalling.

Meanwhile, I keep getting emails from NETGEAR asking me if I want to follow up on the case I created last week, and to follow the "link below" to advise of an update, but when I click on the link, I get nowhere!

What happens when you click the link? A message of some sort?

That bit, and your problems with the Nighthawk app make me wonder that something else is going on.

If you can get in with that, you will be able to see if Armor is enabled.

As @schumaku says, a screen shot of the message/error would help.

NeilAlanH · ‎2024-02-17

hi, i bought the router back in september 2023. I cannot honestly say whether or not I did the trial yet. I know I downloaded the NIGHTHAWK software after the router was installed, and I did look at the site for several days after i installed the app. So, its possible that I installed the security trial, but if I did, one would think that the app would say, "You've done the trial, to continue please subscribe" but that isn't happened. I am only getting a failure message.

michaelkenward · ‎2024-02-17

@NeilAlanH wrote:

wait a month?? huh?

I agree. Not the brightest idea.

Dig deeper.

NeilAlanH · ‎2024-02-17

the firmware version is 1.0.14.134; if it does need to be updated, how is that done?

NeilAlanH · ‎2024-02-17

yes, i agree. well, i did call NETGEAR one more time, and actually spoke to someone who was courteous and very professional. Since I was not able to access the SECURITY app because I could not register for the trial, I asked the support person to look at my account. He told me I did not have an active account with ARMOR. I do not know if it was cancelled or if it just came to an end, but, at the moment, we are able to access that website. I've been down this road before, however, only to find that after a week or so, the problem re-occurred. I have, meanwhile, posted a review on the AMAZON website about this issue with ARMOR and NETGEAR. As I have stated earlier, I do not need any type of security on my desktop as I have mcafee. and yes, ARMOR was shoved down my throat and it did cause problems here. How do I know? when I was blocked from the website (and I tried several different browsers), the page that came up CLEARLY said, NETGEAR HAS IDENTIFIED THIS PAGE TO BE A SECURITY THREAT (not the exact words, but NETGEAR was there, and that was the general tone). So, at this point, I will hope for the best and if the problem recurs again, I will write a detailed letter to the people at AMAZON; their customers should not be forced to pay for a security app when they purchase a netgear router, and maybe AMAZOn should consider not selling their products. I will also write detailed letters to the Californai Department of consumer affairs, and the California State Attorney General's office. Again, I purchased a router as an alternate choice for the crappy router provided to me by my internet provider, Spectrum. I did not ask for a security software, and I certainly don't need it to randomly block website pages.

michaelkenward · ‎2024-02-18

@NeilAlanH wrote:

the firmware version is 1.0.14.134; if it does need to be updated, how is that done?

There is newer firmware for your device:

R6700AX Firmware Version 1.0.15.146 - NETGEAR Support

That has a list of bug fixes:

Bug Fixes:

Fixes the issue where an Armor ping is lost.

Fixes the issue where Armor activation fails.

Fixes the issue where the security for the 2.4 GHz radio is not correctly applied in bridge mode.

Fixes the issue where the remaining traffic volume is incorrectly reported when the traffic meter is set without a limit.

Fixes the issue where a pop-up window unexpectedly displays after a timeout.

Fixes the issue where IPv6 blocking does not work.

Fixes multiple other minor bugs.

Looks like it might apply to your problems.

I am surprised that whoever you talked to at Netgear did not ask about the firmware. As I said before, this is one of the standard questions when troubleshooting.

That Release Note explains how to update the firmware. but here is a generic KnowledgeBase article:

How do I manually upgrade firmware to my NETGEAR router? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

My instinct tells me that, even if the update does not mend the router, your problem has nothing to do with Armor.

michaelkenward · ‎2024-02-18

@NeilAlanH wrote:

Since I was not able to access the SECURITY app because I could not register for the trial, I asked the support person to look at my account.

By "security app", do you mean the Netgear Nighthawk app?

This does have an Armor "tile" but that is a tiny part of its function. I have never signed up Armor, or any other security service come to that, but I use the app often.

Are you saying that you have not been able to install the app on a mobile device? Or have you installed it and can't get it to work?

I ask because an trouble you have with getting the app to work may have something to do with your other difficulties. Talk of Armor may be a red herring.

How do I know? when I was blocked from the website (and I tried several different browsers), the page that came up CLEARLY said, NETGEAR HAS IDENTIFIED THIS PAGE TO BE A SECURITY THREAT (not the exact words, but NETGEAR was there, and that was the general tone).

I wouldn't jump to conclusions. The exact wording matters. Just because it says Netgear does not mean Armor. Netgear recently introduced yet another security widget to plague our lives.