Re: App won’t let me save device names

yaldoo · ‎2019-11-26

I am having the exact same issue. Did anyone figure out why this is happening?

yaldoo · ‎2019-11-26

Same issue here.

cyber_jocky · ‎2019-11-27

In short. No. As you can see, this has been a very serious issue for an unacceptable period of time and Netgear either doesn't car or cannot figure out there own code. Not only do I have this issue but many times, the information that the Router reports ( mac addresses, ip addresses, etc ) is just incorrect, making managing my network impossible and rendering this router a useless POS!. I have been buying Netgear products for many years, but that will never happen again.

yaldoo · ‎2019-11-27

Actualy i figured it out on my own today. Maybe Netgear should pay me for figuring out what they could not. It is a glicth in the app software!!!

To fix the issue you have to follow these steps in this order:

1) click on device manager

2) click on the deive you want to change

3) click on edit

4) most important: click on teh pencil next to the devie picture

5) click on any icon or the same one and click sanve

6) click on the name to change it

7) remame what you want it to be

😎 click on save

this is the only way i was able to name the devices and its been 24 hours and it has been fine.

cyber_jocky · ‎2019-11-29

Did not work. Names gone next day.

yaldoo · ‎2019-11-29

That is very odd. It worked for me on the nighthawk app. If i go to my computer it is gone but on my app on my phone it is fine. Not sure but they really need to figure it out. It should not be this hard for their tech guys to do. smh

Dehatter · ‎2019-11-29

Mine has stayed constant. I have all my devices named without spaces and fitting in the size slot on the PC. I changed the names on the app to match the names on the PC.

On the app, you can have spaces and the field is much longer (why Netgear? We will never know...) but if you start on the PC and then do the app to match the PC, at least in my case, everything ‘sticks’ and has a consistent name.

Dehatter · ‎2019-11-29

Cannot delete this post. Please ignore.

Nee999 · ‎2019-12-07

@yaldoo wrote:
Actualy i figured it out on my own today. Maybe Netgear should pay me for figuring out what they could not. It is a glicth in the app software!!!
To fix the issue you have to follow these steps in this order:
1) click on device manager
2) click on the deive you want to change
3) click on edit
4) most important: click on teh pencil next to the devie picture
5) click on any icon or the same one and click sanve
6) click on the name to change it
7) remame what you want it to be
😎 click on save

this is the only way i was able to name the devices and its been 24 hours and it has been fine.

This worked for me. Thanks. Nice catch. Definitely a app software bug that needs to be fixed.

RichDewees · ‎2019-12-08

That is exacly correct, but I have one device that keeps reverting back to its "given" name "Ringelite-3c"....I've successfully changed it to "Front Door Ring Elite" in both the app and in the RAX200's GUI. But, at some point, it reverts back...not sure why. It is the hardwire version connected directly to my PoE netgear swithch then to the router.

kboy24 · ‎2019-12-09

Can't change mine either.

kboy24 · ‎2019-12-09

I managed to change my Devices names using the Nighthawk App. Took effect on my Iphone and on the Router for now. Will Monitor and let ya know. Version 2.4.12.4

Dehatter · ‎2019-12-09

The issue is that if you logon your router’s web interface, your names and device icons will not match.

The router’s web interface has a smaller field and more limited text options (including no spaces allowed).

For some reason Netgear, in its infinite wisdom, has allowed 2 different systems to name and identify devices that do not work with each other.

Perhaps I do not understand the issues that Netgear faces but from a customer side it is both confusing and frustrating.

If you only access your router from the mobile app then you will not notice an issue. Similarly, if you only access from the web interface you will have no issue. The name changing only happens if you want the use them together (usually because the web interface can’t understand the app names if you have used spaces or other ineligible characters).

RichDewees · ‎2019-12-09

Yes, the LAN setup screen has a limited # of characters. But, it's the admin and secrity names that are my issue. Once of my devices keeps changing back even if it is changed in the app, chages on the GUI, but at some point changes back to standard name on the GUI only. App still has the names I gave them...

kboy24 · ‎2019-12-15

This has become so buggy it's a damn joke Netgear. Your products and your responses to our problems with this is non-exsistent. Another thing I tried your Armor and boy is that a load of crap.

United017 · ‎2020-01-25

Wow, this thread has been going since 2018. I have an R6700v3, no amount of any retrying, typing, or order of editing allows the changes to stick. As soon as the screen refreshes everything goes back to default.

kboy24 · ‎2020-01-26

I got the Genie App for my Windows 10 which I thought was a dead app replaced with Nighthawk app. It seems to be hit and miss though, I have managed to change a few but it is really a shame they won't fix this for us. I really like seeing what is what on my Network.

PS...Don't use Armor, GARBAGE...

Longtrail · ‎2020-02-20

Having the same issue with my Orbi, I posted to the thread here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-WiFi-Routers/Saved-device-values-are-replaced-with-defaul...

It's an annoying issue.

ncdancer · ‎2020-02-22

@Dehatter wrote:
The issue is that if you logon your router’s web interface, your names and device icons will not match.

The router’s web interface has a smaller field and more limited text options (including no spaces allowed).

For some reason Netgear, in its infinite wisdom, has allowed 2 different systems to name and identify devices that do not work with each other.

Perhaps I do not understand the issues that Netgear faces but from a customer side it is both confusing and frustrating.

If you only access your router from the mobile app then you will not notice an issue. Similarly, if you only access from the web interface you will have no issue. The name changing only happens if you want the use them together (usually because the web interface can’t understand the app names if you have used spaces or other ineligible characters).

Yes I have experienced the same problems and others too. I agree the two systems have a conflict with naming of devices in the app and on router login.

Also sometimes the custom icons I have assigned to my devices disappear and return to the generic icon, then they return if I quit the app and open it back up again. Also the the signal strength icons don't work when my custom icons are visible and the 5GHz and 2.4GHz are not separated but all under one wirless listing.

IMO, there are lots of problems with the app.

Scg · ‎2020-04-03

I've been fighting this issue myself. I have an R6400 router. Firmware is up to date. My cell phone names seem to stay okay as do my desktop computers. And printers always come up with their own names, but they are self-explanatory so I don't need to change them. My doorbell comes up with a name automatically that I recognized so I left it alone.

The problem is all my kids Chromebooks from school. I named them and then sometimes immediately after refreshing the names are gone. Sometimes the names hang around for a few days but eventually they all revert back to a generic "--unknown" name.

I'm juggling 6 Chromebook so I constantly have to ask them for their IP addresses which change all the time in order to know whose is whose.

I've tried changing them both on the phone app as well as the desktop website.

Any words of wisdom? I have read through all the previous posts

cs2020 · ‎2020-04-11

I downloaded the Nighthawk app (on Android) about half an hour ago and it's the first problem I ran into as well, I customized 3 device names, the list refreshed after a moment and poof they were all gone.

Amazing!

And this bug has been around for more than a year with lots of complaints and no action? Mind blowing!

AND when you point out obvious app bugs, a person with "superuser" status chastises you for not mentioning the firmware version! Brain melting! You want to know my blood type too buddy? My favorite color is far more relevant to the discussion, it's green by the way!

Jfennell55 · ‎2020-04-21

I’m having this same issue. Disappointing when you go through the effort of identifying all devices only to have the names revert back.

kboy24 · ‎2020-04-21

Seems to stand a better chance of changes taking effect and staying changed using the IPhone Netgear App. But yeah, What a pain in the Arse..Good Luck

Scg · ‎2020-04-29

Why can't we get some resolution on this when so many people are experiencing the problem? For me I've noticed that the devices which revert back to unknown names are all Chromebooks. Perhaps that has something to do with it??? I have two pc's in the house, multiple phones, printers, a Kindle, Etc. Everything either stays with the name I gave it or it automatically populates with some name that makes logical sense. My kids Chromebooks are the ones that don't do that. Every time I put a name in, sometimes it stays for a few days but eventually it reverts back to unknown. I constantly have to check IP addresses on their individual Chromebooks in order to know whose is whose. I use the smart router for parental controls to shut off Wi-Fi but I never know who's is who's

BetterScotch · ‎2020-05-12

Have seen a lot of folks trying to change device names with the Nighthawk App. I have not been able to do it with the App, but this method does work.

1) Login to your router as admin via web browser (http://www.routerlogin.net)

2) Go to the ADVANCED Tab

3) From Menu, Select Security/Access Control

4) From the Access Control Window, Select the very first check-box "Turn on Access Control"

5) From the list of devices, check the box for the device you wish to change

6) At the top of the device list, Select "Edit" button, you should get an "Edit Device Name" screen.

new

If you go back into the Nighthawk App, and refresh your device list, you should see the new name. Bottom line, it looks like the Nighthawk App does not save device name changes to the router, where it needs to be save. Going into the router and changing them does work.

Regards