I have an RAX48 router and lately, the WiFi sporadically kicks all clients offline. The WiFi signal is still discoverable but no devices can connect to it without first restarting the router. To mitigate, I disabled Netgear Armor and Smart Parental Controls. As soon as I disabled the app, the random WiFi disconnections have stopped and my WiFi speeds have significantly increased to certain WiFi clients. I'm uncertain which of these apps is the root cause but I'm leaning towards Netgear Armor at the moment. I'm not asking for a technical solution to the problem, this post is simply to notify Netgear that something with these 2 apps is causing random WiFi disconnections.
To mitigate, I disabled Netgear Armor and Smart Parental Controls. As soon as I disabled the app, the random WiFi disconnections have stopped and my WiFi speeds have significantly increased to certain WiFi clients. I'm uncertain which of these apps is the root cause but I'm leaning towards Netgear Armor at the moment. I'm not asking for a technical solution to the problem, this post is simply to notify Netgear that something with these 2 apps is causing random WiFi disconnections.
You might have m,ore success ingetting through to the right peo;lpe if you posted that here:
@michaelkenward Considering Armor and Smart Parental Controls are only enabled and modified through the Nighthawk app, I think placement of my post is fine. As you mentioned I could have posted my original comment in both or either one of the threads you listed and I almost did just that. Ultimately I decided that placing the post anywhere other than this thread would add very little value if any at all.
You are free to post wherever you like. I didn't want you to be disappointed if your message in this section went unanswered. Too many people turn up here with messages about apps that then get ignored, especially when they don't say which app they mean. (Sadly, perhaps because Google and Apple are at daggers drawn, Netgear cannot get its apps to be identical.)
Things like Armor and Smart Parental Controls are not exclusive to the app. You can also play around with them in the browser graphical user interface (GUI), where experienced users like to do things.
Then there is the fact that Armor and Smart Parental Controls have specific sections
where people can raise issues. It is puzzling that someone who wants to talk about Armor and Smart Parental Controls doesn't want to visit those places. But, as I say, it is your choice.
Then there is the possibility that it may have something to do with your hardware.
Oh, and any talk of "this thread" is odd. This thread is not some long running conversation about an important topic, but your first message and a follow-up refusal to alert people who might be interested in what you are saying.
A user's web based controls for Netgear Armor & various versions of Netgear's parental controls are relative to the router's model number. For instance, an older router might have Live Parental Controls that's currently accessible (it's being decommissioned at the end of this year) through OpenDNS and the newer AX series devices use Smart Parental Controls. As previously mentioned, I'm using an RAX48 so Armor's web based controls are limited. Through a web browser, you can only enable Armor with an activation code purchased at the Netgear store and disabling Armor isn't possible at. With regard to an RAX48's web based Smart Parental Controls, there are none. For a user to toggle Armor on/off via the AX router's web based GUI, this would require them to enable Armor with an activation code and then disable by means of a hard router (factory) reset. This would occur every time Armor is toggled on/off. If an experienced user is using this method instead of simply using the Nighthawk app, I question that user's level of experience.
Considering Netgear's obvious transition to app based control for software subscription services such as Armor and Smart Parental Controls, I created a new discussion inside the Nighthawk App section. Placing my new discussion in the Armor section would indicate I'm certain the problem is related to Armor. Placing my new discussion in the Smart Parental Controls section would indicate I'm certain the problem is related to Smart Parental Controls. In fact, I'm not certain which of the software subscriptions is causing the issue. What I am certain of is that Netgear will read my discussion & relay it to the correct department regardless of where my discussion is located. Hence, the discussion placement is trivial.
If someone took the time to read my post they would have read that I wasn't requesting a technical solution. As a licensed professional engineer, I try to do two things: (1.) If a subject is outside of my area of expertise, I don't offer solutions (2.) I don't focus on trivial details.
To help identify which are maybe causing problems, I'd run with either feature enabled. Not both. See what the experience is. If nothing, disable the app and re-enable the other app and test again. Either one of these should reveal something, or possibly having them both enabled maybe causing problems.
At any rate, please contact NG support to let them know what your seeing. NG R&D do not watch these forums and mostly get problem information from NG support lines, phone or email or social networks. It's best to reach out to them and let them know.
