Re: New Firmware v2.3.2.120 (XR500)

amartinz · ‎2021-10-07

@Philippe2021 wrote:
I have the same opinion about the XR500 which does have serious issues with the wifi as you know (NFS, Samba, SSH, etc..). If this silly problem could be fixed AT LAST, that could be fine. But I doubt very much. The XR500 is not finished. For the Wifi, I have to use a TP-LINK AP plugged into the XR500. It's just crazy.

I pretty much lost faith too. At first it looked really promising, NetDuma really put in a lot of effort and this is very much appreaciated.
However some time ago the status was "Netgear needs to finally approve the new build" and suddenly it is back to reworking the build system?

I am sure a lot of people would have appreciated, if you did a release before you started the new build system. So there is at least something new to flash, try out and calm the nerves.

My warranty is void by now so i looked for alternative firmware. Recently OpenWrt worked on bringing up XR500 support (https://github.com/openwrt/openwrt/pull/4549) which i built myself and gave it a try.

Pretty happy with it so far. My WiFi issues are gone, IPv6 works fine as well.
Especially with the WiFi-MAC randomization feature on more recent Android devices it kept blowing up the XR500 with DumaOS whenever a device reconnected or someone was visiting.
So the hardware is definitely capable of everything but the software needs some more work and regular updates are needed as well.

I hope you soon reach a stable state and wish you all the best and success for the future! 🙂

DIGIMANCER · ‎2021-10-07

Weird so many prople are having problems. I am using one I got used off Amazon running 2.3.2.120 and the only issue I have is with the batschitt crazy device map. Everything else runs great though, just the dashboard thats a bit wonky.

Philippe2021 · ‎2021-10-08

@DIGIMANCER wrote:
Weird so many prople are having problems. I am using one I got used off Amazon running 2.3.2.120 and the only issue I have is with the batschitt crazy device map. Everything else runs great though, just the dashboard thats a bit wonky.

Try the wifi : it cannot use samba, ssh, nfs. If you have a NAS connected to your home network by wifi, it is unreachable. It's a shame. And this bug had been here for several years ! The product is not finished, Netgear sells unfinished products and it is the last time I buy one of them.

mathmath51 · ‎2021-10-08

Please don't forget random connection drop and crashes

LiLAsN · ‎2021-10-08

Wait till you try to make a call using VOIP such as Whatsapp calling. Both calling out and calling in, you will not be able to hear what the other person is talking unless you turn off and turn on the WiFi on your phone to reestablish the connection.

And... After a period of not using your phone, you try to use your phone, the apps such as Facebook/Instagram and whatever social media platforms won't refresh including Whatsapp at times until you again, turn off and on the WiFi on your phone to reestablish the connection once again.
Now try doing that every single time you left your phone to idle and then coming back to it and having to do those steps repeatedly.

I now just use it as an AP and have an Asus router in Extender mode connected to the XR500 in AP mode while the Netduma R2 acts as just a router. Only reason is because I want a network wide Adblock service. Anyway, with this setup, I no longer have issues with the WiFi. Except...

Now I have a less than capable router that can't even run at the maximum internet bandwidth that the XR500 can. Limited to just 700+ with Adblock turned on. (And them brushing this issue off as 'This is fine'.)
And the AdBlock feature isn't really smart too. I now have issues logging in to Steam. Randomly getting my Steam is offline issue and Steam being stuck on trying to reconnect and not launching itself when starting up as a result. I have to constantly go into the router to temporarily disable the Adblock on my PC and yet, at times, I am still stuck until I reboot the R2 router.

And then, I'll hit into yet another problem. The R2 router keeps on resetting my custom profile for my Adblock. So all of a sudden, all the devices include all my Home Automation devices have Adblock turned on which can cause some weird problems. So I have to manually switch those devices off from being blocked by Adblock on the router. You have to do this every time you reboot the router. What a hassle. And a major turn off to this after being an initial supporter of the Netduma R1 from the beginning. The older we get, the busier we become. I don't have time to waste taking extra steps doing something as simple as launching a Game Launcher and manually configuring my almost 50 over devices and selecting which to turn off from getting Adblocked.

Netduma-Fraser · ‎2021-10-08

Adblocker will show the domains that have been blocked so try steam, look at the domain that gets blocked and add it to the whitelist and you'll be good. If you're rebooting by unplugging the power that is probably why, do so via the interface at least once then you can unplug if necessary and it should save.

Xavg · ‎2021-10-09

Hello, now i have a AX86U and no more problem's for the last 4 months... I will never buy again a Netgear product because of this. The price is a high end customer product but the support is not. I think that Netduma and Netgear need to quickly change their minds / process for the respect of the customers.

amartinz · ‎2021-10-10

@LiLAsN

I am using a Raspberry Pi with Pihole (https://pi-hole.net/) which i have configured as DNS server in the router interface to get network wide adblocking.

For devices, where i do not want adblocking, i manually set a different DNS server.

Requires a bit manual work to set it up but once it runs, it is great.

Hydros85 · ‎2021-10-18

dumaos 3.0 was announced in 2019, the last beta was in March, it has already passed more than half a year and there is not even another beta, everyone knows that there is covid but the IT industry works remotely, maybe you have too little employees with so slow it goes, and raises the frustration of customers with so poor it goes

Netduma-Liam · ‎2021-10-18

I can certainly understand why it's so frustrating.

Rest assured we're working super hard to try prevent delays like this in the future. We've built two new systems to automate the process of building firmwares as well as testing them. It means that a firmware can be built and tested overnight, then in the morning the team can see what passed and test it manually before release.

It's been a long process to build these systems, but they're nearly finished and they're now in production. It shouldn't be too much longer before we can start building firmwares for the NPG routers and ultimately get them out to you guys.

Thank you all for your patience.

neruda96 · ‎2021-10-18

So they will soon release a new firmware for the xr500?

Hydros85 · ‎2021-10-18

probably so neruda96 , thanks Liam for the answer

mathmath51 · ‎2021-10-18

Ok, but have you been able to fix all the tricky issues related to the DHCP, the weird isolation between Lan and Wifi devices when using Samba/Ssh, the internet loss, the random crash...

yunloveyou · ‎2021-10-18

That's the case, the 114 firmware problems have been very clear, until it now has 114 firmware released more than 8 months, the new firmware has not updated, estimates that this is my last a network product, really disappointed

yunloveyou · ‎2021-10-18

I have to give up netgear XR500, use other routers, true to can not stand this router problem

Netduma-Fraser · ‎2021-10-19

Netgear will be handling the issues that apply to the hardware and their settings and we'll focus on the DumaOS side. Fixes may come at different times because of this but each new version should be better than the last, we're working hard to get one out as soon as possible.

mathmath51 · ‎2021-10-21

So Netgear didn't provide you with a fix to integrate in your next build?

Have you only build a delivery pipeline for the past 6 months and Netgear disregarded all the feedback and fixed nothing?

I must have misinterpreted your last answers right?

@Netduma-Fraser wrote:
Netgear will be handling the issues that apply to the hardware and their settings and we'll focus on the DumaOS side. Fixes may come at different times because of this but each new version should be better than the last, we're working hard to get one out as soon as possible.

Netduma-Fraser · ‎2021-10-21

@mathmath51 NG usually build the firmware and we provide what we can if we have a fix or feature ready for that timeline, if not then it may not make it into that version.

mathmath51 · ‎2021-10-22

@Netduma-Fraser wrote:
@mathmath51NG usually build the firmware and we provide what we can if we have a fix or feature ready for that timeline, if not then it may not make it into that version.

Does it mean that Netgear has forgotten about this router for the past 6 months ?

I mean fixing the underlying issues that should work regardless of running DumaOs or not should be a priority right ?

Having the DumaOS feature working but keeping dhcp/wifi/reboot/connection loss problems make the router worthless...

I'd love to have a communication from NetDuma Luke (the CEO) for exemple about the situation instead of letting you guys taking all the fire.

Netduma-Liam · ‎2021-10-22

The issues causing Rapps not to load was an incredibly complicated one, we believe we've fixed it now for the R2 and are going to port that over to the NPG range for the next firmware. As Fraser mentions, Netgear are handling the core issues that don't pertain to DumaOS and any fixes they have will also be in the next firmware. In this time, we've built two new systems internally to build and test firmwares in a much more automated way, this was a massive project but it will hugely speed up the process of releasing firmwares for future. We've discussed this internally at Netduma and we're well aware of the commmunities frustrations here, we want to ensure we can avoid large delays like this moving forward.

Reavo81 · ‎2021-10-25

So i'd love some help if possible here.

I have stumbled upon this firmware update (my XR500 is currently 2.3.2.114).

I have long struggled with thie router with regular strange problems, my main problem being with my Sonos multiroom system (but not only this). Periodically but very regularly and randomly my music cuts off, Sonos say that the device is losing internet connection momentarily but i keep getting told that the router is not the issue.

The firmware update above specifies fixes to stop internet dropping. Will this fix my issue or am i finally best to cut my losses and bin off Netgear once and for all?

Thank you.

Netduma-Liam · ‎2021-10-25

It's definitely worth updating and trying, there's several stability fixes in .120. Just make sure you factory reset after upgrading!

atebitwolf · ‎2021-10-31

I have trouble connecting iOS apps (WiFi) to my PC apps (Ethernet). Allowed all apps in firewall, so I don't understand why I can't create a connection? - Is there an option in the router that has to be enabled/disabled?

Apps that can't connect: Touch Portal and Up Deck.

Hardware: iPad 2 iOS 9.3.5 and PC Windows 11.

Netduma-Liam · ‎2021-11-01

Could you double check if completely disabling QoS from the three-line menu in Congestion Control allows the apps again?

atebitwolf · ‎2021-11-01

QoS were never enabled.