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Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

Wi-Ko
Tutor

Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

Trying to get two problems fixed or a return of Router arranged I ended up with a serious security Issue and the local Police is involved. 

 

My two problems were:

  1. Access to readyshare drive drops after a while of inactivity and hence auto backup from two connected PC's and other joint uses didn't work. Only a router reboot gets time limited access again. 
  2. Files over 280MB or so arrive corrupted when transferring to the readyshare drive from either PC. While in my many tests a transferred movie starts (probably stops when it gets to the corrupted part or flickers) others, e.g. larger excel files exhibits various smaller and larger sections of differences and Excel couldn't fully fix the files. I didn't try an EXE file but byte for byte comparison in every case showed various sections in the files being different. Attaching a different hard drive to the router exhibited the same problems. Transferring such files to other external drives connected to the PC were always 100 % error-free.

 

I never had these problems over quite a few years with my R7000. Hence that RAX80 is of no use to me unless it can be fixed. 

 

When I had at the outset a new drive attached it would not recognized the drive but after a Netgear Techie took over my PC the problem turned out with the format type of the drive and a reformat fix it. That Techie sold me a contract on extended Warranty/Support via a Netgear-GearHead Subscription.

 

I also had posted the problems in detail in the Netgear Support Area and received an e-mail quoting a new Case # 42619883.  I called GearHead and the first lady couldn't help and arranged that her supervisor would phone me at 8pm. He didn't and I phoned back reaching another person who then indicated I should expect a call the next day between 11 a.m. and noon. He also quoted the same case # so they obviously had access to my posting of the problem. Again no call and John, the 3rd person I reached said to expect the call between 2:30- and 3:30.

 

I received a call shortly after 3:30 on April 22nd, showing the correct GearHead tel #.  He proceeded to take over my PC. He set the router to factory settings and set it up new with me entering a new access password, SSID’s and related passphrases. 

I am rather a novice on router issues so had not idea what he actually was doing when working on the PC. Once after quite a long time of inactivity I ask: "Are you still there". "Yes, I have to do some things at my PC." At one time Norton flashed a big red noisy warning. I should have cancelled the connection right then. He also pointed twice at a folder, unfortunately on my desktop (rather than it's normal place on a USB  stick I had temporarily given to my wife for some use), reading "sign-ins" which I had just been working on, almost like pointing it out to someone else. Files in that folder were all password protected. He also opened Norton and looked through it.  Then he said all is o.k. now. I asked: "Should we not set up Access control?". No, leave it open for the next 24 hours to check whether or not you still loose access to the readyshare drive. That didn't make sense to me and I was glad when he was gone. There were more issues while he was in control

 

I immediately checked Norton History. There was none! Then the Web history - none there during the time he was connected to my PC!. I immediately shut the router off.  Also, backup files of router setting were gone. So obviously I had a “BAD” individual in control of my PC.

 

So is the total Gearhead crew bad or just the supervisor or was someone else intercepting all the communication by three different persons to the actual supervisor who might not have known anything about this case? (they presently all work from there homes the reason it always took a while to get another appointment time) 

 

Note, after contacting the appropriate section of the police I was told that someone tried to cross the Canadian-U.S. border on April 25 obviously pretending to be me as I certainly did not leave my house for quite some time. I had a copy of my passport page on my PC and info about my Nexus card in my data partition aside from our financial information, Based on a router log there was also a DoS attack: Smurf on the 24th and two disconnections of which one and the immediate reconnection was under a totally out of line date of "Jun 24, 2019". My ethernet connection also showed being connected via one previous SSID being not broadcasted and not one of the two new ones being broadcasted.

 

Although various full scans by different virus software didn't show any infections, I had Dell support reset my new PC to factory status and, assuming the firmware in my Killer 1650 network card was substituted by a fraudulent version he re-flashed it. The reset was done via a WiFi connection and the Ethernet cable was disconnected and still is.

 

I am now planning to use the router/modem from my ISP based on their suggestion and a newer device one is on it's way. So now, aside from day and night work to arrange for new Credit Cards, changing Passwords, advising the banks to block all accounts, etc. etc. I still have an almost CDN $500.00 brand new router which, while very fast is no good to me at all because of the 2 issues never mind the cost for the extended warranty/support subscription.

 

As to netgear routers I had no problem with the N600 & R7000 Netgear routers in the past. As to the security issue, who-ever is at fault, including my stupidity and misplaced faith, I am sure Netgear Management should and would be concerned but I just cannot find any telephone number to reach an appropriate party to provide him/her with my detailed write-up which I had promised to forward to the police. Well if this is read by such a person, they have my telephone number.  I am posting this here for others who need direct help from Netgear to be on their guard. When Dell was in charge I now had all my other non O/S partitions info removed to external drives and disconnected, although Dell insists on video records of all what their support people do and I sometimes saw a brief shot of the Costa Rica person doing the work (Alienware products, others, I believe, are also in India).  

 

 

Model: RAX80|Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream WiFi Router
Message 1 of 10

Accepted Solutions
Wi-Ko
Tutor

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

An Update

I was contacted by Management on this. In a recent interim feedback that induvitual suggested to have a 2nd level technician contact me regarding the two Rax80 problems mentioned in my initial post. That person phoned and I said I had switched back to my R7000 and would need to re-install the Rax80 first. So we agreed he would phone me back on the following Monday @10am.  In the meantime I temporarily reinstalled the Rax80 using just my old PC. There was a new firmware available and I installed it. 

Well no more file coruptions when tranferring files from the PC's to the readyshare.  Also the readyshare was still available after more then 4 hours of non-use.  

So both technical problems were fixed

However, strangly the 2nd level tech never phoned back. Man Sad

 

Here is info on a strange experience I run into for the forum's tech gurus.

Rather then deleting mostly old data, I reformatted the readyshare USB drive (3TB) using my Windows 10 Pro PC but neither the R7000 nor the Rax80 would now recognise that drive yet my Windows 10Pro PC and the Windows 7Ultimate PC did have no problems with it.  Even run a 4-hr chkdks /r/f on it finding no problmes. I then formatted the drive via my Windows 7 PC and both routers now recognized the drive; the R7000 giving it a U: drive letter as before and the RAX 80 a T: drive letter. (was previously U: too)

So is there a difference in formatting between Win 10 and Win 7, which, while not having an inpact on either PC's but with both routers if using Win 10.  Strange but that was my experience. 

View solution in original post

Model: RAX80|Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream WiFi Router
Message 9 of 10

All Replies

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!


@Wi-Ko wrote:

I received a call shortly after 3:30 on April 22nd, showing the correct GearHead tel #. 

Not, unfortunately, an infallible guide. It is all too easy to spoof those caller ID numbers. Banks are particularly prone to that sort of scam.

 

There is a history sites and phone numbers purporting to be official support sites when they are no such thing.

 

I am not saying that this happened in your case, but it might be worth warning other people not to call numbers that they find with a web search.

 

 

Message 2 of 10
DarrenM
Sr. NETGEAR Moderator

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

Hello Wi-Ko

 

I have escalated your issue and you should be getting a email from us in the next couple days to work with you on this issue.

 

Thanks

DarrenM

Message 3 of 10
Wi-Ko
Tutor

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

@DarrenM

 

Thanks a Million, Darren

 

I hope they fix their apparent security problem and can also fix my 2 Router problems, if it can be fixed via a setting/firmware update. 

 

N.B. I can again confirm that both problem are not there while using the R7000, and given my ISP only provides 120 Mpbs (getting about 127 Mpbs when going on the net both via ethernet and Wi-Fi) so perhaps I should just stick with my old dependable Router. 

But I thought the transfer speed from our PC's to the readyshare drive and vica versa was a lot faster with the Rax80, unless I was dreaming. Can someone confirm or dispute that? Und that internet speed is idendical to just over 120 Mpbs as governed by my already expensive contract of over $100 monthly. 

Message 4 of 10
Wi-Ko
Tutor

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

@DarrenM

fyi, sad to say that after over two weeks no contact from Netgear Management. So after having this nightmare I am also stuck with an unworkable RAX80 router of almost CDN$500, which compared to the need to go through all the work protecting my financials and insuring PC not infected is the smaller part of the problem.  While the R7000 still works o.k. my PC suddenly started rebooting itself unless I turned off the router. Suspected some WIN 10 or other software so I reformatted the O/S partition and reinstalled Windows 10Pro fresh and am in the process to installing other software. So far so good as to the rebooting but shutting off the router did help in in interim. I had used 4 different virus scanners - all gave a clean bill of health. Also replaced now again all software/firmware for the Killer Network card. 

Regards, WiKo

Message 5 of 10
Wi-Ko
Tutor

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

Sorry to say, but obviously Netgear Management is not interested in any feedback on this issue which is worse than the hardware/software problems they have with some of their latest routers. I am very disappointed to say the least.

Message 6 of 10
Christian_R
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

Hello Wi-Ko,

 

I can see if support can follow up on your case. May you send me a private message with your case number(s) and email address? 


Thanks,
Christian 

Message 7 of 10
Wi-Ko
Tutor

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

Thanks Christian for your help.  I received a new case number. As indicated in my private message, I am back to my old R7000 router and don't think the originally stated problems with the RAX80 can be solved without serious firmware changes unless that particular router is bad and a replacement would do the trick. Let see what I hear from support. 

I still hope I hear from Management regarding my (and Netgear's) "serious problem" and any potential aditional feeback I can give them which is outside the technical router issue. The reason I did not report that incident to the technical report team and only on the forum as there was no contact info for the company itself. 

Regards, WiKo

Model: R7000|AC1900 Smart WIFI Router, RAX80|Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream WiFi Router
Message 8 of 10
Wi-Ko
Tutor

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

An Update

I was contacted by Management on this. In a recent interim feedback that induvitual suggested to have a 2nd level technician contact me regarding the two Rax80 problems mentioned in my initial post. That person phoned and I said I had switched back to my R7000 and would need to re-install the Rax80 first. So we agreed he would phone me back on the following Monday @10am.  In the meantime I temporarily reinstalled the Rax80 using just my old PC. There was a new firmware available and I installed it. 

Well no more file coruptions when tranferring files from the PC's to the readyshare.  Also the readyshare was still available after more then 4 hours of non-use.  

So both technical problems were fixed

However, strangly the 2nd level tech never phoned back. Man Sad

 

Here is info on a strange experience I run into for the forum's tech gurus.

Rather then deleting mostly old data, I reformatted the readyshare USB drive (3TB) using my Windows 10 Pro PC but neither the R7000 nor the Rax80 would now recognise that drive yet my Windows 10Pro PC and the Windows 7Ultimate PC did have no problems with it.  Even run a 4-hr chkdks /r/f on it finding no problmes. I then formatted the drive via my Windows 7 PC and both routers now recognized the drive; the R7000 giving it a U: drive letter as before and the RAX 80 a T: drive letter. (was previously U: too)

So is there a difference in formatting between Win 10 and Win 7, which, while not having an inpact on either PC's but with both routers if using Win 10.  Strange but that was my experience. 

Model: RAX80|Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream WiFi Router
Message 9 of 10
Wi-Ko
Tutor

Re: Instead of fixing 2 serous problems on my new RAX80 they stole my data and corrupted my PC!

Given on my bad experience I am in touch with Netgear Management separately, and as the RAX80 problems are solved I will now click Accept the solution.

Model: RAX80|Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream WiFi Router
Message 10 of 10
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