New - R8500 Firmware Version 1.0.2.160 Released - EOL

[FURRYe38]

Security Fixes: 08/05/2022

• Fixes security vulnerabilities.

For more information about security vulnerabilities, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/security/

Enable IPv6 Auto if you continue to see DNS Probe or Proxy messages in browsers. 

Download Link: https://www.netgear.com/support/product/R8500.aspx#download

To update your router's firmware, follow the instructions in your router's user manual. To view your router's user manual, visit https://www.netgear.com/support/product/R8500.aspx#docs

Manually update FW on the router if this isn't seen on the routers web page:

https://kb.netgear.com/23960/How-do-I-manually-update-the-firmware-on-my-NETGEAR-router

NOTE: Use a wired PC and web browser to update router FW. If continued problems are seen after a FW update, it's recommended to try a factory reset and setup from scratch with out loading any saved configurations from backup files.

https://kb.netgear.com/9665/How-do-I-perform-a-factory-reset-on-my-NETGEAR-router

https://kb.netgear.com/24231/How-do-I-back-up-the-router-configuration-settings-on-my-Nighthawk-rout...

This article applies to:

• Wireless AC Router Nighthawk R8500

Let us know how this version of FW works for you...

Also this model router is EOL: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-Wi-Fi-5-AC-Routers/Top-NETGEAR-FAQs-Support-and-End-of-Se...

[CogX]

Anyone install V1.0.2.160_1.0.107 yet, I don't suppose it fixed the DNS probe bug?

[FURRYe38]

Just loaded v.160 on my R8500 thats now connected to my CM1200 cable modem. Factory reset and setup from scratch.

Will monitor for DNS issues. IPv6 is NOT enabled currently. 

Speeds are good though:

Default settings, No Armor, Circle or Traffic Meter enabled:

RAXE500 in wireless bridge mode connected to the R8500. 2100Mpbs Connection rate between the two:

[FURRYe38]

Well, I haven't seen any DNS issues since first day of loading v.160 on my R8500. I did see some on my wired PC, however I believe a reboot of the PC resolved that as since then, I have not seen any DNS issues on web pages. I had noticed that before I left a bunch of tabs open in Opera. Closing Opera and coming back that first day, and reopening Opera some of the tabs were trying to refresh there pages and some tabs saw the DNS Prob message. However since the reboot of the PC which cleared the DNS caches. Closing and reopening the browser at various times hasn't reproduced any DNS Prob or Proxy messages since. IPv6 IS disabled. I had manually loaded the FW and factory reset and setup from scratch. 

I've since turned OFF the wifi radios and installed a Orbi 9 series in AP mode behind the R8500. Working well at this time. 

[DanKI6X]

Still an issue with the R8500 and the latest .160 firmware.  I have to go back to .144 again (year old).

Dan

[FURRYe38]

Ya I saw some DNS items yesterday. Still not sure if it was browser cache or something else. 

Have you factory reset and setup from scratch? 

Have you enabled IPv6 on the router as well? 

---

@DanKI6X wrote:

Still an issue with the R8500 and the latest .160 firmware.  I have to go back to .144 again (year old).

Dan

---

[Stappmeyer]

I have installed this firmware and did a factory reset. I still am seeing the DNS errors. I am thinking it is time to replace the unit as it does not appear that this will be addressed. Reinstalling an old firmware with known issues is not a serious option for me.

Disappointed R8500 owner.

[FURRYe38]

Have you enabled IPv6 on the router as well?

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@Stappmeyer wrote:

I have installed this firmware and did a factory reset. I still am seeing the DNS errors. I am thinking it is time to replace the unit as it does not appear that this will be addressed. Reinstalling an old firmware with known issues is not a serious option for me.

Disappointed R8500 owner.

---

[DanKI6X]

Turning on IPV6 seemed to help some, but then my OPENDNS filtering did not work anymore.  Saw that being true with others from some more internet searching.  I turned off IPV6 and issue did not get worse.  I am going to try .160 for a while.  Looks like it is improving with use.  I did try some flushing, etc. but surely always something being "remembered" so I am giving it time to settle down.  Other PC in house is improving too with very little DNS errors now.  Do not have issues with Wi-Fi connected Apple devices, nor many connected home assistants.

Dan

[FURRYe38]

Thank you for letting us know. Ya I found that DNS issues mostly went away for me after IPv6 was enabled on my 8500.

Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/24231/How-do-I-back-up-the-router-configuration-settings-on-my-Nighthawk-rout...

---

@DanKI6X wrote:

Turning on IPV6 seemed to help some, but then my OPENDNS filtering did not work anymore.  Saw that being true with others from some more internet searching.  I turned off IPV6 and issue did not get worse.  I am going to try .160 for a while.  Looks like it is improving with use.  I did try some flushing, etc. but surely always something being "remembered" so I am giving it time to settle down.  Other PC in house is improving too with very little DNS errors now.  Do not have issues with Wi-Fi connected Apple devices, nor many connected home assistants.

Dan

---

[DanKI6X]

OK, the old Catch-22...

Turn on IPv6 and you cannot use OPENDNS custom filtering since you cannot "register" your IPV6 address with them.  With IPv6 off on the Netgear R8500 you can use custom filtering with the regular OPENDNS DNS but with the latest firmware you get a few random DNS errors that sometimes recover themselves, sometimes don't.  Here is what I ended up finding and doing:

Since my kids are older now, I decided I would be fine with the general Parent Controls OPENDNS can use by default without an account or custom settings.  This will block the basic "bad" stuff and unable to be customized.  Here are my settings now:

Internet: DNS (i.e., IPv4) USE THESE: 208.67.220.123 and 208.67.222.123 (these are OPENDNS basic filter without using an account)

ADVANCED: Advanced Setup: IPv6: USE THESE: 2620:119:35::123 and 2620:119:53::123 (these are the OPENDNS basic for IPv6)

Note that each "number" is four digits so add zeroes in front of those shorter.  Also, "::" means fill in "0000" where needed and as many as needed (i.e., first address is really 2620:0119:0035:0000:0000:0000:0000:0123)

Now I am getting the filtering I need (or can live with) and no DNS errors.  Firmware .144 was the last one that worked fully with OPENDNS on my R8500.  Netgear needs to get the firmware working without the need for IPv6 and OPENDNS needs to get IPv6 addresses allowed in the Dashboard to be registered for custom filtering.

Dan

[CogX]

After installing v1.0.2.154 August 2021 and then quickly reverting back to v1.0.2.144, I finally installed v1.0.2.160 here in September 2022.  I had still been getting periodic DNS errors with x.144, but had learned to just live with them.  After installing x.160, I didn't see a difference in that problem, so I finally tried out the  IPv6: 6to4 Tunnel  option and it does appear to have helped.   Of course, test-ipv6.com points out 6to4 is less than ideal.

[CogX]

Unfortunately, although everything seemed fine all the rest of the day, after upgrading the firmware to 1.0.2.160 *and* also enabling IPv6 6to4 (which is the only way to get rid of the now infamous DNS errors across multiple Netgear routers), now this morning my R8500 just up and crashed.  I had to power cycle the stupid thing.  I can't recall that happening, basically, ever, since I bought in the fall of 2016.  Great.

[FURRYe38]

What was happening when the router seemed to "crash"? 

What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6 is recommended. 

What all do you have connected to the router? 

Do you have Access Controls, Armor, Circle or Traffic Meter enabled? 

Has a power off for 1 minute then back ON with the ISP modem and router been performed since last update?
Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:
Turn off and unplug modem.
Turn off router and computers.
Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on computers and rest of network.

Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?

---

@CogX wrote:

Unfortunately, although everything seemed fine all the rest of the day, after upgrading the firmware to 1.0.2.160 *and* also enabling IPv6 6to4 (which is the only way to get rid of the now infamous DNS errors across multiple Netgear routers), now this morning my R8500 just up and crashed.  I had to power cycle the stupid thing.  I can't recall that happening, basically, ever, since I bought in the fall of 2016.  Great.

---

[CogX]

Well, my R8500 router went belly-up again two hours later and I had to unplug the power cord and plug it back in a second time.  It all seemed to be fine the rest of the day and evening, but we'll see what a new day brings.   Clearly, either the upgrade to the current firmware is the cause and/or the fact that I was forced to enable IPv6 6to4 to finally get rid of the infamous DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN errors that have plagued Netgear routers (multiple models, if one scours this forum site) for going on two years now.

The sad thing is, I had been hoping to limp along with this router until (definitely non-Netgear brand) WiFi 7 routers showed up on the market, until I started reading that isn't going to be realized now until 2024.  I guess a stop-gap Asus router is in my near future...

[FURRYe38]

What was happening when the router seemed to "crash"? 

What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6 is recommended. 

What all do you have connected to the router? 

Do you have Access Controls, Armor, Circle or Traffic Meter enabled? 

Has a power off for 1 minute then back ON with the ISP modem and router been performed since last update?
Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:
Turn off and unplug modem.
Turn off router and computers.
Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on computers and rest of network.

Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update?

---

@CogX wrote:

Well, my R8500 router went belly-up again two hours later and I had to unplug the power cord and plug it back in a second time.  It all seemed to be fine the rest of the day and evening, but we'll see what a new day brings.   Clearly, either the upgrade to the current firmware is the cause and/or the fact that I was forced to enable IPv6 6to4 to finally get rid of the infamous DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN errors that have plagued Netgear routers (multiple models, if one scours this forum site) for going on two years now.

The sad thing is, I had been hoping to limp along with this router until (definitely non-Netgear brand) WiFi 7 routers showed up on the market, until I started reading that isn't going to be realized now until 2024.  I guess a stop-gap Asus router is in my near future...

---

[DanKI6X]

I turned on the 6to4 couple days ago and have not had an issue.  DHCP setting in IPv6 was also working for last week+ before that.  My only remaining issue is using OPENDNS custom settings with IPv6 turned on.  I have not tested with "6to4" setting.  OPENDNS does not support IPv6 for IP address custom setting so using the general filters that do work on IPv6 (see my note above).  But, IPv6 does need to be on to not get the DNS errors.

Dan

[CogX]

My router crashed again (spontaneously rebooted) this morning, as soon as I got up.

It didn't crash all day yesterday, but did those two times the day before.  Actually, it could be crashing and rebooting multiple times when no one is around to actually notice, as I don't have any external logging to track it.

I just disabled IPv6 and manually rebooted, to see if this router crashing continues at which point I'll assume it is ultimately due to installing the current firmware revision and not the IPv6 settings.

(My gut tells me it will keep crashing, but now it's a waiting game.  Of course, I also just purchased a new router, because although I've been doing IT support since the 1990s, and this all second nature, my entire work life has been dealing with this kind of nonsense 50-70 hours a week, I don't need to be having this aggravation at home all the time as well.  Can't a person just buy anything reliable anymore, ever?  EVER??)

[FURRYe38]

Kind of hard to help out or get a better idea of your environment if you don't give feedback to the questions presented. 

I guess all this is no longer important as you have something else replacing the R8500. 

Good Luck. 

[CogX]

The not so funny thing is that there are multiple different threads for multiple different Netgear models, but we all have the same DNS error issues, but there's no easy way for us to collectively try to work through any of this, across all models, to maybe see if there is some "ah ha" solution beyond just wishful thinking that the Netgear programmers will some day figure this all out - you know, that they haven't been able to figure out in the past 18 months.

My R8500 did the same thing, after upgrading to the current firmware, finally relenting to enable IPv6, saw the DNS errors go away, but then the router started crashing.  I was about to order a new Asus brand router, but then change my mind as now I think I'm going to go the build-your-own router router, so in the meantime I disabled IPv6 and so far my R8500 has stayed up since.  But then of course the DNS errors came back.  In the scheme of lesser evils, having the periodic DNS errors is better than having one's entire home network crap out for 5 minutes at a time as the router reboots.

[SSP2020]

Hi All,Any Update on the Latest Firmware 1.0.2.160. does the DNS issue still appearing? does anyone tested the latets Firmware?

[FURRYe38]

DNS seems to still be a problem on this version of FW. Enabling IPv6 seems to help though. 

[DanKI6X]

1.0.2.160 is still the latest that I can tell and all the comments above still hold true since no changes.  Dan 

[SSP2020]

I'm still using 1.0.2.144 along with IPV6 setting and it's pretty Staable. that DNS issue is killing a lot hence seeking the latest Firmware 1.0.2.160 answers if that resolving the issue completely or we should stay on .144

[SSP2020]

Any Update on the V 1.0.2.160? can we upgrade or Still hold back on the 144? Review Please