Nighthawk R8500 down after one device connects to the guest network

[dlast]

When a device connects to the guest wifi, it brings down the entire network and nothing can connect, neither wifi, nor ethernet.

The same problem was already described here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-WiFi-Routers/Nighthawk-R8500-down-after-one-device-connec...

Using the latests firmware, currently: V1.0.2.144

I tried various variants of configuring the wifi channels, e.g. to use the 1st 5G radio for the standard wifi, and 2nd for the guest, but it is always the same behaviour.

Is there someone with R8500 and functional guest wifi or it does not work at all?

[michaelkenward]

Strange. Any clues in the logs for the R8500?

[dlast]

Good question. I have tried:

1. In router Administration, "Clear Logs", got a message like:

[Log Cleared] Monday, Mar 08,2021 18:23:06

2. Activate Guest Network, 5GHz, 2nd radio

3. Login from Android mobile

    Within a minute all connection fail (wired, normal wifi, guest)

4. After few minutes router somehow restarts itself, I go to the Administration and this is all I find in the log:

[OPENVPN] NTP sync time failed. Get correct system time then reconnect.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.106)] to MAC address 00:04:20:EF:AF:84.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.104)] to MAC address 00:04:20:EF:B9:A9.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.95)] to MAC address 54:60:09:F9:B7:9C.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.113)] to MAC address AC:57:75:F3:9E:AE.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.115)] to MAC address AC:FD:CE:B0:0F:CC.
[Initialized, firmware version: V1.0.2.144]
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.93)] to MAC address A4:77:33:69:9D:74.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.96)] to MAC address 00:01:C0:1B:3A:DD.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.108)] to MAC address 30:05:5C:FC:35:5C.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.112)] to MAC address EC:FA:BC:48:8E:D5.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.111)] to MAC address B4:E6:2D:7D:94:85.
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.110)] to MAC address B4:E6:2D:7D:92:2B.

What surprised me that I don't see anymore the [Log Cleared] message. So did the router clear the log during the reset caused by the guest login?

[michaelkenward]

Interesting. But still uzzling.

This looked odd to me:

[OPENVPN] NTP sync time failed

I have no idea what it means. But it might offer some areas for experimentation.

Are you using OPENVPN?

[dlast]

I don't use VPN actively, it is just configured for the case "if needed" and it seems to work.

I turned it off, but with the guest network the same behaviour. To be more accurate: the phone indicates with the icon that it has connected to the guest network, but as soon as I open a browser and try to load a page, so the router resets itself (so e.g. the streamed music, that I started before on my wired desktop, stops, and I can't access router admin interface). 

[Time synchronized with NTP server] Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:25
[Internet connected] IP address: 195.218.23.52, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:25
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.106)] to MAC address 00:04:20:EF:AF:84, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:19
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.93)] to MAC address A4:77:33:69:9D:74, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:17
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.113)] to MAC address AC:57:75:F3:9E:AE, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:17
[Initialized, firmware version: V1.0.2.144] Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:16
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.108)] to MAC address 30:05:5C:FC:35:5C, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:12
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.115)] to MAC address AC:FD:CE:B0:0F:CC, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:12
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.96)] to MAC address 00:01:C0:1B:3A:DD, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:10
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.95)] to MAC address 54:60:09:F9:B7:9C, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:09
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.112)] to MAC address B4:E6:2D:7D:92:2B, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:07
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.111)] to MAC address B4:E6:2D:7D:94:85, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:07
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.110)] to MAC address EC:FA:BC:48:8E:D5, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:07
[DHCP IP: (192.168.0.104)] to MAC address 00:04:20:EF:B9:A9, Monday, Mar 08,2021 20:30:05