Re: R7960P firmware not upgrading

Beeman21 · ‎2020-08-07

I have the Nighthawk R7960P and I'm seeing exactly the problems reported in this thread regarding the firmware not updating. Note that the router appears to be working in every respect but it has been urging me to upgrade for months.

I have just bought the Netgear CM 500 DOCSIS Modem as I, naively, thought have two Netgear communications devices would be a good thing but I'm concerned that the firmware upgrade issue may not be fixed.

Has anyne had any sucess with the FTTP approach?

Thanks.

IdahoScott · ‎2020-08-07

@Beeman21 wrote:
I have the Nighthawk R7960P and I'm seeing exactly the problems reported in this thread regarding the firmware not updating. Note that the router appears to be working in every respect but it has been urging me to upgrade for months.

I have just bought the Netgear CM 500 DOCSIS Modem as I, naively, thought have two Netgear communications devices would be a good thing but I'm concerned that the firmware upgrade issue may not be fixed.

Has anyne had any sucess with the FTTP approach?

Thanks.

The manual download/upgrade route is a standard, optional feature. After manually downloading the patch, there are two documented methods to manually update the firmware, i.e. through the GUI interface under Administrative tools (i.e. "browse" for file, upload, etc.), and also via running the software patch directly (link to that process was provided eariler in this thread).

To date, no one has reported success with ANY upgrade method for these model NETGEAR routers.
Since the March update (1.4.1.50_1.3.10) and more recent patch (v 1.4.1.56 - Hot Fix) which has been removed from circulation, nor the most recent patch (1.4.1.62) ALL fail to apply, we're pretty much screwed.
What it means, is that we are stuck on the V1.4.1.44_1.3.5 patch level (which is currently installed on my router) forever.
In other words, Netgear's v1.4.1.44_1.3.5 patch has bricked our routers, from receiving firmware updates forever, and I have to assume that there's nothing NETGEAR can do to fix them, other than replace the firmware chips, or more specifically, the entire router (more cost effective).
Since NETGEAR does not want to PAY for their mistake of ruining our routers, again to reiterate, we're screwed.
Keep your device firewalls up to date, because NETGEAR routers will become the most hacked, penetrated network equipment in the world, SINCE NOONE CAN UPDATE THEIR FIRMWARE, who has had the misfortune of buying these classes of routers, and applying the 1.4.1.44_1.3.5 patch.

I'm not being bombastic here. I'm using logic. If they could fix this, they would have. "Broken" firmware is fixed by chip replacement.

Our firmware (chips) are forever broken. Netgear will not take responsibility for fixing what they broke.

Apply to future buying decisions for ANYTHING from Netgear. (20+ customer, now ex-customer).

Stinsonddog · ‎2020-08-08

Agreed. People you need to return or exchange at this point. Only way.

prubio · ‎2020-08-11

This is quite maddening. As pointed out, the last few firmware updates have not been able to be updated. Is Netgear going to address this or continue to kick the can?

IdahoScott · ‎2020-08-11

@prubio wrote:
This is quite maddening. As pointed out, the last few firmware updates have not been able to be updated. Is Netgear going to address this or continue to kick the can?

My problem is that I'm just plain cheap. I got my R7960P router on sale at Costco back in January for about $120 or $130 on sale. There's nothing close to it's specs available on the market. Costco would give me my money back, and lol, I could probably sell it at a profit on Craigslist, but I couldn't replace it with an equivalent or better router for less than $150-$400. I just checked the other day, and Costco will give me my money back, no questions asked. I'm not the first person returning these routers at Costco, i.e. they are aware of what's going on. Funny thing is, Costco sells mostly Netgear routers, a few high end TP-LINK ones (which are good units), but mostly just Netgear. They have the Netgar AC1900 duel band cable modem/router listed for $179.00, and that's really at least 4 to 6 year old technology (I had an AC1900 class unit back in 2014 or 2015, if I recall, maybe earlier).

I don't want to buy Netgear again, and in particular, not for $200 to $400. I've had it up to here with all of this B.S. from Netgear. Good routers, but they screwed up, and won't stand behind their product. There's evidently been a hmmmm , ~~~~ shift ~~~~ in ownership & customer service in this company, somewhere offshore of the USA, if you catch my drift, along with the core values of this now, legacy technology company.

I'll be looking around for something again this week, and just bite the bullet.

Zero_c00l · ‎2020-08-12

I got an email today from Netgear that a new firmware v1.4.1.62 for this router has become available.

I was so excited that finally I would be able to upgrade this damn router. I checked the firmware version in the router login page and it was still showing 1.4.1.50, then checked the Nighthawk app and it says there is no new version available!

Eventually went to their website and found the new version THERE.

I upload it to the router and after a reboot, it's still showing V1.4.1.44_1.3.5! Really shocking! After releasing 2 firmware versions, looks like they have no idea we are not able to upgrade to a higher version. I am sure V1.4.1.44 has a bug that does not let a new firmware to be installed on it. I tried to downgrade it but again after reboot it shows V1.41.44, Look like we are stock to this version forever no matter how many new version they release. It's a shame!

CKopp · ‎2020-08-13

I am having a related problem. I was able to update to V1.4.1.50_1.3.10 a while a go via the check for updates. However the check for updates shows no version available. When I download the newest version and unzip it, I get a V1.4.1.62_1.3.22.chk file which is reported as 50,433 KB in windows. If I upload the file, it progresses to full bar status and sits there. The lights are all blonking away on the router, but connection to its console is lost and all internet ceases. I can ping its IP. If I reboot the computer the DHCP does work to assign an address to the computer. If I turn the router off and on again, it boots up as normal, but still shows the previous version (1.50) number.

Since I am only one version off, I guess I will wait th see where this goes.

CKopp · ‎2020-08-13

I should add I waited 20 minutes before the reboot.

IdahoScott · ‎2020-08-13

Netgear is well aware of the issue.

They don't want to replace the routers that they've bricked with a buggy version of firmware.

Therefore, they are ignoring complaints, while they keep selling their routers.

It's not a technical issue. It's a money issue. Follow the money.

IdahoScott · ‎2020-08-13

You'll be waiting forever. I've been waiting since March 2020.

Your router is bricked, done, over with. It may continue to work, but their buggy firmware has modified your router so that it will likely never allow another update.

You're vunerable as long as your router firewall can be hacked. Netgear assumes no responsibility, but keeps selling hardware and pushing out new firmware with security fixes, to satisfy their legal obligations.

This isn't some big mystery. It may not happen to every router, and most users have their router updates set to "automatic", so they don't even know that their routers are out of date and vunerable.

@CKopp wrote:
I am having a related problem. I was able to update to V1.4.1.50_1.3.10 a while a go via the check for updates. However the check for updates shows no version available. When I download the newest version and unzip it, I get a V1.4.1.62_1.3.22.chk file which is reported as 50,433 KB in windows. If I upload the file, it progresses to full bar status and sits there. The lights are all blonking away on the router, but connection to its console is lost and all internet ceases. I can ping its IP. If I reboot the computer the DHCP does work to assign an address to the computer. If I turn the router off and on again, it boots up as normal, but still shows the previous version (1.50) number.

Since I am only one version off, I guess I will wait th see where this goes.

Alex2019 · ‎2020-08-13

Can not do anything with these problems, any complaint with them, to the support department? it's disappointing

The_Smurph · ‎2020-08-13

This is ridiculous, unacceptable, and just down right lazy Netgear. When I get closer to a Costco, I am returning this thing. You have failed your CUSTOMERS. You have released multiple firmware updates and yet we cant even update it. Fix the problem of updating so we can secure our routers. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL POINT OF THIS FIRMWARE! After your router pushed a firmware update, which they blast away everytime I log into the app, or the router itself, your CUSTOMERS are now stuck with a router that cannot be updated further. New security threat pops up, we are attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis. The complete lack of response from Netgear has been laughable. Trendnet or Asus will be getting my money from this point forward, and will be recommending friends and family to do the same.

SamSundara · ‎2020-08-13

You better off returning the router, there is absolutely no use on wasting your energy here, Netgear did not care for 5 months, do you think they will care now??....

andynbaker · ‎2020-08-13

Jesus christ these assholes just can't get it together. I'd return it to Costco, but there's nothing there i'm even interested in. This is so frustrating.

Mrfatboy · ‎2020-08-14

Same situation as @CKopp above. Came here for answers and am disappointed to see no solution.

WookieClaws · ‎2020-08-16

I have the same issue and have for over a month, I've been checking in here for updates from Netgear but no dice. I'm going to take this back to Costco and get something else. This is very sad as I've always had good luck with Netgear but apparently they don't care about customers anymore who have bought their products.

Mrfatboy · ‎2020-08-17

I bought 3 of these routers at Costco when they were on sale for Xmas presents last December. One for myself, neighbor, and father. Our neighborhood was upgraded to gigabit fiber.

The router has performed very well besides this debacle.

The question now becomes what do you get to replace it for around same money?

andynbaker · ‎2020-08-17

They have the tplink c4000 in stock again. That's what I'm considering.

Stinsonddog · ‎2020-08-17

@andynbaker wrote:
They have the tplink c4000 in stock again. That's what I'm considering.

Looks like a good choice that everyone with this issue should consider. Same price that we all paid end of last year.

WookieClaws · ‎2020-08-17

I'm looking at this one: TP-Link AC5400. We need a good gaming router at hour house... Up to 3 gamers on at the same time.

IdahoScott · ‎2020-08-17

@WookieClaws wrote:
I'm looking at this one: TP-Link AC5400. We need a good gaming router at hour house... Up to 3 gamers on at the same time.

That's about $100 more on Amazon, but you may be shopping elsewhere. The TP-LINK C4000 that @andynbaker described is closely spec'd to my R7960P (actually, spot on with Netgear's Nighthawk X6S Smart WiFi router (R8000P) model). So, I'm pulling the trigger on that today. TP-Link has a good reputation (as Netgear once did, too). I've been ticked off since March about this, expecting Netgear to offer a fix, but it's evident that they've abandoned this model (R7960P). You can't even find it from the drop down "Model" list for these posts, of available models.

By the way, depending on the size of your house, with three gamers you might want to look into a mesh router system, i.e. with multiple nodes around your house. At over 1000 (actually 1600+ MBPS) per channel, one rarely has contention problems on one of these multi-band routers. It's more important that your signal strength is equalized throughout your house, which is what a multi-node mesh system (i.e. with a back channel feeding each node with the strongest single available from the other nodes), will do. Also, get a cell phone App to analyze the signal contention around your neighborhood, to ensure that your router isn't trying to use the same signal as your neighbors. I've got a free one called "WIFI Analyzer", which works well.

CKopp · ‎2020-08-17

Update: I have sucessfully upgraded to the latest firmware.

I called netgear support. At first they did not want to help because my free 90 days expired about 30 days ago. However, I pointed out to them three things: 1. The problem has existed since before my support expired. 2. I do have an Armor subscription, and how do I know thats not causing the issue, 3. They are the ones sending me emails telling me i need to update my firmware.

So they agreed to send me to tech support. Having explained my previous attempts, they had me:

1. Do the check for update with the browser - same result no new firmware.

2. Redownload the .62 firmware update from the link in the email (looks like the same location as for downloads navigating there via the menu

3. After extracting the file, they asked me to move it to my desktop

4. browse to the file, and execute the upload process.

The upload started, progressed along smartly for about 1 min, and then the reboot message flashed up on the screen.

I checked the router and it was re-booting. This is in incontrast to last time when the upload moved more slowly, hung at 100% for 30 min, and the router never rebooted.

I don't know if this download was different, there is some wierd internal pathing that looks something that makes a desktop firmware location different, or just the luck of the draw..... but it did work this time so maybe you guys want to try again?

Goodluck!

PaulTracey · ‎2020-08-17

R7960P-V1.4.1.62_1.3.22 on the download site hasn't changed (checked w/ a binary compare). I wonder if the link they gave you, went to a newer file? I'm pretty sure I earlier tried updating with the file on the desktop, but I will try again now to make sure. I'm posting this before that attempt, just to note for people that the firmware file hasn't changed (to save them from bothering to download it again).

Such a pathing issue is a crazy limitation, but for anyone that's worked in software, such bugs like this can come up if the state is already unexpected.

IdahoScott · ‎2020-08-17

What model router do you have? I tried using their alternative process, i.e. both upload from desktop, as well as a script they posted earlier, and no joy on either attempt. One thing I'm not sure I've tried (it's been months), but some of you folks might, is to press the "reset" button in the back. It'll clear all your settings, and *** MIGHT *** reload the original firmware software. (Probably not, because firmware is usually independent of your appliance.) Failing that, ask for instructions on rolling back the current version installed. Next time you run the standard router update, it should pick up the latest version, and hopefully, skip over the buggy firmware version installed.

However, I won't be doing any more of this. I just ordered the TP-Link replacement, pulled out my netgear box and receipt, and in about 5 days, this thing goes back, and I'm out of Netgear for good. LOL, I've wasted literally hours trying to find, develop, coax a solution for this bug, and I think I've put in more time than anyone at Netgear has, resolving this bug.

@CKopp wrote:
Update: I have sucessfully upgraded to the latest firmware.

I called netgear support. At first they did not want to help because my free 90 days expired about 30 days ago. However, I pointed out to them three things: 1. The problem has existed since before my support expired. 2. I do have an Armor subscription, and how do I know thats not causing the issue, 3. They are the ones sending me emails telling me i need to update my firmware.

So they agreed to send me to tech support. Having explained my previous attempts, they had me:

1. Do the check for update with the browser - same result no new firmware.
2. Redownload the .62 firmware update from the link in the email (looks like the same location as for downloads navigating there via the menu
3. After extracting the file, they asked me to move it to my desktop
4. browse to the file, and execute the upload process.

The upload started, progressed along smartly for about 1 min, and then the reboot message flashed up on the screen.

I checked the router and it was re-booting. This is in incontrast to last time when the upload moved more slowly, hung at 100% for 30 min, and the router never rebooted.

I don't know if this download was different, there is some wierd internal pathing that looks something that makes a desktop firmware location different, or just the luck of the draw..... but it did work this time so maybe you guys want to try again?

Goodluck!

Mrfatboy · ‎2020-08-17

CKopp. & I were both on V1.4.1.50_1.3.10 . Some how we both made it one version more than most people.

I will attempt the desktop file update soon and report back.

As for the “update file has to be on the desktop” issue, I have seen it before. My old brother printer had the same installation issue. Crazy.