I haven't recently. I figured if I have to set VPN and DHCP stuff back up thev I may as well do it with a new router and not bother with this one any more. If Costco doesn't take it back for some reason they don't take it back then I'll give it a go.
I tool mine back to Costco today. I spent a bit more on the AX8 at Costco; thinking that worst case I can take this one back too and get a different manufacturers product; I honestly gave them one more chance becuase it was conveinent.... will see what happens.
@andynbaker wrote: I haven't recently. I figured if I have to set VPN and DHCP stuff back up thev I may as well do it with a new router and not bother with this one any more. If Costco doesn't take it back for some reason they don't take it back then I'll give it a go.
@Mrfatboy Thank you very much for the link. (Fighting illness makes it difficult to do basic things like searching). I haven't tried it yet because of the work involved in re-linking all the varying smart devices we have, even after naming the network the same and the family needs it working for a few days for work. (Sorry, slightly off topic for a bit but there is a reason I mention that after restoring to a config file from a month ago, before the 50 firmware when there were fewer problems - the biggest problem I have is the router handing out duplicate IP's and misreporting a number of connected devices, even after turning all 24 off in the house and adding them back one by one. Reserving IP's for some #'s that were always duplicating didn't help. Duplicate IP's are causing connectivity problems and complete failures. The reason I mention this is normally I'd be happy to factory reset if I new I could restore to a working good config...but I'm concerned that the config is corrupt and I will have to start from scratch - requriing hours of configuration thanks to our cheap (as needed unfortunately) but many different devices we have for house automation.
What I'd really like to find out is if someone who can't upgrade from 50 to 62 w/ the same symptoms I'm having trying to upgrade - is successful after a full reset (same question as posed by @Mrfatboy). Not asking anyone who was successful to mess with a downgrade of course!...but if anyone w/ a little more time and inclination and health could try this before returning their router, I'd be very grateful!
I am concerned Costco at some point may stop taking this one back - which I got in Dec or Jan. so I like the idea of exchanging for the AX8 - possible a temporary one if it has problems until the Asus' become more available and hopefully discounted. I'll have to look and see if it will serve us ok in the meantime.
Sorry @Mrfatboy I somehow missed your post that you tried the reset once and it worked! I'd still like to know if someone w/ my problems upgrading is succssful, because I think the pathing bug was preventing you and other successful flashers of 62 from pushing the firmware earlier. Totally understand too that there are not guarentee's w/ this stuff.
That's wonderful that you Ckopp have sucessfully upgraded to the latest firmware (.62). I tried the desktop download approach early on but I'm willin to try again. Thanks for the update
Note: My replies don't appear to have who I'm replying to included, sorry for that.
@CKopp and everyone else. My Firmware Version V1.4.1.44_1.3.5 and it wants to upgrade to 1.4.1.50_1.3.10. I see the 1.4.1.62 version on the web, not sure, even if it was possible, if I can jump for .1.44 to .1.62?.
One last crazy thought. I wonder if some people's AV software may be causing a problem? I use Norton 360 on the desktop I am upgrading from, along with Malewarebytes. I have Armor installed on the router. I did not disable when applying the patch. If some of you who were unsucessful in apply the patch use something different, maybe you want to rake a quick look at your AV logs, or try temporarily disabling before the manual update?
So … time to say it all out. A few days ago I receive a PM from a moderator asking if I was interested in a replacement router. After verifying whom this person was, I responded with my information. The person asked me not to discuss any of this in the community as it needed to be handled on a case by case basis. I just got off the phone with another Netgear person, she said her name was Amy, who asked me the steps I took to assure that the router couldn’t be upgraded, after she listened to what steps I had taken to attempt to upgrade/downgrade the router she informed me that I qualify for the replacement program, and if I decided to go with the program, I would be getting a router directly from the factory which ensures that I would have the latest firmware installed. Great but what about the next firmware upgrade? She stated that at that point it would be escalated again, in my mind I’m asking myself "to what end”. Her solution was to have her supervisor contact me to send me an RMA after obtaining collateral.
At this moment in time I have lost faith that the issue can be resolved. They might “select” you as a qualified candidate for the program. My recommendation, like many others here … return it. If you want you can give Netgear another try, another model of course, or you can go with another brand.
The question is why are some routers unable to upgrade and some are?
We know that Netgear has an upgrade bug. The new firmware must be on the “desktop” (at least on Windows) to work. Did 1.44 cause the problem if you didn’t install from desktop?
Knowing this why can’t everyone now upgrade?
Differences in hardware? Did 1.44 brick the upgrade process if you happened to try Install with the new firmware from not from “Desktop”? Did some of us just get lucky?
If Netgear is acknowledging the issue but still trying to keep it hush hush it would seem they know they messed up and only will replace if people b!$&ch enough.
But it now seems if Netgear is offering a new router replacement there is no way the fix the bricked routers.
You either get your money back from Costco and or buy a new router.
I think replacing it is just easier for the consumer. The only deal is be interested in that isn't taking it back to Costco is one where Netgear sends me a new router. At least in situation number two I don't have to wait in line at Costco to return something...shudders...
Netgear needs to feel the pain as we are.... if you purchased yours from Costco, you need to return these routers! No need for a receipt or the packaging, just bring it on in.
Costco is currently having a "Networking Savings Event" right now that ends on 8/30.
Here are your options:
#1) Return your R7960P and purchase TP-Link's Archer AX11000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router
#3) Return your R7960P and hope a different Netgear product is not cursed like the R7960P. Here are three options on sale right now. I hope this is a hit to Netgear on the returns and not Costco, but I'm not sure, you think it would be 100% Netgear.
Does anyone have an opinion about the real-world worth of QAM-1024 for 5GHz vs. QAM-256? I'm wondering because that's a significant difference between the two Netgear models on sale at Costco. Wish QAM wasn't the limiting factor for the ax45 vs. the ax50 (I think those are the less $ ones on sale - going on memory) ...but probably w/ wifi6 devices way out in the future - at least for my family - it wouldn't make any difference at all to a house w/ AC (and slower) devices.
Like everyone else in this thread I am extremely frustrated. I was willing to give some time and I had some hope when the new firmware (X.62) was released. However yesterday I tried the manual upload with no luck. For me it is time to move on and replace the router.
Thank you to @djasond23 for listing out the current different router options at costco. It looks like the "Nighthawk AX6 6-Stream AX4300 WiFi 6 Router" is about the same price as what I paid for the R7960. Would I lose any functionality if I switched to the AX6? It just sucks that I'll have to go stand in line at costco to fix this whole thing.
@billgio I compared the Nighthawk AX6 6-Stream AX4300 WiFi 6 Router w/ our 7960P (sorry, I shorthanded that model # in the previous posts to RAX45 and will do that again here.) From what I could tell, one difference which could effect top connection speed for very modern devices (might be) that the RAX45 being limited to QAM-256 for both radio's for AX (and AC? - that is what I am unsure of and was asking about.) The 7960P advertizes QAM-1024 for (at least) 5GHz which a couple of our recent smartphones can take advantage of when not far from the router. I believe there are a many other features the 7960P has that the RAX45 doesn't have. You could visit netgear.com, select both routers and click compare to see the side by side feature lise....or open each manual if you want to get much more specific. If I remember right, the 7960P has many features for gamers and power users I don't remember seeing w/ the RAX45. (Sorry I'm not more helpful about the big list of feature differences, it's just because I disable or don't use almost all of these features myself.) As I've mentioned in previous posts, my main concern is getting a replacement (for hopefully about the same price as the 7960P) which doesn't have bugs I've experienced affecting general daily usage, such as duplicate IP's being assigned and QOS simply not working, for example. And of course - less chance of firmware upgrade failures.
I'm about ready to trade my 7960P in at Costco for the RAX45 and see if a) the speeds w/ our smartphones, and wired ethernet computers are close to the 7960P, and b) if the bugs affecting my 7960P (which I care most about) are not present. I'll happily keep it if both are ok. If not, I'll try to get a different brand soon from Amazon, and then return the RAX45. Reason I'm not thinking about the AX8 is simply that we are "money constrained". I am worried about availability of the RAX45 for the Costco sale so I feel like I'll have to make a decision very soon.
@WookieClaws I'm really curious how the AX8 working out for you so far? Do you notice anything better or worse re: connection speeds and anything else compared to the 7960P? Any info, even if a short blurb would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Took a moment to compare the manuals and realized my entire qam concern seems moot for the rax45 because it's limited to 1GB internet/wan (and LAN) anyway. I wouldn't need wireless speeds faster than 1700 something for intranet data transfers, and apparently it can be a step higher if need be with ax mode disabled. Bottom line as I see it now...If you plan to get more than 1GB internet service, better get the rax75 from Costco with aggregation support, otherwise the rax45 seems right for Costcos' netgears. I'll be happy so long as Xfinity doesn't offer a free multi-gig update in a couple years and I don't need/desire a wifi6e router.
I bought Netgear Cable Modem CM1100 & Wifi-Router R7960P in 2019 thanksgiving, thinking the same brand will go together after so much research, but after facing these many issues, I decided it is not worth spending more time on this, and returned both of them to Costco, they did not even as any question, maybe lots of Netgear product are being returned to Costco I think. So you better off returning it than dealing with this pain.
I am having this issue and have been having it pretty much since day one when I bought this router from Costco back in November of 2019. I have tried updating through the iOS app, through the browser GUI via wifi, through the browser GUI via ethernet, via downloading the zip file from NetGear and none of it works!
I established a case with support but they are telling me I have to purchase a service contract. NOT HAPPENING. Netgear needs to stand behind this product. I will take it to the BBB if I have to. Now that this is a well established known issue, Netgear should issue a recall.
I have attempted multiple times to upgrade my current firmware, V1.4.1.44_1.3.5, to V1.4.1.50_1.3.10 and it fails. I have tried letting the router update itself and also downloading upgrade zip file straight from Netgear sight. Any reason why my firmware won't upgrade?
Thanks
Model: R7900P|Nighthawk X6S AC3000 Tri Band WiFi Router
Has anyone returned their router to Costco without the original box, just the router and plug itself? The box for mine is long gone as it was up and running originally so I tossed it. Originally purchased at the end of September 2019, so just under a year at the moment. Curious if anyone else had a similar return as it seems I'm going to have to do.
Looks like a lot of people have had similar issues with this router that I am having. Purchased my R7960P Nighthawk X6S AC3600 Tri-Band WiFi Router from Costco in January of 2020. Router seems to be working fine. I received and email about a firmware update on August 13th. My router is running V1.4.1.50_1.3.10. The email says the new version is V1.4.1.62_1.3.22. When I check thru the web app it says there is no new firmware version available. I downloaded the firmware update file from the Netgear site and manually uploaded the file. Everything went fine. No errors. Router rebooted. But the firmware version did not change to the new version. Any ideas about how to fix this. I would think Netgear should be responsible for this if it is a bug in their router. Looking forward to hearing some feedback. Thanks in advance for your help.
You can try what worked for me and one other. Use a windows machine to download the V1.4.1.62_1.3.22 firmware to your windows desktop. Go to the advanced tab and select the router update option on left under Administration. When on this page in the web interface, browse to the firmware file you downloaded used the locate and select option. Once selected, use the upload function to update.
If all goes well you will see the upload bar graphic, and once this get to 100%, a message that the router is rebooting should appear. If all goes well from there when it reboots in a minute or two, you will be able to re log in and see that it is updated.
I first tried the check for update button - it did not work. Then tried the upload, but not from my desktop and it hung up on the upload.
Third time using the firmware file I downloaded onto my desktop, and all was well. Good Luck!
