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city6121 If you look at all the warranties available for router's you will find that "Netgear" has managed to fall in the "Worst" of all time categories. So Sad 😞😥
@city6121 Do what I did. I called and chose the call option that I was within the 90 days - even though I wasn't. I argued that this was not a fault with my specific router but a known issue with the model. They then agreed to open a case and eventually got it resolved.
Read my comments in this thread. There is NO solution to the stuck firmware the only option is a replacement
You need to get Netgear to replace the router with one that has an earlier firmware (so you can skip past the problem one) or with a later revision.
They sent me one that had a later firmware - but it had worse issues so in the end they sent me a different model.
Anyone that calls should be immediately offered a replacement. Instead they put everyone through the ringer, claiming they are unaware of the issue and going through pointless attempts to force the upgrade.
Worst experience ever to deal with a warranty problem. I will NEVER purchase a Netgear branded product again in my life.
Tried all different ways to upgrade from V1.4.1.50, no success. Read different threads in this forum talking about this problem, and decided to call Netgear customer service for replacement.
It's so surprising that after this problem has been discussed for almost half a year here, Netgear customer support did not about this issue. And because my router is over 90 day free support, they said that I must purchase a $139.99 per year service contract to talk to their tech team to "diagnose" the problem.
Can you imagine any company could be more incompetent and more greedy than this? After I got a verbal guarantee that the $139.99 would be refunded to me, if after talking to their experienced tech support team, the problem was found to be Netgear's, I let him charge my credit card and got transferred to the more advanced support team.
The guy with a strong accent came up on the phone line and wanted to remote desktop to my PC and look at the router! He simply would not believe that it's the R8000P router's firmware problem. I told him this should be a known issue and asked him to look at this forum, and he just would not listen. Why do I want him to take remote control of my PC for this?
So, hung up, and dialed in again to talk to another guy. Fortunenately, this second guy knew this problem, and did not give the crap of diagnosing this problem further and processed a RMA request for replacement. I also asked for a refund of the $139.99 support package that they just forced me to buy.
Right now, it's two weeks, and I still have not received the refund. I think I may just give up talking to anyone at Netgear and dispute the charge from my credit card company.
Netgear should voluntarily recall all routers with this problem. Failing to do that, the least Netgear could do is that they should train every customer service member to know about this issue and do not waste hours of customer's time on the phone and force people to spend $140 to talk to someone!!
I recommend TP-Link. I got a AX6000 a few weeks ago which worked just fine, but saw that Costco had the AX11000 on sale for $100 off, so I picked that one up and returned the AX6000. The AX11000 is an absolute beast. No issues whatsoever unlike the Netgear I had with the firmware issue and dropping devices.
Update - getting an RMA - Lab Testing Refurb Unit with updated firmware (which I argued). I also argued the fact that this is a known issue and I have to pay for shipping. So that is my status. When I called, I did say that it was within 90-days.
I wish someone would report this to a news paper so it would put a fire under the leadership. Then the dog and pony show starts where they appologize for the confusing because "Netgear has always been a company that provides the products..." Yada, yada, yada...
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
Yes, it would some good material for a news show: how Netgear's customer phone line is more like a scam call center, than a legit technical support center.
They really trained hard and well for all their call takers to scam people into buying their expensive $140 per year service contract. How the hell will anybody purchase that? What do Netgear think that their 'service' is? A Netflix subscription for their lame customer service line to entertain people every month? lol
Wow, I don't know if I am happy or even MORE horrified to see all of these people having the EXACT same issues as me.
I just filed my complaint with the BBB. It's been over a month since I first contacted Netgear (and had to fight off the "buy gearhead plan" crap), and my issue is still as prevelant as the first time I called. Router resets itself to factory, cannot update firmware. The "tech" I finally spoke to a couple of weeks back said that turning off automatic updates with resolve the resetting to factory defaults, but it did it again today. And how is it even okay that they refuse to help me when there's something clearly wrong with the (warrantied) product.
I cannot believe that there are SO MANY PEOPLE complaining of the same issue. Crazy. And at the end of the day, I think my only recourse will be to buy a new non-Netgear router and move on. I've already spent WAY too many hours dealing with this, and at my hourly rate, I would've come out ahead just shelling out more money to a different company. Sad. I will be telling any- and everyone to steer clear of Netgear products. I'm still mystified about the "buy gearhead plan" sales tactic from the beginning.
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
Yes, it’s very sad. I am one of those who just bought a different router and moved on. I’m also one of those who have told many many people to stay clear of Netgear routers. Hey Netgear if you’re even looking at this thread, I would still be ok with someone reaching out and making this right. You know where to find me!!
There is a new version out, 1.4.1.66_1.3.26. seeing some stuff ok Reddit that this still doesn't fix any update issues and the router does not update to this version. Currently, I am now 2 firmwares behind due to this issue. NETGEAR PLEASE FIX.
First of all, some idiot has marked this thread as solved, THAT'S all NetGear gives a crap about! There is NO ONE of any IMPORTANCE reading this or giving a rat's behind about it. They have your money, they are "supporting" the product by at least adding a new revision number to old firmware. NetGear does NOT care about your issues....PERIOD! I started this thread and some NetGear idiot marked it as solved, I have LONG gotten rid of my NetGear boat anchor and have purchased far better equipment. Who cares if you get it replaced, I got mine replaced...it was the same POS that I started with. Face it, we ALL made a bad decision based on the information at hand and the perceived reputation of an international company and we ALL got fleeced, robbed, deceived, back-stabbed....whatever you want to call it.
I would try the third party firmwares available...DD-WRT has one for this model.
Best of Luck.
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
Agree with BobStevenson, bad decision to choose Netgear and need to move on.
When I tried to purchase a new router, I compared two routers on Bestbuy side by side, TP-Link and Netgear, same tech spec and Netgear is $50 more expensive. I chose Netgear because thinking that it's a USA company and the higher price may come with a higher quality product (such as more reliable WiFi connections). How wrong I was to blindly trust 'buy America'... Can't believe that a big IT company in USA can make such buggy firmware, and have such miserable customer support.
But from this, I can begin to comprehend how Boeing could have made such a 737Max killer plane. When toxic corporate culture put a laser focus on short-term profit gain, this is how customers got treated. Good thing is that this is a lesson learned from a router, not from riding in a crashing airplane...
Spent a while trying to help my Dad update the firmware from 1.4.1.50. After trying it every which way; upgrade, downgrade, automatic, manual, wifi, wired, thought I'd try support and disappointed to find this thread. Sounds like replacement is the only option. Of course we're beyond 90 days (wow, that's a shocking support policy) but hopefully can sort a return via Netgear or Amazon in the UK. Annoyed now that he's stuck for a while with a Netgear as don't want to throw away the Armor subscription.
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
I went back to TP-Link and bought an Archer AX11000. Free lifetime security with Trend Micro included with it. Got it at Costco for $100 off online. It really sucks Netgear is crap now, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Good luck!
I am still under 1 year warranty. I opened a ticket. Was on the phone and the support guy hung up or disconnected on me mid way through discussing the issues. My ticket was THEN closed.
Open up another a month later and called talking with service. Tells me to buy some warranty extention AFTER telling me the 1 year warranty is still active. I told her no thats crazy its under warranty. Tells me they will call back in 2 hours. No return call - ticket still open.
They will not honor thier warranty; they are just trying to avoid the issue now... this is so insane.
My ticket is still open and for a week not one person has made contact.... after I repeatedly replied to the open ticket.
SMFH.
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
It's a shame no one from netgear reads these posts! I do not recommend netgear to anyone that asks me! They USED to have some great products and tech support..
So I have been trying to upgrade my firmware on a R8000p
I read this entire thread.
I tried upgrading manually using the download from the website
I tried upgrading using the automatic update
Both seemed to have completed and then when i login again it still says 1.4.1.50
Has anyone made this work?
Current Firmware Version
1.4.1.50
New Firmware Version
1.4.1.68_1.3.28
I finally figured out how to get to a warranty support person and after 10 minutes they told me they can fix it and needed to remote into my pc and I would need a support contract to do it.
I had no faith this person could do it.
Im pissed that my router is 4 months old and their chinstastic firmware is not upgrading.
No. Only solution is to buy a different router (preferably a different brand) or try to haggle with them for who knows how long and maybe, just maybe, they will send you a different one.
