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They will have you jumping through all kinds of hoops, it's the firmware and they know it. It's all over the internet. They had to send me a new router, thank goodness I took out the extended warranty. I have to admit, they are pretty reluctant to do so. Good luck.
It advises me that an update is available. I have tried the automatic update and the uploading of the firmware file method. Both seem to complete, the router reboots but the firmware remains unchanged.
This is not a cheap router and the service support does not align with the supposed product quality.
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
RMForlensa: Had the same problem as well as all of us that posted here. My solution after extensive trying was to switch brands! I still use Netgear products but NOT the R-8000! Good luck, sorry couldn't be more helpful..
@wtdoor95 SAME!!! I've spent countless hours of my life trying to get this piece of junk to work. When trying to figure out why the firmware wouldn't update (twice since I purchased in Sept 2020), I learned that my router log is clogged with DoS attacks which correspond with my incredibly unreliable wifi. It constantly buffers or completely cuts off and has since I got it. The tech support, which I paid extra for, is worthless. I'm the one who paid for this product, why am I having to spend all of this time and effort and frustration researching how to make a firmware upgrade work? Or make the router work? What did you end up getting as a replacement? I have a separate Netgear modem as well, now on the hunt for a quality product NOT from netgear.
@nwork the same issue is still happening, one year later. Firmware that won't update and constant DoS attacks to the router, and crappy wifi. What did you end up doing?
@BobStevenson what router did you end up switching to? I need something compatible with my netgear modem ideally, but I'm afraid to look to check the chats on that to see what a piece of junk it is. At this point, I'm so angry I'll throw out all of Netgear's equipment and start over with another brand that has it's act together.
Ok, so, once again, there is only one solution to the firmware update + malfunctioning problem: ANOTHER ROUTER!
THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE to replacing the router!
More concretely, you can:
1) simply buy something else, preferably another brand, since it would hardly make sense for anyone to stick with NG given the experience;
2) try to get a replacement from NG. Many (including myself) have succeeded in doing this without paying for additional support. There doesn't seem to be a rule, so I guess it depends on how much you argue with them. I am one of the lucky ones who managed to get a replacement that works fine (although it took months and plenty of BS). I will still never again buy a NG product.
I got a tp link router works great! Have no problems with my netgear R-7000. Glad i kept it. Still works great. Wished the R-8000 worked, sent it back...
The firmware upgrade issue really "broke the backs" of some customers and really disillusioned people concerning Netgear routers. I was fortunate in that I paid for the extended support.
It's really a shame that Netgear had this problem because , in all honesty, I have to say this is one of the best routers I've ever owned. I am running 87 online devices in a totally automated home through this router and really wouldn't know who to go to if I had to buy another router.
The tech support wasn't the greatest, but in today's environment, that's nothing strange. Netgear has had it's problems, but overall I am satisfied with the product. In my case, because of the extreme load placed on the router, it was a "no brainer" to get the extended warranty.
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
You should not have to pay for extended support just because of a defect that is caused by the manufacturer. That is not what support is meant to for in the first place. If you consider yourself fortunate because you managed to solve this issue due to extended support, you are mistaken: many have managed to obtain a replacement without this option and, to be frank, the company is cheating you if they demand you pay extra for an issue they caused. The problem is that NG has yet to officially acknowledge this as a problem and they are still replacing the units according to apparently arbitrary criteria, which means that some customers end up being suckered into accepting a defective product or paying additional money on top of a hefty acquistion price just to fix something they have nothign to do with.
Personally, I doubt that for this kind of money you can't get similar performance from any of the established players on the market. NG is known to be actually a bit overpriced, which makes this whole thing even worse.
BTW, one of the many issues I experienced with the .50 firmware (I had a list posted here somewhere) still occurs: I have two HDDs connected to the router via the USB ports; if I load several videos at a time from these drives and I jump from one section to another in few of them simulatenously the router instantly hangs and I have to reset it. I had no such issue with my AC87U, which is a much older machine and was similarly priced to the R8000p when it came out.
I had the same problem. My solution was to throw away my Netgear router and get a Linksys one. I tried for months with tech support, escalated tech support, replacement router from Netgear that was used instead of new as promised, and waiting for about 2 months for them to let me know if they had a new replacement router in their warehouse (I have yet to hear, they are probably walking from wherever the tech support is located to each Netgear warehouse to check for me). If you log into your computer and go to your router log, look to see if you are having DoS attacks. I was, never got a satisfactory explanation from Netgear or a solution, just that it's not a real DoS attack. I didn't really care what it was, it was causing my wifi speeds to slow to a crawl. Save yourself the headache and get a router from a different manufacturer. This update and DoS issue has been going on for a long time and they have done nothing to address it.
@malssid it's the router. Save yourself a lot of time and trouble and get a router from a different manufacturer. My Netgear modem was also part of the problem, I'm now using that as a doorstop after replacing it with a different brand. Netgear is junk and I'll never waste another cent on them. Their customer service/tech support is equally junky.
I am joining the gang of other displeased and unsatisfied customers who have purchased the R8000P. I have tried all of these things:
Update firmware through link on routerlogin
Update firmware by uploading from my desktop on routerlogin
Update firmware through Nighthawk app
Hard reset
tftp upload
The firmware is stuck on the version that cam with it - V1.4.1.50_1.3.10 and will not upgrade. And I have spent far too long researching a way to fix a problem that I shouldn't be having and one the should be resolved by the company.
But it will cost me $80+ just to talk to somebody about it. - Totally unacceptable!
As stated previously, when you pay this much for a piece of equipment from a supposedly reputable company, you expect it to work. And if it doesn't work, you would expect that the company will make it right. Apparently Netgear is relying on its ability to fool a new pool of customers into buying their awful malfunctioning produts because they clearly don't mind losing the customers who have purchased an R8000P. Along with others, I will not buy Netgear products ever again. I would probably be OK if Netgear made it right for me. But until that day comes, I will never buy another Netgear P.O.S. ever again (did I say that twice?). How about one more - I will never buy Netgear again. And I hope the corporate stooges at Netgear do something to improve the quality of their support.
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
Greetings. First off let me say I feel your pain. I too was in the same boat you're in. You will have to play the game and jump through the hoops. If you leave them a way out they will take it. Play the game, that way they can't say you were uncooperative. After you've met all their criteria, you play your hole card. I don't know what state you are in, but in my state we have an office of consumer protection which is associated with the Attorney Generals office. When I showed them a copy of the complaint form I was getting ready to fill out, magically a supervisor contacted me and said a replacement was on the way. This was after I had complied with all of their demands: they could not say I was not cooperating. Good luck and remember: He who angers you controls you! Good luck man.
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
I reported this problem back in February of 2021 (if you are interested, you can read my post #152 on 2021-02-07 12:01 PM). I am not happy with Netgear's handling of this problem (like everyone else on this thread) but Netgear did replace my router (with a refurb). That router was able to upgrade its firmware (currently running v1.4.1.68) and the router has been working since February 2021 without any issues. As I said in my post, I was not able to get any response from Netgear until I emailed the Netgear Team (whatever that is) at netgearteam@netgear.com. I had to stick to my guns on NOT paying for additional support and I finally got some results. Maybe I just happened to be connected to someone at Netgear who happened to be in the mood to help at that time.
Good Luck.
Model: R8000P|Nighthawk X6S AC4000 Tri Band WiFi Router
