MR70: Red Light

[helpplzz]

My router has the red light, I have tried unplugging & hitting the reset button - to no avail, it stays red. Will not connect, but it is just over 3 months old! My internet guy said the router is 'fried'. I tried calling the support number on the netgear website, but the dude tried to say my 'firewall' expired and tried to get me to pay them hundreds of dollars. 

Is this a scam? I am about ready to report Netgear to BBB for fraud.

[michaelkenward · Accepted solution]

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@helpplzz wrote:

I tried calling the support number on the netgear website, but the dude tried to say my 'firewall' expired and tried to get me to pay them hundreds of dollars. 

Is this a scam? I am about ready to report Netgear to BBB for fraud.

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Yes.It is a scam. Nothing to do with Netgear.

The clue is in the "firewall" bit.

Let me guess.

You Googled "Netgear support". You clicked a link it found. You landed on a website with a phone  number you called.

After the 90-day set up period for mew purchases Netgear doesn't run its own support system. It farms it out to Gearhead. But they won't try selling up a firewall, just a support contract.

Rather than waste your time with whatever BBB might be. Tell us who you called and the website you found. Then we can pass that on to Netgear who may unleash their own lawyers on the case.

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My internet guy said the router is 'fried'.

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That is another scam that we see all the time.

When they really mean is "I don't have a clue as to what is going wrong. So let's pass the buck back to the customer".

So go through the process that @FURRYe38 has unleashed.

[FURRYe38]

What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?
Be sure your using a good quality LAN cable between the modem and router. CAT6 is recommended. 

Has a power off for 1 minute then back ON with the ISP modem and router been performed?
Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:
Turn off and unplug modem.
Turn off router and computers.
Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on computers and rest of network.

Does a ethernet connected PC to the back of the MR get an IP address from the MR? 
Can you access the MRs web page at 192.168.1.1 after you factory reset  the MR by pressing the reset button for 10 seconds then release and wait 1 minute. Do this with the MR disconnected from the ISP modem/ONT. 

[helpplzz]

Tried all of that, keep getting error message. 

[FURRYe38]

What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

What error message are you seeing and where are you seeing this message? 

Does a ethernet connected PC get an IP address from the MR? 

Try a 30-30-30 reset process with the MR disconnected from the modem/ONT and 1 wired PC connected to the back of the MR. 

Look up on line on how to do this. 

[helpplzz]

yes, i can get an IP - but when i try to log in to the router settings, all i get are error messages. 

why would modem affect it? ISP came out and said everything is working as it should, except the router. Has been fine for past 3 months with same everything.

[FURRYe38]

So it's hard to be helpful to you if you don't answer or give feedback to the questions presented. 

If your not willing to give feedback here so we can attempt to help you then you'll need to contact NG support:

https://my.netgear.com/support/contact.aspx
https://www.netgear.com/about/contact-us/

Good Luck. 

[michaelkenward · Accepted solution]

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@helpplzz wrote:

I tried calling the support number on the netgear website, but the dude tried to say my 'firewall' expired and tried to get me to pay them hundreds of dollars. 

Is this a scam? I am about ready to report Netgear to BBB for fraud.

---

Yes.It is a scam. Nothing to do with Netgear.

The clue is in the "firewall" bit.

Let me guess.

You Googled "Netgear support". You clicked a link it found. You landed on a website with a phone  number you called.

After the 90-day set up period for mew purchases Netgear doesn't run its own support system. It farms it out to Gearhead. But they won't try selling up a firewall, just a support contract.

Rather than waste your time with whatever BBB might be. Tell us who you called and the website you found. Then we can pass that on to Netgear who may unleash their own lawyers on the case.

---

My internet guy said the router is 'fried'.

---

That is another scam that we see all the time.

When they really mean is "I don't have a clue as to what is going wrong. So let's pass the buck back to the customer".

So go through the process that @FURRYe38 has unleashed.

[helpplzz]

yes, i attempted calling support from the number listed on their website - but they said i need to pay hundreds of dollars to activate a firewall subscription (which is why i had assumed fraud)

[michaelkenward]

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@helpplzz wrote:

yes, i attempted calling support from the number listed on their website - but they said i need to pay hundreds of dollars to activate a firewall subscription (which is why i had assumed fraud)

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You didn't answer my questions.

What is "their website".

What was the number?

This is the site for paid support:

GearHead Support | NETGEAR

Hard to rack up "hundreds of dollars" to add a firewall for something that already has one that is beyond our control.

Unfortunately, not everyone is as quick as you were to spot the scam.

[helpplzz]

I googled their website, and came to netgear.com where the number there listed for support that I called was 844-706-8436

I have tried everything else furry listed. I went through their chat portal, and they are requesting warranty return. 

I guess from now on I will go the chat way - I figured a phone call would be easier. 

Sad day - I hope netgear removes the phone number from their site and/or fires whoever was trying to get me to pay them.

[helpplzz]

the site you provided is also asking for hundreds of dollars - why would I pay for something that should be provided with a faulty product of only 3 months old? No thanks, I am glad I found the chat option on netgear.com - not paying extra for gearhead.  

[michaelkenward]

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@helpplzz wrote:

the site you provided is also asking for hundreds of dollars

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Only if you want to support everything on your network for two years.

"Only $49.99 Per Incident"

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No thanks, I am glad I found the chat option on netgear.com

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That's the way to do it.

But if, by chat option, you mean this place, it isn't "chat" as it is usually known in support circles. This is just a bunch of fellow users  willing to waste their time helping out distraught users to fix problems.

Warranty stuff is best started here:

How do I request a Return Material Authorization (RMA)? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

[helpplzz]

Yep, I got the netgear.com chat support to initiate a RMA.

Also, I went back through the process of what I had done to call them, clicking on the phone number on netgear.com - the number listed is 844-706-8436......... BUT it looks like someone has linked it to a different number - I clicked on the call button there on netgear.com and it took me to actually calling 877-923-1146

Looks like someone hacked their website and changed the number link to try to scam people? 

[helpplzz]

I tried to reply, but I think it deleted me.... yes, netgear.com support chat box initiated a RMA. I believe someone linked netgear.com phone number listed to a different number when you hit the number link - yes this is on netgear.com i quadruple checked. the number listed is what i thought i was calling, but looks like a scammer hacked the page to put a link to their number instead?

I went back through the steps I did yesterday with the firewall debacle - and ON netgear.com, the phone number listed is a link - so when you click the link it makes you call a different 800 number than what is actually on the site! - i hope they fix that link problem to help others trying to call them.

Number it re-routed me to after I clicked on it - on netgear.com = 877-949-7591

[helpplzz]

I tried to reply, but I think it deleted me.... yes, netgear.com support chat box initiated a RMA. I believe someone linked netgear.com phone number listed to a different number when you hit the number link - yes this is on netgear.com i quadruple checked. the number listed is what i thought i was calling, but looks like a scammer hacked the page to put a link to their number instead?

I went back through the steps I did yesterday with the firewall debacle - and ON netgear.com, the phone number listed is a link - so when you click the link it makes you call a different 800 number than what is actually on the site!

Number it re-routed me to after I clicked on it - on netgear.com = 877-949-7591

[FURRYe38]

Was told that the number you listed is legit for NG support.