D7000v2 keeps crashing

[Aidanbz]

I bought a new D7000v2 – Nighthawk AC1900 WiFi VDSL/ADSL Modem Router / D7000 V2 about a month ago and am having problems with it crashing every few days. This is really disappointing as I thought I was getting a quality product, not a flaky budget router.

• When it crashes, it disappears as a discoverable network on both 5G and 2.4GHz (normally these show as 2 separate wifi networks).
• All devices lose connection simultaneously
• It takes a hard reboot, sometimes two, to get it back again.
• It never crashes when I am working at home in the day - only one or two devices connected.
• It is much more likely to crash when kids are in, so 4 people, each active on a mobile or laptop (but generally nothing connection intensive)
• It seems more likely to crash when kids are using it. Their bedrooms are furthest from the router - so maybe it doesn't like a weak signal.
• My son is using a USB wi-fi dongle (not very good). He bought a 'proper' Wifi card with an aerial, but this seems to crash the router within an hour so have had to disable it.

I have tried:

• Updating firmware - currently V1.0.0.51_1.0.1. The 'check' function on the router says this is most recent.
• Updating the driver on the Wifi card that seems to provoke very frequent crashes
• Turning off the 5G
• Locking the channel rather than leaving it on 'auto'

None of these seem to have any effect. 

I do notice that there is a newer firmware package on the website - D7000v2_V1.0.0.53_1.0.2. I was tempted to install but I wasn't sure if it would be appropriate - (e.g. wrong region), otherwise why isn't the router detecting it when I "Check for new version on the internet". In the absence of any other ideas, I'm going to install this next.

Does anyone have any ideas, and or thoughts on the firmware?

[w3wilkes]

Even though the check on the router says you are on the most current firmware, the most current version is actually 1.0.0.53 and available here

https://www.netgear.com/support/product/D7000v2.aspx#Firmware Version 1.0.0.53

This is consistent with Netgear support to not put the most current version of their software out for auto download. They like to make you hunt for it so they can jack you around until it's too late to return their product for a refund. Netgear does not redily support their consumer grade devices.

[michaelkenward]

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@Aidanbz wrote:

I do notice that there is a newer firmware package on the website - D7000v2_V1.0.0.53_1.0.2. I was tempted to install but I wasn't sure if it would be appropriate - (e.g. wrong region), otherwise why isn't the router detecting it when I "Check for new version on the internet".

---

The process under which new firmware lands on the update FTP server can be complicated. The normal pattern is for firmware to arrive on the support pages before it hits the FTP server. Microsoft does the same sort of thing with updates. They like to spread out the process.

Even with the support site, new firmware can arrive as a "hotfix" before it lands in the "Software and firmware" section.

Sometimes firmware will not reach the FTP server because of some sort of compatibility issue with old firmware, which means that you have to apply the firmware manually.

In any case, many experienced users prefer to update manually with a file download and a wired connection to the modem/router. This gives them more control over things and reduces the risk of mid-flash failure.

The release notes that come with the firmware explain how to go about this.

[Aidanbz]

I have installed the latest firmware, which appears to have made the problem worse. It is now crashing every day, even when the network card that previously seemed to provoke it is switched off. I am going to start the returns procedure, but I have realised that I am going to have to buy another router anyway - I work from home and I can't afford a day without a router, let alone a couple of weeks. As I have just bought one, I am frankly furious. I feel that I have bought a sub-standard product, but because of the time it took to find that out, I can't return it. It goes without saying that the replacement is not going to be a Netgear model.

[Aidanbz]

I get the 'staggering' the release thing, it's logical to do that with new software. Unfortunately the latest firmware didn't fix my problem, but thanks anyway.

[michaelkenward]

It does sound like a duff device. New stuff should go back if it can't even stay on.

Returning it to Netgear may provoke them into sending you the same model, on the basis that you have a dodgy one. But if it is a money back option from whoever sold you the thing, I'd investigate getting a separate modem and router.

You call this a router, but in reality the D7000v2 is a modem router. You can get a DSL modem only device for not much. I have a Netgear DM200, but there are plenty of alternatives out there.

You then have a wider choice of standalone routers that you can add to this modem to get a network that meets your needs. Router only boxes come in greater variety than modem/routers and seem to get more attention in terms of bug fixing and adding new features. That is probably because there is a bigger market for routers, and you can add a router to whatever Internet service you have, DSL, cable, fibre, bits of string, you name it.

The total cost of two devices doesn't have to be much more than that of a single modem/router.

[rob_dev]

I'm having the same issue with a D7000v2 running firmware V1.0.0.51_1.0.1.

Basically at some random times both the 2.4GHz and 5Ghz SSID's disappear and then nothing, the unit is unresponsive until you manually reboot. I don't have any wired devices on the router at all at the moment.

Am reluctant to upgrade firmware beyond this given the other users experience in this forumn and a lack of a version Change_Log that would indicate if a firmware update would improve the situation by addressing the issue.

Consumer reports here, also seem to be describing the exact issue with this model:

https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/networking/netgear/netgear-nighthawk-ac1900-wifi-vdsl-ad...

A real shame that Netgear no longer seems to stand behind it's products - and I say that after having 2 x DGND3700v2, that to this day remain rock solid.

So from me it's back to the retailer with this unit, and unlikely to be purchasing or recommending Netgear, unless by some miracle the issue gets addressed.