Forced to change Admin password.

[Zerowrx]

First I'll apologize for what is most likely a topic that has already been covered but there are too many password posts to wade through to find an answer.

That being said this morning internet connection was lost & I was forced to reset the Admin Password and enter the modem Serial #. After I did this there's been no further issue. At the time of the issue I was not doing anything out of ordinary usage. Also I've been loosing internet quite frequently and having to reboot the modem, originally I thoughtit was a Spectum thing now I'm not so sure. Today was the first time I had the password issue. Any help would be appreciated in finding out what caused this problem and if there are any security issues I should be aware of.

Model C7000, purchased Jun 25, 2019

[michaelkenward]

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@Zerowrx wrote:

That being said this morning internet connection was lost & I was forced to reset the Admin Password and enter the modem Serial #. After I did this there's been no further issue.

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What forced you to reset the admin password?

Why did you do it?

Without knowing what was going on at your end, it is anybody's guess as to what went wrong.

The usual time when a Serial # comes up is when someone gets sucked into password recovery.

If you are trying to use the "password recovery" option, there is a bug in Netgear's implementation of password recovery on some devices. You can get locked into a closed loop.

If password recovery is enabled, but you have not set the answers to the questions, it keeps sending you back to the beginning of the process. If you haven't already given the thing your personal answers, they are not in its memory and it has no way of knowing if they are correct.

If the standard factory password (password) does not work, then you will have to factory reset the thing to get back to that. Then either disable password recovery (check the manual for your device) or provide some answers to those questions.

How do I perform a factory reset on my NETGEAR router? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

[Zerowrx]

michaelkenward 

Thank You for your reply.

As stated in my OP I was not doing anything out of ordinary usage. I was using my Fire Stick to stream and the laptop. The internet dropped out and Netgear Genie popped up on the TV and forced the password reset then asked for the serial #. 

Also I've been loosing internet quite frequently and having to reboot the modem, originally I thoughtit was a Spectum thing now I'm not so sure. Today was the first time I had the password issue. 

[michaelkenward]

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@Zerowrx wrote:

The internet dropped out and Netgear Genie popped up on the TV and forced the password reset then asked for the serial #. 

What is this "Netgear genie".

A genie could be one of several things, the browser interface, a Windows or Mac program for a PC, or a mobile Android/iThing app. Netgear labels them all as genies. Which are you using?

I have never seen any genie that has anything to do with a TV.

I'm afraid I find it difficult to follow what you are doing. Saying "not doing anything out of ordinary usage" is of little diagnostic value. We need to know what you were doing, not what you weren't doing.

You now tell us you were using a FireStick, so we are a  bit less in the dark. (I use one all the time, so have some understanding of how they work.) But we don't know much more than that.

In my case, I have used a Firestick in wired LAN and wifi modes. It connects to the Internet through a Netgear router.

I have never seen any hint of a genie, or any other Netgear program, on the device that connects to the Firestick.

[Zerowrx]

michaelkenward

Thank You for your time,

I don't know how to explain it any better then I have. ?? I was watching the Firestick and using the laptop checking emails / social media, ordinary usage the Internet dropped out and the Genie popped up requiring password reset & serial #. Both the Firestick and laptop are connected via wifi. The genie that popped up was "THE" Netgear Genie used on the initial set up and monitoring of the modem, the genie was not opened or accessed at the time of the issue. (see attached)

4K Firestick

Asus laptop

Samsung smart TV

[michaelkenward]

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@Zerowrx wrote:

I was watching the Firestick and using the laptop checking emails / social media, ordinary usage the Internet dropped out and the Genie popped up requiring password

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We suddenly have a laptop in the picture. Yet more key information that you haven't mentioned before.

So, this "genie" pops up on the laptop?

You previously said "Netgear Genie popped up on the TV". No mention of any laptop.

I still don't know what genie you are seeing.

Is it on the laptop? Is it a browser? Is it an app on a mobile device? (I have used all of those.)

Believe me, I am not being picky. It is simply impossible to diagnose what might be happening with so much missing detail.

I have also used Samsung "smart" devices. There is no Netgear genie for those that I have ever found.

[Zerowrx]

In all fairness the laptop was stated in my first reply second sentence. "I was using my Fire Stick to stream and the laptop." The Genie popped up first on the TV through the Firestick when the Internet dropped and then the laptop when I woke it up.

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[Zerowrx]

[PreciousKaos]

Wow. You say you're not being picky, @michaelkenward, and that may be, but youre definitely being unnecessarily difficult and arrogant also. There are a number of details sufficient enough to progress which you can glean from the OP without harassing them about unrelated semantics. And if you have to ask what a Genie is, you shouldn't be attempting to give advice on a Netgear forum. Just sayin. Be helpful or don't.

[michaelkenward]

Welcome to a six-month old discussion.

[PreciousKaos]

Thanks. It's still a problem though, as I see dozens of posts about it, while I came here for the same reason. I don't see any reason for the age of a discussion about a current problem to matter, especially when it hasn't been sufficiently answered.

[michaelkenward]

You have joined in on an existing conversation that may or may not have anything to do with your problems.

There is also a good chance that the official support team is busily monitoring new conversations and may miss your addition to this one.

If you do want help with your problem, check previous stuff that may be related then start your own discussion.

If you do decide to ask a question, you should provide more details and your own version of the information that the forum suggests that you provide. For example, if this is a router, it helps to know what modem you are using and the various things that you have tried to fix the problem.

[PreciousKaos]

What do you suppose brought me here in the first place? What you suggest is exactly what I was doing and how I arrived at this topic, which IS the exact same problem I was having, so it seemed pertinent to read the "advice" given, but instead of advice, I just see your blaring sense of superiority, which, again, isn't helpful.