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I’ve received a couple emails over the past couple months stating a new version of firmware is available. Checking this website it does indeed show newer firmware. I show that I am running Firmware Version V1.2.0.22_1.0.78, but it still indicates on the firmware check that no newer version available. Any ideas.
Okay, here we go - I have the results for this issue. I was originally at V1.2.0.22_1.0.78 of firmware for my Netgear Nighthawk R6900P router. I just manually downloaded the latest firmware release NETGEAR Router R6900P V1.3.0.8_1.0.93. The manual upgrade after downloading this release to my PC worked fine. What this means to me is that when the Netgear Router is operating in Access Point mode, it will appear to go to the Netgear server to check for the latest release, but apparent this function must be disabled like many other functions if your router is operating in AP mode. I am current using the Netgear router in AP mode since I have a Verizon Fios router in line from a recent upgrade to Verizon Fios Gigabit Internet. My plan is to eventually eliminate the Fios Router, since the Netgear WiFi coverage is far superior to the Verizon Router. I hope this helps those in similar situations where they have their router attached in AP mode to an ISP router. I guess I will just manually perform these upgrades while my router is operating in AP mode. It would be benefical if Netgear could make in known that the firmware check routine does not work in AP mode, as they have done with the other functions that do not work. As a previous responder mentioned, although they do not mention this by name, some of the functions that will not work in AP mode would make you think that the firmware check does not work. It is still not clear to me why it does not work since Internet access gets passed though the Netgear router in AP mode. Thank goodness for the Netgear emails or I would not have realized that my router was out-of-date because I have always used the firmware check procedure and it does appear to go out to the Netgear server to check and comes back no newer firmware available. CASE CLOSED. Thanks for all our your input. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of great, timely suggestions.
Yes, but the notes in the emails say just to use the auto check method and I now seem to be several versions behind for critical security updates. Could it have anything to do with the router being used in AP (access mode) ahead of my Verizon router? I guess I can manually download the last update to see if that works, but just concerned that the ://www.routerlogin.net. Select Advanced > Administration, click the Firmware Update or Router Update button, click the Check button, and follow the prompt process does not seem to work anymore.
I just got the e-mail too... for my R7000. Thought it would be the long awaited 'fix'.
===========
Security Updates Available
WHY YOU ARE RECEIVING THIS EMAIL:
NETGEAR values the security of your network and data so we have released new firmware updates for your WiFi router to enhance your security.
To update your router's firmware, use a computer that is connected to your router's network and log in to your router at http://www.routerlogin.net. Select Advanced > Administration, click the Firmware Update or Router Update button, click the Check button, and follow the prompts. If there are no firmware updates available, then no further action is required.
For more information about the security issues that we have fixed, visit our Security Advisory Page and enter your model number in the Security Advisory Search box, then press Enter.
WHAT WE ARE DOING:
NETGEAR's mission is to be the innovative leader in connecting the world to the Internet. To achieve this mission, we strive to earn and maintain your trust by delivering products that are secure and by protecting the privacy and security of your data. NETGEAR is constantly on the lookout for both known and unknown threats. Being proactive rather than reactive to emerging security issues is fundamental for product support at NETGEAR.
Good thought but the router update wasn’t grayed out or listed as exemption. When I purchases this router in October, it did allow an update when first hooked it to a Comcast router. A month later, I switched to Verizon Fios in the same type of configuration. Fios Internet->Fios Router-> Netgear Router—>WiFi & Ethernet local network. I guess I will download the last firmware version to one of my desktops connected via Ethernet and then use to browse feature to find the update on my PC. The last time I did that was with a previous router that I had to back level an update due to issues. My plan is to eventually get rid of the Fios router and just use the Netgear router and save the $10 per month rental fee. I didn’t know I could do that recently until my son did it at his home at the suggestion of Verizon during an unrelated support call. I didn’t want to just use the Verizon AC router since the WiFi coverage isn’t as good as the Netgear and wanted to maintain the router software support instead of relying on the ISP.
@tkwilli wrote: A month later, I switched to Verizon Fios in the same type of configuration. Fios Internet->Fios Router-> Netgear Router—>WiFi & Ethernet local network.
That's a very different topology that you did not mention before.
You can expect trouble if you have two routers fighting for control of your network.
The usual way to deal with that arrangement of hardware is to set the first router as the network router and the second router as an access point, which turns off its router feature. Or to set the first router as "modem only", killing its router feature, and to use the second one as the network router.
> You can expect trouble if you have two routers fighting for control of > your network.
Unless they're connected in unusual ways, "two routers" do not "fight for control of your network". This is, generally, not a productive way to think about the situation.
What typically happens is that "your network" gets divided into separate sub-networks, and that multi-subnet arrangement can cause problems ("double NAT", missing routes, and so on). But there's typically no "fighting" for anything, and it's not helpful to describe the situation that way (that is, inaccurately). (But I assume that one of us will continue to do so.)
The first is the full functioning Fios router attached to the internet. The Netgear is set up as an access point just used to expand WiFi coverage and simply consistency with all the LAN devices that were set up prior to deploying the ISP router. I was going to shut off the Fios router WIFi to eliminate interference, but found out that I can call Verizon and totally remove their router. Before I did that, I wanted to make sure I was up-to-date in firmware. Is it because the Netgear is configured only as an access point that the auto update does not pull the lastest version? If so, what would happen if zi do the manual update in the present AP configuration prior to removing the Fios router?
> [...] Is it because the Netgear is configured only as an access point > that the auto update does not pull the lastest version?
Perhaps. Netgear typically does not coordinate its auto-update stuff any better than it tests its firmware, so I would not be especially amazed by seeing a different version available at Downloads, but auto-update not detecting it.
However, in AP mode, it's not clear (to me) that the R6900P would know how to find the outside world, so it may be impossible for it to do an auto-update. In AP mode, it's acting as an Ethernet switch with wireless capabilities. All it really needs to know for this job is its own LAN, not the outside world.
> If so, what would happen if zi do the manual update in the present AP > configuration prior to removing the Fios router?
I don't remember ever trying it, so I know nothing, but I see no reason for AP mode to interfere with a manual firmware load. If, for some reason, the update messes with its settings, then you might need to reset the thing, which might take it out of AP mode, but that should be easy enough to re-configure.
If I had a real dollar (but not much more?) on the line, then I'd run the experiment.
@tkwilli wrote: The Netgear is set up as an access point ...
OK. That makes sense, but it brings you into new territory. (That's why I asked.) Putting the thing into AP mode means that you cannot do some of the things that work when it is a router.
If you can remove the Fios router, reset the Netgear one and start from scratch. You can update the firmware after you have got the network up and running.
You could update the Netgear box before you do that, but you'd probably have to reset it to get in there. So why bother? Do it just once and take of from there.
> [...] Putting the thing into AP mode means that you cannot do some of > the things that work when it is a router. [link]
Is "firmware update" one of those things? I didn't notice it in that list. What I did see is a set of interface features, all of which are related to WAN/Internet access or other _router_ features. Loading firmware from a local computer does not obviously fall into that class.
No modem - just the Verizon FiOS router Ethernet output port to in input port of the Netgear. The routine appears to access the Netgear server for the update check, hen return s message that no newer firmware is available. When I go to the Netgear site it shows a newer version available as mentioned in the recent email. Unfortunately, my support ended January 3, so I will have to pay to make a support call. In that the Netgear NightHawk is behind the Verizon router as an AP, I suspect my security exposure is minimized until l I figure this out.
> [...] When I go to the Netgear site it shows a newer version available > as mentioned in the recent email. Unfortunately, my support ended > January 3, so I will have to pay to make a support call.
For what do you need "to make a support call"? Ordinarily, firmware downloads are freely available, and include instructions for manual installation (which should cost only a little of your time).
> In that the Netgear NightHawk is behind the Verizon router as an AP, I > suspect my security exposure is minimized until l I figure this out.
Probably true, but doing the update should be approximately free and easy.
@tkwilli wrote: No modem - just the Verizon FiOS router Ethernet output port to in input port of the Netgear.
Surely there's something coming out of the wall. Or is it just a LAN connection back to Verizon?
Unfortunately, my support ended January 3, so I will have to pay to make a support call.
Don't do that!
If you have something that can find you the IP addresses of the R6900P on your network, you should be able to track down its IP address. There are lots of ways of doing this. Maybe your main router lists the things connected to it.
If you can feed that into the browser it may take you to the admin interface for the Access Point.
I would say use the desktop genie to get the IP address, but I can't confirm that because I am in the middle of a beta test with a new router that won't work with the current genie. It may work for you. I can see my Access Point, an R7800, and its IP address in the Android genie.
The input to the Fios router is a cat 5 Ethernet cable through the wall back to the Verizon box outside the house for the gigabit Fios service. I’ll manually do the update later today and let everyone know what happens. This is not an uncommon configuration. This is what happens to most customers who had their router hooked to a Comcast or a Verizon modem before upgrading to the higher speed services. When the tech comes out, they place their router/gateway in a plug your router to an output port of theirs. Your router then automatically detects the new configuration and sets itself to an access point knowing it is behind another router. Of course, a lot of people probably just disconnect their router and use the ISP. I decided to keep my router since it has better WiFi coverage.
Okay, here we go - I have the results for this issue. I was originally at V1.2.0.22_1.0.78 of firmware for my Netgear Nighthawk R6900P router. I just manually downloaded the latest firmware release NETGEAR Router R6900P V1.3.0.8_1.0.93. The manual upgrade after downloading this release to my PC worked fine. What this means to me is that when the Netgear Router is operating in Access Point mode, it will appear to go to the Netgear server to check for the latest release, but apparent this function must be disabled like many other functions if your router is operating in AP mode. I am current using the Netgear router in AP mode since I have a Verizon Fios router in line from a recent upgrade to Verizon Fios Gigabit Internet. My plan is to eventually eliminate the Fios Router, since the Netgear WiFi coverage is far superior to the Verizon Router. I hope this helps those in similar situations where they have their router attached in AP mode to an ISP router. I guess I will just manually perform these upgrades while my router is operating in AP mode. It would be benefical if Netgear could make in known that the firmware check routine does not work in AP mode, as they have done with the other functions that do not work. As a previous responder mentioned, although they do not mention this by name, some of the functions that will not work in AP mode would make you think that the firmware check does not work. It is still not clear to me why it does not work since Internet access gets passed though the Netgear router in AP mode. Thank goodness for the Netgear emails or I would not have realized that my router was out-of-date because I have always used the firmware check procedure and it does appear to go out to the Netgear server to check and comes back no newer firmware available. CASE CLOSED. Thanks for all our your input. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of great, timely suggestions.
It would be benefical if Netgear could make in known that the firmware check routine does not work in AP mode, as they have done with the other functions that do not work.
Excellent point. My guess is that they wrote that note before the roll out of the process for automated updates. (The note is now more than a year old.) That's a relatively new feature.
There are also probably a lot of old devices out there that cannot do the automated update. But that is no excise for including that as a comment in that article.
> [...] It is still not clear to me why it does not work since Internet > access gets passed though the Netgear router in AP mode.
A wireless access point knows nothing about the Internet. All it knows about is the LAN. What it does is (logically) join together different physical parts of the LAN. Somewhere on the LAN is the router, which _does_ know about the Internet. An AP acts like a simple network switch (with wireless capability). All the AP needs to do is to get traffic from one LAN segment to another; it has no need to know anything about the router, or the Internet, or much else of any kind.
An individual _client_ knows about its gateway/router (to the Internet), so it sends messages thither. They may pass through the AP, but the AP has no idea why, or what the ultimate destination might be. To the AP, it's all LAN traffic.
> [...] My guess is that they wrote that note before the roll out of the > process for automated updates. [...]
Who's talking about "automated updates"? The problem appears to affect manual checks, like: ADVANCED > Administration > Firmware Update : Check for new version from the Internet. Or did I misunderstand the original complaint ("on the firmware check")?
