R7000 Firmware Version 1.0.6.28 - Arlo SSID Signal Interference with Existing Signals

[marshallsf]

I purchased the R7000 in November and it was working great.  However, after applying the 1.0.6.28 upgrade that introduced the new arlo SSID. Then my current wifi signal started to drop very frequently, maybe 3-4 times a minute. I could see this using the Android Wifi Analyzer app.  This effectively made the unit unusable. 

Talking to tech support we could not diagnose the problem other than getting some improvement by moving the R7000 further from my TV.  Unfortunately, the improvement wasn’t enough and I am getting a new unit in the mail.  

Then I saw the new Advanced option to disable the new arlo SSID.  After disabling the arlo SSID my 2.5 and 5.0 signals are rock sold.

Is this a known issue, or some sort of coincidence I haven't identified? 

[marshallsf]

NEW INFORMATION

It actually looks like the 5Ghz radio signal was bad.  After turning off the 5Ghz radio and disabling Smart Connect the 2,5Ghz radio alone is working fine.  I would have noticed this if I had disabled Smart Connect during debugging.  I didn't notice since I confirmed my last (erroneous) fix while out of range of the 5Ghz signal and Smart Connect was Enabled.

So....  Arlo is fine (Sorry), just need a router with the 5Ghz radio functioning.  

[JamesGL]

Hi marshallsf,

Have you received the replacement unit already? If not yet and you are still using the old unit, have you performed a factory reset after the update of the firmware?

[ender2003]

When I loaded firmware 1.0.6.23_1.1.83 on my Nighthawk R7000, it automatically enabled ARLO on my network. I don't own any ARLO devices and will never use it, but this firmware created a brand new SSID on my router that broadcast on the SAME CHANNEL as my 2.4 Ghz network. For a networking company, this really makes me question the technical knowledge of the engineers at Netgear.

When the ARLO SSID popped up on my network, it totally killed my 2.4Ghz network because it was on the same channel. The interference made my connection to my normal SSID drop out every couple of seconds. It wasn't until I opened up a Wifi scanner that I noticed the new SSID. When I updated the firmware, I did not see any alerts that the new SSID would be set up and enabled. Looking at the Genie settings, I was unable to find the ARLO setting to turn it off. It wasn't until I logged in to the web interface of the router (isn't the Genie software supposed to make it so we don't have to do this?) that I saw the setting to turn off ARLO.

Why in the world would a networking company do something so asinine? This is making me question my purchase of this router.

And, I just noticed that the firmware update also enabled Genie Media Server, again without my input. So I have to go look for the setting to disable this as well. How about when new features like these are added, we are given a choice as to whether we want them enabled?

And as a side note, it appears that the 1.0.6.28 firmware is no longer available for download...