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Re: R7000 Firmware Version V1.0.11.104_10.2.100 and Time Machine

JDinillinois
Aspirant

R7000 Firmware Version 1.0.9.88 and Time Machine

This may have been covered in other threads, so I apologize in advance, but I'm not sure where else to go. All the information about this update and the inability for Netgear to use Time Machine any longer has me wondering if I am attaching my backup hard drive directly to my Mac rather that the USB port on the router, will Time Machine still work?

Thanks for any input.

Message 1 of 9

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JDinillinois
Aspirant

Re: R7000 Firmware Version 1.0.9.88 and Time Machine

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply, and so quickly. This helps since I was scared away from the update due to the warning.
I appreciate you help.

View solution in original post

Message 3 of 9

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antinode
Guru

Re: R7000 Firmware Version 1.0.9.88 and Time Machine

> [...] if I am attaching my backup hard drive directly to my Mac rather
> that the USB port on the router, will Time Machine still work?

 

   I'd assume so.  Depending on how it was done for use on the router,
you might need to re-initialize your (unspecified) "my backup hard
drive" to make it work with a direct connection.  I'd try it.  Then, if
you have trouble, attack it using Disk Utility.

 

   Netgear having yanked the feature from its router(s) does not stop
Time Machine from working; it means only that storage which is attached
to the router(s) can't be used.

Message 2 of 9
JDinillinois
Aspirant

Re: R7000 Firmware Version 1.0.9.88 and Time Machine

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply, and so quickly. This helps since I was scared away from the update due to the warning.
I appreciate you help.

Message 3 of 9
minorgeek
Tutor

R7000 Firmware Version V1.0.11.104_10.2.100 and Time Machine

release notes for recent firmware releases says it broke time machine.  &it's true.

i can't go to earlier firmware without opening up my entire network to hackers.

i can't live without backup.

when's netgear going to fix this bug in new firmware release?  what's netgear doing messing with time machine anyway?

 

i have the r7000, macbook 15" 2019, and set time machine to back up to my seagate NAS.  nothing's connected to usb ports of router.  time machine tries to backup, then says it needs to re-do a full backup to be secure, and loops.

 

Q1:   will it also fail if i connect the backup disk directly to my mac?  of course then the nas isn't available on the network.  or i use a smaller disk.  

 

q2:  any recommendations for another incremental backup utility for mac?  does netgear break all backup utilities?  sheesh

 

thanks for any help.

Model: R7000|AC1900 Smart WIFI Router
Message 4 of 9
labatt
Mentor

Re: R7000 Firmware Version V1.0.11.104_10.2.100 and Time Machine

Time machine support on router  does not matter for a time machine back up to a standalone NAS. Time macine support is only if using a drive connected via USB to the router, My MAC backs up just fine to a QNAP NAS without complaining. 

Message 5 of 9
antinode
Guru

Re: R7000 Firmware Version V1.0.11.104_10.2.100 and Time Machine

> [...] when's netgear going to fix this bug in new firmware release?
> [...]

 

   Probably never.  Netgear intentionally removed some features to free
storage for more valuable (money-earning) features.  By their reckoning,
the change is not a "bug".

 

> [...] nothing's connected to usb ports of router. [...]

 

   Then you were not using the feature that was removed.

 

   You've joined a thread where this was already covered.  Did you read
it?

 

> Netgear having yanked the feature from its router(s) does not stop
> Time Machine from working; it means only that storage which is attached
> to the router(s) can't be used.

 

   Which part of that was unclear?


> i have the r7000, macbook 15" 2019, and set time machine to back up to
> my seagate NAS. [...]

 

   "my seagate NAS" is not a very detailed description of that device.
An actual model number would be more informative.

 

> [...] time machine tries to backup, then says it needs to re-do a full
> backup to be secure, and loops.

 

   What, exactly, does "loops" mean to you?  That sounds like a problem,
but I doubt that it's related to the router firmware.

 

   Does "loops" mean more than "takes a very long time"?  How big is the
disk (or equivalent) on the Mac?

 

> Q1: will it also fail if i connect the backup disk directly to my
> mac? [...]

 

   How, exactly, would you "connect the backup disk directly" to your
MacBook?


> [...] does netgear break all backup utilities? [...]

 

   Netgear didn't break any backup utilities.  As explained above,
Netgear removed support for Time Machine storage which is directly
connected to the router.  (Which you claim that you were not using.)

Message 6 of 9
minorgeek
Tutor

Re: R7000 Firmware Version V1.0.11.104_10.2.100 and Time Machine

unfortunately, as i described in my post, at least for me, it fails when backing up to the stand-alone NAS.  it seems to go through the backup, try to verify, fail and advise starting a new complete backup.  then loops.  the NAS and my macbook are on the router's enet, both hard wired.  although i'm trying it now to a local disk attached to macbook usb port, bypassing the router, and it seems to be workikng and seems to have succeeded.  just lack the mirror image (raid) internal NAS backup.

the nas supports two enets, so i might try connecting a private enet only between the NAS and the macbook, and see if mac recognizes that as a different disk, in which case backing up to the NAS would totally bypass the router.

Model: R7000|AC1900 Smart WIFI Router
Message 7 of 9
minorgeek
Tutor

Re: R7000 Firmware Version V1.0.11.104_10.2.100 and Time Machine

Re: R7000 Firmware Version V1.0.11.104_10.2.100 and Time Machine

> [...] when's netgear going to fix this bug in new firmware release?
> [...]

 

   Probably never.  Netgear intentionally removed some features to free
storage for more valuable (money-earning) features.  By their reckoning,
the change is not a "bug".

oh, so they broke a feature used by most all mac users.  and don't care?

 

> [...] nothing's connected to usb ports of router. [...]

 

   Then you were not using the feature that was removed.

but as reported twice above, it's broken.

   You've joined a thread where this was already covered.  Did you read
it?

yes.

 

> Netgear having yanked the feature from its router(s) does not stop
> Time Machine from working; it means only that storage which is attached
> to the router(s) can't be used.

 

   Which part of that was unclear?


> i have the r7000, macbook 15" 2019, and set time machine to back up to
> my seagate NAS. [...]

 

   "my seagate NAS" is not a very detailed description of that device.
An actual model number would be more informative.

it didn't seem relevant.

NAS OS 4.3

 

> [...] time machine tries to backup, then says it needs to re-do a full
> backup to be secure, and loops.

 

   What, exactly, does "loops" mean to you?  That sounds like a problem,
but I doubt that it's related to the router firmware.

that means it repeats that cycle of steps; viz., it attempts a full

backup (again), fails (again), tries to verify (fails), and recommends another full 

backup.  

 

   Does "loops" mean more than "takes a very long time"?  How big is the
disk (or equivalent) on the Mac?

yes, nothing to do with time.  it repeats same cycle attempting backup,

reporting failure, and recommending retry.  the the same happens.

 

> Q1: will it also fail if i connect the backup disk directly to my
> mac? [...]

i've now answered this.  it seems to succeed.

 

   How, exactly, would you "connect the backup disk directly" to your
MacBook?

via usb3.  why?  you have another suggestion?


> [...] does netgear break all backup utilities? [...]

 

   Netgear didn't break any backup utilities.  As explained above,
Netgear removed support for Time Machine storage which is directly
connected to the router.  (Which you claim that you were not using.)

claim?  did you read my posts?  lol

 

i have no idea what r7000 does to break the time machine backup to my nas which has worked fine for most of a year.  but it did.  hope that was clear.

thanks for trying to help.  what you say, problem only exists when connecting disk to router's usb ports, sounds reasonable, doesn't match facts.  sigh.

 

Message 8 of 9
antinode
Guru

Re: R7000 Firmware Version V1.0.11.104_10.2.100 and Time Machine

> oh, so they broke a feature used by most all mac users. and don't
> care?

 

   I don't know about "most all", but they did remove that feature.  I
also don't know how much they care, but apparently not enough to stop
them from removing that feature.

 

> but as reported twice above, it's broken.

 

   That feature is gone from recent firmware versions.  You are not
using that feature, which is gone from recent firmware versions.  So why
do you care about that feature?

 

> > An actual model number would be more informative.

 

> it didn't seem relevant.

 

   Your judgement of what's relevant does not seem to be very good.

 

> NAS OS 4.3


   That is not a description of your (unspecified) "my seagate NAS".
Which part of "actual model number" was unclear?  Your macOS version
would be more interesting than some NAS firmware version for some
unknown NAS box.

 

> i've now answered this. it seems to succeed.

 

   You seem to have shown that some different USB-connected disk works.
I read "the backup disk" as referring to your (unspecified) "my seagate
NAS".

 

   In any case, that does not prove that there's a problem with the
Netgear router firmware.  There could be a problem with your
(unspecified) "my seagate NAS".

 

   If you want to show that the router firmware causes the problem, then
you could load your previous firmware version, and see if the problem
disappears.  I've never seen bug-free Netgear router firmware.  Perhaps
you've found a bug in yours.  But, if so, that removed feature is still
not your "bug".


   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look
for Downloads.  (For older versions, under Firmware and Software
Downloads, look for "View Previous Versions".)  Find the kit(s).
Download the kit(s) you want.  Read the "Release Notes" file for
instructions.

 

> did you read my posts? lol

 

   Did someone else write the following?:

 

> [...] nothing's connected to usb ports of router. [...]

 

One of us seems to have a reading problem, but I'm not the one.

 

> [...] what you say, problem only exists when connecting disk to
> router's usb ports, sounds reasonable, doesn't match facts. [...]


   Whose "facts"?  Your Time Machine problem is not the same Time
Machine problem.  The _known_ Time Machine problem with new router
firmware is that the router no longer offers the service for storage
which is attached to the router.  Thus, with the newer firmware, and a
storage device which is USB-connected to the router, Time Machine will
not see that device, so that "Select Disk..." will not let you choose
it.  _That_, apparently, is _not_ your problem.

 

   I do not know what your Time Machine problem is, but it's a
_different_ Time Machine problem, unrelated to the router feature which
was removed.

 

   Which is yet more evidence that starting your own thread for your own
problem would have been wiser than joining this old thread with its
different situation.

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