Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

larciel
Guide

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

I had same issue and I remember that I had to downgrade my firmware few years ago so same stability issue.

 

Can't believe Netgear cannot get a right FW after .42 which was released in 2018???

 

Going to trash this router and buy a different company router. Frankly, this router served well for last 4 years, but it's showing signs of going down.

Message 101 of 138
Binkie
Initiate

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

I installed the 106 version yesterday but this did unfortunately not solve my problems with the network drops. This is very frustrating especially now I have to work from home because of covid. Very strange that a big company like Netgear is not able to solve the problems. Hopefully it will be solved soon and otherwise I have to search for another real quality router.
Message 102 of 138
spcrick
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

I gave up on any version past .42... I also didn't wanted to be stuck on an old version with security flaws so I ended up buying a new router.  I got an Asus RT-AX88U and so far it's pretty good.

Message 103 of 138
Binkie
Initiate

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

What about security weaknesses if you go back to 42? This version is dated January 2018, almost three years old 🤔
Message 104 of 138
spcrick
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

There was an article out that a lot of netgear routers had security flaws which caused netgear to release 104 (beta) to the public to address the security flaw issues.  106 was a final release to replace the beta 104.

 

https://www.pcmag.com/news/79-netgear-routers-vulnerable-to-serious-security-flaw

Message 105 of 138
larciel
Guide

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

point is that Netgear could not get fw righteven before 104. and it's taking them more than 2 years and counting to get a stable firmware out. Anyhow you see this, it's a fail.

Message 106 of 138
spcrick
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

Totally agree... the weird thing is that fw before 42 works fine too... they were all working up to 42.  So they should really just see what changes they made after that and see if they can reverse the change on future fws.  

Message 107 of 138
Guilden-NL
Tutor

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

I suspect they cheaped out and went with the lowest priced off-shore outsourcer for maintenance releases. These guys Google for answers an American high schooler knows.

Best to send this router to an electronics recycler and go with another brand. As someone else pointed out, Asus is pretty good.
Message 108 of 138
spcrick
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

I'm already testing out my new Asus RT-AX88U and so far it seems pretty good compared to my old R7000.  It was good while it lasted but seems like Netgear is coming out with broken FWs for their routers continously.

Message 109 of 138
leilamuthu
Star

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

After about 1 year of using my R7000P Nighthawk with no issues, all of a sudden 5Ghz decides to drop out 5-7 times a day. The logs show nothing of interest, just the usual DHCP IP calls and admin logins (me).

 

When the 5Ghz band drops out, both wired and the 2.4Ghz band remain fine and those devices stay connected to the internet (NBN).

 

I have tried power cycling and factory resets, but the problem continues.

 

I was running firmware 1.3.1.64_10.1.36 and the admin console was telling me that it was the latest version. However, when I checked the netgear site, it appears that there is a later firmware 1.3.2.124_10.1.64 which I have just upgraded to. I'm currently waiting to see if this fixes it or not. 

 

HOWEVER I HAVE NO FAITH IN NETGEAR....so I'm also doing some research in case it (most likely) doesn't work.

 

I've seen many posts here instructing people with similar issues to me, to update/change their firmware to "the .42" - I tried to find this here, but was unable to:

 

https://www.netgear.com/support/product/R7000P.aspx#download

 

What is the equivalent of "the .42" for the R7000P, and where do I find it?

 

Oh, and next time I'm in the market for a router or modem, I'm never going near NetGear again!

Model: R7000P|Nighthawk AC2300 Smart WiFi Dual Band Gigabit Router
Message 110 of 138

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

Hello,

I purchased an ASUS RT-AC68U to replace the R7000 because of the latest security concern. This is a brand often recommended in these forums. However, in the same location with the same settings and devices, the ASUS was slightly slower and had much less range. With the release of the .106 firmware, the R7000 has been stable and I returned the ASUS to the retailer. In my case, I reset the router to default and used a wired connection to flash the firmware.

 

I've owned an R7000 for approximately 5 years and in general, I've never experienced any concerns with the router. I had one troublesome issue that was actually caused by a wired Onkyo audio receiver and not the router.

 

If anyone in the community would recommend a router with the same or better range than the R7000 or R7800, I will consider replacing the R7000. It won't last forever and I do not need to stay with NetGear as a brand but the R7000 has given many good years of service.

 

There are some discussions regarding the latest firmware in this Netgear forum.

Note that my router uses mostly default settings and I do not use "Smart Connect".

Model: R7000|AC1900 Smart WIFI Router
Message 111 of 138
pj802226
Aspirant

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

My unit just drops the 2.4 GHz band and requires a restart. I would like to automate this action through the interface. Does not appear possible. This is my last Netgear purchase.
Model: R7000P|Nighthawk AC2300 Smart WiFi Dual Band Gigabit Router
Message 112 of 138
larciel
Guide

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

turned on my old Asus AC68p again and it is working faboulously with upto date firmware for security. 

 

Bye bye netgear. I'm returning my office's router as well. Can't trust this company to provide secure network for my work.

 

I'm sticking to switches only for Netgear until they improve.  Hope they do. People here seem very nice people. They deserve better product and support than this.

Message 113 of 138
TOOMUCHSAUCE
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

Well I gave in and bought a new router. It's the Linksys MR9000 Max-Stream AC3000 tri-band. The router is currently on sale at Best Buy for $150 (normally $250), less than what a new r7000 costs! 

 

I did extensive testing and it offers:

1) At long range, further and much faster 2.4ghz throughput

2) At long range, slightly further and slightly faster 5ghz throughput

3) At close or medium range, MUCH faster 2.4 and 5ghz throughput

4) 100% stability, NO DROPS!!!

 

This is in a 2200 sq foot house and the long range was downstairs one side to upstairs other side. The r7000 5ghz was unusable at this range while the Linksys was completely serviceable (although I still chose the 2.4ghz as it had a better connection with comprable speeds at that range.) 

 

If $150 is in your budget and you are looking for a replacement that is better in every way... this is a great choice!!! 

 

Regards,

Mike

 

 

 

Message 114 of 138

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

Hello,

Thanks for sharing your testing comparing the R7000 to the Linksys.

My testing for one ASUS model did not show an advantage over the Netgear, especially in terms of the range.

Model: R7000|AC1900 Smart WIFI Router
Message 115 of 138
TOOMUCHSAUCE
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

It works so good I ordered a second one! That one was for my mom this one might be replacing my xr700 at my house which is, according to my daughters, "glitching". I am going to do some research but it appears I am having a similar issue with that router too. For $500 this router was a complete rip off. Never will buy another Netgear router.
Message 116 of 138
CharlieS1900
Initiate

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

Thanks for sharing the information on Linksys MR9000/AC3000. I checked the Bestbuy website but found the price of MR9000 went back to $250. Will monitor the price and get one.

 

Only the .42 version of the FW has worked so far.  The latest .106 worked for a day but then dropped 5g for about 15 minutes the second day; and thus back to .42 again.

Model: R7000|AC1900 Smart WIFI Router
Message 117 of 138
spcrick
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

I moved on from the r7000 after 6 years.. i’m not sure if linksys routers are still good. The last one i owned was the wrt54g. I ended up getting an Asus rt-ax88u. Even though its a bit on the pricey side but the range did improve a lot. I used an ex7300 range extender with my r7000 to get stable connection towards the back of the house before.. now the rt-ax88u reaches the back of the house without ang extenders.
Message 118 of 138
TOOMUCHSAUCE
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly


@CharlieS1900 wrote:

Thanks for sharing the information on Linksys MR9000/AC3000. I checked the Bestbuy website but found the price of MR9000 went back to $250. Will monitor the price and get one.

 

Only the .42 version of the FW has worked so far.  The latest .106 worked for a day but then dropped 5g for about 15 minutes the second day; and thus back to .42 again.


It looks like it's back in stock and for $150 again at Best Buy!!! 

Message 119 of 138
TOOMUCHSAUCE
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly


@spcrick wrote:
I moved on from the r7000 after 6 years.. i’m not sure if linksys routers are still good. The last one i owned was the wrt54g. I ended up getting an Asus rt-ax88u. Even though its a bit on the pricey side but the range did improve a lot. I used an ex7300 range extender with my r7000 to get stable connection towards the back of the house before.. now the rt-ax88u reaches the back of the house without ang extenders.

I like this router a lot but at 350 it's pricey. I just needed something as good as the r7000 at my mom's hourse and for me the $150 MR9000 was perfect! For my house I would consider the rt-ax88u but I've been burned buying future-proof routers like the (somewhat glitchy) xr700 I currently own. For one, because of the price tag not a lot of people bought it so they don't support it that much -- a major lesson learned. And while it has the 60hz band which offers incredible speeds, I only have one device (a new macbook air) that can take advantage of it. I learned that stuff changes so fast on these routers that by the time the majority of your devices can support the new features (like wi-fi 6) there will a be much better and cheaper router available -- so I will only buy what I need from now on. If I have to replace the xr700 I would just get the best (combo of price, speed, distance, support) wi-fi 5 router and call it a day, saving my pennies for my next router in 3-4 years. 

Message 120 of 138
apara223
Guide

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

In summary, I actually had an older R7000 which worked fine and a year ago I purchased another R7000 which did not work well.  My original, older R7000 is running on the latest firmware without any issues.  The newer R7000 has been deprecated due to dropping 5Ghz connections and replaced with Asus AC5300 which is working fine.

 

I have no idea how to identify the differences between these two models as the label does not appear to show any obvious version number.  Both devices were made in Vietnam.

 

 

Message 121 of 138
lkuhn
Guide

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

I upgraded to V1.0.11.106_10.2.100 on 8/18/2020 and through today, 8/24/2020 no drop outs or other issues to report.  It feels good to be up to date on a latest release with all the security patches.

Model: R7000|AC1900 Smart WIFI Router
Message 122 of 138
spcrick
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

I understand your concern.. i was debating between the asus or a newer netgear also. But i ultimately decided on asus because a lot of people highly recommended the RMerlin custom firmware for the RT-AX88U. I checked out Rmerlins firmware and it looks like he is still supporting the older asus models as well. i also checked out asus website and they also support their older routers unlike netgear. Netgear took almost a year to come out with a newer fw btw .88 and .104. I think they released something in btw but it bricked some ppls routers that they pulled it. I didnt want to get another netgear that ended up like the r7000.
Message 123 of 138
CharlieS1900
Initiate

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

Thanks for the information on Best Buy.
Message 124 of 138
spcrick
Apprentice

Re: R7000 dropping 5Ghz randomly

I dont know how i feel about linksys. The last one i owned was a e2500. Either their routers are that good that doesnt need frequent firmware updates or their support is just so bad they can only push out a fw every blue moon. Some of them they literally just stopped supporting.
Message 125 of 138
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