I was just browsing my phone's available wifi networks and noticed my 5G is not showing up. Now that I think about it, my desktop used to specify 5G and now it's connected to 2.4. I have no idea how long this has been like that. Both bands are/were pretty good (I thought) so I didn't really notice any performance issues.
Firmware is V1.3.1.64_10.1.36. I see lots of similar discussions about downgrading firmware. And also recommendations for hardwired install and factory reset yada yada. That seems all very extreme. Is there a simple upgrade path? Or do I need to downgrade?
Is my firmware version recent or old? I couldn't find any auto-update settings. (I typically disable auto-update when I locate it). What is the typical normal procedure for upgrading firmware?
If it *is* the original firmware, what would have caused the 5g to go away when it was just fine?
I did uncheck 5g and recheck it just to see if any help. And unplugged, rebooted, etc. etc. All the typical steps.
I bought this router less than a year ago I think.
Model: R7000P|Nighthawk AC2300 Smart WiFi Dual Band Gigabit Router
Update: I found the auto-update setting and it is set! But I think its not working. I think that firmware # I show was original. I am trying to check future release notes to find 5g fixes. nothing found yet.
Does some other-name 5GHz SSID appear/disappear when you power the R7000P on/off? Is that name bad, or is the radio bad? What do the relevant LEDs indicate?
Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look for Documentation. Get the User Manual (at least). Read. Look for the LED descriptions and "Troubleshoot".
> Firmware is V1.3.1.64_10.1.36. [...]
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. (In the User Manual, look for "firmware", and, especially, for a topic like "Manually Upload Firmware to the Router".) When that fails because of a deficient User Manual, try:
A simple firmware update seldom requires more than the actual update. Occasionally, settings get scrambled. An Ethernet connection is normally more reliable than a wireless connection, but either should work.
> [...] what would have caused the 5g to go away when it was just fine?
Hardware failure, corrupt settings, ... As usual, many things are possible.
In the User Manual, look for "Specify Basic WiFi Settings" and "Control the WiFi Radios".
> I did uncheck 5g and recheck it just to see if any help. [...]
Results?
> I bought this router less than a year ago I think.
If Netgear agrees, then a warranty claim might work.
Thanks for the handy dandy checklist! additional info so far:
The 5G LED light is solid.
I found the Check For Updates link in the dashboard and it said there were no updates. Lie! There is a later update V1.3.3.140 on netgear site. I downloaded it and will install as soon as network backup I am running is complete.
I verified that the firmware version I have is the original.
There were dozens and dozens of hits searching R7000 OR R7000P 5G not working... mostly old so have to question if it applies to current problem and my current scenario. Generally older similar or related threads I find are okay for seeing a trend and observing pitfalls, but not good for following literally. Clearly dropping of 5g is not a new thing around here!!! This particular one that caught my attention the most: firmware for R7000P Seems there was a trend at the time of an update causing a 5g problem so peeps were restoring old firmware.
un/checking 5g resulted in no change. Thought that was implied!
I looked at the release notes and instructions in the kit. Wow! I used to produce software kits myself and that would have been laughable at my company. These young 'uns. But its a moot point. There are so many versions in between, who knows what fixes I am getting.
This Netgear user experience overall gives me low confidence that this firmware upgrade will actually fix anything and I am also concerned I could end up worse off. Can I preserve the existing firmware I have just in case it turns out to be better?
One reason I rarely do auto-updates is because time and time again I've seen updates break things or remove things. (the older I get the more it happens!!!) I'm pretty cynical overall, but if there should be a warranty issue, I know I will have to be at the latest version.
> o un/checking 5g resulted in no change. Thought that was implied!
"Never assume." (Time to re-watch "Desk Set"?)
"no change" in _what_? Did the corresponding LED change or not? Did any SSID appear/disappear?
> [...] Can I preserve the existing firmware I have just in case it > turns out to be better?
For the actual firmware kits, you can download any of the "Previous Versions". Your custom settings are different from the firmware. To preserve those, look for "Manage the Router Configuration File" in the User Manual.
>> o un/checking 5g resulted in no change. Thought that was implied!
> "Never assume." (Time to re-watch "Desk Set"?)
Never heard of that one. Trailer is a riot! how times have changed!!!
... resulted in no change of behavior... my 5g network was still not broadcasting. (didn't know about light toggle at the time I wrote no change!!!)
> For the actual firmware kits, you can download any of the "Previous Versions".
I looked on their website for archived kits and couldn't find them on their website. The Download Center had a filter for model # and closest was R7000 but that's not good enough.
Given that, I decided not to do the upgrade during the work week. I work from home and can't risk anything going wrong. I will give it a go on the weekend.
