My son initiated a FW update and after reboot it came up with a solid orange power LED. Cannot even get a link LED on the uplink port using a known good cable.
Troubleshooting:
Never get l2 to known good port on known good router (unlike this POS) on known good cable from uplink on Netgear (aka POS)
I have tried every "factory reset" possibility. If I power it up with the reset button pressed, it changes to flashing white yet NEVER gets l2 with my Mikrotik on known good cable in known good port plugged into the uplink. When I reboot it, it comes back to solid orange power LED. It was on a static and I did remove the lease on my Mikrotik JIC, but still can't even get l2.
After reading countless similar issues, including the fact that they removed TFTP instructions and then put them back up, I have to wonder if they are disabling the uplink port now to prevent people from using the TFTP fix. I can get l2 on the other ports, but no mac shows up, so likely turns into a hub, but no excuse why port LED's on the POS don't work (or why there are not actual LED's on the uplink port, either)
This issue is COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE. The power WAS NOT INTERRUPTED DURING FW UPDATE, which makes me consider the possibility this is PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE, especially combined with the reasoning above.
Flash memory is ridiculously CHEAP now, so there is zero excuse for not having dual FW memory and checksum verification. It wouldn't surprise me if this hardware is capable and they just didn't do it.
I do see "hidden SSID" intermittently broadcast from the device on WiFi analyzer, but cannot connect or even see it from the Nighthawk or Genie apps. By all evidence, Netgear bricked the device on purpose irrecoverably through lack of due diligence at the very least.
> [...] Cannot even get a link LED on the uplink port using a known good > cable. [...]
What does Netgear call this "the uplink port"? If you mean the WAN/Internet port, then the "Internet" LED does not behave the same as the LAN Ethernet port-status LEDs (and so it does not indicate a simple physical link).
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".
> After reading countless similar issues, [...]
The non-psychics in your audience might not know what you've been reading.
> [...] I have to wonder if they are disabling the uplink port now to > prevent people from using the TFTP fix. [...]
Huh? The TFTP recovery scheme uses a LAN Ethernet port, not the WAN/Internet Ethernet port.
I'm somehow unsurprised an alleged "guru" doesn't know "Uplink port" is standard network terminology, or that the uplink port is usually the default management port, and was more invested in insulting my submission than solving the problem. I maintain this problem is 100% avoidable and thus I have REASON for snark. Thanks for nothing, "guru"
I further went down the rabbit hole, unfortunately.
Luckily I looked through the procedure or I would have been even more upset at this issue that was directly caused by Netgear's lack of due diligence in making a firmware update process that doesn't commonly brick the hardware.
I read through the manual. According to it, solid orange is booting and blinking white means corrupt firmware. It sent me to this site with no other instruction, as if support would magically fix it.
I looked over the tftp procedure, something I've worked with on enterprise networking equipment. It is completely inadequate because my son's router never gets to blinking power as detailed on step 6:
6. Watch the Power LED. It will start with an orange color and then start flashing.
If that is something that only happens when a device is programmed with an IP and connected to a LAN port, this is not documented. Instead of re-IPing my computer for no reason, I would like some assurance that this is indeed the case, preferrably by Netgear support.
It is the R7450, but there is only one AC2600 in the support lookup, so it's irrelevant. Wtf do I have to enter it on every post anyway? Again, it's interesting how you nitpick irrelevant items.
Also, FYI, industry terminology is always valid, and proprietary vendor labels are always secondary to industry terminology. Corporations come and go, the industry doesn't.
> I further went down the rabbit hole, unfortunately.
With my weak psychic powers, I have no idea what you mean by that.
> 6. Watch the Power LED. It will start with an orange color and then > start flashing.
I can't guarantee that every device with every firmware version and every problem will behave according to whichever (unspecified) document you're reading. (Models without a multi-color Power LED are especially unlikely to conform to "orange".) Or that the TFTP scheme will work on your device.
> [...] Instead of re-IPing my computer for no reason, I would like some > assurance that this is indeed the case, [...]
I can confidently assert that if you do _not_ give your computer a suitable set of static IP parameters, the TFTP scheme will _not_ work. (Because the DHCP server on a mostly-dead router typically doesn't work.) That's not "no reason".
> [...] preferrably by Netgear support.
I wouldn't hold my breath. If you want Netgear support, try:
A quick forum (or Web) search for TFTP should find any number of related discussions, some of which might mention a non-flashing power indicator. Perhaps you'll learn something from them.
> It is the R7450, but there is only one AC2600 in the support lookup, > [...]
At least one of us is confused. I seem to see "AC2600" (which is a speed, not a model number) in both of those.
> [...] so it's irrelevant. [...]
If you didn't have so much trouble generating a coherent problem description, then your opinion of what's relevant might carry more weight.
> [...] Wtf do I have to enter it on every post anyway?
Who said that you did? Displaying the actual value once would be more helpful than displaying multiple values for the sake of filling space with nonsense. I claim.
> Again, it's interesting how you nitpick irrelevant items.
Again, just trying to extract a coherent problem description. You don't make it easy.
> Also, FYI, industry terminology is always valid, and proprietary > vendor labels are always secondary to industry terminology. [...]
If you're trying to identify labeled items on an actual gizmo, then many people would find the names on the labels more reliable than your opinion of which "industry terminology" should have been used instead. You're free to make this as difficult as you want, but I have other ways to waste my time which are more entertaining and satisfying.
Anyone reading please note that in addition to purposely failing to conform to industry standards and implementing proprietary methods and practices, Netgear bricks your device through the failure of due diligence and sics pedants on anyone trying to fix it. Certainly, they have TOS that allegedly absolves them of any responsibility, and I can't afford a lawyer good enough to challenge it, but hopefully even a few people will see this and not waste their money on consumer-grade crap. My son will buy a real AP and we can shoot this garbage into tiny pieces, because my router runs circles around this depite being cheaper. RouterOS ftw.
It is the R7450, but there is only one AC2600 in the support lookup, so it's irrelevant.
Sadly, not irrelevant. Support lookup is a blunt tool that can lead people astray.
Netgear has made more than half a dozen "AC2600" devices. Unfortunately, this is one of those rare cases where it has unwisely chosen to use AC2600 as both a model number and as a wifi speed tag, the more normal designator, for a handful of RXXXX models.
You actually did the best thing in your first messages when you used the "drop down" option for your model number. It is a pity that you picked something else in a later message. But both devices are effectively the same when it comes to stuff like TFTP. Worrying about that is a red herring.
One thing that hasn't been suggested so far is the idea that you track down a video of the TFTP process.
TFTP isn't the easiest operation, and is unforgiving of the slightest deviation from the rules, so if you are forced to use it try a web search for videos that guide you through the process.
For example:
Different device, but the approach is the same.
The good news is that TFTP has rescued many a dead device. Don't give up after the first attempt.
