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Nighthawk AX4 AX3000 incorrect SSID, incorrect default password

ScottReed
Aspirant

Nighthawk AX4 AX3000 incorrect SSID, incorrect default password

I brought up a Starlink network yesterday using a Nighthawk AX3000 router. It was flaky with security errors but worked flawlessly after a hard reset. Good connection, good speed, loved it. SSID= default "netgear76", password= default "shinycomet890". Went to bed. This morning the nighthawk is broadcasting an SSID of "netgear53". No netgear76 to be found. Huh? Additionally, the default access password as specified on the label on the bottom of the router is worthless. Huh? It worked last night for SSID netgear76 but not for netgear53. I did not change the SSID or the password. I did a hard reset last night to get rid of the flaky security errors. That put everything back to default. So where did this netgear53 SSID come from? I did another hard reset this morning. But it still identifies as netgear53. Yikes!

Do I need to bring it into my shop and hard-wire to it get access? I can' even check for firmware version.

 

Message 1 of 4

Re: Nighthawk AX4 AX3000 incorrect SSID, incorrect default password


@ScottReed wrote:

I brought up a Starlink network yesterday using a Nighthawk AX3000 router. 

 


 

What's a Starlink network?

 

AX3000 is not a Netgear model number. RAX something or other?

 

What firmware version do you have on the device?

A number is more useful than "the latest". (It may not be by the time people read this.) There can also be newer versions, or "hot fixes", that do not show up if you check for new firmware in the browser interface.

 


Additionally, the default access password as specified on the label on the bottom of the router is worthless.

 


What password is that? Wifi? Router admin?


I can' even check for firmware version.

 


Why not? Can't you log into th #browser graphical user interface (GUI)?

 

How do I log in to my NETGEAR wireless router? | Answer | NETGEAR Support


It might also help if you told people what the modem is in front of this router, if there is one. The make and model number could be useful. Is it, by any chance, also a router, with a set of LAN ports on the back?

The reason for asking is that a lot of people turn up here trying to put a router behind a modem that is also a router. That can complicate troubleshooting.

Message 2 of 4
ScottReed
Aspirant

Re: Nighthawk AX4 AX3000 incorrect SSID, incorrect default password

Starlink network - Several years ago, SpaceX/Starlink, under the leadership of Elon Musk, rolled out several thousand low-orbit satellites to support global Internet at affordable prices. Using a supplied Starlink satellite dish and router speeds of 200 mbps can be achieved for residential Internet where other alternatives for fast internet do not exist (rural customers).

The Starlink router is the primary router on a Starlink network. In my case, the Netgear RAX35 router is configured as an AP inside my home. The Starlink router sits outside next to the Starlink dish in a weather-tight cabinet. A Ubiquiti Litebeam wireless bridge connects the two devices on the "Starlink network".

 

The firmware on the RAX35 has been updated to the newest firmware version.

The RAX35 default password was "shinycomet890". After a hard reset, the password that I defined should have been replaced with the default password. This did not happen.

 

The SSID on the RAX35, which I have never changed, was being broadcast as "netgear53" instead of the default "netgear76" with who knows what for a password?

 

Working with a senior Netgear support person, we finally accessed the router using the RAX35 IP address of 192.168.1.1. The reset restored this IP address to default, turned off the AP config and botched the SSID to netgear53. No one knows where netgear53 was coming from but it was preventing access to the RAX35 by SSID. Netgear still does not have a clue regarding netgear53 nor do they know why the SSID was changed without human intervention. The default netgear76 is back, netgear53 is gone, and everything is back to normal.

 

Perhaps this problem was caused by my resetting the RAX35 in order to eliminate multiple security errors that were plaguing the network. The reset did eliminate the errors but it also placed two routers on the network with both performing DHCP and both having the same IP address. A situation destined for failure.

 

This all has been repaired with no explanation from Netgear as to why this happened. This case is being closed. Thank you for your input!  

 

 

 

Message 3 of 4
Kitsap
Master

Re: Nighthawk AX4 AX3000 incorrect SSID, incorrect default password


@ScottReed wrote:

Starlink network - Several years ago, SpaceX/Starlink, under the leadership of Elon Musk, rolled out several thousand low-orbit satellites to support global Internet at affordable prices. Using a supplied Starlink satellite dish and router speeds of 200 mbps can be achieved for residential Internet where other alternatives for fast internet do not exist (rural customers).

The Starlink router is the primary router on a Starlink network. In my case, the Netgear RAX35 router is configured as an AP inside my home. The Starlink router sits outside next to the Starlink dish in a weather-tight cabinet. A Ubiquiti Litebeam wireless bridge connects the two devices on the "Starlink network".

 

The firmware on the RAX35 has been updated to the newest firmware version.

The RAX35 default password was "shinycomet890". After a hard reset, the password that I defined should have been replaced with the default password. This did not happen.

 

The SSID on the RAX35, which I have never changed, was being broadcast as "netgear53" instead of the default "netgear76" with who knows what for a password?

 

Working with a senior Netgear support person, we finally accessed the router using the RAX35 IP address of 192.168.1.1. The reset restored this IP address to default, turned off the AP config and botched the SSID to netgear53. No one knows where netgear53 was coming from but it was preventing access to the RAX35 by SSID. Netgear still does not have a clue regarding netgear53 nor do they know why the SSID was changed without human intervention. The default netgear76 is back, netgear53 is gone, and everything is back to normal.

 

Perhaps this problem was caused by my resetting the RAX35 in order to eliminate multiple security errors that were plaguing the network. The reset did eliminate the errors but it also placed two routers on the network with both performing DHCP and both having the same IP address. A situation destined for failure.

 

This all has been repaired with no explanation from Netgear as to why this happened. This case is being closed. Thank you for your input!  

 


Interesting story.  Thank you for the narrative.  One plausible explanation I can think of, the initial firmware default reset process did not fully execute and it took more than one pass to complete.  As a general practice, it is good to perform the default reset with no external connections to the router, let it run for a few minutes, disconnect/connect the power cord and repeat the process.

 

 

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