Over the last 6 months my Nighthawk AX1100 (RAX200) router has become very unstable. It tends to go offline about once a week now forcing me to reboot or power cycle my network. When I am home, this can be done without much issue, although it is annoying since nearly every aspect of my life needs online connections. The biggest problem is when I am away from home and no one can physically reboot or power cycle the system. This happened to me recently and as a result, I had no access to my NAS files or my security cameras. The error code was 981883 and I have no idea what that refers to. Anyone know?
I bought the RAX200 (which was the top router at that time) for stability and now it seems my money is not well spent. How can I ensure the router NEVER goes down and if it does, how can I get it up and running when i'm away? Also, what does error code 981883 mean.
The error code was 981883 and I have no idea what that refers to. Anyone know?
Where do you see that error code? Netgear routers aren't in the habit of handing out error codes.
Then the usual boilerplate questions to eliminate some of the more common issues that crop up here.
What firmware version do you have on the device?
A number is more useful than "the latest". There may be newer versions, or "hot fixes", that do not show up if you check for new firmware with an app or in the browser interface.
If there is one it might also help if you told people the make and model number of the modem/gateway/ONT that connects this router to the Internet. Is it, by any chance, also a router, with a set of LAN ports on the back?
I ask because a lot of people turn up here trying to put a router behind a modem that is also a router. That can complicate troubleshooting.
The error code "981883" was in the "logs" section of the router login webpage (http://192.168.1.1/start.htm->ADVANCED->Administration->logs. That log entry gave the date, error code and some other location data. The date was the same date as when the main failure occurred so knowing what the error code means might point in the direction of the cause.
The firmware is V1.0.10.140_1.0.79.
The Netgear RAX200 router connects to a Netgear CM1200 modem. It's a stand-alone modem, no router function built into it.
The error code "981883" was in the "logs" section of the router login webpage (http://192.168.1.1/start.htm->ADVANCED->Administration->logs. That log entry gave the date, error code and some other location data. The date was the same date as when the main failure occurred so knowing what the error code means might point in the direction of the cause.
The firmware is V1.0.10.140_1.0.79.
The Netgear RAX200 router connects to a Netgear CM1200 modem. It's a stand-alone modem, no router function built into it.
Attached is a copy of my Modem Status and Event Log. Unfortunately the history back to when the event failure occured (June 26) gets wiped out, I was lucky enough to see the error code from my router when I first opened it after the failure. I'll also send a copy of my current Router Status and Event Log.
If you can capture the Event error next time you see it.
What device is at .15 IP address. Seems to be constantly getting a DHCP IP address in a short period of time.
Modem looks good.
Event logs shows some Errors and Warnings.
Any Criticals, Errors or Warnings seen in the event logs needs to be reviewed and resolved by the ISP. Indicates a signal issue on the ISP line up to the modem.
Has a factory reset and setup from scratch been performed since last FW update on the router?
Thank you for your reply and sorry for my late response, been a crazy week. The device with a .15 IP address is a weather station and has a sensor that has been a problem. I changed it out today so hopefully those errors will be less.
I have had some signal problems with my ISP in the past, especially as it gets hot (the say their equipment is sensitive to extreme heat). I probably need to get them back for a check.
I haven't done a factory reset of the modem or router since the last FW updates and that's been a long time. I probably should but resist owing to the time it takes to reconnect my 30+ devices. But given the instability issues, it looks necessary.
Thanks for your feedback, if you have any other tips, please pass them on. As soon as I can get the ISP to check the signal quality, I'll go ahead and reset the router.
The Event error occurred again tonight so I was able to capture the logs for both the modem and router. I've attached them in the PDF. It seems like this happens every Sunday night around 11pm. Not sure why.
Interesting is that the original error that occured on June 26 with code 981883 is back in the router event log. You can see it highlighted in red on page 3.
Can you look over the logs and let me know what you think is causing this event? I still plan to have my ISP check the lines and will also reset the router as suggested, but maybe this also highlights some additional action I need to take.
Any Criticals, Errors or Warnings seen in the event logs needs to be reviewed and resolved by the ISP. Indicates a signal issue on the ISP line up to the modem.
Does this entry eventually go away or do you have to intervein to make it stop?
Yes, lets factory reset the router and setup from scratch.
I'll be sure to review the modem log with the ISP when they come for a check. The error in the router log "Thursday, Jun 26,981883 09:00:00" will eventually go away. I was surprised to see it again after last nights event and even now is still in the log. But usually it goes away after a day or so.
The technician from the ISP (Wave Broadband by Astound) is here today to check the signal quality. After he is finished I will reset the RAX200 router back to factory default. Should I also do a reset for the modem, or just the router?
On Tuesday (July 30), the ISP technician made some adjustments to the incoming signal and replaced a few pieces of equipment. He did say the power looked low and they do experience some issues during the summer when it is warmer.
So yesterday (July 31) I went ahead and reset both the modem and router to factory default and then reinstalled everything. It's too early to say if the stability has improved but the logs don't seem to unchanged. I made a copy of both the modem and router logs for your review.
The old error code "Thursday, Jun 26, 981883 09:00:00" is still in the router log which surprised me as I thought it would have been erased following a reset. Any further advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.
My main goal is to get back the stability I once had so that my network does not go down while I'm away and unable to reboot or power cycle to get it back up again. Time will tell if we were able to achieve that.
Still seeing some warnings and criticals in the CM modem event logs.
What's the cable connections page look like?
Ya, I'm thinking that code is something in the router FW. What the code means, have no idea. It may not be a error code, possible just event code of something. I presume NG should know. @DarrenM
Something to ask them about and see.
What were you doing around that time frame if you re-call? Something seems to be happening around 9AM?
I attached the router status page; didn't see anything unusual aside from a few warnings on the log page I sent you before. If you notice anything, let me know and I can always have the technician come back.
The event on Jun 26 at 9am was what started my whole investigation. I was traveling and away from home when this occurred. Whatever it was prevented the router from rebooting properly. As a result, I was not able to access any of my devices remotely until I got back home a couple of weeks later and did a power cycle.
It could have been a power outage or perhaps some kind of planned maintenance from the ISP. I checked both those possibilities and nothing unusual came up. So I thought if I knew what the error code meant, it would guide me to the cause and eventually solution.
The 981883 error code entries are still in the log for Jun 26, then it immediately skips to today. I attached a copy.
I haven't had any events happen since I reset everything but it's only been a day. Let's see what happens after Sunday (an outage usually happened every Sunday night).
