AX80 AX600 To Work needs to be rebooted 2 or more times daily (Otherwise Incorrect Wifi Password

[ReachAMR]

I am not in IT so please keep it simple  - thank you.

I purchased this router a year ago and for the last several months, when I go to access the internet whatever device I am using will say the password to either 5G or 2.4G wifi networks is incorrect.  It the device is contented via eithernet - connection will fail.   To fix this I unplug, wait and replug in the router and the devices will automatically reconnect (using the stored passwords). 

I have been with Comcast (which I hate) for 2 years and none of the routers I have had over the years - which is about 4 now - have done this.  This is my first NetGear product. 

How do I get this fixed?  The product is not usable at all at this point as I have to reboot it to work (DAILY).    This was not a cheap router and the fact that I have to reboot it to work 2 or more time a day is crazy.   For the first 6 - 8 months it worked like a charm.

Things I done:

• Search Internet for fix - Nothing
• I have done a facory resent (total PIA)
• I have not changed any factory settings
• I am doing nothing fancy IMO

[FURRYe38]

What Firmware version is currently loaded?
What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

How is the routers WiFi SSID name and password configured? WPA2 and AES only?

What devices are you trying to connect? If any Apple devices, disable WiFi Private Address feature on these devices. 

[ReachAMR]

What Firmware version is currently loaded?

• Hardware Version
  1.01
  Firmware Version
  V2.1.3.5
  Cable Firmware Version
  V1.02.08

What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

• There is none - This Cable Modem Router is using ISP COMACST coaxial cable  

How is the routers WiFi SSID name and password configured? WPA2 and AES only?

• WPA2-PSK (AES) [I did not secelct this so I think is is defualt]

What devices are you trying to connect? If any Apple devices, disable WiFi Private Address feature on these devices.

• Yes, I have phone and tablet - this featrue was turned on and it is now disabled.

[ReachAMR]

Disableling the WiFi Private Address feature on Apple devices did not resolve the issue.   Is there anyting in the log that will indicate a reason as to why the router is not working as desinged?

[Razor512]

Make sure you are not using an SSID that someone else in range is using, or you can run into issues if a device tries to connect to a neighbors AP with the password you set for your current WiFi router.

[ReachAMR]

Thank you!  When I reset the router back to defualt and setup a second time I changed the SSID names but used the same password.   Would that cuase any issues?   I have about 30 devices attached about 20 of them are WIFI wall and light switches.   The rest are TVs, Computures, Moble devices @Razor512 

[Razor512]

If the new SSID is different from others in range (e.g., not using the same SSID as a nearby neighbor) then that should be fine, and there will be no need for additional changes, especially since that would take a ton of work redoing the setup for the IOT devices to have them connect to a new SSID.

[ReachAMR]

Nope the SSID names are not in use by anyone else in range.  The router needing to be rebooted daily is still happening.   Very frustating as it worked great for about a year.   From from a Nighthawk to a Nightmare.  

No Support and Comcast says its the router and if Netgear had custoemr support they would say it is Comcast.    I have had Comcast for over 20 years and never had this ever happen before - sure it goes down but not mutliple reboots per day.    

Hope someone else has same issue and found out the root cuase and will share.  

[ReachAMR]

Product is a year old... Paid close to $400 I think and now, I am being asked to pay $140 for 12 months of tech support for someting that should be working.... can you say ChargeBack???

[ReachAMR]

@Razor512   Any Ideas? I use this router for Work from Home and cannot keep rebooting the router 2 to 3 times per day.   I went to puchase phone support since my router is a year old and it will cost me another $140 to speak with someone...  The router was $400 so that is a No for me.  The onine help had nothin.   

[Razor512]

In this case, would you be willing to try another troubleshooting step?

Enable the guest network, but check the box that says "Allow guests to see each other and access my local network"

Also be sure to give it a unique SSID, and set a WPA2-Personal [AES] password.

When the issue happens again, test the guest network, or if needed have a device there the entire time. The experiment is to see if the issue wil impact both the guest network and the main network at the same time or not.

This is the first time I have seen someone encounter this issuue with RAX80.

If it happens on both the guest and main, this may indicate some kind of firmware issuue, though to be sure, you would have to collect some debug logs. Only issue there is that the debug logs are not suited for sharing on a public forum, since they also contain all config settings in plain text, including things like WiFi passwords, and other settings that you changed. but if you are okay with reading log files to spot concerning entries, then those can be shared separately, where you head to the debug page at router IP/debug.htm For example if the router IP is 192.168.1.1,then the debug page will be 192.168.1.1/debug.htm
You can then click on "Start Capture" then wait for the issue to happen again, then click on "Save Debug Log".

Other potential solutions are trying an older firmware https://www.netgear.com/support/download/?model=RAX80 That is typically a great way to rule out firmware issues

[ReachAMR]

@Razor512  

WIRED

When my router stops working, my wired conections just freeze like the power cord was unpluged and I get an error message no internet. 

WIFI

On wifi, it will show I am not connected to WIFI and when I try and connect to either 2.4 or 5 wifi bands, it will ask for password and when the correct password is entered is will say the password is wrong.    

CURRENT SOLUTION

Reboot the router by pulling the power cord and plug in again.  When the router comes back online everything works fine, all wifi devices contecnt autmatically and wired conections will reconnect like netflix and it start playing again.  

Something is making the router stop or freeze that requires a reboot... Comcast hickups and what not but not 3 or more times a day.  Today, I have had to reboot the router 5 times in 4 hours.  😞

I set up the guest network and started tracking log.   

[ReachAMR]

@Razor512Update to Guest Network Suggestion 

It has been over 24 hours after I created a guest network as outlined following the steps and I have not had to reboot the router once.  This may or may not have fixed the issue but so far, it appears to be working.   I am not using the guest network, I just set it up.    I am just sharing the resutls in case this may help others.   I will followup again if it keeps working or started up again.   More to follow.

[ReachAMR]

@Razor512 @FURRYe38 

Just following up - it has been six days and all is okay.   Not sure why creating the guest network is working but it is.  Just to be clear, I am not using the guest network, I just set it up.  I made no other changes.  I will update again if anything changes.

[esarhaddon]

Concerning when yo talk to Xfinity, they will always blame it on privately-owned equipment. I had two techs come out on consecutive days and prove it without a doubt on the first day it was the router at fault and showed the modem was fine, the next day the tech (brother to the first one) proved without a doubt it was the modems fault and how the router was fine. Yes there are ways of doing that. I have spent many hundreds of dollars chasing this and it was their lousy equipment all along and it turned out to be something totally dissasoiated from the INternet part of the system. It was the TV box that was injecting noise in the system.

[FURRYe38]

Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/24231/How-do-I-back-up-the-router-configuration-settings-on-my-Nighthawk-rout...
Enjoy. 📡

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@ReachAMR wrote:

Just following up - it has been six days and all is okay.   Not sure why creating the guest network is working but it is.  Just to be clear, I am not using the guest network, I just set it up.  I made no other changes.  I will update again if anything changes.

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[ReachAMR]

@Razor512 @FURRYe38   Sad, news the problem is back with the router stops working and has to be rebooted (three times in the past hour).   I am going to try and reset the modem back to the prior firmware.   If this does not work, I will destroy this modem and never return to Netgear - this is a horrabile business model.   I appaud you guys for trying to help people for free.  

[FURRYe38]

You gave router and cable modem FW versions however you did NOT specify the actual brand and model of the cable modem used with the RAX80 router. 

Would be great if you can post the brand and model # of the ISP modem being used with the RAX series router. For cable ISP services, there WILL be a ISP interfacing Modem. 

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@ReachAMR wrote:

What Firmware version is currently loaded?

• Hardware Version
  1.01
  Firmware Version
  V2.1.3.5
  Cable Firmware Version
  V1.02.08

What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

• There is none - This Cable Modem Router is using ISP COMACST coaxial cable  

How is the routers WiFi SSID name and password configured? WPA2 and AES only?

• WPA2-PSK (AES) [I did not secelct this so I think is is defualt]

What devices are you trying to connect? If any Apple devices, disable WiFi Private Address feature on these devices.

• Yes, I have phone and tablet - this featrue was turned on and it is now disabled.

---

[Razor512]

If trying an older firmware, be sure to factory reset after downgrading, and also skip any firmware update, since during the initial setup wizard, it will check fir updates.