Re: Intermittent DNS Errors and WiFi Issues

Mikey94025 · ‎2021-03-12

@Tobamory wrote:
I know you all talk about DNS but am I right in thinking the WiFi dropouts are related or is yet another issue ? Anybody know

I don't think they're at all related. I see the DNS issue all the time, never wifi dropouts with my RBR850 system.

OOWS · ‎2021-03-14

It has been over 8 months since this issue has been reported, and still no resolution from Netgear.

Maybe it is time for the community to submit reviews on Amazon and elsewhere to warn potential buyers, and to help get the attention of Netgear so they can make fixing this a priority.

rr20552 · ‎2021-03-14

Totally agree.

Have just posted negative review on Amazon highlighting the extra charge for security, lack of parental controls and buggy firmware.

msinex · ‎2021-03-14

Original poster here, it's good to see that I'm not the only one still dealing with this problem. Seems like frustrations are high, which is completely understandable. It makes more sense to focus them on Netgear instead of other user posters, though. Focus it on the company that decided to bring out a product with buggy software and then support it with ridiculously limited technical support unless you decide to pony up even more money.

As an update to my situation, I was able to fix the majority of the wifi droppout issues I was having by shifting around the satellites a bit. I originally had them set up well within the suggested ranges and even tried both wired and wireless backhaul, but finally spread them out enough to where it worked.

I'm still getting DNS issues across those devices that I can't hardcode in a different DNS. It even caused a significant certificate issue with my work laptop and I had to work with my IT department to get a workaround. I can track the issues using a DAKboard I have running on a raspberry pi that displays our family calendar. It basically just refresshes a website through the day, and it will run into a DNS issue and not refresh until I reboot the system (I haven't been able to quite figure out how to hardcode the a different DNS server here). The odd thing here is that the issue will go away for about a week everytime I reboot my router. I won't get any errors for a week, then it will start it with an error and become pretty constant after that until I reboot again. There has to be some sort of building error or memory leak issue.

Also, in regards to the theory that this only happens with certain modem/ISP setups, I can tell you from my experience that wasn't the case. I had the same issue with my original spectrum cable service that came through a router in gateway mode as I am having today with my metronet fiber service going through a pure modem.

houcatdad · ‎2021-03-14

I've got the same issue with the RBK752 (RBR750 / RBS750).

The weird thing my system does is that it will attempt to resolve DNS and come up with an error (Chrome browser), but immediately refresh itself and connect.

No matter what site I go to the initial connection is a DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NX_DOMAIN

It's frustrating AF... coverage is good, speeds are good.

Just that initial hit to ANY internet page has a DNS error with an immediate refresh and resolution.

Cable provider - spectrum

Orbi is running wireless and wired connections, dhcp. DNS are using OpenDNS servers... not google or spectrum.

PC I'm on now getting the error, Win10, latest release/patched

msinex · ‎2021-03-14

@houcatdad

I had that same exact issue with my main desktop computer, and I manually entered in the google DNS servers on that computer instead of letting the router assign it and it solved the issue. It's just an issue for the rest of my devices now where I can't do that (or haven't figured out how to) where I'm still getting the issues.

houcatdad · ‎2021-03-15

Yeah I figured that would resolve it... I just haven't done it b/c I wanted to try other solutions.... or wait for a fix.

It's not horribly affecting things, it's just an annoyance. I don't even have to manually refresh... it does it on it's own.

It's annoying though

rr20552 · ‎2021-03-15

Below is Netgear’s response to my post on Facebook. 🤬

Hello Richard Baxter,
Three service plans are available when you enable Circle Smart Parental Controls on your Orbi WiFi System, one is free.
If you have issues with your Orbi system, we would love to help you.
Regards,
Patrycja
Netgear Team

FURRYe38 · ‎2021-03-15

And whats that have to do with DNS errors in this post?

@rr20552 wrote:
Below is Netgear’s response to my post on Facebook. 🤬

Hello Richard Baxter,
Three service plans are available when you enable Circle Smart Parental Controls on your Orbi WiFi System, one is free.
If you have issues with your Orbi system, we would love to help you.
Regards,
Patrycja
Netgear Team

msinex · ‎2021-03-15

I've gotten the same crap in the past, they want you to enable their security software and upsell you to get technical support for a router package you already paid a grand for. It's complete BS and a rip-off.

JBlank912 · ‎2021-03-16

I was running almost flawlessly for 2 years, last week the DNS problem started. IPhone and Android phones started loosing connections. Reboot router fixed it for a while and back within a day or less. Seems to be getting worse each day. Latest Firmware update I think was a few weeks ago. I have 2 Satelites with the system. One of the strangest parts is we have 1 system hardwired to a Satelite and that would hold connection fine while the cell phones or tablets loose connection. LAst night nothing would connect except TV's could stream Netflix and You Tube. Makes no sense.

tak1313 · ‎2021-03-16

@houcatdad wrote:
I've got the same issue with the RBK752 (RBR750 / RBS750).

The weird thing my system does is that it will attempt to resolve DNS and come up with an error (Chrome browser), but immediately refresh itself and connect.
No matter what site I go to the initial connection is a DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NX_DOMAIN

By chance, do you use Google Chrome as your browser when you get this error? If so, have you tried flushing the DNS cache for the browser? I'm just asking because it's a common problem with Chrome.

FURRYe38 · ‎2021-03-16

Anyone try using a different browser to see if the problem follows there as well?

I use Opera GX.

@tak1313 wrote:
@houcatdad wrote:
I've got the same issue with the RBK752 (RBR750 / RBS750).

The weird thing my system does is that it will attempt to resolve DNS and come up with an error (Chrome browser), but immediately refresh itself and connect.
No matter what site I go to the initial connection is a DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NX_DOMAIN

By chance, do you use Google Chrome as your browser when you get this error? If so, have you tried flushing the DNS cache for the browser? I'm just asking because it's a common problem with Chrome.

energie · ‎2021-03-16

It is not a problem with the browser. The browser is showing that there is a problem with the DNS server / firmware of Netgear.

Chrome browser at least makes a second attempt when a DNS error occurs. Firefox for example doesn't. So that leaves users manually refreshing the webpage.

Netgear should fix the DNS server/proxy with the firmware.

tak1313 · ‎2021-03-16

@energie wrote:
It is not a problem with the browser. The browser is showing that there is a problem with the DNS server / firmware of Netgear.

Chrome browser at least makes a second attempt when a DNS error occurs. Firefox for example doesn't. So that leaves users manually refreshing the webpage.

Netgear should fix the DNS server/proxy with the firmware.

But have you tried flushing Chrome's dns cache?

https://geeksadvice.com/how-to-fix-dns_probe_finished_nxdomain-error/

energie · ‎2021-03-16

It is not a problem with the Chrome browser. Flushing the cache actually increases the problem. As then the DNS server / firmware needs to do another lookup.

Netgear needs to fix the DNS server / firmware

OOWS · ‎2021-03-16

Netgear tech support suggested the following. Has anyone tried this, and does it solve the problem?

1. Login to orbilogin.com

2. On the left click Internet, and scroll down to the DNS section.

3. Change the Domain Server (DNS) Setting:

From: Get Automatically From ISP

To: Use These DNS Servers.

Then enter the Google DNS addresses: Primary DNS 8.8.8.8 and Secondary DNS 8.8.4.4

4. Press the Apply button

Mikey94025 · ‎2021-03-16

@OOWS wrote:
Netgear tech support suggested the following. Has anyone tried this, and does it solve the problem?

Yes, I've tried setting the DNS server IP addresses in the Orbi using orbilogin.com and it doesn't fix the intermittent DNS issue. It's also been tried earlier in this thread.

energie · ‎2021-03-16

No changing the DNS configuration is not the solution. The DNS servers (i.e. Google / Cloudflare) etc. are not the problem. The problem is the actual Netgear DNS server/firmware. So you can be changing your DNS configuration all day, it won't fix a thing.

You can think of this as a car. If the engine is broken. You can swap the benzine for another type of benzine. The engine still remains broken. Now Netgear should fix this engine, instead they just say please try a different type of benzine as the benzine you now use might not be good for the engine. So as a user you are spending a lot of time changing and trying out different types of benzines. Which in the end, is actually wasting your time. As the problem still is: the engine is broken.

houcatdad · ‎2021-03-16

yes, this was on Chrome, but in troubleshooting I tried Edge, IE, and Firefox... and got the same experience.

houcatdad · ‎2021-03-16

Correct.

This isn't browser related or DNS Server related.

This is my experience:

if you look up a website... for example go to whitepages.com

the initial lookup is a miss.... then the browser refreshes automatically, and resolves.

This is almost like the local DNS cache on the router is returning info and then retrying resolution.... it's not in the local cache on the router... so it fails. then goes out and resolves.

If you go to that same website again, on any other device or browser, there's no dns lookup miss.

So I'm thinking this is an issue at the router, doing the initial DNS lookup... somehow the router is giving a response to the request... which causes the error screen, but then immediately resolves it and pushes the result again to the client.

That's my interpretation, anyway.

This happens for me across devices, and across browsers

tak1313 · ‎2021-03-16

This is a shot in the dark, but since some have had temporary success rebooting the router, is there a way to flush the router's dns cache manually - like through telnet command?

I actually DON'T have an Orbi AX, but it's on the way, so am interested in this problem in case it arises for me. I'm thinking if I see it within the return period (direct from Netgear - 30 days, I believe), I'm not going to even bother troubleshooting and just return the thing.

FURRYe38 · ‎2021-03-16

Ya NG removed the telnet funtion on Orbi AX.

Oh to let everyone know, just saw my first ever DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error two times while on the NG forums this morning. The first error appeared in the browser and I had to refresh the page, the 2nd was quicker and the browser continued to the page. I've not done anything else. Thought we has a quick power bump this morning so my 30+ days of operation seeing in the debug.htm is now reset.

Looking to see if this happens again. I'm glad I can join the croud now whos been experiencing this.

FURRYe38 · ‎2021-03-16

Thats "Function"

tak1313 · ‎2021-03-16

@FURRYe38 wrote:
Ya NG removed the telnet funtion on Orbi AX.

Oh to let everyone know, just saw my first ever DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error two times while on the NG forums this morning. The first error appeared in the browser and I had to refresh the page, the 2nd was quicker and the browser continued to the page. I've not done anything else. Thought we has a quick power bump this morning so my 30+ days of operation seeing in the debug.htm is now reset.

Looking to see if this happens again. I'm glad I can join the croud now whos been experiencing this.

I notice you're on the latest firmware, has it been pervasive on older firmware as well? What is your compter's DNS (vs router's DNS) set to?

Too bad someone can't get a good publication/site like Cnet or Dongknows to latch on to this. A lot of the public at large don't read reviews, so posting the issue in reviews doesn't get the word out like a major reviewer/publication could - but then, a lot of them don't do stuff like that because it can affect their advertising $$$ from the manufacturer.