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MeGrimlock's avatar
MeGrimlock
Apprentice
Mar 10, 2020

RBR850 Frequent Disconnects Starting March 9th AM EST

Yesterday 3/9, starting at about 6AM EST, my Orbi system is disconnecting my Nest Cameras and Thermostat and my work laptop every 10-20 mins or so.  I have about 20 devices connected to my mesh syste...
angelogouvis's avatar
angelogouvis
Guide
Mar 17, 2020

I can confirm the similar successful results as xnolightx did in his last post with regards to the workaround of rollback to v3.1.5.23_1.0.46.  Since I followed the steps below, I have not had any disconnects, and my Router won't auto-upgrade; its "parked" on v3.1.5.23_1.0.46 (which seems to work just fine).  Here are the exact changes I did:

1. On the Router in the "Advanced/Security/Block Sites" section, I set Blocking for the update sites listed in the firmware (be sure to set it for "Always" parameter under Keyword Blocking):

a) http.fw.updates1.netgear.com
b) updates1.netgear.com

 

2. Router and Satellite nvram settings (how to do this is described earlier in this thread; not sure if these settings made any difference):

auto_upgrade_enable=0

ver_check_enable=0

3. Downgraded both Router (RBR850) and Satellite (RBS850) to v3.1.5.23_1.0.46 firmware (note: different binary firmware files for each)

a) Even with the blocking the Satellite still auto-upgraded to 3.2.9.2, but it did not seem to make a difference with regards to the disconnects.  As long as the Router was on v3.1.5.23_1.0.46, even from machines connected via the Satellite, I cannot reproduce the disconnects.  I can only conclude that the issue causing the disconnects must lie in the logic of the router firmware.

I personally plan to stay with this "stable" configuration until Netgear can build a new firmware version that works correctly.  I suspect it may take them months to get this sorted out.

 

 

jguice's avatar
jguice
Initiate
Mar 18, 2020

I've downgraded just the router to v3.1.5.23_1.0.46 after adding the 2 update domains to the block list and have been stable for 24h now.

 

Here's a step-by-step of what I did (starting state described below):

 

Block Updates on Router

  1. Login to router web interface (default is http://192.168.1.1)
  2. Click ADVANCED tab, then click the + next to Security, then click Block Sites
  3. Set the Keyword Blocking radio button to Always
  4. Copy and paste http.fw.updates1.netgear.com into the box above the Add Keyword button, then click the button
  5. Copy and paste updates1.netgear.com into the box above the Add Keyword button, then click the button
  6. Click APPLY

Downgrade Router Firmware

  1. Download the older firmware from this page: https://kb.netgear.com/000061339/RBR850-RBS850-Firmware-Version-3-1-5-23 (just the RBR850 router file)
  2. Unzip the archive. :)
  3. Login to router web interface (default is http://192.168.1.1)
  4. Click ADVANCED tab, then click the + next to Administration, then click Firmware Update
  5. Click the Manual Update tab
  6. Click the Browse button and select the RBR850-V3.1.5.23_1.0.46-signed.chk file
  7. Click Upload

Click through any confirmations and allow the router to do the firmware update and reboot.

 

Afterwards, check the Firmware Update page again and you should see a status message "Service unreachable" for the router.

 

---

 

My starting state was a very recent new install of an RBR850 router and 2 RBS850 satellites (3/4/2020).  I started to notice instability in the form of disconnects and reconnects every 10-15m during conference calls around the 10th (and found this thread shortly after).  I would also see my echo show display a yellow bar indicating a connectivity issue periodially.  Prior to the steps above, all 3 units were on 3.2.10.11 (now the router is downgraded).

 

I haven't noticed any issues connecting other devices yet and my conference calls / echo stay connected consistently.  I have 55 devices connected to the system currently and am using only wireless backhaul (AX enabled).  Devices include: nest, ring, d-link, lg tv, sony tv, iOS devices, mac/windows systems, and other misc.

 

As an aside, I'm a previous Orbi customer from 2017 when the original system came out.  I left due to the instability and forced updates mainly, and also because ASUS introduced AiMesh and had hardware at the time capable of pushing more bits.  Lately my ASUS setup had become unstable after adding an additional node bringing the total up to 6.  I saw that Netgear had a WiFi 6 version that could improve the wireless backhaul connection speed / distance (fewer nodes to cover more area), so I decided to give it a try again.  Ironically, days after my initial stable setup this new / broken firmware was pushed.


Netgear still doesn't seem to listen closely enough to its Orbi customers as we've been asking for a (non-hacky, persistent) way to turn of auto-update of firmware for years now.  Also, when you push something and find out it's broken (as this thread demonstrates), the first step is rolling back to a known good state, then assess how broken and options to move forward.  It's especially important in the current times and I've found that companies who ignore the voice of the customer do so at a high long-term cost, even if they have a superior product, etc.