Can't downgrade FW on RBR750

[Zooropean83]

Hi

I've been having some ongoing issues with my Orbi setup (RB753) which official Netgear support suggested I downgrade the FW to solve (the poblems began when 4.6.3.7 auti-installed).

I have downgraded the two satellites successfully but when I come to do the router, the system will not let me rollback to an earlier FW version.Instead I get the below warning with no option to acknowledge it and continue.

This has now left me with two satellites on a dfferent, older FW to the router and no way to fix the issue that I can see. I have raised the issue with Support but have yet to hear back and I'm at my wit's end as this has left me with a useless mesh system.

If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

Thanks.

[FURRYe38]

Netgear has set up a community forum specifically for the Orbi AX (WiFi 6) products. Most of the people who watch that forum are more likely to have experience with Orbi AX and know how to work it better than those of us who follow this "general Orbi" forum. Might be more likely to find someone who has a solution if the question is posted there:
https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-AX/bd-p/en-home-orbi-ax

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-AX/RBK750-Series-Firmware-Update-v4-6-3-7/m-p/2130584/highligh...

Thank you.

[FURRYe38]

Let us know if that link I included helps...

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@Zooropean83 wrote:

Hi

I've been having some ongoing issues with my Orbi setup (RB753) which official Netgear support suggested I downgrade the FW to solve (the poblems began when 4.6.3.7 auti-installed).

I have downgraded the two satellites successfully but when I come to do the router, the system will not let me rollback to an earlier FW version.Instead I get the below warning with no option to acknowledge it and continue.

This has now left me with two satellites on a dfferent, older FW to the router and no way to fix the issue that I can see. I have raised the issue with Support but have yet to hear back and I'm at my wit's end as this has left me with a useless mesh system.

If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

Thanks.

---

[FURRYe38]

ALL USERS of the 7 series Orbi AX system, please contact NG support by opening a support ticket and contact NG and ask them for the beta that seems to be avialable for the 7 series that seems to be directed to fixed what everyone with a 7 series has been having problems with:

https://www.netgear.com/support/#

For user out of warranty, contact @Blanca_O and @DarrenM and send them a PM and ask for the beta. 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-AX/New-RBK752-753-Firmware-Version-4-6-3-7-Released/m-p/213650...

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-AX/New-RBK752-753-Firmware-Version-4-6-3-7-Released/m-p/213652...

Good Luck. 

[Zooropean83]

Many thanks for your help, @FURRYe38.

The link about using debug mode in Edge did indeed work - thank you for sharing it.

Downgrading the FW solved the issue but of course within an hour the router auto-updated the FW again. However support now tell me they have "elevated" the problem to a "higher tier". I imagine this means they will suggest I download the beta FW you have just mentioned.

Thanks again for your help.

[FURRYe38]

You'll need this after you downgrade to v3:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-AX/RBK750-Series-Firmware-Update-v4-6-3-7/m-p/2131307/highligh...

IF you wanna try it.

Or wait for support to send you the beta...

[Foden]

Hi, 

If you block 'devcom.up.netgear.com' and 'http.fw.updates1.netgear.com' - yes it really does need the 'http.' to be included - then the automatic firmware update will fail with "Service unavailable"

What was the trick to downgrade from v4 to v3 firmware? (found it)

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@Zooropean83 wrote:

Many thanks for your help, @FURRYe38.

The link about using debug mode in Edge did indeed work - thank you for sharing it.

Downgrading the FW solved the issue but of course within an hour the router auto-updated the FW again. However support now tell me they have "elevated" the problem to a "higher tier". I imagine this means they will suggest I download the beta FW you have just mentioned.

Thanks again for your help.

---

[Foden]

Figured it out the hard way and then found the easy way - follow this https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/RBK750-Series-Firmware-Update-v4-6-3... (Post 77 and/or 78)

Am now on V3.2.18.1_1.4.14 on the router, going to downgrade the satellite now

Absolutley ridiculous process to go throught to try and get your router working the way its supposed to out of the box!

BTW NG the Traffic Meter seems to have been an issue with all your router series for about the last 10 years!

[FURRYe38]

Be sure you block FW upates using a upstream router or the system will auto update back to v4.

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@Foden wrote:

Figured it out the hard way and then found the easy way - follow this https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-WiFi-6-AX-and-WiFi-6E-AXE/RBK750-Series-Firmware-Update-v4-6-3... (Post 77 and/or 78)

Am now on V3.2.18.1_1.4.14 on the router, going to downgrade the satellite now

Absolutley ridiculous process to go throught to try and get your router working the way its supposed to out of the box!

BTW NG the Traffic Meter seems to have been an issue with all your router series for about the last 10 years!

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[CrimpOn]

If you do not have an upstream router to block the Netgear sites, you can always try the OpenVPN method:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Disabling-Auto-Update-Force-Update-firmware-version-2-7-3-22-f... 

Post #10.  Sign up for a free account.

[Foden]

Yep, I have done, I use pihole and have blocked 'devcom.up.netgear.com' and 'http.fw.updates1.netgear.com'

What a sh#tshow that was to downgrade - so far the Orbi is my worst Netgear purcahse todate, and sadly I've made a lot over the years

[Foden]

Cheers - my pihole took care of it

Now I'm on the older firmware either the range or Wi-Fi speed is less as I'm having issue with my furthest camera that was 100% before

[FURRYe38]

Only thing is, there is no telnet on Orbi AX systems. Unless you go way back in FW. Way back. 

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@CrimpOn wrote:

If you do not have an upstream router to block the Netgear sites, you can always try the OpenVPN method:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Disabling-Auto-Update-Force-Update-firmware-version-2-7-3-22-f... 

Post #10.  Sign up for a free account.

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[Foden]

I'd definately recommend everyone takes a look at pihole https://pi-hole.net/

pihole's not just good for blocking firmware updates but ad blocking,m metric/telemetry blocking and nixing lots of naferious sites too. Very easy to setup and runs great out of the box, main role is a DNS server but you can also set it as a DHCP server too. DHCP is useful as you can then see which device(s) are making DNS requests, and to where. I discoverd one of my IP cameras was going craxy and pinging goole over 60,000 time in less than 5 mins!

I've had one for years and would'nt go back to being without it

More expensive than OpenVPN solution as you need a Rasberry pi, which aren't free. However, you could spin up a VM uisng VMWare (not free) or Oracle's Virtual Box (free and awesome). I've used both but prefer using a basic pi 3b+

If anyone gives it a go and gets stuck I'd be happy to help out

[Foden]

OMG, having struggled almost a full day to downgrade my RBR750 and RBS750 from current 4.x to v3.2.18.1_1.4.14 firmware in the vain hope that the Wi-Fi won't drop using Whatsapp voice calls. Only had chance to test it today and the $%&%@ Wi-Fi still $#%*!& drops constanly

What firmware are people running where the GD Wi-Fi doesn't drop when using Whatsapp?