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Forum Discussion
New - RBR850 / RBS850 Firmware Version 4.6.8.5 Released
Security Fixes:
Fixes security vulnerabilities.
For more information about security vulnerabilities, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/security.
Bug Fixes:
Fixes Armor activation ...
I have used the RBK53 for several years with one router and three satellites and never had an issue with the Nest thermostats.
I upgraded to the 853 and both Nests disconnected and ran down power several times a day from day one of the install. I kept testing for days. Charge them back up and see if they lasted longer. They never did. Both would drain and disconnect. Then I seen a post about the work around of doing the guest network. I believe you commented on it a year or so ago. I added a guest, connected all the Nest Thermostats to it and never had an issue. I just upgraded to the 4.6.8.5 hoping that was the fix. As a test, I only moved one thermostat back to the Primary and it ran the power down over night and disconnected.
With the 853, I have one router and two satellites. The router and the Nest that disconnected after this upgrade are on my second floor and about 15 feet apart with 1 sheet rock wall between them (not brick, concrete, stone, etc). The two satellites are on the first floor over 100 feet away, through the floor and several sheet rock walls.
I only seen the thermostat connect to the router. Why would it jump on the primary SSID and not on the guest? I don't see an option for fast switching like I did on the RBK53 which I did have enabled for years.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't like having a second network.
Thanks in advance.
Timtech wrote:
I have used the RBK53 for several years with one router and three satellites and never had an issue with the Nest thermostats.
I upgraded to the 853 and both Nests disconnected and ran down power several times a day from day one of the install. I kept testing for days. Charge them back up and see if they lasted longer. They never did. Both would drain and disconnect. Then I seen a post about the work around of doing the guest network. I believe you commented on it a year or so ago. I added a guest, connected all the Nest Thermostats to it and never had an issue. I just upgraded to the 4.6.8.5 hoping that was the fix. As a test, I only moved one thermostat back to the Primary and it ran the power down over night and disconnected.
I find this situation confusing. Nest thermostats are powered by the heating/cooling system. The two AAA rechargeable lithium ion batteries maintain settings when the heating/cooling system does not provide power, such as during repair work or when there is an electrical outage. Nest thermostats do not require an internet connection to function as an ordinary thermostat. (Of course, people install the Nest because of the ability to control it through an app.)
From the countless posts describing weirdness involving the 750 and 850 products, it is clear that these products have "Bad Mojo". But I struggle to see how which WiFi SSID a thermostat connects to can have anything to do with the battery draining.
The issue is is that some nests are not connected to the main air conditioning system with a power wired. They can be ran without this power wired. However since Orbi AX appeared, seems that with AX, RBS and distances, for some reason causes the NESTs to not lock on or disconnect from a signal and they begin to ping pong back and forth trying to find what I presume is the best signal for them, having the RBR and multiple RBS deployed and having multiple wifi signals, seems like the NEST can't decided what to lock on to and get stuck ping ponging around and this causes there internal batteries to drain then they disconnect or stop functioning with WiFi. The power wired if there system supports it and it's in place where the NEST is installed would avoid the batter drain.
CrimpOn wrote:
From the countless posts describing weirdness involving the 750 and 850 products, it is clear that these products have "Bad Mojo". But I struggle to see how which WiFi SSID a thermostat connects to can have anything to do with the battery draining.
Mine doesn’t have the C wire. I know there is an add on you can buy but it’s been running great for years in the rbk53
Wow. Thanks for the information. When there is no electrical power, how long do the batteries typically last? (and, how long to recharge them?)
This sounds like another occasion to use a WiFi extender to create a unique 2.4G SSID. With only one access point using that SSID, there is nothing to "ping pong" to. Nest thermostats use so little data that having 5G capability is basically pointless.
I understand the argument, "Why should the customer have to compensate for what seems so clearly to be a firmware issue?" Personally, I would rather spend $30 and have the problem go away than recharge thermostats three times a day. Those C-wire adapters are $25 each, so one EX3700 is half the cost for three thermostats. (But the C-wire adapters are more of a 'permanent solution'.)
Technically speaking its not the power its the common wire and allows for continuous current flow for the thermostat to charge.
Nest thermostats can power steal by rapidly closing the Rc to Y or Rh to W depending on your system configuration. Power stealing sometimes work sometimes doesn't and one day it may just stop working.
If you do not have common wire connected to your Nest chances are you will have issues charging, especially if the system does not run a lot and it can not draw the charging current through the contact closure. It seems that the 'power stealing' doesn't provide enough current to charge it if its idle for long periods. I have had my go rounds with this as well. I had a NEST E thermostat work for about two years without a C wire and one day it decided that it couldn't charge anymore without a common. Until I could connect a common I connected a 5 watt 220 ohm resistor between the C and W1 terminals but I used an extra set of contacts on my heater controller to pull the resistor out of circuit when the heat ran because even with a 5 watt resistor I dint' like how warm it was getting. If you call Nest support the first thing they will recommend is to run a common wire.
This problem with power stealing is not isolated to Nest devices.
I'm running V4.6.8.2_2.1.9 which has been pretty stable for a while now.
App nor searching on the webbased sees any FW updates, is that normal?
(It says no new firmware available)
/Eriksen76
