BUG REPORT: Orbi RBS40V firmware issue still unresolved...

[Route66Scott]

Hello again,

Months ago I reported an issue with a typo in one of the files in both of my RBS40V Satellites. After several rounds of messages with someone here from Netgear, they stopped replying when I asked where to send the Log files they requested.

The fix is so mind numbingly simple that they clearly do not care about the quality of their work (if they aren't farming it out) or the products they sell to their customers. 

The problem is simple. In their firmware there is a file called Public_UPNP_gatedesc.xml, which allows the RBS40V to tell other UPNP devices what its capabilities are. There is a TYPO in Line 2. That's all. A simple additional '>' character at the end of Line 2 that is causing the error logs on all of my UPNP devices to log an error every 4 seconds from both of my RBS40V Satellites.

From my Plex server log:

XML: Entity: line 2:
XML: parser
XML: error :
XML: attributes construct error
XML: Couldn't find end of Start Tag root line 2
SSDP: Error parsing device schema for http://192.168.2.7:80/Public_UPNP_gatedesc.xml
XML: <root xmlns="urn:schemas-upnp-org:device-1-0"<%pnpx_root_desc();%>>

(I added the BOLD for emphasis, to show the error.)


Since reporting this BUG over 6 months ago I have updated to the latest firmware twice, only to find that the problem is now worse, and generating cascading failures stqrting with the same error in the Public_UPNP_gatedesc.xml file, which are causing other devices and software (such as my Plex server) to crash, or fill their storage with thousands of unnecessary error log entries. 

I am not the only person having this issue, whether others are aware of it or not. it is an issue with every RBS40V. I am so frustrated that I am ready to return them both as defective and never buy another netgear product again. Six months and two firmware updates was plenty of time to sort this out. 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, someone point me to anyone at Netgear that will submit a proper bug report for this issue, put me in touch with someone I can explain it to, or who can give me the correct login info to SSH into the RBS40V Satellites to fix it myself. (No, there is no hidden page that I am aware of on the RBS40V, as there is on the RBK50 router, to enable SSH.)

[Mstrbig]

---

@Route66Scott wrote:

Hello again,

Months ago I reported an issue with a typo in one of the files in both of my RBS40V Satellites. After several rounds of messages with someone here from Netgear, they stopped replying when I asked where to send the Log files they requested.

The fix is so mind numbingly simple that they clearly do not care about the quality of their work (if they aren't farming it out) or the products they sell to their customers. 

The problem is simple. In their firmware there is a file called Public_UPNP_gatedesc.xml, which allows the RBS40V to tell other UPNP devices what its capabilities are. There is a TYPO in Line 2. That's all. A simple additional '>' character at the end of Line 2 that is causing the error logs on all of my UPNP devices to log an error every 4 seconds from both of my RBS40V Satellites.

From my Plex server log:

XML: Entity: line 2:
XML: parser
XML: error :
XML: attributes construct error
XML: Couldn't find end of Start Tag root line 2
SSDP: Error parsing device schema for http://192.168.2.7:80/Public_UPNP_gatedesc.xml
XML: <root xmlns="urn:schemas-upnp-org:device-1-0"<%pnpx_root_desc();%>>

(I added the BOLD for emphasis, to show the error.)


Since reporting this BUG over 6 months ago I have updated to the latest firmware twice, only to find that the problem is now worse, and generating cascading failures stqrting with the same error in the Public_UPNP_gatedesc.xml file, which are causing other devices and software (such as my Plex server) to crash, or fill their storage with thousands of unnecessary error log entries. 

I am not the only person having this issue, whether others are aware of it or not. it is an issue with every RBS40V. I am so frustrated that I am ready to return them both as defective and never buy another netgear product again. Six months and two firmware updates was plenty of time to sort this out. 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, someone point me to anyone at Netgear that will submit a proper bug report for this issue, put me in touch with someone I can explain it to, or who can give me the correct login info to SSH into the RBS40V Satellites to fix it myself. (No, there is no hidden page that I am aware of on the RBS40V, as there is on the RBK50 router, to enable SSH.)

---

For the record my PLEX server is running with no issues, and my setup includes an RBS40V.

IMHO the error is caused by something missing: 

Plex server parsing errors are usually caused by corrupted or missing dynamic-link library (DLL) files. Related errors mostly occur when a program mishandles the file during use. The most common problem happens within the Windows registry, where applications look up the location of DLL files they need. And because they are critical files, when a DLL file becomes unavailable, you will see a generated error. 

[hmedney]

This is also happening with an RBR850. Looks like a defect, where Public_UPNP_gatedesc.xml is a template and the expressions aren't being evaluated, e.g.

<serialNumber><%ap_serialNumber();%></serialNumber>

Aside from not providing the PNP info, the document also fails XML validation.

[Mstrbig]

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@hmedney wrote:

This is also happening with an RBR850. Looks like a defect, where Public_UPNP_gatedesc.xml is a template and the expressions aren't being evaluated, e.g.

<serialNumber><%ap_serialNumber();%></serialNumber>

Aside from not providing the PNP info, the document also fails XML validation.

---

Usually a bug, that gets reported, can be duplicated by everyone. I don't see an issue with dozens of 750 and 850 routers I maintain.

[Route66Scott]

A bug does not always manifest in every use case. Are you using any media servers? Have you checked their logs to see if you’re getting errors?

As was previously pointed out (more clearly than my posts), “Aside from not providing the PNP info, the document also fails XML validation.”

This is the root cause. And it is affecting people where their network has at least one device that references the Public_UPNP_gatedesc.xml file.

I had been asked to provide logs, but they allowed my support date to pass without supplying the email address to submit them to. And now no one from netgear will respond.

At this point I’m done with Netgear’s products. Support is important to me. I’ll be selling this setup and replacing it with something else.

Thanks for everyone’s input.