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How can I disable Netgear analytics on Orbi RBR50?
For my Orbi RBR50 system, FW v2.3.1.44, I am trying to disable the Netgear Analytics functionality, but cannot find the opt-out controls. The instructions at https://kb.netgear.com/000038661/ow-do-I-Enable-Disable-Router-Analytics-Data-Collection refer me to ADVANCED > Administration > Router Update, which does not exist. I see ADVANCED > Adminsitration > Firmware Update, but there are no analytics controls here (or anywhere else I can find in the GUI).
I can see the router phoning home to netgear.com in my Pi-hole DNS logs (which I have blacklisted), but I would prefer to disable the functionality at the source so I do not need to blacklist the entire Netgear site. I'd appreciate any help or advice. Thanks!
Re: How can I disable Netgear analytics on Orbi RBR50?
Hi All,
I have checked this with the team, the router analytics data collection on Orbi is enabled and no option to turn it off. This router capability will allow us to get certain technical data that will surely help us improve our products. The collected data are secured and confidential. Please check this KB link: https://kb.netgear.com/000038665/What-is-router-analytics-data-collection-for-my-NETGEAR-router
For my Orbi RBR50 system, FW v2.3.1.44, I am trying to disable the Netgear Analytics functionality, but cannot find the opt-out controls.
I agree with @FURRYe38 that Orbi is not connecting to Netgear for the purpose of Netgear Analytics. On my Netgear Nighthawk R7000 router, the instructions you found are correct and lead to a web page that offers Netgear Analytics Enable/Disable and for and for Auto Firmware Update Enable/Disable. People on this forum have been frustrated (since the beginning?) that Orbi does not offer an option to disable automatic firmware updates. Blocking access to the Netgear site is the only certain method to prevent firmware updates on Orbi.
Re: How can I disable Netgear analytics on Orbi RBR50?
Thanks for your responses. I'm not personally super concerned about FW auto-updates, but rather analytics data collection. I do know that that Nighthawk has been explicitly confirmed to perform data collection (https://kb.netgear.com/000038665/What-is-router-analytics-data-collection-for-my-NETGEAR-router), but is there any confirmation that the Orbi does *not*? The link in my original post seems to imply that the Orbi also performs these analytics....
Thanks for your responses. I'm not personally super concerned about FW auto-updates, but rather analytics data collection. I do know that that Nighthawk has been explicitly confirmed to perform data collection (https://kb.netgear.com/000038665/What-is-router-analytics-data-collection-for-my-NETGEAR-router), but is there any confirmation that the Orbi does *not*? The link in my original post seems to imply that the Orbi also performs these analytics....
Looking at the Netgear page again, there is a note on the side sayiing "This article applies to" which lists the Orbi RBR models. Very strange.
I dumped the Orbi parameters which have "netgear.com" in them and used nslookup to find the associated IP addresses:
It's pretty obvious what some of these IP's are for (network time, updates, etc.) I do not see one that screams out "Analytics", but then I also am not certain what the others mean exactly.
This discussion sort of screams out for a "Netgear Person".
Re: How can I disable Netgear analytics on Orbi RBR50?
Hi All,
I have checked this with the team, the router analytics data collection on Orbi is enabled and no option to turn it off. This router capability will allow us to get certain technical data that will surely help us improve our products. The collected data are secured and confidential. Please check this KB link: https://kb.netgear.com/000038665/What-is-router-analytics-data-collection-for-my-NETGEAR-router
Re: How can I disable Netgear analytics on Orbi RBR50?
Thanks for checking. I hope you were able to impress upon "the team" (1) somebody should update Netgear's web site to indicate that Nighthawk and Orbi routers collect anlytics, and (2) it does not seem reasonable that Nighthawk users have the option to disable data collection but Orbi users do not. It is one checkbox on a menu. How hard can that be?
Re: How can I disable Netgear analytics on Orbi RBR50?
Thanks, this technically answers my question, but the obvious next step is a feature request to disable the analytics collection in the same way as has already been implemented on the Nighthawk. Is there a formal process to do so?
Thanks, this technically answers my question, but the obvious next step is a feature request to disable the analytics collection in the same way as has already been implemented on the Nighthawk. Is there a formal process to do so?
In my (limited) experience, even the most trivial requests are usually ignored. It is not clear (to me) that Netgear engineers pay any attention to it (at least the Orbi section). My personal opinion is that Orbi is based on OpenWRT which is different from the software base for the Nighthawk line, and this makes implementing changes more challenging.
