Re: RBR50 Problems

Breakaway9 · ‎2021-03-28

After experiencing significant problems with my RBR10 in one location, and my RBR50 285 miles away and posting in this community on 3/22/2021 with no solutions provided by Netgear or the community, I paid $140 for a subscription to Gearhead so that I could talk to someone at Netgear. I then spoke to Rakhee at Netgear (Gearhead) and spent 1 hour and 19 minutes on the phone. She told me that this is a known issue with the recent firmware update pushed out to RBR50's but nothing in their records on the RBR10 despite the symptoms being identical. She said that their engineers are working on the problem with RBR50's but, in the meantime, she agreed to walk me through a firmware downgrade. She also helped me with the RBR10 but, without any warning, and long after the call was over, I learned that I was going to have to reset all 20 devices connected to it. UGH. WHY DIDNT NETGEAR PROVIDE CLEAR AND CONCISE NOTICES ON THEIR WEB SITE AND IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT THEY HAVE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE RECENT RBR50 FIRMWARE UPGRADE? I SEE SO MANY FRUSTRATED CUSTOMERS ON THIS SITE, MOST WITH NO REPLIES OR SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS.

vajim · ‎2021-03-28

@Breakaway9 wrote:
After experiencing significant problems with my RBR10 in one location, and my RBR50 285 miles away and posting in this community on 3/22/2021 with no solutions provided by Netgear or the community, I paid $140 for a subscription to Gearhead so that I could talk to someone at Netgear. I then spoke to Rakhee at Netgear (Gearhead) and spent 1 hour and 19 minutes on the phone. She told me that this is a known issue with the recent firmware update pushed out to RBR50's but nothing in their records on the RBR10 despite the symptoms being identical. She said that their engineers are working on the problem with RBR50's but, in the meantime, she agreed to walk me through a firmware downgrade. She also helped me with the RBR10 but, without any warning, and long after the call was over, I learned that I was going to have to reset all 20 devices connected to it. UGH. WHY DIDNT NETGEAR PROVIDE CLEAR AND CONCISE NOTICES ON THEIR WEB SITE AND IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT THEY HAVE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE RECENT RBR50 FIRMWARE UPGRADE? I SEE SO MANY FRUSTRATED CUSTOMERS ON THIS SITE, MOST WITH NO REPLIES OR SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS.

I doubt the firmware was 'pushed out'. Users most likely had to click something.

Wire1852 · ‎2021-03-28

To Breakaway9

Which firmware version did she walk you back to?

vajim · ‎2021-03-28

@Wire1852 wrote:
Which firmware version did she walk you back to?

me?

CrimpOn · ‎2021-03-28

Not a great endorsement for Gearhead. (sigh)

The router issues have been described extensively in the forum since about two days after Daylight Saving Time kicked in and the solution (disable Traffic Meter) has been posted numerous times. I agree entirely that Netgear should have been proactive and posted a "sticky" at the top of the Orbi forum announcing the problem and solution.

Manually changing firmware is one option for addressing the problem, but certainly not the easiest. And, it is certainly strange that the instructions did not mention setting the Orbi to the same SSID/password, which avoids having to reconfigure any devices. Once the problem (devices not connecting) was detected, the appropriate step is to change the SSID/[password, not reconfigure all the devices.

I have been considering a Gearhead subscription for a nagging issue. This report does not encouage me to do so.

I love my Orbi.

Breakaway9 · ‎2021-03-28

Thank you. I am new to this and do not know how to search for solutions. I search for RBR50 problems and I get stuff that has nothing to do with this so I give up.

Breakaway9 · ‎2021-03-28

V2.5.2.4 and now I can't use the Orbi app unless I disconnect from my WiFi and use Anywhere Access. I had to figure that one out on my own. She told me simply that I would no longer be able to use the app until they fix this problem.

Wire1852 · ‎2021-03-28

So Netgear had you install an old firmware version released in September of last year and none of the 5 versions that has been release over the last 6 months.

That stongly implies that Netgear staff considers v2.5.2.4 to be it's latest & stable Orbi firmware version, Also notice it was 6 months between the release of v2.5.2.4 & previous version v2.5.1.16 but in 6 months since v2.5.2.4 was released there has been 5 new versions released.

Netgear has a quality control issue in it's Orbi software development & it's getting worse.

@Breakaway9 wrote:
V2.5.2.4 and now I can't use the Orbi app unless I disconnect from my WiFi and use Anywhere Access. I had to figure that one out on my own. She told me simply that I would no longer be able to use the app until they fix this problem.

vajim · ‎2021-03-28

@Wire1852 wrote:

That stongly implies that Netgear staff considers v2.5.2.4 to be it's latest & safest Orbi firmware version,

...maybe not safest (debatable) but at least the most stable

Wire1852 · ‎2021-03-28

@vajim wrote:

...maybe not safest (debatable) but at least the most stable

Good Point. Stable is a better word & I have corrected in my post.

Breakaway9 · ‎2021-03-31

How do you know the release dates of each firmware version for the RBR50? Also, a question that the Gearhead folks are not answering is how do I know when their engineers have fixed the problem and released a new firmware version? Right now their web site is inviting me to update my firmware but the version it wants me to download is the one with the problem. I am absolutely not a tech-savvy customer. How do their normal every-day non-tech customers deal with this?

vajim · ‎2021-03-31

@Breakaway9 wrote:
How do you know the release dates of each firmware version for the RBR50? Also, a question that the Gearhead folks are not answering is how do I know when their engineers have fixed the problem and released a new firmware version? Right now their web site is inviting me to update my firmware but the version it wants me to download is the one with the problem. I am absolutely not a tech-savvy customer. How do their normal every-day non-tech customers deal with this?

go to the download section and enter your model number

as far as the 'right' firmware to apply is a crap-shoot. They're suppose to change the version number, what's to say that the next version will hae new or the same problems?

Wire1852 · ‎2021-03-31

The release notes of each firmware version has a last update which I have assumed to be release date of the firmware.

@Breakaway9 wrote:
How do you know the release dates of each firmware version for the RBR50?