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Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Jhgroenjes
Guide

RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Was working away at home as I normally do when I lost all Internet. Looked over at my RBR 50 router and noticed it was slowly blinking white. No matter what I did I could not get the Wi-Fi to see the Internet even though the modem had been rebooted several times and was fine. I finally decided to give in and reset the Orby router, but holding in the reset button does absolutely nothing. I just keep getting a slow white light blinking on the top. How do I fix?
Model: RBR50|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi Router
Message 1 of 19
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Has a power off for 1 minute then back ON with the ISP modem and Orbi system been performed?

What is the Mfr and model# of the Internet Service Providers modem/ONT the NG router is connected too?

 

https://kb.netgear.com/31030/What-do-the-LEDs-on-my-Orbi-mean

Message 2 of 19
Jhgroenjes
Guide

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Yes.  Powered it off for several mins sevearl times.  Powered on with the modem connected and modem not connected.  Tried hodling reset button in with paper clip Before power on, During power on POST and again after fully booted.  Same results every time - just blinking white light at the top. I can Not get the RBR50 to ever actualy reset.   b.t.w. I do see with every power-on, the LED right by the power button on the back does briefly turn Red then Green.  I assume this is an indication of its POST process.

 

Normally, when it was working, this was fed by a Motorola MB8600 cable modem, but that information is irrelevant at the moment.  

 

While doning all steps mentioned above, i"m contiueally watching teh SSIDs pop in on my iphone to see if I see the ORBI73 SSID show up.  it never does.   scanning the QR code on the front of the RBR50 to join that wifi never works.

 

Lastly - I did notice that "something" must have reset, becasue now the SSID tat WAS my home wifi network name no longer gets broadcast either.  It's like the Orbi can't read its own factory firmware data to reset itself completely.   the white light starts blnking the moment you power it up.

 

 

Message 3 of 19
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

After pressing the reset button for 15 seconds then release, wire connect 1 wired PC to the RBR. Can you access the RBRs web page at 192.168.1.1? With out the RBR connected to the modem.

Message 4 of 19
Jhgroenjes
Guide

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

good thought.  I tried that already.  I did it again since you asked about it and I recorded a video this time so you could see first-hand.

 

Short answer is, it doesn't work.

 

If you watch the video, you'll have all you need to help me with next steps as you see them in the video.  I did a 20 sec hold of the reset button just before starting this video.  didn't have enough hands.

 

https://youtu.be/fwP6kO6Mjek 

 

Message 5 of 19
Jhgroenjes
Guide

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Just upgarded FW manually on both my sattilite and the router about 2 weeks abo to the then-latest.  Since I can't get into it right now, I don't know the exact version number.      I was NOT doing a FW upgrade when this condition happened.  it litterally just started blinking white right in the middle of a normal day of working from home.    You're right though that a google of "bliking white light RBR50" does indicate that that condituion is usually while it's doing a FW upgrade.    THis is why I think the RBR50 has a hardware problem and lost it's cookies.

 

see video for more evidence.  any help from experts here is greatly appriciated. I spent a lot of money on this and Netgear doesn't make crap.  There has to be a fix, right?     

 

https://youtu.be/fwP6kO6Mjek 

 

 

Message 6 of 19
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

You need to disable the wifi and other connections in Mac Networking preferences, leaving only the ethernet connection enabled to make sure the Mac isn't trying to connect out thru the other connections. 

 

The Orbi default SSID will not appear in the network connection list. To see the SSID, you need to select the wifi icon on the top tool bar to list the scan of available SSIDs. It would be listed there. 

 


@Jhgroenjes wrote:

good thought.  I tried that already.  I did it again since you asked about it and I recorded a video this time so you could see first-hand.

 

Short answer is, it doesn't work.

 

If you watch the video, you'll have all you need to help me with next steps as you see them in the video.  I did a 20 sec hold of the reset button just before starting this video.  didn't have enough hands.

 

https://youtu.be/fwP6kO6Mjek 

 


 

Message 7 of 19
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

If he can't get access to the RBRs web page then reverting would be a problem. 

Message 8 of 19
Jhgroenjes
Guide

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Thanks for the comments, fellas, but so far, I'm begining to think Netgear does make crap.  and the RBR50 is a prime example.

 

To the posts above, I'm aware of how networking works on the interfaces of the macbook and I'm certain that was taken into account in the testing in the video.  So too was looking the list of available wifi SSID's (which just didn't make it on camera as I spoke to it in the video).  I know how to do those things.  They were not in error.

 

Who from Netgear monitors this forum?  What do I do to access this $500 brick right now?  Why would it jump to flashing white light on top all on its own?    You can't blame it on old Firmware, as I just upgraded to the latest available 2-3 weeks ago - both on the Sattelite and the router and all was working just fine since then.    Netgear - this is on you.  What say you to this customer who's still on the fecne about ever buying your products again?   I can't continue to through $500 away on your quality.

 

Next steps?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Message 9 of 19
Jhgroenjes
Guide

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Updating new finding.    Get this.  After Many Many attemtps at trying to do a reset and gain access to this device, I was twice now successful in seeing an ORBIxx SSID broadcast after a reset - but ONLY after holding the reset button down before powering on, watching the Power LED go red, then green then release the button.   I've done that many times but once I saw... get this, "ORBI86" in the avaialble wifi networks.    Do you see the issue?  Remember the video above, the sticker that came wrapped around this router said the factory defualt SSID was "ORBI73"!!!   DId the firmware upgrade recently CHANGE the factory-default SSID?   how the hell did that happen?   I don't know the PW for ORBI86.  the one printed on the sticker for ORBI73 didn't work.    Sadly, the SSID doesn't last long.  within 2-3 mintues in running state, the incorect, "ORBI86" SSID dissapears and the router continues to flash white.   Back to square one.

 

Message 10 of 19
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Possible the RBR is faulty or done bad. 

 

You might try this if you can find a Windows PC or find a TFTP program for Mac:

https://kb.netgear.com/000059634/How-to-upload-firmware-to-a-NETGEAR-router-using-Windows-TFTP
Need to press the reset button for 30 seconds then release, then it send to PUT the command and upload the FW. 

 

IF this fails, you'll need to contact NG support to see what your options are about an RMA. 

 

 

 

Message 11 of 19
Jhgroenjes
Guide

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Was going to try. the TFTP option tonight.   Where do i get the Orbi RBR50 firmware file?    Also,  if port 80 (http) was working (see video in above message) then are you sayig port 69 (tftp) will?  I'm skeptical because ICMP isn't working (see video) either.   Maybe before I search for hte firmware I'll try to get the RBR50 back up again with a DHCP-given addres to the mac and port scan it.   I'll keep this thread updated.

Message 12 of 19
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

https://www.netgear.com/support/product/RBK50.aspx#download

 

The instructons should be followed. 


@Jhgroenjes wrote:

Was going to try. the TFTP option tonight.   Where do i get the Orbi RBR50 firmware file?    Also,  if port 80 (http) was working (see video in above message) then are you sayig port 69 (tftp) will?  I'm skeptical because ICMP isn't working (see video) either.   Maybe before I search for hte firmware I'll try to get the RBR50 back up again with a DHCP-given addres to the mac and port scan it.   I'll keep this thread updated.


 

Message 13 of 19
reas32
Aspirant

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

I bought a new device recently and it worked well for two or three months and then it started doing the same that you mentioned here I need help in this case please guide me to solve this issue.

Message 14 of 19
Jhgroenjes
Guide

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

Netgear is uninterested in its customers. They will tell you to buy more of their crappy product. That’s their fix. They would not help me at all, even though it was their fault my device bricked itself after 13 mos of owning it. Take it back if you can return it and move on to another company. This one is no good with product quality or customer care.
Message 15 of 19
cuthagoo
Aspirant

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

This same thing just happened to me and Netgear is beyond useless in helping fix it.  I'm under warranty but they won't do an RMA, I spent $1k on this crap, it worked fine for just under a year and now they refuse to fix it or replace it.  I've gone through all of the same steps you did as well, nothing works.  I have no idea where to go because when this thing worked it was great, but now its a useless brick...

Message 16 of 19
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

It might be worth sending a private message to one of the forum moderators by clicking on their screen name (moderators have a 'capital N' after their screen name where the rest of us have a cute symbol).  Explain the steps you went through to contact Netgear (case number?) and provide the product serial number and date of purchase (did you register it?)

Message 17 of 19
Jhgroenjes
Guide

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

I will never buy netgear product again because of the quality of the orbi (or lack of after their auto-FW updates brick them). I recommend anyone with their products move to another company for your needs. I spent weeks trouble shooting and escalating to call center staff and managers to try and get resolution or even a Discount to buy a replacement, and they flipped me the bird at every attempt. Don’t spend your money on products and poor service like this.
Message 18 of 19
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: RBR50 just started blinking white out of the blue. Won’t reset.

It might be worth sending a private message to one of the forum moderators by clicking on their screen name (moderators have a 'capital N' after their screen name where the rest of us have a cute symbol).  Explain the steps you went through to contact Netgear (case number?) and provide the product serial number and date of purchase (did you register it?)


@Jhgroenjes wrote:
I will never buy netgear product again because of the quality of the orbi (or lack of after their auto-FW updates brick them). I recommend anyone with their products move to another company for your needs. I spent weeks trouble shooting and escalating to call center staff and managers to try and get resolution or even a Discount to buy a replacement, and they flipped me the bird at every attempt. Don’t spend your money on products and poor service like this.

 

Message 19 of 19
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