Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark

GWild
Guide

Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark

Just learned the hard way that it is quite easy to corrupt the Orbi Attached Device functions by renaming a device and including a simple " mark.  Causes the entire functionality of the Attached Device lists in Basic and Advanced to simply go away.

 

While the modem/router still works, most of the functionality that requires knowing what is connected is bricked.

 

Live and learn.

 

 

Message 1 of 9
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark

Please visit and post about this over in the ORBI with Cable modem forum:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-with-Built-in-Cable-Modem/bd-p/en-home-orbi-cable

 

Thank you. 

Message 2 of 9
GWild
Guide

Re: Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark

As I am learning with everything Netgear - selecting an Option - like POST IN FORUM ORBI with CABLE MODEM - doesn't always get you what you want. 

 


@FURRYe38 wrote:

Please visit and post about this over in the ORBI with Cable modem forum:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi-with-Built-in-Cable-Modem/bd-p/en-home-orbi-cable

 

Thank you. 


FYI: I did set this post to show up in the cable modem forum, but here it is, wherever "here" is.  So please, do not blame me for where this showed up. Ask the Netgear admins why the menus are failing.

 

You're welcome.

Message 3 of 9
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark


@GWild wrote:

Just learned the hard way that it is quite easy to corrupt the Orbi Attached Device functions by renaming a device and including a simple " mark.  Causes the entire functionality of the Attached Device lists in Basic and Advanced to simply go away.


This is an interesting assertion that does not match my experience with an Orbi RBR50 router.  I renamed a device to test" (quote mark at the end) and now the device shows as test". I then renamed it to "test" (quote mark before and after), and it shows up as "test".

 

Perhaps the CBR40 Attached Devices function works differently?  Or, there is "something else" affecting the situation. (fun with quotes).

Message 4 of 9
GWild
Guide

Re: Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark


@CrimpOn wrote:


This is an interesting assertion that does not match my experience with an Orbi RBR50 router.  I renamed a device to test" (quote mark at the end) and now the device shows as test". I then renamed it to "test" (quote mark before and after), and it shows up as "test".

 

Perhaps the CBR40 Attached Devices function works differently?  Or, there is "something else" affecting the situation. (fun with quotes).


There are several places where you can rename items ... so I suspect this is dependent of where, and maybe a bit on when the renaming is done. Since I am out of support for the CBR - I won't bother with doing a real defect report, much like the fact trying to interact with support on things in warranty were also never given any legitimate response by Netgear (my personal experience, ymmv). 

 

However: to be more thorough, just in case anyone else has reason to do this, exactly what I was doing contained these steps:

 

1: In Advanced Setup LAN, add a device to the reservation list, changing the name to something useful, adding the IP and MAC as required for a device not currently connected or even using the radio button selection then changing the IP and name only. Press Apply.

 

2: Often the new name is not taken, and remains whatever was there. When that happens click the Advanced-Admin-Attached Devices

 

3: Click the device with the name you are trying to change, edit the Device Model and Device Name to human readable form: android-76825349289478291 is not generally helpful to know, nor is --. So in this specific case the I think I used Sony 65" TV as the device model. For name I entered XBR65X850D. The two field entries may have been reversed, I can't recall.  Then I pressed Apply. 

 

Note: In Netgear's defense, the online help text shown below that screen says YOU CANNOT CHANGE VALUES HERE.  I've included the text below. If editing this info is a problem, then why do they let you change things?  Probably another defect.

 

At this point the Attached Devices list came back blank. Devices were still attached, the router remained working. But exactly what was attached was unknown. I went back to Adv-Setup-LAN and in the reservation list the device name was now XBR65X850D ... when clicking Add the expected attached devices list came up blank. I also tried Basic-Attached devices, also blank. I played some and tried a few "hidden" pages like /DEV_device1.htm and another /Dev_device.htm I stumbled across trying different routes. Note: DEV_device shows the unadulterated list sans user edits of names - just whatever the device reports to the router as its name, and MAC address. I suspect it is a engineering toolbox for discovering more about intrusions.

 

4: Inclusion of a " was the only thing I am aware of that could have caused the corruption.  The entire web interface with regard to attached devices broke down at that point and all my attempts (including reboot) to recover without losing all the settings failed. The router still worked, but without any visibility of attached devices. See attached image.

 

I even went so far and dug out an old android tablet and installed the app. This was the first time I have tried the app: can you say unimpressive broken process?  Unlike the web interface, the android app did show connected devices, but never showed nor could it change the Device Model field.

 

5: A full and hardy power cycle holding down the reset buttton for 30 seconds, then another reset button hold for 30 seconds, and a final power cycle seems to have cleared the router and got me back to basics.

 

Caveat Emptor: I am now setting up the LAN IP Reservations again, but this time saving the config between every item I am changing. A bit more tedious, but will save me hours if I do somethign silly again.

 

 

ps: 

Attached Devices Help

This screen shows the IP address, device name, and MAC (Media Access Control) address for each computer attached to the router.

You cannot change any of the values on this screen. To update this screen and show the list of currently attached devices, click the Refresh button.

To block or allow one or more devices to access your network, click the Access Control link in the top right corner of this screen to go to the Access Control screen and make changes.

 

pps: Regarding the App -- Why? With all the privacy a person needs to give up and extra agreements you need to sign, and the fact it really doesn't give you any useful features? Plus the impression it gives that anyone with that app can - if the find any Orbi router system in the hood - can easily reset it remotely without even having to log in to the network... jeesh.

 

Message 5 of 9
CrimpOn
Guru

Re: Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark


@GWild wrote:

ps: 

Attached Devices Help

This screen shows the IP address, device name, and MAC (Media Access Control) address for each computer attached to the router.

You cannot change any of the values on this screen. To update this screen and show the list of currently attached devices, click the Refresh button.

 


There is definitely a difference between models (or firmware release?).  On my RBR50, neither the Attached Devices nor the LAN Setup screen Help say anything about not being able to change anything.  Copied both Help screens, pasted into a Word doc, and saved as pdf (see attachment).

 

I did an edit on a device on both screens, and both took.  (on a different RBR50) edited a device in both places (Attached Devices & LAN Setup) with a quote mark in the name ("). Both took.

 

It is SO frustrating not to be able to reproduce a problem.  People do not imagine problems.  They are REAL. Sorry.

Message 6 of 9
GWild
Guide

Re: Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark


@CrimpOn wrote:


It is SO frustrating not to be able to reproduce a problem.  People do not imagine problems.  They are REAL. Sorry.


I was a product manager of a software product; before that a hardware/software engineer; before that just a hardware engineer. 

 

As an engineer I've coded commercial products in a few different languages, and as a product manager had to deal with the developement teams split WW, and customers (try managing a BETA site at Intel, Micron, Cisco, or Asus Taiwan - or all at once - lmao). I know the problems that poorly planned and poorly written software can cause. 

 

In this instance, I know the rename is what broke it, I was paying attention, but the many steps before that last one are, well, lost to history. e.g., I can't recall if the TV was connected or not connected at that moment. I do not recall if I had just changed the IP Reservation, or, if I was simply changing several names in the Attached list. I 'think' I was being methodical, one thing at a time: IP then Name. But don't really know. It's been a day (getting old sucks).

 

It is certainly a weird issue - but on the CBR40 there are several obvious defects affecting the naming that something like a punctuation mark could cause a cascade of failures and code exceptions. That's where I am leaning. 

 

I just had to do a full reset again - the RBS20 slave started acting up - managing a full 54Mb/s backhaul through several resets and power cycles. Then it started ignoring the password. It was working well last night, but not so well this morning. Three hardware factory resets, and a full reset of the CBR40, followed by completing the initial setup process - well - it is working again for the time being. Backhaul is providing 550Mb/s again.

 

Here's a funny one: 

 

Speedtest via GbE connected to Slave via backhaul:  550Mb/s

Speedtest via GbE connected to Router:  325Mb/s

Speedtest via internal QoS test within Router: 220Mb/s

 

The internal router speed test is the the slowest: it is repeatable and consistent. A hardwired port at the router is slower than the backhaul. It is almost like the router hardare ports are a tacked-on afterthought. And the CPU isn't fast or doesn't have the resources to generate anything faster than 200Mb... lol.

 

I have to admit, the CBR750 was a step up in speed: if only it was secure. Though, it's naming of attached devices was also a bit flaky - some items could not be changed at all: like my Windows desk top's 10GbE port was always reported as an Apple Macbook. And I couldn't change it.

 

 

 

Message 7 of 9
yarsie33
Aspirant

Re: Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark

Seems the NG help desk most effective had me down load one document. Not positive which one. Main unit or satellite tv for pc? Since all of this has validated to be one source like this, I'll bypass this upgrade and allow the automatic ones arise should I acquire any.

Message 8 of 9
christopher147
Aspirant

Re: Renaming devices - Do not use QUOTATION mark

Yes @yarsie33  I completely agreed with you. All of the resources validate this too. By the way, I will bypass it when I will acquire any new.

Message 9 of 9
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