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Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973
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Auto Update

Mayhugh1
Apprentice

Auto Update

Has anyone with version 44 of the firmware installed had their Orbi auto-update to ver 48? I'm confused about the release notes for ver 44 and some other posts about the clandestine switch that was recently added to the firmware. Mine didn't auto update to 48 from 44 and so I'm wondering if auto update has been disabled by default.

Message 1 of 10

Accepted Solutions
DorkiOrbiFW
Apprentice

Re: Orbi Auto Update

As the orginal name of this post does not contain "Orbi" in it, I am writing to let others surfing the Netgear community that this is an Orbi Mesh System related situation. Please ignore this discussion if you do not have an Orbi system.

*THIS DISCUSSION PERTAINS TO ORBI MESH SYSTEMS*

Best,

View solution in original post

Message 5 of 10

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FURRYe38
Guru
SW_
Prodigy
Prodigy

Re: Auto Update


@Mayhugh1 wrote:

Has anyone with version 44 of the firmware installed had their Orbi auto-update to ver 48? I'm confused about the release notes for ver 44 and some other posts about the clandestine switch that was recently added to the firmware. Mine didn't auto update to 48 from 44 and so I'm wondering if auto update has been disabled by default.


According to @DorkiOrbiFW, firmware auto-update should not happen after 2.3.0.28, see this post.

 

Message 3 of 10
DorkiOrbiFW
Apprentice

Re: Auto Update


@Mayhugh1 wrote:

Has anyone with version 44 of the firmware installed had their Orbi auto-update to ver 48? I'm confused about the release notes for ver 44 and some other posts about the clandestine switch that was recently added to the firmware. Mine didn't auto update to 48 from 44 and so I'm wondering if auto update has been disabled by default.


@Mayhugh1, in version 2.3.0.28, Netgear removed the forced auto-update firmware function. I repeatedly messaged them via Facebook messenger in working with them to implement this feature and inquired when they would have it implemented and they delivered (surprisingly)! Now, firmware versions on the Orbi (2.3.0.28 & current) will now have the Orbi check for updates like all other routers that Netgear manufactures.

Let me break this down for by referring to the discussion I opened up announcing this change would occur: Orbi "Online Update" Feature Now Works Differently (2.3.0.28 & Up)

On another topic, the enable/disable auto-update switch will not appear in any firmware update you have (current version and past firmware versions). That was a discovery found by @SW_ , in which you should not need to go through the trouble and do. In the past it may have been valuable, but as Orbi shall no longer auto-update, again, you should not need to.

To answer your main question in your discussion: NO. My system did not auto-update, which is what is suppose to happen! Smiley Very Happy

Message me if you have any questions. I know the Orbi system inside and out (I am experienced in IT).

Best,

Message 4 of 10
DorkiOrbiFW
Apprentice

Re: Orbi Auto Update

As the orginal name of this post does not contain "Orbi" in it, I am writing to let others surfing the Netgear community that this is an Orbi Mesh System related situation. Please ignore this discussion if you do not have an Orbi system.

*THIS DISCUSSION PERTAINS TO ORBI MESH SYSTEMS*

Best,

Message 5 of 10
SVanDee
Aspirant

Re: Orbi Auto Update

My iMac bogged down around 9:00 a.m. this morning. Having seen this before when the Orbi started an automatic update, I logged into orbilogin.com and went to Advanced -> Administration -> Firmware Update. That page said the current firmware version was V2.3.1.48 and displayed the "A New Firmware Update is Available" banner. However, it must have already been doing something since I wasn't doing anything that would have slowed the iMac. Maybe it was just downloading the new Firmware? At any rate, the iMac REALLY bogged down soon after I went to that page even though I didn't click on anything. Pretty nearly frozen even for local apps that don't access the Internet. After 10 minutes or so I got out my iPad and discovered I could browse the Internet with it so I started the Orbi app and selected Network Map. The details for the RBR and RBS said the firmware was V2.3.1.60 for both, my iMac was connected and all was well. On the iMac, System Preferences -> Network also said it was connected and all was well. But the iMac was still nearly frozen. (It took tens of seconds to bring up the System Preferences app.) Rebooting the iMac restored it to normal operation. However, my wife's iMac and both our iPads came back without rebooting. Maybe my iMac was hung up because that was the machine that was logged into the RBR when the updated started?

 

At that point, I went to this forum to see if anyone was having similar problems and discovered your explanation of the change in how Online Update works. Thanks a bunch. Don't know how I'd ever have figured out how it was supposed to work without you. I'm glad to see Netgear giving some control of updates to users but it looks like they have some more work to do.

Message 6 of 10
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orbi Auto Update

Please post about this here:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Orbi-Firmware-2-3-1-60/td-p/1745518/jump-to/first-unread-messa...

Over all the system will still check for updates and pull down the files needed. However it should not be automatically applied. 

Message 7 of 10
DorkiOrbiFW
Apprentice

Re: Orbi Auto Update


@SVanDee wrote:

My iMac bogged down around 9:00 a.m. this morning. Having seen this before when the Orbi started an automatic update, I logged into orbilogin.com and went to Advanced -> Administration -> Firmware Update. That page said the current firmware version was V2.3.1.48 and displayed the "A New Firmware Update is Available" banner. However, it must have already been doing something since I wasn't doing anything that would have slowed the iMac. Maybe it was just downloading the new Firmware? At any rate, the iMac REALLY bogged down soon after I went to that page even though I didn't click on anything. Pretty nearly frozen even for local apps that don't access the Internet. After 10 minutes or so I got out my iPad and discovered I could browse the Internet with it so I started the Orbi app and selected Network Map. The details for the RBR and RBS said the firmware was V2.3.1.60 for both, my iMac was connected and all was well. On the iMac, System Preferences -> Network also said it was connected and all was well. But the iMac was still nearly frozen. (It took tens of seconds to bring up the System Preferences app.) Rebooting the iMac restored it to normal operation. However, my wife's iMac and both our iPads came back without rebooting. Maybe my iMac was hung up because that was the machine that was logged into the RBR when the updated started?

 

At that point, I went to this forum to see if anyone was having similar problems and discovered your explanation of the change in how Online Update works. Thanks a bunch. Don't know how I'd ever have figured out how it was supposed to work without you. I'm glad to see Netgear giving some control of updates to users but it looks like they have some more work to do.


@SVanDee, I do recall for my system (RBK40), that my router and satellites auto-updated to version 2.3.1.44. It was a massive bug fix update that I know was pushed out to many automatically. The only reason I can think this happened and this does make sense, is because Netgear classified it as a high priority hotifx, in which they tested and believed it would immediately give greater stability to the system. Ever since 2.3.1.44, my Orbi system only flags that there is a new update, but does not auto-Install it (which is what is suppose to happen). When 2.3.1.48 came out, my system notified me when I logged in and when I went to the online update, it began downloading the firmware for my router and satellites and then displayed the new Firmware version in the area for each device where if there were no updates, it would display “No new firmware version available”. This, this is the way updates on the Orbi are suppose to work. I am sure in your case, Netgear deemed that update a hot fix and rolled it out (it just happened in your case it auto updated when you were using it, but it shouldn’t have updated when it detected that you were utilizing the internet, creating traffic). See what happens when the next FW version rolls around and I’m sure you won’t be seeing your system auto-update then, and in the future.  

 

Also, can you tell me the model number of your Orbi router. I’d like to see what FW version Netgear changed the function of updates for your system. Let me me know if you have any questions!

 

Best,

Message 8 of 10
SVanDee
Aspirant

Re: Orbi Auto Update

RBR50 + one RBS50.

 

According to my notes, a similar sort of thing happened on 4/19/19: iMac bogged down, logged into orbilogin.com. Current version was V2.3.1.44. Update Firmware displayed the update is available banner. I didn't know the online update procedure wasn't automatic any more so I didn't know what it was waiting for. Think I did finally click Update All which it did to V2.3.1.48. My notes don't mention any problems with devices coming back online so I guess that update worked as it should. The "Attached devices display didn't update until I clicked Home and then back to Attached Devices". Maybe the Orbi doesn't automatically log back on to the machine that initialed the update?

 

If you have a dialog going with Netgear support, you might suggest it would nice to have a system notification when updates are available so users have some idea why the machine slowed down without having to remember to login to orbilogin.com.

Message 9 of 10
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Orbi Auto Update

The system should be fully operational after each FW update, wheather applied manully or by using the Update UI. If users are noticing problems after the update has completed, users need to first power OFF the system fully for 30 seconds then back on. If after the system settles down and users are still having problems, user will need to factory reset the entire system and setup from scratch. This should help bring the system back to operationally stability. 

Message 10 of 10
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