Re: Change DNS Settings on Orbi

Shahab · ‎2020-03-24

Hi,

How do you change the DNS Servers on the Netgear Router administration page?

I have an Orbi RBR40 router with 2 RBR30 Satellites and have been experiencing intermittent internet connectivity issues for the past several days. I narrowed down the issue to DNS not responding/working when on WiFi or connected via ethernet to the router. DNS works just fine when I'm connected via ethernet to my cable modem. The problem is intermittent and can sometimes be resolved by restarting the router. I have updated the firmware to the latest version:

	Model Name	Device Name	Current Version
Router	RBR40	RBR40	V2.3.5.34
Satellite	RBW30	Orbi Satellite-1	V2.3.5.6
Satellite	RBW30	Orbi Satellite-2	V2.3.5.

However I still have the issue. As a workaround, I can connect by changing the DNS servers on my laptop to Google's DNS servers. I am however unable to change the DNS settings via the administration page, I'm unable to select the radio button "Use these DNS Servers". I can change the settings for Dynamic vs Static IP and MAC address but not for DNS servers. Has anyone else experienced this issue?

Shahab

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-03-24

What is the Mfr and model# of the ISP modem the NG router is connected too?

Under Advanced tab/Setup/Internet Setup.

CrimpOn · ‎2020-03-24

@Shahab wrote:
I am however unable to change the DNS settings via the administration page, I'm unable to select the radio button "Use these DNS Servers". I can change the settings for Dynamic vs Static IP and MAC address but not for DNS servers. Has anyone else experienced this issue?

Is Disney Circle activated on this Orbi router?

Shahab · ‎2020-03-24

I have an Arris TM1602A from Charter

Shahab · ‎2020-03-24

It was, I just disabled It

CrimpOn · ‎2020-03-24

did you try again after disabling Circle?

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-03-25

Let us know if disabling Circle enabled you to change DNS settings as @CrimpOn suggested. If it did, please mark your thread as solved so others will know.

@Shahab wrote:
It was, I just disabled It

Shahab · ‎2020-03-25

So I made 2 changes yesterday:

1) I had contacted Netgear support and they wanted me to update the firmware on the satellites but I was unable to do so because the firmware file provided on Netgear's downloads site was in .chk format which the administration didn't recognize. So Netgear sent me a replacement Orbi satellite, which I installed yesterday. I was able to update to the latest firmware by renaming the .chk file to .img

2) I disabled circle

After both these changes yesterday evening and this morning internet connectivity was working fine. A little while ago it stopped working again, so it seems neither change helped to fix the issue.

Playing around with the settings, I found out that you can only change the DNS servers if you choose Static IP address. If you choose, Dynamic IP address provided by your ISP, then you can't change the DNS settings. I can workaround this on the laptops, pcs and phones by setting DNS manually but can't do that for Smart TV or Blu-Ray player.

At this point, don't know what the issue is.

Shahab

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-03-25

What browser are you using?

Try a factory reset on the RBR while it's disconnected from the ISP modem. Manually setup the RBR with a wired PC and try IE11 or FireFox and go in and try to change the DNS values. They should be editiable...

CrimpOn · ‎2020-03-25

@Shahab wrote:
Playing around with the settings, I found out that you can only change the DNS servers if you choose Static IP address. If you choose, Dynamic IP address provided by your ISP, then you can't change the DNS settings. I can workaround this on the laptops, pcs and phones by setting DNS manually but can't do that for Smart TV or Blu-Ray player.

This appears (to me) to be an indication of "something that doesn't make sense". My Orbi has never had Disney Circle activated, and I'm certainly not going to activate it for troubleshooting. On my Orbi, I get my IP address with DHCP and I can set any DNS servers I want. So, some Orbi's grey out the DNS section and some do not. I, personally, think it has something to do with Disney Circle. I would be tempted to do a "Factory Reset" and never activate Circle to see if Circle "left behind" some code. (See screen shot attached).

Shahab · ‎2020-03-25

I have been using Firefox. Netgear is replacing the router as well, supposed to arrive today, so will be setting up a new device. Will see if that helps. It's almost as if there is some scheduled task running that causes the disruption mid-morning, but don't know what it would be especially since I have disabled Circle.

Shahab

CrimpOn · ‎2020-03-25

Good Luck. I use Firefox (primarily) to administer my Orbi. When I'm looking at "strange things", I often try all four of my browsers to see if they behave differently (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera).

I understand that Disney Circle is attractive to parents. However, when setting up this new Orbi, I would (politely) opt out of both Armor and Circle during the initial setup. You can always go back in the future and activate them later if you want to.

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-03-25

Try the reset with the RBR not connected to the ISP modem and be sure to not enable Circle or Armor. You should be able to edit the DNS values.

SW_ · ‎2020-03-25

@Shahab wrote:
...
However I still have the issue. As a workaround, I can connect by changing the DNS servers on my laptop to Google's DNS servers. I am however unable to change the DNS settings via the administration page, I'm unable to select the radio button "Use these DNS Servers". I can change the settings for Dynamic vs Static IP and MAC address but not for DNS servers. Has anyone else experienced this issue?

This problem might not be the ISP DNS servers. You can verify this by configuring your labtop to point to the SAME ISP DNS servers instead of Google DNS servers. If the laptop works, the problem is the DNS bug in Orbi FW.

SW_ · ‎2020-03-25

@Shahab wrote:
...Has anyone else experienced this issue?

Yes. A possible workaround that might work for you.

Shahab · ‎2020-03-25

To isolate the issue, I did try that in the initial troubleshooting. I kept the default TCP/IP settings on my laptop and tried to ping www.google.com, it wouldn't work, got request timed out, however I could successfully ping 8.8.8.8. I then tried again with the laptop connected via ethernet to the Orbi router and still had the same issue. Next, I tried with the laptop connected via ethernet directly to the cable modem and I was able to successfully browse the internet, ping by DNS name and IP address. Interestingly enough, my first clue to the problem came from my son's Nintendo Switch. It actually displayed a DNS connection error message on the screen. Occaisionally pc would display DNS server not responding when running Windows troubleshooter.

Shahab · ‎2020-03-25

thank you for the link to the post, that's pretty much the same issue I'm having, didn't go into the in depth troubleshooting like the other users. Will try it out if I run into issues with the replacement router.

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-03-25

Also as another test, connect a wired PC directly to the ISP modem. Do you get internet access here.

@Shahab wrote:
thank you for the link to the post, that's pretty much the same issue I'm having, didn't go into the in depth troubleshooting like the other users. Will try it out if I run into issues with the replacement router.

Shahab · ‎2020-03-25

So I just got the replacement router they sent me. The replacement router is an Orbi Mini Router RBR40, my original one was an Orbi Router RBR40. Is there a difference between these two? I wasn't able to find anything searching online. Also why doesn't RBR40 show up in the Model search above? If you type in RBR, you get RBR20 and 50

CrimpOn · ‎2020-03-25

The forum drop down menu is (synonym for embarrassing, disgrace, inadequate). Click on the Support link at the top of the page for a REAL list of products.

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-03-26

Is the new replacement system working?

@Shahab wrote:
So I just got the replacement router they sent me. The replacement router is an Orbi Mini Router RBR40, my original one was an Orbi Router RBR40. Is there a difference between these two? I wasn't able to find anything searching online. Also why doesn't RBR40 show up in the Model search above? If you type in RBR, you get RBR20 and 50

Shahab · ‎2020-03-26

Router is working so far, I haven't been able to get the Satellites to connect to it yet, despite several attempts. I'll be monitoring through the day to see if the connection stays up.

Shahab · ‎2020-04-01

So I'm starting to have the same issues again with the new router. I made sure not to enable Circle when I got the new router, so not sure why it's acting up again. Will open a new support case with Netgear.

Shahab

FURRYe38 · ‎2020-04-01

Try a full power OFF of the ISP modem and RBR for 1 minute then back on if you see anything happen again.

It it still happens try downgrading FW to v30 to see if this corrects the problem.

Make contact with NG support as well.

Last thing you can try is voxels FW:

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Orbi/Voxels-FW-available-for-50-series-Orbi-only-available/m-p/1883...

@Shahab wrote:
So I'm starting to have the same issues again with the new router. I made sure not to enable Circle when I got the new router, so not sure why it's acting up again. Will open a new support case with Netgear.

Shahab

Shahab · ‎2020-04-02

As issues are still happening, opened case # 42518133 with Netgear support on Tuesday via the website. Initial email response was standard basic troubleshooting steps which I had already done, so just called them again and got 1st level support again. They had me update router firmware again to the same version it was on and then do a factory reset of the router. Now, I have to wait and call them back if I have issues!!! Ridiculous support, I explained to the tech that other people with different router models were having the same issue ... didn't help, per policy, they have to go through these steps before they can escalate to Level 2.

Shahab