Is my RBR40 dead?

[OrbiDead]

Is my ORBI RBR40 router dead?  I can't get it to assign me an IP, and I can't access the main menu.  The top of the router is slowly flashing white as if it's looking for a satellite.

I tried resetting.  Power up, get green led, hold reset, get red led, get flashing amber led, then let go reset button, led goes off.  So far it's textbook reset.  However, the led never comes back on.  On my satellite, the led would turn green after a while.  For my main router, it just stays off.  However the top of the router would slowly blink white.

So I tried to reflash the firmware using tftp both using the tftpd application as well as the tftp from W10.  Both process works, the firmware gets uploaded, no errors.  BUT after uploading, the power led immediately turns green but it still doesn't assign me an IP.  I tried several different firmware versions but none work.  I tried resetting after flashing firmware, no difference.  I tried waiting for an hour after flashing firmware, tried restarting, none work.

I also tried the 30-30-30 reset but no effect.

Is there way to telnet and clear the NVRAM?  I'm desperate.  Any suggestions?

Purchased Oct 2018, so no more warranty.

[Mstrbig]

After you reset it, di you go through the initial setup again?

[OrbiDead]

@Mstrbig wrote:

After you reset it, di you go through the initial setup again?

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After reset, nothing happens, I still can't access the menu.  the router dhcp doesn't assign me an ip.  When I enter "ipconfig /all", it doesn't have any default gateway and no assigned IP.  So no initial setup to be done.

[OrbiDead]

Forgot to mention, at no stage would I be able detect the factory reset SSID.  The phone app to setup would fail to login/detect the SSID and fail there.  So I'm diagnosing via a direct LAN cable.  

[Mstrbig]

When using phone is Bluetooth on and can you see the WiFi you need to connect to?

[OrbiDead]

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@Mstrbig wrote:
When using phone is Bluetooth on and can you see the WiFi you need to connect to?

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Bluetooth is on, I can't see the RBR40 WIFI I need to connect to.   

I tested using my (working) RBS20 satellite, I can see and connect to my satellite's Wifi SSID.  I can also connect to the satellite via LAN, and it assigns an IP just fine.  I can even log into the satellite's menu and see that the satellite not connecting to the main router.

[sma2]

RBR40

Sounds very similar to issue I am having with mine.  Let me know if you have any update.  Mine is still under hardware warranty (under 6 months) and I'm sorely disappointed that Netgear is asking me to pay for a tech support to issue an RMA.  I'm going to try the tftp manual firmware approach.

[OrbiDead]

Sorry to hear that.  I gave up, no amount of firmware updates or resets worked.  I sold it for parts cheap as it was out of warranty.  Very disappointed with the (lack of) support.

[Schultzie]

Same here- 2 years in, port died.  Spent 8 hours of tech support, (paid for, waiting to be refunded) to figure that out.  Thanks Netgear, you're crushing it.  Could I have my hundreds of dollars back now?

[OrbiDead]

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@Schultzie wrote:

Same here- 2 years in, port died.  Spent 8 hours of tech support, (paid for, waiting to be refunded) to figure that out.  Thanks Netgear, you're crushing it.  Could I have my hundreds of dollars back now?

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This must be more happening more often I expected.  There is probably an easy fix as it has the hallmarks of software/firmware issue.  Anyway, after this incident, I migrated my and my parents' mesh to a competitor and never looked back.  No more re-syncing after every reboot too, which is a nice bonus.