Re: RBR50 DNS Issues

SymonB · ‎2019-09-12

Have the Orbi RBR50 all on the latest firmware. Have reset the entire router and satellite units. DNS keeps locking up. All devices connect to the Orbi fine yet when accessing the internet it locks up completely on DNS. Tried to contact Netgear but finidng their support is a joke. After 90 days no support what so ever unless I paid more money. I have read about setting up another DNS system but why shuld have to use another project for DNS when I have paid several hundred pounds for a product which should do the job. Anyone else had this issue please and if so did they find a solution?

plemans · ‎2019-09-12

If you're using the default dns provider, that is coming from your ISP not netgear. If the dns isn't working properly and you have it set to automatically get dns, its an issue the ISP is causing. You can change your dns provider to a different provider (google, cloudfare, etc.)

googles is 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4

cloudfare is 1.1.1.1

I would try doing something like this to see if it helps.

SymonB · ‎2019-09-12

Hi, THanks for the reply. I should have mentioned in my initial message, I tried turning off automatic DNS and had used Googles DNS servers 8.8.8.8 Still the same problem.

plemans · ‎2019-09-12

so lets break down the problem. You say the dns is locking up. Describe this more.

What exactly is happening? More details are better than less.

How do you know its a dns issue?

What modem are you using?

you put you're using the latest firmware. This changes frequently. Please list what version you're on for people looking at this in the future.

SymonB · ‎2019-09-12

Hi,

The Firmware version is V2.3.5.30.

Pretty much all devices connect to the router/satellites fine hence no wifi dead spots around the house. The problem is once connected wifi or wired, trying to go out onto the internet is virtually impossible because nothing gets resolved via DNS. It takes forever ranging from 3mins - never before the DNS resolves the query.

Example just connected a laptop to the wifi. Says its connected to wifi full strength but then says no internet connection. Open a web browser and keep getting DNS error messages.

This problem also is playing havoc with my Netgear Arlo cameras whereby its draining the batteries as the cameras costantly try to connect to the internet but can't or eventually after quite some time.

The modem is supplied by the ISP as I have Fibre into the house. its a ZTE model no. ZXHN F620 unit.

plemans · ‎2019-09-12

That ZXHN F620 has some integrated routing capabilities within it. You could be running into a double nat situation.

https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT

the zte also has dns provider info within it as well.

You're options are to either setup the ZTE device in passthrough only mode or switch the orbi to AP mode. You could contact your provider and check with them on properly setting the ZTE device to work with your router or try the orbi in ap mode.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-09-12

If you can't bridge the modem, disable ALL wifi radios on the modem, configure the modems DMZ/ExposedHost or IP Pass-Through for the IP address the Orbi router gets from the modem. Then you can use the Orbi router in Router mode.

SymonB · ‎2019-09-12

Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion.

Having sent you the details of the modem, I looked up the unit and realised it can act as a router too. Weird as the ISP fitted the house with this unit and then shipped out a TP-Link router which was aweful hence I brought the Orbi unit. One would hope they have enabled the modem only and not the full router.

I'll contact the ISP and report back once I have heard from them.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-09-12

SymonB · ‎2019-09-12

Hi,

So I managaed to contact the ISP which was a quick process (always good).

The ZTE unit is shipped from the manufacture as a modem (pass though) unit and thus everything else is turned off. This as you know allows the customer to use the supplied TP-link router or their own.

I contacted Netgear directly just now and they got me to switch to manually configure DNS which I had already done but they also got me to turn off default MAC address and use computer MAC address. Not sure what that would do but the call got cut off and now waiting for ring back.

In the meantime I'm flushing out DNS from the laptop/computers but will see with items such as Xbox, Smart TV, Nvidia Shield by powering off and on.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-09-12

Ok. Thanks for letting us know.

plemans · ‎2019-09-12

Not saying this happened but you wouldn't be the first to get an item that wasn't configured as it should be from the factory. I'm referencing the ZTE device. it might be why the TP-Link device didn't function properly as well.

Did they check the settings to assure it was properly configured?

SymonB · ‎2019-09-13

Hi,

So the latest regarding this DNS issue is that I have contacted the ISP and the Fibre line provider. Both are saying that the moden provided with the house is working fine, however something isn't quite right.

The TP-link router which was given to me by the ISP I stopped using because the wifi signal strength was poor, the orbi is 100 time better. The TP link has been off the network for over 7 mths.

Today I connected a brand new Mac laptop to the network. I punched in the IP address of the Orbi router and guess what the TP-Link home page came up, even though the TP-Link unit is in a box in the loft!

To me this suggests that there is another DNS server somehwre on the network.

I've started to chase the ISP to get an engineer onsite to make sure the modem is working properly.

FURRYe38 · ‎2019-09-13

Interesting. So the TPLink is completely off and disconnected from the configuration?

Possible that your browser cache had some old data? Be sure to clear all browser caches.

CrimpOn · ‎2019-09-13

@SymonB wrote:
Hi,

So the latest regarding this DNS issue is that I have contacted the ISP and the Fibre line provider. Both are saying that the moden provided with the house is working fine, however something isn't quite right.

The TP-link router which was given to me by the ISP I stopped using because the wifi signal strength was poor, the orbi is 100 time better. The TP link has been off the network for over 7 mths.

I punched in the IP address of the Orbi router and guess what the TP-Link home page came up, even though the TP-Link unit is in a box in the loft!

To me this suggests that there is another DNS server somehwre on the network.

Definitely strange, but not a "DNS" issue. The Domain Name System translates a URL to an IP address. Starting with an IP address takes DNS out of the picture. Before clearing cache (which I can never remember how to do), I click the "refresh" icon on the web browser.

SymonB · ‎2019-09-16

Hi all,

So having spent several days on this problem I've got further forward with this problem.

I dug out my ISP router and my old ASUS router and connected them up. 100% connectivity works fine i.e. no DNS hangs or error messages from devices saying no internet. The only problem is both units the wifi isn't great hence the purchase of the Orbi system.

I reconnected the Netgear Orbi unit and the two satellite units and lo and behold the DNS issue came came even after a full factory reset.

I've managed to setup PI-hole and use that as a DNS server bypassing the Orbi as a DNS server. Eveything on the network is working flawlessly no more DNS hangs and in fact webpages loads very quickly.

The issue I now face is:

(a) Do I keep the setup as it even though I spend hundreds on the Orbi and using pi-hole for DNS which the Orbi should hve ben doing in the first place or

(b) Dump the Orbi kit and get a full refund as its not performing as it should and use back my ASUS router and get another Wireless mesh system such at the BT system which works with any router.

Having setup PI-hole, I like the system and it handles DNS very well. nice to surf the internet without the endless ads' Example IGN website runs a lot cleaner!!!

The Orbi wifi is one of the best system I've used. I have no dead spots around the house, garden etc and can pick up my wifi down the road. WIFI is very fast. I was initialy concerned connecting up my Xbox X via wifi (due to constriants of where the nearest ethernet port is in the house) but the Xbox downloads are at full speed and the laterncy is very low. Only issues I've had with the xbox was the DNS problem and the system coming up no internet available.

I guess for now I'll keep the current setup going and make a decision in a week or two.

In the meantime I have a support ticket with Netgear to see what they say.

jeff_ch · ‎2020-01-07

Hi SymonB,

I am experiencing your problem exactly the same! I called the support here in HK, and they simply ask to get the device to their service center to check and take at least 2 weeks!!!

I think this must be the bugs or their QA problem!

I noticed that their is a new firmware released, only available to update manually.

https://kb.netgear.com/000061530/RBR50-RBS50-Firmware-Version-2-5-1-8

I am thinking if this is a good move to solve this problem.

SymonB · ‎2020-01-07

Hi,

Sorry to hear your experiencing the same issue as I did.

Snap I didn't get anywhere with netgear support. After spending £380 on the orbi initially and realising the limited support and only one year warranty I had huge concern about the lifespan of this product and the non existant suppose.

Thankfully for Amazon customer service I was offered a full refund for the orbi product.

Before I returned the product I did do another test just to prove the orbi wasnt working. I brought the BT mesh system for a third of the price £100 for three units. As soon as I setup them up all my WiFi devices and LAN equipment worked flawlessly. I left them connected for two weeks before contacting Amazon.

You could try the firmware and see if you get lucky on the issue being fixed but the real question is do you feel confident on the product that after a year warranty it doesn't become an expensive paperweight because netgear can't be bothered to support their products.

By the way I'm having the same issues with netgear Arlo products. Same level of poor support. Unfortunately it's too late to get a refund.

If you can't get a refund I would do the manual upgrade and then the patch the latest firmware outlined in the link you sent me. At this point you have nothing to loose because your unit isn't working in any case.

Good luck.

daverichard4 · ‎2020-03-15

For anyone following this article. I too just started having this issue within the past couple weeks. And I have had the latest firware update, 2.5.1.8, since early February. So this firmware does not fix the problem. Connectivity to the router is fine, but it fails to resolve DNS queries. The one change that I made recently before having this problem was enabling VPN access. I also have between 25-30 devices connected most of the time...perhaps the router is unable to keep up. I noticed that when doing nslookup queries that results would indicate "Default Server: Unknown" as if it didn't know what the DNS server was. Other times the DNS query would just time out and other times I would get no response from server. This type of behavior indicates it may be a resource utilization issue, however, ssh connectivity to the router appears to be disabled so I cant check cpu and memory utilization to confirm my suspicion. To resolve the issue I have just been rebooting the router. But I am at the point now where I may just setup a different DNS solution as others appear to be doing. I've been in the IT business for over 20 years....I've learned nothing ever works without issues.

tomschmidt · ‎2020-03-15

Regarding checking CPU and memory load, you can see this from the http://orbilogin.com/debug.htm page. On this page, you can also enable telnet and then you can telnet to the system and login with the admin username and password you set. From there, you can run Linux commands like "top". ssh is not available with NG firmware.

I also have DNS resolver issues for local hostnames on my LAN network, but not for WAN addresses. I have other Linux systems on my LAN and they cannot resolve the hostnames of other systems on the LAN. The /etc/resolv.conf file is using the IP of the RBR50 router (192.168.1.1 in my case). Windows systems likewise cannot resolve the Linux hostname on my LAN. I have an open ticket with NG for this issue since May 2019, and it has yet not been resolved by them yet. Their DNS router functionality is lacking for the local LAN network devices. DNS server capabilities is a very basic function that a router is supposed to provide, but NG's implementation is flawed.

It does work however for external DNS resolving for WAN addresses, providing the DNS servers are setup correctly either by your ISP using the DHCP address it issues for you. Or set DNS servers manually to 8.8.8.8 or other public DNS servers. Also make sure you are not in a double NAT situation where your Orbi is behind another router on your LAN.

@daverichard4 wrote:
For anyone following this article. I too just started having this issue within the past couple weeks. And I have had the latest firware update, 2.5.1.8, since early February. So this firmware does not fix the problem. Connectivity to the router is fine, but it fails to resolve DNS queries. The one change that I made recently before having this problem was enabling VPN access. I also have between 25-30 devices connected most of the time...perhaps the router is unable to keep up. I noticed that when doing nslookup queries that results would indicate "Default Server: Unknown" as if it didn't know what the DNS server was. Other times the DNS query would just time out and other times I would get no response from server. This type of behavior indicates it may be a resource utilization issue, however, ssh connectivity to the router appears to be disabled so I cant check cpu and memory utilization to confirm my suspicion. To resolve the issue I have just been rebooting the router. But I am at the point now where I may just setup a different DNS solution as others appear to be doing. I've been in the IT business for over 20 years....I've learned nothing ever works without issues.

CrimpOn · ‎2020-03-15

@daverichard4 wrote:
I noticed that when doing nslookup queries that results would indicate "Default Server: Unknown" as if it didn't know what the DNS server was.

A Google search of "dns default server unknown" indicates that this, by itself, is not a concern. Knowing the IP address, the nslookup program has asked for a "Reverse Lookup" to match the IP address with a "Name". It appears the IP relay in the Orbi is not coded to intercept these reverse lookup requests and return its own name. One of my computers is getting DNS from a local Pi-Hole (an an experiment), and gets the same "Server Unknown" response. So, the Pi-Hole also does not intercept Reverse Lookups and resolve them.

Sometimes these forum posts come to include a host of issues that appear to be "the same", but may differ slightly. For this most recent report, I suggest the following:

Manually change the DNS server IP's on this Windows computer to something besides the Orbi.
i.e. use Google (8.8.8.8), Cloudflare, or one of the other "top 5" DNS hosts, or
manually put in the ISP DNS servers that the Orbi is using.
Does the problem disappear when (a) not using the Orbi, and (b) not using the ISP DNS?
If changing the DNS servers to "not the ISP" fixes things, try manually setting the Orbi to a non-ISP DNS.

Having 35 devices on an Orbi network should not in itself cause a significant resouce problem. Others have reported over 100 devices successfully. Many (many) users report over 50.

Netgear does not support SSH connection on the Orbi. They DO support telnet, by checking a box on the Orbi debug page (http://<ip of Orbi>/debug.htm)

Dnoseattle · ‎2020-03-16

Hi,

I just experienced this problem too and I have fixed it on my end. You might have solved this issue already but I’m replying so others will see. The problem was my ISP (Comcast) was not resolving dns. So I changed my settings to use a static IP address, which then allowed me to use Google’s dns server 8.8.8.8. The final step was to set the router to use my MAC address and apply update. It now works smoothly. It was a big pain trying to figure it out but I got it.

CrimpOn · ‎2020-03-16

@Dnoseattle wrote:
The final step was to set the router to use my MAC address and apply update. It now works smoothly. It was a big pain trying to figure it out but I got it.

I am often incorrect, but my suspicion is that choosing "Use this IP address" instead of "Use Default IP address" is not significant. I believe the "default" is in fact the same IP address. (Default is my setting.)

I am also not entirely convinced that Comcast would nfail to resolve IP addreses. Were that the case, 99% of the customers would immediately be unable to do anything, and the resulting howls would be heard nationwide.

This is one of the frustrating aspects of our Orbi systems. The vast bulk of users experience nothing out of the ordinary. I swear that many of them never actually "set up" their systems. Plug it in. Use the credentials on the product label, just as they do with their Comcast, Spectrum, or AT&T box, and get on with life. When a few do experience problems and turn to the forum for advice, often they tinker with some setting or other and the problem goes away. I often think, "There should not have been a problem in the first place, and doing this should not have solved it."

Anyway, thanks for the report, and good luck!

daverichard4 · ‎2020-03-23

Thanks for the debug tip! That will come in very handy. However, unlike your issue, I'm not interested in resolving local names. My issue is

definitley on the WAN interface. When the issue arrises, now several times a week, no device in the house can browse if a new name lookup needs to ocurr. I know when this happens immediatly because I can hear my son and daughters running down the stairs to tell me the internet is down again, ha! Actually, you can still access the internet, just can't resolve new names. Also, no double NATing going on. I'm only using the one router right now. And as far as using a public DNS server such as Google, Cloudflare, OpenDNs, etc...the DNS servers are set to what my ISP issues and are working fine. To set them manually I would have to disable DHCP on the WAN interface and then I'm not sure how long that would work...the ISP may change the network I am on and I would not pick up the new IP becuase I would have disabled DHCP so I could manually set a DNS server. I've seen issues before where my IP was blacklisted or throttled due to some quirky security setups on the ISP side, but this issue immediately disapears after I reset the router everytime. I'm fairly certain this is an issue with the router itself. Thanks again for the debug tip!

CrimpOn · ‎2020-03-23

This is just a technical point. Specifying DNS servers such as Google does not require turning off DHCP on the WAN interface. It is a simple choice: use what the ISP gives you or put in your own IPs for DNS servers. Just check the box and type in IPs. I get my WAN IP from Spectrum and use Google DNS.