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Our company recently sunset some office locations. These locations returned back a handful of PoE+ managed switches that were functioning satisfactorily. We have some new office locations opening up in the near future. I thought I could redeploy the previously used switches. I factory defaulted them and updated firmware to the latest available. I then fully configured the first switch. Unfortunately, after a reboot it decided that I MUST have a registration key to access the same GUI I just finished configuring. Um, ugly but OK I guess, I’ll try. Registration requires the original purchase date. This I cannot find and no longer care to try. The switch is now terribly hobbled and basically useless for our requirements.
Netgear, this is an unbelievably silly and shortsighted move. We run several different switch manufactures, none of which require “cloud” connectivity or registration key info to manage, patch, or function. In accordance with the Least Privilege security posture, we don’t let network equipment have internet access. Why would anyone in a secure computing environment do this? Require it??? Are you kidding? Absurd!
So, in your effort to “keep me informed” or “keep my equipment patched current” you have instead put me in a position just the opposite. We will NEVER again try to bring an existing piece of Netgear equipment up to current firmware. We will NEVER again purchase another piece of Netgear equipment, period. Instead, we will DISCARD Netgear equipment as it matures in our environment and replace it with another manufacturer.
Thanks for your response. I did see that link before posting. As such:
When you register your NETGEAR switch, you receive the following benefits:
Access to local browser UI features. Unlock the full functionality of the local browser user interface.
Quarterly security emails. Receive an email with security updates if any of your switches were affected in the previous quarter.
Quicker access to NETGEAR support. Gain faster access to online troubleshooting and support, including warranty claims.
NETGEAR single sign-on. Access all of your NETGEAR accounts and services with your NETGEAR SSO (single sign-on) account.
Extended warranty. Purchase an extended warranty for your switch.
Special offers and latest information. Sign up to receive special offers and the latest information about NETGEAR products.
Access to local broswer UI features - THIS WAS AVAILABLE BEFORE, Netgear hobbled it by REMOVING GUI access. Benefit?
Quarterly security emails - maybe helpful, if desired.
Quicker access to NETGEAR support - maybe helpful, if desired.
NETGEAR single sign-on - um, no.
Extended warranty - buy more Netgear stuff.
Special offers and latest information - get more Netgear ads.
Removing the GUI is the dealbreaker, and was totally unnecessary. It was done to encourage (read FORCE) customers into the registration program. Since there is no CLI, there is no other way to use the equipment without signing up. Not a good look for Netgear.
Thanks for your feedback. We are very sorry to hear that our switches have caused inconvenience to you and your business.
I'm the Product Line Manager for Smart Managed Pro switches and I'm here to help you resolve the current challenges you are facing.
Device registration is indeed required on Smart Managed Pro switches with Optional Insight Remote/Cloud Management, but there is no need for internet connectivity at any point in time. We have made it possible to register the switch without it being connected to the internet. For several reasons, we do require registration: https://community.netgear.com/t5/Smart-Plus-Click-Switches/Why-We-Require-Registration-on-Smart-Pro-...
After registering the device, users can unlock the switch full warranty and the support entitlement, as well as getting timely updates on security or privacy features, and firmware releases. We understand some users might not want to use internet or remote management for their devices. No problem - you can still keep local management for the device; as default, out of the box. The Insight Remote/Cloud management is just an option and is a way of future-proofing your network management. No need to use it if it does not apply to your business environment.
The device registration is very simple and straightforward. Even if your switch is not connected to internet, it can still be registered; for example via Insight Mobile App. We understand it's time consuming to register all a batch of switches in order to upload the switch configuration file. But there is a faster way to just register one switch and copy switch configs to unregistered switches. Please refer to the article in the link:
Frequent firmware updates are much recommended to keep your network efficiency and security. Many security features and performance improvements will be updated in regular future firmware releases. This is one of the reasons that NETGEAR would like to keep you, as our customer, informed - immediately when firmware updates to your NETGEAR devices come available. We do this for your safety and security, as well as for our own safety. Many governments across the world have recently passed legislation making vendors responsible for the future safety of electronic devices. In order to alert you of any potential security update, we need to be able to reach either you or your reseller. We have stated publicly that we DO NOT SHARE customer data. Your registration data is purely for internal use, as described.
Hope this has answered your questions. Please feel free to let us know if anything else we can do to help you. I am available for a direct conversation as well, please DM me. Also happy to jump on a call.
Isn't it interesting that the new firmware that hobbled a fully functional product was freely available from Netgear without requiring registration? Now I wonder, why would that be?
I've burned too much time on this already. Your business practice is more than suspect and has nothing to do with the IT Security of your clients. Why even pretend otherwise? There is no valid reason have to "unlock" the full feature set of a product that had it available previously. Period, full stop.
You could roll-back to earlier firmware - issue gone.
Put in an estimate date with the registration - you can explain this in case you have a warranty claim later on (this is unrelated to the new policy, this issue you would have before) - and fetch the key required from support.netgear.com
The effort is a few minutes for the registration (if the switch has Internet acccess it's even easier). A problem that isn't a problem....
PS. Think again why these switches were not registered with Netgear at the installation time. Either it was pure laziness of the installer, or it was an attempt towards a potential warranty fraud. Figure now the (non-stated!) reason for the mandatory registration ....
It might surprise you that aversion to production registration doesn't have to be lazy or nefarious in nature. There are other valid reasons. I'm not trying now, nor ever in the past, to exercise any warranty "rights". I'm looking to redeploy it, not return or exchange it! In no shape, way, or form is the Netgear company being shortchanged by the repurposing of an existing piece of equipment. On the other hand, the Customer sure has!
Trying to track down a single item purchase through Accounts Payable from years ago, a few minutes, lol. You're right about the potential to roll back to the previous firmware. No interest now, it really just can-kicks the problem. Netgear no longer appears trustworthy.
"Figure now the (non-stated!) reason for the mandatory registration..." uh huh. Look, there is simply no excuse for removing functionality with a firmware "upgrade". If fraud is really the concern, don't honor warranty or support without registration. Easy. If access to future patches/updates is the ruse, then registration should have been a prerequisite to accessing the offending current firmware. But it wasn't. It was essentially a one-way registration trap.
On a side note, if your switches have internet access... well, that's almost criminally negligent.
