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A7000 with the wrong region

A7000 with the wrong region

Hi!

 

I purchased a netgear a7000 from best buy canada (I am from canada). In the netgear genie program, I see the region as EUROPE.

 

This is causing me a lot of issues. I cannot see my 5ghz wifi network. After a ton of troubleshooting, I found out that my 5ghz network is on channel 157, and (from what I can tell), that exact channel is prohibited in europe.

 

Part of the problem is that my ISP prevents me from choosing which 5ghz channel to use. Its all automated, the router basically "scans" and picks a channel based on performance. It picks channel "157" 100% of the time.

 

Basically, I am  forced to use that channel. But the netgear a7000 can't even see it because of the wrong region.

 

Is there a way to change the region? I've been banging my head against a wall trying to speak to tech support from my ISP, and there is nothing they can do to help.

 

Any help or idea would be very appreciated 🙂

Message 1 of 12

Re: A7000 with the wrong region


@jfrancoisricard wrote:

 

I purchased a netgear a7000 from best buy canada (I am from canada). In the netgear genie program, I see the region as EUROPE.

 


Is that the genie for USB adaptors, or the desktop genie for your operating system?

 

What is the full model number for the A7000?

 

A7000-100PES is the one sold in the UK. A7000-10000S is North America.

 

 

 

 

Message 2 of 12

Re: A7000 with the wrong region

Well thats weird.

The box states a7000-10000s, but I can't find any info on the unit itself.

The 'genie software' is the software downloaded from netgear. I searched for a7000 and downloaded the software for windows 10 there.

Thank you for your help
Message 3 of 12

Re: A7000 with the wrong region


@jfrancoisricard wrote:

The box states a7000-10000s, but I can't find any info on the unit itself.


So it should be North American.

 

What leads you to believe that the adapter is on the wrong region?

 

You say that your 5 GHz network is on channel 157.

 

Maybe that is what you router is spitting out. The adapter will take its lead from that.

 

 


@jfrancoisricard wrote:

The 'genie software' is the software downloaded from netgear. I searched for a7000 and downloaded the software for windows 10 there.


That software is not essential for using the adapter. Many people ignore it. They install the "standalone" drivers.

 

The A7000 is now getting old. So I wonder if Windows is the place to look for problems.

 

 

 

 

Message 4 of 12
plemans
Guru

Re: A7000 with the wrong region

I don't have that adapter so unsure but can you go into your device manager and change the region through there? 

 

Message 5 of 12

Re: A7000 with the wrong region


@plemans wrote:

I don't have that adapter so unsure but can you go into your device manager and change the region through there? 

 


I went and looked for that option.

 

Windows >> USB devices

 

Couldn't see anything. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place.

 

 

Message 6 of 12
plemans
Guru

Re: A7000 with the wrong region

@michaelkenward does it show in the device manager under network adapters?

Message 7 of 12

Re: A7000 with the wrong region


@plemans wrote:

@michaelkenward does it show in the device manager under network adapters?


Good call. It is there, but no region settings.

 

Maybe it is buried on one of the other settings.

 

I also looked in Windows networking.

 

I still think it worth looking in the router (source) end. That is where I set my 5 GHz channel.

 

 

 

Message 8 of 12

Re: A7000 with the wrong region

My router is emitting from channel 157, and I called my ISP and apparently I can't change it


The a7000 can't even see the wifi network, so thats why I began investigating the different channels, etc. When I saw 'Europe' in the software, I searched and found out that channel 157 is prohibited in europe. But its just a wild guess, it could be all unrelated.

I tried uninstalling the netgear software and just using the drivers, (seems like a popular fix), but that did not work.

In the end i'm still not sure what is causing the problem.
Message 9 of 12

Re: A7000 with the wrong region


@jfrancoisricard wrote:
My router is emitting from channel 157, and I called my ISP and apparently I can't change it

What is that router?

 

Mine goes nowhere near that channel. And I am in Europe.

 

I wouldn't take much notice of what the ISPs say. Their tech people are notoriously unreliable. They love passing the buck when someone has a problem.

 

 

 

 

Message 10 of 12

Re: A7000 with the wrong region


-The model # is CGM4140COM. Its the wifi modem provided by the ISP

 

-I suspected my wifi is on channel 157 (which is fine in NA), but that my a7000 came from europe (157 is not allowed in europe). However the box clearly states  "a7000-10000s" so it SHOULD be the north american model. Still puzzling how the software (netgear genie) says "europe". Anyhow, the a7000 worked perfectly when the wifi was set to channel 48 (thats what I used previously), but it cannot see channel 157.

 

-The problem is that the channel is "locked". I went into the router settings myself, and everything is greyed out. I was able to change it a few months ago. However there's a new update and now everything is automatic. The ISP removed the functionality for user to switch channels manually. This is very dumb. They said its to provide a better more streamlined experience for all users, everything is automatic now. The router scans and picks the best / less crowded channel.

 

So to fix my  problem I would either have to switch channel (impossible according to my ISP) or get the a7000 to "see" channel 157. 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Message 11 of 12

Re: A7000 with the wrong region

If your ISP insists on providing modem/routers that don't play nicely with customers' kit, then you could see if it will let you use your own modem on the network.

 

Then you can ditch its troublesome router – ISPs rarely supply something stunningly good – and rep[lace it with a router of your own choice.

 

Another approach would be to put the (Technicolor?) CGM4140COM into modem only (bridge) mode and add your own router.

 

cgm4140com bridge mode - Google Search

 

That too would let you pick a "grown up" router.

 


@jfrancoisricard wrote:


The ISP removed the functionality for user to switch channels manually. This is very dumb. They said its to provide a better more streamlined experience for all users, everything is automatic now. The router scans and picks the best / less crowded channel.

 

Or. to put it another way, we want to lock things down so that we don't have to deal with awkward questions from customers.

 

Very dumb indeed.

Message 12 of 12
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