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Forum Discussion
Firmware updated EX8000 keeps dropping Internet
Hi all,
I have read about multiple issued relating to the R8000 but I seem to be experiencing a similar issue with your EX8000 mesh range extender.I regularly experience an issue (perhaps once ...
My recommendation and I think I have already mentioned this, return the item ASAP and get your money back will you can. I have been struggling with this product since April and has been the worst experience. There is and will be no hope that new firmware will resolve the issues.
I have the extender paired with the R7800 and have never experienced any issue with the router has I have with the extenteder.
Afetr 3 months of troubleshooting with tech support and their engineers, they have finally gave in and just today have decided to refund me the cost of the extender in full.
Don’t get me wrong, Netgear does have great product, but this extender is a true lemon.
As a follow-on to my comments earlier, my EX-8000 extender has maintained solid performance for about 4 days now. I suspect the dropped internet has been associated with a dropped backhaul connection (between the router and the extender). I have not had dropped connections between the extender and extender clients. When the backhaul drops I lose internet, but not connection. The backhaul drops and the extender-to-client connection is still good but has no internet.
Like I said in my previous comments, the backhaul wifi channel is determined by the router. My router is a dual-band AC1900 router. I have set the router wifi radios on fixed channels that have minimal useage. I used the wifi analyzer app tool to see that. The channels I chose were CH 6 for 2.4Ghz and CH 161 for 5Ghz.
You should be aware that if the router is set in AUTO for wifi channel selection and the router changes channel on its own for whatever reason, you'll probably see a 14 minute internet dropout for the 5Ghz backhaul connection between the router and the extender. The client connection to the extender will stay up so you're seeing connection but no internet. Similar things happen for the 2.4Ghz channel change, but the backhaul outtage is much shorter during the time the extender is trying to figure out what channel the router changed to.
The 14 minute 5Ghz backhaul "outtage" while the extender matches up to a change in the router's 5Ghz wifi channel is way too long. NetGear should look into this.
As I said earlier, go into your router and change the 5Ghz wifi channel and watch what happens to your extender and for how long. When the 5Ghz backhaul is interrupted, the 2nd LED light on extender (indicates MAX Throughput capability via 5Ghz backhaul) will go out.
One last thing, a wifi router changes its 2.4Ghz wifi channel often if the the 2.4Ghz channel selection is in AUTO and it detects interference. As I write this I just checked what happens when I force a router 2.4Ghz channel change. You'd think it would only affect the 2.4Ghz backhaul to the extender, but the 5Ghz backhaul should stay up, right?
Wrong! When I manually changed the router's 2.4Ghz wifi channel, the 5Ghz extender-router backhaul drops out for 14 minutes!
Again, put your router's wifi radios on fixed channels if you have the EX8000 connected to it.
- I will try this and report back to you. Of this works i will most probably keep the extender.
- In channel 161, what combination of extension channel do you use?
UU (+6)
UL (+2)
LU (-2)
LL (-6)
Thanks My router is a dual band ASUS AC1900. This router has the following options:
For 2.4Ghz, the Extension CH options are ABOVE or BELOW. I have ABOVE selected.
For 5Ghz, the only option for Extension CH is AUTO.
- Thanks I will try it!
burneyfalls wrote:
As a follow-on to my comments earlier, my EX-8000 extender has maintained solid performance for about 4 days now. I suspect the dropped internet has been associated with a dropped backhaul connection (between the router and the extender). I have not had dropped connections between the extender and extender clients. When the backhaul drops I lose internet, but not connection. The backhaul drops and the extender-to-client connection is still good but has no internet.
Like I said in my previous comments, the backhaul wifi channel is determined by the router. My router is a dual-band AC1900 router. I have set the router wifi radios on fixed channels that have minimal useage. I used the wifi analyzer app tool to see that. The channels I chose were CH 6 for 2.4Ghz and CH 161 for 5Ghz.
You should be aware that if the router is set in AUTO for wifi channel selection and the router changes channel on its own for whatever reason, you'll probably see a 14 minute internet dropout for the 5Ghz backhaul connection between the router and the extender. The client connection to the extender will stay up so you're seeing connection but no internet. Similar things happen for the 2.4Ghz channel change, but the backhaul outtage is much shorter during the time the extender is trying to figure out what channel the router changed to.
The 14 minute 5Ghz backhaul "outtage" while the extender matches up to a change in the router's 5Ghz wifi channel is way too long. NetGear should look into this.
As I said earlier, go into your router and change the 5Ghz wifi channel and watch what happens to your extender and for how long. When the 5Ghz backhaul is interrupted, the 2nd LED light on extender (indicates MAX Throughput capability via 5Ghz backhaul) will go out.
One last thing, a wifi router changes its 2.4Ghz wifi channel often if the the 2.4Ghz channel selection is in AUTO and it detects interference. As I write this I just checked what happens when I force a router 2.4Ghz channel change. You'd think it would only affect the 2.4Ghz backhaul to the extender, but the 5Ghz backhaul should stay up, right?
Wrong! When I manually changed the router's 2.4Ghz wifi channel, the 5Ghz extender-router backhaul drops out for 14 minutes!
Again, put your router's wifi radios on fixed channels if you have the EX8000 connected to it.
burneyfalls, I been testing your setup and it doesn't work. What firmware you on? I have the latest and its worse then the last 4 firmwares. I used to have at least one device connect at all times when all the others couldn't. I will revert back one version and try it out again.
I am using the .186 FW, which is currently the latest.
I have no problem connecting to the extender and my family has numerous smartphones, rokus, laptops, etc. that connect to it via wifi, and I have a couple clients hardwired via ETH RJ-45 connection.
I have the extender configured in SMARTConnect mode and have tested this for switching among router and extender wifi networks depending on client location. Roaming around the property results in seamless wifi connection switching.
I am on day 6 of solid performance since putting the router wifi on channels 6 &161.
What make and model is your router?
So as advised in this forum, I fixed the channels for my router and extender both for the two 5ghz channels and 2.4 Ghz one. I also fixed the IP of the extender instead of leaving DHCP doing this. And it's been 2 weeks without connexion dropouts.
- I did the same and it's not working for me. What router do you have?
- My router is a newer (recently purchased) ASUS AC-1900. It's only a dual band router. I think it's 5th generation of this type of router, but not sure.
Well I have a R7800 and you would think that it would work better with the extender, being that its a Netgear router and extender!
I have never had issues with the router, but this extender is somewhat challenging, anything I do as in settings doesn't simply work.
My extender failed after about 10 days of what appeared to be solid operation. I am unable to connect my smart phone to 5Ghz wifi in my house. I can connect it to my 2.4Ghz wifi, which is direct to my router and has nothing to do with the EX8000.
This will be my last post on this subject. I have wasted enough time on this EX8000 device. This is my first NetGear device and whether it's my last or not will depend on whether they refund the money I spent on this, including shipping.
It's pretty obvious to me that NetGear knows this expensive product has issues but still sells it. That's bad business.
burneyfalls wrote:
My extender failed after about 10 days of what appeared to be solid operation. I am unable to connect my smart phone to 5Ghz wifi in my house. I can connect it to my 2.4Ghz wifi, which is direct to my router and has nothing to do with the EX8000.
This will be my last post on this subject. I have wasted enough time on this EX8000 device. This is my first NetGear device and whether it's my last or not will depend on whether they refund the money I spent on this, including shipping.
It's pretty obvious to me that NetGear knows this expensive product has issues but still sells it. That's bad business.
I know this may sound bad, but I'm happy and relieved that it failed with your setup. I spent so much time setting the router to different channels and anything I tried simply doesn't last past 12 hours. I recently disabled 2.4 GHz radio on the extender and no avail same issues persist.
But this is very interesting, during all this time that I have been having issues with the extender wifi, never at anytime did the I have issues with wired connected devices. So this obviously indicates and issue with extender to wifi clients and not extender to router. This is a firmware issue or simply bad hardware design that doesn't work.
As for bad business, definitely Netgear is at fault here. Not admitting that they having issues with this unit and as well as EX7000 model.
I hope you get your full refund, I think we should be compensation more then a refund.
I just got off the phone with NetGear Level 2 support. They keep asking me to provide config data and such from my router and extender and to capture other stuff. I told them I would do this for a fee (for technical services performed by me) and be an extension of their engineering lab duties. I am wasting no more time with troubleshooting this issue unless they want to pay me to help them. I even spoke with a Level 2 manager who eventually said he would push this up to level 3 engineering to see what they could do without the captured data.
I informed NetGear that my future efforts will be to pursue letting everyone know how NetGear treats consumers of their products. I am still within my 90 days of support. Also, per California law (Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act), see page 9 of https://www.caconsumeradvocate.com/sites/www.caconsumeradvocate.com/files/base-image/Song-Beverly-Consumer-Warranty-Act-CA.pdf :
"Every work order or repair invoice for warranty repairs or service shall clearly and conspicuously incorporate in 10-point boldface type the following statement either on the face of the work order or repair invoice, or on the reverse side, or on an attachment to the work order or repair invoice: "A buyer of this product in California has the right to have this product serviced or repaired during the warranty period. The warranty period will be extended for the number of whole days that the product has been out of the buyer' s hands for warranty repairs. If a defect exists within the warranty period, the warranty will not expire until the defect has been fixed. The warranty period will also be extended if the warranty repairs have not been performed due to delays caused by circumstances beyond the control of the buyer, or if the warranty repairs did not remedy the defect and the buyer notifies the manufacturer or seller of the failure of the repairs within 60 days after they were completed. If, after a reasonable number of attempts, the defect has not been fixed, the buyer may return this product for a replacement or a refund subject, in either case, to deduction of a reasonable charge for usage. This time extension does not affect the protections or remedies the buyer has under other laws."
As Netgear has already provided a replacement unit to me, the Level 2 manager said they would not provide another replacement. They have not asked me to send the current unit I have to them for repair. Therefore, they are in violation of this law and I will be following up with the State of California on this violation.
I want this unit to work as advertised ("with any router"). The router I have is a new ASUS AC1900, which is one of the most common routers on the planet.
