Firmware updated EX8000 keeps dropping Internet

[flyturbo]

I have to sadly report that the new firmware 1.0.0.180 still doesn’t hold the wifi connections. 

 They also removed some channels for 5GHz... not sure why. Maybe the forum monitor can shed some light on this.

[MightyAtom]

Flytirbo - thanks again for the reply. Why would they drop some 5GHz channels and not let people know. I have been a fan of Netgear for many years but their products are getting increasingly flakey. 

So does anyone know what channels are good to use for the 5GHz network with the RX8000 firmware 180?? Paired with Nighthawk R7000 router

Thanks all in advance

[StephenB]

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@flyturbo wrote:

I have to sadly report that the new firmware 1.0.0.180 still doesn’t hold the wifi connections. 

 They also removed some channels for 5GHz... not sure why. Maybe the forum monitor can shed some light on this.

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What geography are you in, and what channels did you lose?

[CygnusHyoga]

I have the same issue with the latest firmware. 2.4ghz connection is working ok, but 5ghz works for a few seconds and then disconnect from the router (extender —> router). I’ve tried everything (change channels, static ip, different router Wi-Fi configurations, etc.)

Any help? Thanks.

[flyturbo]

My recommendation, if you can, exchange it or better yet return it and get a decent router.

Check out the reviews on Amazon, there like horror stories. I have spent over 2 months with level 2 suppport and zero progress. They keep on asking me the same question over and over again and we go over the same troubleshooting procedures every time I call them. They now asked me to flash a debug version of the firmware to collect logs for their engineers. 

[CygnusHyoga]

Yes I know, I have to return one of this to RMA, because the firmware fail totally.

I have faith in netgear that they will solve the problem. 😊

[Miloats]

I think I found the issue, I’d appreciate it if someone gave it a try and confirmed that the solution can be replicated.

So, like everyone, I too am having issues with the connection on the box randomly dropping. I tried everything including exchanging the box. Nothing worked.

Frustrated, I gave up on one SSID smart connect and have both a 2.4 and 5 SSID. From there, I began to notice that only my 2.4 devices were having connection issues. Finally, I disabled the 2.4 connection on my extender and now everything just works.

How to replicate:
- separate 2.4 and 5ghz SSID names on your main router
- set up the extender, sharing the same SSID as the router
- disable 2.4 on the extender. Only 5ghz should remain active.
- main router should still be serving 2.4GHz WiFi

I’m not the networking expert, just have some decent debugging skills. I’m guessing the router and the extenders 2.4 channels are interfering with each other? Anyways, I’m hoping this works for someone else so we can get to the bottom of this.

[MightyAtom]

Hi Miloats,

Yes I get that fix but the whole point of having the extender is to do what is says on the tin to extend both networks! Which is obviously is strugling to do, no I am worng which it obviously does not do!

I have however seperated out the two networks to broadcsst their individual SSID and their individual passoword , this is now an exact copy of my router settings, in effect two networks with different names and different passowrds.

I still do not have any 5G wireless from the EX8000 but my wired deveces to the EX8000 do get 5G.

Had enough going to give it trying and admit defeat - NETGEAR sort it OUT!!!!!

[flyturbo]

I have to agree with MightyAtom 100%, we should not be doing any work around to have this unit working. I have spent the last 2 months with support and explaining to them the issue over and over again and trying different settings and they still haven't figured it. 

Today am questioning this purchase, I should have just purchased I new router with a better range and reallocated it in a different location where all my devices would have decent coverage. The effort would have been far less then the countless hours spent on the phone with tech support and replying to their email questions and so on.

A total waste my time and to say the least my money!!!

[CygnusHyoga]

I’ve change to 5ghz channel 60, vth160 80mhz, and the 5ghz connections don’t drop...but can’t have maximum speed because of the channel.

Any of you have ddwrt on the main router?

[Miloats]

@MightyAtom, @flyturbo: I hear you. In a perfect world, this would just work. In my case, I don't have the option of returning the unit (thanks BestBuy for your **bleep** return policy). If you have the option of returning your device, or on the fence about purchasing this device, RETURN IT AND STAY AWAY! If I could do it all over again, I'd maybe give eeros a try? I hear Orbi is the best, but I have such a foul taste in my mouth with NETGEAR right now that I don't think I'd give them more money to solve an issue they themselves created. 

In their defense, I do own a Nighthawk X10 (R9000) and it's a beast.

Ultimately, I'm stuck with the device since I have no option of returning it, so I'm trying to make best with that I have and will continue to find a solution. I don't think I'm alone in this boat.

I forgot to mention that I set a static IP on the Extender (192.168.1.250) and reserved that IP on my router since the IP kept changing on the extender, which also causes dropping.

[CygnusHyoga]

I have a R9000 too, as a main router for the extender ex8000, maybe something related with this two together? Chipset or something?

[Miloats]

Update: My tests have failed. still experiencing drops, although less frequently. I think it has to do with high traffic. 

Setting a static IP definitely helps, I think the latest firmware update fixed this issue, but I still set mine since there's no harm in doing so. Traffic related drops appear to be due to the 1st 5ghz band not knowing how to deal with traffic without that 2nd 5ghz band since it's dedicated as backhaul.

I actually ended up using it in access point mode since I have a hard wire going through my apartment. Now, with the two 5ghz bands dedicated to serving my SSID, it's working just as well as my main router.

[MightyAtom]

Hi Miloats et al, 

Yes I am in the same position it really is a piece of c**p and that a technical term! I deal with IT equipment every day and this thing is exceptionally poor and I cannot understand why NETGEAR have not addressed this issue. Normally I am a NETGEAR fan but I am afraid with the EX8000 they got it wrong and it’s unfair to expect the paying public to be your Guinea pig

[flyturbo]

I had same issue, do a cold rest using the reset button in back of the unit. 

Unfortunately, the newest firmware still doesn't resolve connection issues.

[flyturbo]

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@Miloats wrote:

@MightyAtom, @flyturbo: I hear you. In a perfect world, this would just work. In my case, I don't have the option of returning the unit (thanks BestBuy for your **bleep** return policy). If you have the option of returning your device, or on the fence about purchasing this device, RETURN IT AND STAY AWAY! If I could do it all over again, I'd maybe give eeros a try? I hear Orbi is the best, but I have such a foul taste in my mouth with NETGEAR right now that I don't think I'd give them more money to solve an issue they themselves created. 

In their defense, I do own a Nighthawk X10 (R9000) and it's a beast.

Ultimately, I'm stuck with the device since I have no option of returning it, so I'm trying to make best with that I have and will continue to find a solution. I don't think I'm alone in this boat.

I forgot to mention that I set a static IP on the Extender (192.168.1.250) and reserved that IP on my router since the IP kept changing on the extender, which also causes dropping.

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Not sure how you manged to reserved IP of the extender on your router, you have 2 radios 2GHz and 5GHz with 2 different MAC address.... I limited DHCP range to 200 on the router and set 254 on the extender. 

[CygnusHyoga]

I update ddwrt firmware to Kong r37415M, now I can use high Channels (channel 128), it’s work better, the connection drop less frequently, but keep depongan after few hours.

[burneyfalls]

Try this experiment:

Change the 5Ghz channel on your router to say 161.  Watch how long it takes for your smartphone to follow the channel change and reconnect.  The smartphone reconnects quickly.  At the same time watch how long it takes for the extender to reconnect (you'll see the MAX Throughput light turn on - 2nd LED) assuming your using the 5 Ghz backhaul.  It takes 14 minutes w/o any extender reboot!

The same experiment for a 2.4 Ghz router wifi channel change results in a much quicker backhaul reconnect for the extender.

Something is not right here with the 5 Ghz channel change reconnect time for the extender backhaul.

I recently discovered this extender backhaul reconnect time issue.  Note that the 5 Ghz connection to the client (from the extender) stays up when the backhaul drops so you will see connection but no internet. 

I previously had my 5 Ghz router wifi channel in AUTO.  It's now fixed on 161.  I will see if this helps maintain a solid backhaul connection with the extender.  If the connection breaks, I suspect it may take 14 minutes to reconnect or it may be sooner since the channel is already set on 161 on both the extender and the router.

[BaDCrC]

Hi guys. Just found this thread as I am having the exact same issues with my EX8000 paired to an AC4000. I kinda hate myself to think that dropping my 100$ Asus router was a great idea. This thing actually never ever failed for 3 years until I decided to change it. Now I am plagued by the same issues than you guys. Horrible connections, drop all the time. And it is getting worse and worse as the firmwares are updated.

Will try the separate networks and dedicated IP for the extender, but it sounds like it is not the final solution to this.

[CygnusHyoga]

New firmware for ex8000 v1.0.1.186 with guest Wi-Fi and bug fixes. I try it but connection keep dropping

[flyturbo]

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.

[burneyfalls]

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.

[flyturbo]

I will try this and report back to you. Of this works i will most probably keep the extender.

[CygnusHyoga]

In channel 161, what combination of extension channel do you use?

UU (+6)
UL (+2)
LU (-2)
LL (-6)

Thanks

[burneyfalls]

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.