Firmware Update DGN2200 - How? Is the communication authentic?

[PennieL]

Hi NETGEAR Community,

I wonder if someone can help. I received an unexpected email from NETGEAR Security advising of a firmware update. When I log in, under Advanced, Administration & the

Router Upgrade tab, the Firmware Assistant confirms the update available but there is no "Yes" tab visible to click to perform the action.

[michaelkenward · Accepted solution]

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@PennieL wrote:
the steps referred to didn’t match what I saw on my screen when I tried to follow them.

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Some of these old devices have release notes that are out of date. (I've passed this on to Netgear's minders.)

The instructions predate changes to the browser interface that gets you into the hardware's settings. So, if you already have newer firmware on your device, you can safely ignore what the release notes say.

Instead you would do better to get the manual and follow its instructions.

Or use the following that comes from the instructions for a different device:

• To log in to the router type http://www.routerlogin.net into your web browser address bar (such as Internet Explorer or Google Chrome).
• Click ADVANCED tab >Administration > Firmware Upgrade.
• Click Browse and find the file you just downloaded.
• Click Upload. Do not interrupt the upgrade during this step.

[antinode]

> Firmware Update DGN2200 - How?

   There's more than one hardware variant of the DGN2200.  Does yours
have a "vX" suffix on the model number on the product label?  What's
your current firmware version?

> Is the communication authentic?

   I can't see your e-mail message (especially the headers) from here,
so I know nothing about what you got, but Netgear did broadcast some
notices a while ago.

> [...] the Firmware Assistant [...]

   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your (actual) model number,
and look for Documentation.  Get the User Manual.  Look for "Manually
Check for Firmware Upgrades".  While you're in the neighborhod, firmware
Downloads are not far from Documentation.  The Release Notes file in a
firmware kit should include installation instructions, too.

[PennieL]

Hi Antinode, I appreciate your reply. In answer to your questions, the email was sent on 31.3.18 from the address:

NETGEAR Security [security@e.netgear.com]

The router model no. is v4

I've accessed the downloads/documentation page. I actually tried downloading the listed update:

Firmware Version 1.0.0.102 (All Regions Except Germany) earlier in the week but was unable to extract the files. This made me worry that the whole thing was phishing or malware. I'll try to attach a screen image from the NETGEAR Genie page - is it the fact that it's the Genie page that means there's no "Yes" tab to accept the router firmware upgrade it advises me is ready?

[michaelkenward]

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@PennieL wrote:
I received an unexpected email from NETGEAR Security advising of a firmware update.

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Netgear sent out a mass mailing recently. There have been several messages querying their validity. (A forum search might help.) They are legit if hopelessly worded.

The release notes for some of these updates are out of date. It is better to consult the manual.

There is a manual for the device somewhere at the end of this link:

>>>> DGN2200M | Product | Support | NETGEAR <<<<

See page 52.

It can be better to download the firmware and update it manually.

There are several versions of the DGN2200. Check yours by looking at the label on the back. Each version has its own firmware line. Get the one for your V number. No V number usually means V1.

[antinode]

> I actually tried downloading the listed update:
> Firmware Version 1.0.0.102 (All Regions Except Germany) earlier in the
> week but was unable to extract the files.

   "unable" is not a useful problem description.  It does not say what
you did.  It does not say what happened when you did it.  As usual,
showing actual actions with their actual results (error messages, LED
indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague descriptions or
interpretations.

   I fetched DGN2200v4-V1.0.0.102_1.0.102.zip, and saw no problems:

pro3$ unzipx -t DGN2200v4-V1.0.0.102_1.0.102.zip
Archive:  DGN2200v4-V1.0.0.102_1.0.102.zip
    testing: DGN2200v4-V1.0.0.102_1.0.102.chk   OK
    testing: DGN2200v4-V1.0.0.102_1.0.102_Release_Notes.html   OK
No errors detected in compressed data of DGN2200v4-V1.0.0.102_1.0.102.zip.

> [...] is it the fact that it's the Genie page that means there's no
> "Yes" tab to accept the router firmware upgrade it advises me is ready?

   You lost me.  If you scroll down and there's no kind of "proceed"
option, then I'd go to some place like: ADVANCED > Administration >
Firmware Update, and do it manually (after you get the ".chk" file
extracted from the ".zip" archive).

[PennieL]

Dear respondents, thanks for your messages. Apologies for inaccurate tech language. Antinode, I downloaded the zipped folder but my Windows 10 computer lacked the software to extract the contents of the .chk file. I was given options of looking for software that could extract this - but it required downloading more software and it all began to seem unusual/dangerous. It may be as simple as my computer needing the relevant app, but the unexpected nature of the initial communication plus all these steps and downloads rang alarm bells. Any trusted sites to recommend for he software needed to extract the .chk files?

[antinode]

> [...] I downloaded the zipped folder but my Windows 10 computer lacked
> the software to extract the contents of the .chk file. [...]

   This is why it pays to read (and follow) the instructions.  You need
to extract the ".chk" file from the ".zip" archive.  You don't need to
extract anything from the ".chk" file.  The "To install" instructions
are in the Release Notes file:
      DGN2200v4-V1.0.0.102_1.0.102_Release_Notes.html
which should have appeared with the ".chk" file.  Open that, not the
".chk" file.  Read.

> [...] I'd go to some place like: ADVANCED > Administration >
> Firmware Update, and do it manually (after you get the ".chk" file
> extracted from the ".zip" archive).

   Apparently, on your router, that place is: Maintenance > Router
Upgrade.

[PennieL]

Thank you, Antinode. I did try to follow the instructions in the accompanying file but couldn’t. As in, the steps referred to didn’t match what I saw on my screen when I tried to follow them. I will repeat the download and attempt again. Thanks for your replies

[antinode]

> [...] the steps referred to didn't match what I saw on my screen [...]

   Knowing nothing about which "the steps" or "what [you] saw on [your]
screen" makes it difficult to offer any specific advice.

[michaelkenward · Accepted solution]

---

@PennieL wrote:
the steps referred to didn’t match what I saw on my screen when I tried to follow them.

---

Some of these old devices have release notes that are out of date. (I've passed this on to Netgear's minders.)

The instructions predate changes to the browser interface that gets you into the hardware's settings. So, if you already have newer firmware on your device, you can safely ignore what the release notes say.

Instead you would do better to get the manual and follow its instructions.

Or use the following that comes from the instructions for a different device:

• To log in to the router type http://www.routerlogin.net into your web browser address bar (such as Internet Explorer or Google Chrome).
• Click ADVANCED tab >Administration > Firmware Upgrade.
• Click Browse and find the file you just downloaded.
• Click Upload. Do not interrupt the upgrade during this step.

[PennieL]

"Current firmware version is the most recent" - yay! A very big thank you to both Michael and Antinode as it was a combination of the advice in your various replies that got me over the update hurdle! Apologies that I wasn't replicating exact terms when describing my problems- I was away from the computer in question yesterday and working off memory. But Michael, your last message said it all - the Release Notes did not match the text on the Netgear screen - in fact, 'maintenance' was nowhere to be seen. A big first step to success was updating the Netgear Genie before attempting to download the firmware update. How it all worked from there is a blur now, but I saw the magic word "upload" and was able to update the firmware. Computer and modem both restarted and able to comminucate. And the first line of this post is the best news. So, a round of applause and sincere thanks for reassuring me that the communication was legit and offering me a couple of different ways to sort out the router firmware issue. Thanks so much for your patience and help!

[michaelkenward]

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@PennieL wrote:
Computer and modem both restarted and able to comminucate. And the first line of this post is the best news.

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Glad it worked. Someone else came along with a similar problem of confused instructions. Those release notes are for the old way of doing things, before Netgear updated the browser interface. Unfortunately, no one bothered to rewrite the instructions.

Before you get too far with using it, check that everything works as expected. It should. But if not you may have to reset the device which will wipe out any changes you make.

[PennieL]

Thanks, have already got over that little hiccup- when I restarted my computer it said that it wasn’t connected to my router,  but turning off the router and waiting before turning it back on got me to the magic set of green lights and devices happily recognising one another 🙂 I appreciate you letting the NETGEAR people know about the out-of-date instructions- just made everything utterly confusing and compounded my concerns that the communication wasn’t genuine. The new Genie dashboard is way better than the old one, too!

Many thanks to kind experts giving their time and experience to help other people!