Anyone especially Netgear able to advise - I have lots of issues using this router and tried to contact support but that just gives a blank page (still signed in on Netgear) even though all my devices show as registered and supported in the table on teh screen (My Netgear). So come to this forum to try and get help.
I upgraded my firmware using Insight app . Although the insight App said after a long period - 'update failed' in red and I tried twice, when I look at the router verion on dashboard it has indeed been updated.
However all my reserved IP addresses have gone and those devices (including a server and all my printers) have new IP addresses so could not initially access them from anywhere. Annoyingly all my devices which I had happily typed in the name of and type have now gone too. Most worrying though is the UPnP setting has been switched back on. This was how I had had my networked IP cameras hacked just before Christmas so I upped their security (once I re-established control not at all easy) and switched of UPNP so no ports where being broadcast. This has now been undone due to the upgrade. The only devices that have kept IP addresses are in fact the cameras that have fixed (assigned in the camera) IP address.
Is all this a 'feature' taht we need to be aware of that compromises secuirty (does question why have a VPN router that can reset UPnP).
Any advise or possibly fixing all this with a new firmware update?
EDIT: I just looked at the firmware update instructions and it says to perform the update via the app or the Insight portal, so you were definitely following instructions. But that ... does NOT sound like a good idea. For one, if anything goes wrong and the router loses connection with the cloud portal you risk bricking or seriously messing it up. Not your fault, I'm just wondering how Netgear thought this was a good idea.
I don't have a BR500, but I can tell you from experience: never, never, NEVER upgrade a network device's firmware from an app or wireless client. Do it only from a wired device, preferably from one that's on the same LAN. Every time I've attempted updating over an app or Wi-Fi (even when there's no official warning not to) either settings get messed up or the device bricks.
