I've been using this router for months with no problem. Suddenly for no decernable reason we can no longer retrieve email. We are using thunderbird. I switched to my older NetGear router and no problems receiving or sending mail. I've searched every setting in the router and can find nothing tht would prevent us from retrieving our email. This occurs on both Windows and MacOS. We just switch to the old router and all works perfectly. We go to the new one (R6120) and the mail client just times out.
At this point the router is about to go in the trash bin. I've searched and searched and find no solution or even an explantion.
A number is more useful than "the latest". (It may not be by the time people read this.) There can also be newer versions, or "hot fixes", that do not show up if you check for new firmware in the browser interface.
It might also help if you told people what the modem is in front of this router, if there is one. The model number could be useful. Is it, by any chance, also a router, with a set of LAN ports on the back?
The reason for asking is that a lot of people turn up here trying to put a router behind a modem that is also a router. That can complicate troubleshooting.
You have posted your message in the section of this community given over to Nighthawk WiFi Routers. (This is easily done, given Netgear's impenetrable community structure.)
You might get more help, and find earlier questions and answers about your hardware, in the appropriate section for your device. That's probably here:
The key point is that the router worked fine for a year. It is attached to a satelite modem. It is also important to note that two other routers are working fine. (Routers have wired connections to a switch box and are located in different locations.)
I downgraded th firmware two levels and retested. Still unable to retrieve email from a POP, SMTP or IMAP server. Attempts just timeout. If I switch to the old NetGear router, email is retrieved without issue.
I am a computer consultant. One of my clients (a fire department) had exactly the same issue. I replaced the modem with toolkit backup and the client was able to retrieve all his email.
I've examined the router's log but find nothing useful there. I am just baffled. I have always recommended NetGear equipment to my clients. I have a lot of routers in service. Now I'm concerned that I may have find an alternative. If this becomes more widespread and I have no solution then I'll have to replace them with some other brand.
The key point is that the router worked fine for a year.
Yes, but if you aren't prepared to go through the usual troubleshooting routine, and to provide the details requested, you won't find out if it was something on the router that changed or, for example, if Windows stepped in and updated something to make your computer safer, taking out the email in the process.
Other things that can change are the email service itself and the various servers that your ISP throws into the mix.
It is very easy to point the finger at the router, but in reality these things can be more complicated than that.
I assume that you have done the obvious, reset the router and set it up again from scratch.
By the way, the R6120 is a pretty basic, bottom of the range router. According to Netgear's manual for this device, not always the most reliable source of information, the LAN and WAN support only 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX. That makes it slower than many newer internet services and most modern network hardware. This may not matter to you, but be warned that it will hobble you if you ever sign up for faster Internet. It also slows down whatever is going on in your local network. Newer devices support 1000BASE-TX.
It is surprising that Netgear released something as "20th century" as this in 2018.
The R6120 is fine for most people. Since the email blocking occurred on both Windows and MacOS simultaniously I don't see the operating system as responsible.
I have reset the router, tried from both WiFi and ethernet and had no success.
