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Router Unable to Boot, Stuck in Bootloop
Hi all, I am having trouble with my Netgear Nighthawk X6 R8000 currently. I have had this router for 5.5 years (since August 8, 2014) and it is currently running on the latest firmware (1.04....
Issue has been resolved, please see post #5 of this thread:
labatt wrote:
Guessing the router may have had an update pushed to it that did not go well.
May need to do the famous, on this site, tftp to get it going again.
https://kb.netgear.com/000059634/How-to-upload-firmware-to-a-NETGEAR-router-using-Windows-TFTP
You don't need tftp unless it really is impossible to get into the browser graphical user interface to run the update.
Along the same lines, another thought I had was that the last firmware update didn't stuck.
But given the quality of recent updates, rolling back to an earlier version might be worth trying if the latest continues to play up.
labatt wrote:
Just a curiosity question. Why don't you leave the router turned on? Doesn't use that much electricity and opens you up to early life failures, just like it is recommended to not turn a PC off. Inrush can damage components.
Spot on there. It isn't just the "surge effects" but the possibility of connection issues when the thing boots up.
For a while I ran a modem/router (D6400) in model only mode. The boot process after a power cut was so slow that the rest of the network got left behind. Nothing connected. I installed a modem only box instead.
That an HDD causes problems hints at possible problems on that front.
Please see the attached Answers... (My previous response got deleted for unknown reasons)
michaelkenward wrote:
"What do the LEDs on the R8000 look like, especially the Power LED"?
Answer: It remains lit orange. And it will always stay orange as long as it's stuck in a bootloop. Closer to the end of the boot process before it loops, all the lights will be a transparent, NOT solid white.
"5.5 years of daily on/off cycling might have done thkigs to the power adapter. Do you have a spare you could try? Anything with the right volts, amps, polarity and tip size should work."
Answer: I don't have a spare unfortunately. But I highly doubt it's the power adapter at all; when it can run normally it runs perfectly fine (up until the problems started).
"The cycling may also explain why the HDD plays up. Switching things on/off can confuse things."
Answer: I have disconnected the HDD already ever since the problems begun. It will keep bootlooping.
labatt wrote:
Guessing the router may have had an update pushed to it that did not go well.
May need to do the famous, on this site, tftp to get it going again.
https://kb.netgear.com/000059634/How-to-upload-firmware-to-a-NETGEAR-router-using-Windows-TFTP
Answer: tftp is utterly useless while the router keeps bootlooping, the device isn't even detected at all. This was also not a problem caused by a bricked firmware update. I am strongly starting to suspect it's a hardware failure more than anything else...
michaelkenward wrote:
Along the same lines, another thought I had was that the last firmware update didn't stuck.
But given the quality of recent updates, rolling back to an earlier version might be worth trying if the latest continues to play up.
Answer: I will try going back one version down and see if it helps. I honestly preferred the older version as the built-in, lightweight downloader was powerful as hell. It was probably my most favoured feature of the X6.
labatt wrote:
Just a curiosity question. Why don't you leave the router turned on? Doesn't use that much electricity and opens you up to early life failures, just like it is recommended to not turn a PC off. Inrush can damage components.
michaelkenward wrote:
Spot on there. It isn't just the "surge effects" but the possibility of connection issues when the thing boots up.
For a while I ran a modem/router (D6400) in model only mode. The boot process after a power cut was so slow that the rest of the network got left behind. Nothing connected. I installed a modem only box instead.
That an HDD causes problems hints at possible problems on that front.
Answer: I personally think the issue of "surge effects" and "early life failures" being attributed to on-off cycles is rather over-exaggerated. At least here in Singapore, ask an average Joe what a UPS or surge protector is and they will probably retort "What the heck are you talking about?". The reason is quite simple... I can only thank (and most Singaporeans take for granted) the reliable and stable power supply of our national grid. Devices catastrophically failing from power surges or power failures are unheard of, at least in Singapore. I can understand if it's in the U.S. or some other country where there have been enough people complaining about their devices failing from unexpected power surges and what not... but it's not applicable to where I live. 97% of our electrical cables are already in deep service tunnels 20 levels deep, not like the overhead electrical wires still present in other countries, and besides, we don't experience lightning interference or natural disasters.
Also, I should point out that the reason for power cycling the X6 is not unfounded. It has been observed that the router stalls entirely if it is left on between 48 - 50 hours straight; any devices that are not already connected to the router via Wi-Fi will fail to connect (Authentication Failure), and the web console is entirely inaccessible. LAN devices and the built-in routing capability, as well as Network Shared Drive access remain unaffected. Most of my family complains anyway if they can't connect to Wi-Fi so I still ended up power cycling anyway.
Also, a further update:
The router no longer responds to resets, even if the reset button is pushed and held on for at least 30 seconds. I have to wait almost 2 hours for the router to reboot, and unfortunately, not every component comes on. It seems as if the Wireless component of the router is dead. LOL. See attached screenshot for more details. I have disabled WPS (the very first thing I did when I got the router) and now it claims it is configured. Using the Wi-Fi on/off button has no effect on turning on or off of the Wireless function of the router.
The next step:
I will downgrade one version to R8000-V1.0.4.28_10.1.54 and see if it will bring the Wireless feature back on.
If it fails, I am likely to get a replacement router of the same model. I have already found a seller and I am just waiting for the result of the downgrade to see if I need to proceed or not.
- If the power LED never gets beyond being orange, that is a sign that you have corrupt firmware on your router. As you say, if it is stuck in a bootloop, it is hard to do the TFTP thing. But unless you can get into the device somehow, you are stuffed. I don't see any sign that you have tried the "recovery reset". Press reset for 30 seconds Keep pressing reset while removing power Keep pressing reset for another 30 seconds while apply power If that does not work, then I fear that your 5 1/2 year old R8000 has bitten the dust.
michaelkenward wrote:
If the power LED never gets beyond being orange, that is a sign that you have corrupt firmware on your router. As you say, if it is stuck in a bootloop, it is hard to do the TFTP thing. But unless you can get into the device somehow, you are stuffed. I don't see any sign that you have tried the "recovery reset". Press reset for 30 seconds Keep pressing reset while removing power Keep pressing reset for another 30 seconds while apply power If that does not work, then I fear that your 5 1/2 year old R8000 has bitten the dust.I currently managed to reboot the router. Only issue is that the Wireless component of the router cannot startup. I have not reset it because mission critical applications are running now. I will do it once the mission critical application has completed its task. But prior to that, I will downgrade to a previous version and hope for the best.
it_geek wrote:I currently managed to reboot the router. Only issue is that the Wireless component of the router cannot startup. I have not reset it because mission critical applications are running now. I will do it once the mission critical application has completed its task. But prior to that, I will downgrade to a previous version and hope for the best.
I doubt if a factory reset is the right move.
Your firmware is clearly acting up.
When you are ready, what you could try is to reflash the firmware. Even the latest version might work. It will overwrite the corrupt version on the device.
One thing I would not do is turn the router off. If it is in a fragile state, rebooting it again is asking for trouble.
When you do update the firmware, do it with a browser and a wired connection to the router. It sounds like this is the only option if the wifi won't work. Updates over wifi are asking for trouble.