We just updated the firmware on our RAX80 to V1.0.1.70_1.0.30. That has killed the router's ability to connect with the internet. Now, the internet LED on the top panel is solid red, and no traffic gets through. Any solutions? Thanks ahead of time.
This entirely depends on your time, willingness to experiment, and how long it takes you to configure your router.
FIRST: Go here http://routerlogin.net/DebugHiddenPage.htm. Enable the first and second options at minimum, the rest by preference and understanding, click start debug and after some period of time, save logs. This will show your logs and everything in your NVRAM right now. If you can't work out what to do with this (it took me a while to get into it and I can still only really understand a quarter for sure) that's okay; this may help later.
(Anyone want to tell me how long you should wait between start and save, I'd love to know for sure.)
Now, your options:
1.) roll back to previous firmware, check everything works, then upgrade again. If it works, Yay!
2.) back up your settings, factory reset, upgrade to current firmware, see if everything works, then restore settings. If it works, yay! But also keep reading.
3.) DO NOT BACK UP YOUR SETTINGS. Factory reset, roll back to very first firmware (if it upgrades you before you can stop it), check everything, upgrade to latest firmware. DO NOT RESTORE FROM BACKUP. Configure all basic settings manually. If everything works, back up the current settings as a clean copy, then finish configuration, then create a second backup with your full network configuration. Delete all previous backups
Now, personal experience; for reasons, it's usually something in the settings or NVRAM, and if option one doesn't work and option two does, you may end up with a recurring issue though God knows what or why, the ways of netgear are based on dream logic. Generally, if option one doesn't work, I do this:
1) Factory reset and roll back to initial first firmware if it upgrades me before I can stop it.
2.) Set very basic, minimum settings and security, bare bones. We need a scrubbed environment with minimal variables. Use a new wireless SSID.
3.) Enable USB and attach a jump drive.
4.) Telnet in and check the nvram and save a copy (cd into /var/tmp/mnt/usb0 to get exact address)
Command: nvram show > /var/tmp/mnt/usb0/blahblahblah..../nvram_settings.txt
5.) Open nvram_settings.txt on your computer, read it and check there's nothing now from your previous router configuration. This would be the NVRAM info from the debug earlier. Compare these two and see what's what.
6a.) If there is something from your previous network configuration that you recognize that shouldn't be there--like say, the SSID name, or stuff you didn't get around to doing in basic but did do before--do the factory reset again OR google about deleting/changing parts of the NVRAM. I never do editing of NVRAM unless I have two pages of NVRAM advice open at all times. I'd go with a factory reset before delving into nvram editing.
6b.) If all is well, make no changes to your basic settings and backup a copy of these settings now. Name it something like FirmwareOriginalVersion-Basic, whatever; we just want a copy of clean basic settings that are known to work.
7.) Do the upgrade to current firmware using these same basic settings; change nothing. Check if everything works again, without changing your settings; if it works, save a copy of these settings and name it so you know this is current firmware with those same basic settings, CurrentFirmware-Basic, whatever works.
8.) Fully configure your network with all your bells and whistles and save another copy of settings with a new name, CurrentFirmware-Full. Either delete or move somewhere you won't accidentally use them all previous network backups from the old network.
The nuke it and start over principle generally does work. Good luck!
Before taking the deep dive, which may well necessary, did you reset the router to factory settings after the firmware flash?
New firmware sometimes introduces changes that are not compatible with the old configuration.
So while it isn't guaranteed to fix problems a factory reset is the first thing to try if you have issues with new firmware.
This is a nuisance because you then have to reconfigure the device all over again.
You can backup your settings before you reset and restore them later. But that may just bring back the fault. Then again, at least you will know if the reset fixed the problem.
There is also a more drastic, "recovery reset":
Press reset for 30 seconds
Keep pressing reset while removing power
Keep pressing reset for another 30 seconds while apply power
The factory reset is more a "witchcraft" move than a technically informed solution, but it does seem to fix problems, especially on the wifi front.
Before any of these, you could try an even more painless move, restart the network.
Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:
Turn off and unplug modem (if there is one).
Turn off router and computers.
Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it connect.
Turn on computers and rest of network.
If none of this simple stuff helps, work through the other suggestions.
