NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
derekcannady
Dec 23, 2021Guide
RAX120 V2 Constant Random Reboots
The router reboots frequently sometimes every 30 minutes. I have noticed that the router reboots under heavy system load of +50% on the processor. The only way I have been able to drastically lesse...
- Jun 11, 2022Installed beta firmware 1.2.3.33 on it and then turn fan on in debug.htm. Just check mark it , don’t click on apply.
And bought a cool pad from amazon $10 . 4 days in a row no restart and router works perfect.
Laptop Cooling Pad,ESGAMING Laptop Cooling Stand Laptop Cooler 10-15.6 Inch 2 USB Ports 2 Fans with Blue LEDs https://a.co/d/dXVVnxw
FURRYe38
Sep 21, 2022Guru
Hoping that we an get some logs from you if possible.
dude8370 wrote:
To be clear, loading it can cause it to reboot, but also it can reboot with minimal load. Could it be regarding the voltage to the PS? Maybe.
I can add, the RAX120 v1 we also have with the EXACT same power supply does not reboot at all no matter the situation, and is very stable. This v2 is as erratic as the needle on a sewing machine.
Bladestorm
Sep 21, 2022Star
2022-09-21 10:51 AM
Hoping that we an get some logs from you if possible.
Are you saying they cannot reproduce this issue in house? I do find this hard to believe if so. Just asking since I do QA and if something like this did occur we would be testing in house first before reaching out the the public for logs.
Sorry to derail but after reading all the posts on this very hard to believe either they are not wanting to test in house or ????
- FURRYe38Sep 21, 2022Guru
I don't know. They maybe wanting to see logs from users since mostly more reproducible out here in the field. Seems like it's been hard to quantify the reboots with various users ands what there doing at the time of the reboot. Too many variables.
Was mentioned that there was a Kernel panic happening that after a period of time would cause the reboot if the router was under load that would cause high CPU usage thus would heat up thus why asking if the top of the router feels extra warm or hot. Trigger temps if reached should turn on the fan but may not be. There was a beta being offered a few months ago but didn't seem to resolve this. changing of power adapters wasn't a final solution either.
Having logs from users would help for review and for comparison.
- _NDS_Sep 21, 2022Apprentice
While some reasonable cooperation is fair to expect from the end user to troubleshoot the issue with a novel IT equipment, in this particular case I feel Netgear has failed to deliver any confidence that they are actively looking to resolve the issue.
This thread is one year and nine months old. Surely over this period of time Netgear should have been able to collect all information possible from the unlucky users? What is clear is that their current approach is not working, as the issue persits through firmware updates.
The key to the problem is their ability to reproduce the issue on the bench. Then they can resolve it if this then is treated as priority.
The fact that they still looking for user logs suggests that they have not reproduced the issue are are shooting in the dark.
It's about time someone from Netgear provided their official acknoledgement of the problem and timeline to resolve.
- FURRYe38Sep 21, 2022Guru
Please feel free to reach out to NG support or a forum moderator regarding your concerns as all this is beyond forum help.
Good Luck. - _NDS_Sep 21, 2022Apprentice
Sure DarrenM and ChristineT - as this forum moderator and admin respectively - the only official links to Netgear form here, are you able to provide an official reply on the matter of random reboots with RAX120 V2 and timeline for it to be resolved?
Thank you in advance.
PS I just also emailed mark.merrill@netgear.com - the Chief Technology Officer
- BladestormSep 22, 2022Star
Not to side track this but just got the RAX200 up and running. the fans on the top of that router you can feel the air being pushed. the RAX120 you could not even feel the air coming out if it or hear it working. At lease for my setup. Returning the RAX120 now.
- FURRYe38Sep 22, 2022Guru
Ya, i think one of many problems with the 120v2 is that the fan isn't being triggered by default when the heat gets high.
Glad the 200 is working.
- _NDS_Sep 22, 2022Apprentice
FURRYe38 wrote:
Ya, i think one of many problems with the 120v2 is that the fan isn't being triggered by default when the heat gets high.
Nope. This is yet again another deflection. The fan is working perfectly fine on my RAX120v2, however it is still rebooting randomly. Plus, quite a few people, including muniz_ri recently, reported the router rebooting even with the fan switched permanently on through the debug page in the GUI. You have seen and even replied to these posts. Being an 'experienced user' it should be blatantly obvious to you that the fan is not the root cause and cooling is not a solution. We all should know this by now.
If the was a problem with a fan on the RAX120 there would be a thread "I can never hear my RAX120 fan - is it broken?". No such thread.
Why post something that has no relevance?
- _NDS_Sep 22, 2022Apprentice
Bladestorm wrote:
Not to side track this but just got the RAX200 up and running. the fans on the top of that router you can feel the air being pushed. the RAX120 you could not even feel the air coming out if it or hear it working. At lease for my setup. Returning the RAX120 now.
Returning the RAX120 was definitely the right thing to do.
Bringing up the point about not hearing the fan is. Did you RAX120 feel very hot to touch? It's fan has a temperature sensor and is triggered when the temperature of the CPU reaches certain threshold. It should come on only from time to time and stay most of the time off, allowing for passive cooling of the router.
- BladestormSep 22, 2022Star
Yes at one point I used my surface temp to see what the top of the router was it was 55 Celsius.
- BladestormSep 23, 2022Star
Well update the RAX200 has not had the reboot issue. mounted on wall working without issue.
I did notice one thing the below differences.
RAX 200 1.8gig processor
RAX120 2.2gig processor
Also the RAX200 has larger power supply wall converter.
Not sure but wonder if the RAX120 is way under powered for the job?
Just my 2 cents not worth much but had to get it out there 🙂
- Tiberius675aSep 23, 2022Star
Decided ti give support one more try before dropping another $300 for a replacement. I am over the 90 days so I put in a hardware ticket. Working through all the steps they are asking me to do even though I have already done them.
Last request was to download the firmware, update manually and reset using the reset button. Just did this now.
Curious where this will end up.
- BladestormSep 24, 2022Star
I know I know It will end up rebooting again randomly... Sorry to say but they are just pulling your chain.
- Tiberius675aSep 24, 2022StarI know. It has already rebooted twice since I did the manual update and reset. Not expecting much. Even if they did send a replacement chances are it will have the same problem.
- Tiberius675aSep 24, 2022Star
They requested pictures of the unit and proof of purchase mentioned an RMA
- Tiberius675aSep 25, 2022Star
RMA approved.Just Entered the shipping information.
Let you all know when I receive the replacement and if there is any change.
- feboxSep 27, 2022Initiate
Then that's it? Will there be no further investigation or fixes from Netgear?
I guess my question is: is there still hope or that's it?
I find it absurd that this issue is still marked as resolved - it shows that Netgear does not care. "Just get a RAX200" is not an answer - it's an investment of +200 euros where I live. Would you give me a free RAX200 in exchange for my RAX120v2, Netgear? If not, then this is not an option.
FURRYe38 asked me to install new firmware with debug options, but I wasn't able to get to it yet. Also, the lack of contact from someone at Netgear is quite disconcerting. This is my first time buying a Netgear product and I couldn't be more dissatisfied with the experience.
Today it's pretty cold in my house (12 degrees C) and my router has restarted 3 times in 30 minutes - when it happened the unit was not hot at all. I was not streaming any kind of video and I was not in a video meeting.
- FURRYe38Sep 27, 2022Guru
So this is till under investigation at NG. Debug logging we asked about would be helpful in there investigation.
Not every mfr has to comment on problems seen on there products. If your not happy with the 120 or willing to help capture logs, then I recommend you return the 120 and find something else.
- muniz_riSep 30, 2022Apprentice
I see that the threads re: the RAX120v2 random reboots are closed and no longer allowing replies. So I will post the following in this thread...
I turned down the 2.4GHz transmit power to 25% and the 5GHz transmit power to 50% and the router has not rebooted for the past two days. Even at 25% transmit power the 2.4GHz band signal strength is excellent. At 50% transmit power the 5GHz band signal strength remains adequate with no noticeable drop in speed so all good so far.
Fingers crossed this approach turns out to be a viable workaround.
- stolnsolOct 03, 2022StarStill working for you?
- KillhippieOct 03, 2022Prodigy
I have retired my V1 I got in late 2019, I beta tested the original which was even bigger (you can fit the current RAX120 inside the space for the wings and body on the beta RAX120 hardware), anyway I digress the RAXV120 (V1) never once had this reboot issue issue, and the only main difference is the chipset which has the same features and is only a small bump in numbers , I wonder if its a bad batch of silicon maybe? Just throwing out ideas, as only Netgear know the true number of complaints and forums only show those who have issues of course. Nobody comes online to say 'all working well' do they.
With all the issues recently with getting new SoC's the RAX120v2 should have been capable of UL and DL OFDMA but that was never added with the updated Hawkeye, it is identical in specs to the the version 1 in pretty much every other way except the original IPQ8074 was a 2Ghz CPU not 2.2 and didnt have WPA3, its almost like this was a customised chip for Netgear. In the UK it comes (or did) with a massive power brick, mine for the RAXE500 is the same size (huge) Earlier RAX120 v1's had coil whine until you turned on the router weirdly enough. My PSU for the RAX120 version 1 is a 'ADS-65MIA-19 19060-H' if that helps anyone. - muniz_riOct 03, 2022Apprentice
It's very possible that the reboots could be caused by a hardware issue and that would be bad news for those of us still hoping for a solution.
- Tiberius675aOct 03, 2022Star
Hey all, I received the RMA replacement. Fully expecting to have the same reboot issue. I was quite surprised and pleased when after unit booted and I entered setup with the browser to see I had been sent a v1 unit.
Set it up with my wifi network names and passwords. Been up for just 4 days now with no reboots.
I have seen a lot of negative comments on here regarding the support and I will say I was skeptical but I was just patient, replied with the information they requested and performed every step that asked me to take.Took about a week of going back and forth(mostly because I was busy with work and couldn't respond for a few days). I have to say I am pleased with how they handled the issue and the outcome.
Also I was expecting a brown box replacement but this appeared to be a new unit in full retail packaging including shrink wrap with all accessories. Also the power supply is the same as I received with the v2 that I returned.
- FURRYe38Oct 03, 2022Guru
What is the first 3 characters of the routers serial number?
Tiberius675a wrote:
Hey all, I received the RMA replacement. Fully expecting to have the same reboot issue. I was quite surprised and pleased when after unit booted and I entered setup with the browser to see I had been sent a v1 unit.
Set it up with my wifi network names and passwords. Been up for just 4 days now with no reboots.
I have seen a lot of negative comments on here regarding the support and I will say I was skeptical but I was just patient, replied with the information they requested and performed every step that asked me to take.Took about a week of going back and forth(mostly because I was busy with work and couldn't respond for a few days). I have to say I am pleased with how they handled the issue and the outcome.
Also I was expecting a brown box replacement but this appeared to be a new unit in full retail packaging including shrink wrap with all accessories. Also the power supply is the same as I received with the v2 that I returned.