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Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

siliconglen
Tutor

RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

Most of my devices use 5Ghz however a couple of legacy devices use 2.5Ghz. The 2.5Ghz don't have the hardware to connect at 5Ghz

 

Router was upgraded through the app to V1.2.1.22 firmware recently and have noticed since then the 2.5Ghz devices are failing to connect. Issue might be related to the firmware upgrade, impossible to be 100% sure on this as I rarely use 2.5Ghz but for a few devices it's a must have and they need an update.

 

The connection issue is universal across all of the devices (including new devices which would prefer to be on 5Ghz) 

 

The error reported is "incorrect password" which plainly isn't the case as it wasn't changed. Nonetheless I rebooted the router, changed the password to something else, let the router reboot, changed the password back again, let it reboot again, forgot the network on all the devices then tried to reconnect - ie I forced the router to accept a password update then put it back to what it was.

 

Still getting either "unable to connect" or "incorrect password" errors.

 

Fed up with this.

 

Due to the poor support after 90 days for what appears to be a Netgear hardware or firmware issue, will be sending router back unless anyone has any other suggestions?

 

Using WPA-2 Personal [AES] WPA3 Personal

 

Some actual diagnostics would be really useful rather than guess and hope.

 

For the moment I'm getting by using a mobile hotspot on 2.5Ghz which allows the devices to connect

 

 

 

 

 

 

Model: RAX120|Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WiFi Router
Message 1 of 10

Accepted Solutions
siliconglen
Tutor

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

This is no longer working. Have the  latest firmware, set the 2.5Ghz band to no password and still couldn't get a connection. 

 

Then set the password and the invalid password errors reappeared. I must have a reliable 2.5Ghz as I have devices which only use this band. Also, I don't appreciate my time being wasted and in the unlikely event I ever work in an office again, I'm not having my family hindered by unreliable internet while I'm out the house.

 

The netgear support is poor and offers nothing except a robot reponse and "call this number" after 90 days, offering no free options for anyone with a speech issues or who doesn't want to take up time during the valuable working day when I am facing customers.

 

Therefore and on the basis of multiple independent reviews I'm going for the ASUS RT-AX86U

 

%age of 1,2,3 star reviews on Amazon for this product Vs the RAX120:  8% Vs 23%

1 star reviews 3% Vs 12%

 

Rated Excellent by PC Mag: https://uk.pcmag.com/wireless-routers/129217/asus-rt-ax86u-ax5700-router

 

Rated best for the money by CNET: https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/asus-rt-ax86u-wi-fi-6-router-review/

 

Favourite Standalone Router by Tom's guide: https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/reviews/asus-rt-ax86u

 

Impressive by Techradar https://www.techradar.com/uk/reviews/asus-rt-ax86u

Highly rated by Dong https://dongknows.com/asus-rt-ax86u-ax5700-gaming-router-review/

 

 

I need a relatively up to date router that is secure and reliable. Netgear isn't reliable.

 

 

 

 

 

View solution in original post

Model: RAX120|Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WiFi Router
Message 10 of 10

All Replies
siliconglen
Tutor

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

Additional info: 

Have checked for channel conflicts - none

Have checked signal strength : -45dBm

Broadcasting on channel 13.

 

changed password to one longer than the original incase there was an issue with overwriting the Nvram. Still "invalid password"

 

Is there any decent windows or android diagnostic tools which can show me what's going on at the packet level and give me a detailed log complete with the return status code?

 

Model: RAX120|Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WiFi Router
Message 2 of 10
siliconglen
Tutor

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

I turned off the password, restarted the router and forgot the network. The error is now "Couldn't authenticate connection".

 

 

Message 3 of 10
Razor512
Prodigy

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

Keep in mind that some devices to not support mixed WPA2 and WPA3 modes, where if they have compatiblilty issues, they will endlessly try to connect or simply find whatever password you enter as wrong.

Message 4 of 10
Chichizola
Star

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

In other word they don't work as adverticed. @DITCHNETGEAR

Message 5 of 10
thehypnootoad
Luminary

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

With my 2.4 ghz devices I personally reserve the ip address as they just struggle to connect ... but since this update my google hubs keep dropping connection and my s20plus 5g keeps giving me authentication error messages till I make a static ip on the phone.
Message 6 of 10
siliconglen
Tutor

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

Printer only connects on 2.5Ghz and is giving me an error "MAC address may be filtered" error code E-6. I don't have MAC filtering on.

Message 7 of 10
james1795
Aspirant

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

Make sure to disable 20/40 coexistence. Also under wireless just do WPA2 and see if that works for you. I had to do this to mine so my wireless printer would connect on the 2.4 band.

Model: RAX120|Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WiFi Router
Message 8 of 10
mariosuper47
Initiate

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

Firmware update V1.2.1.22 caused this yesterday on my router.   I didn't realize that the update had occured until nothing else I tried worked.   Everything had been working fine until yesterday.   But then 2.4 Ghz wifi was dead even though the lights on the router were flashing as if the band was active.   All my home smart connections were disconnected and I couldn't switch them to 5 GHz

 

Finally I checked firmware and found the firmware version above had automatically updated.   I then unchecked the box for automatic update of firmware and rolled back to the next oldest version of firmware.

 

Viola!  Everything works again.    I have had this sort of thing happen previously with other Netgear routers but, up until now, the RAX120 had been rock solid.

Model: RAX120|Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WiFi Router
Message 9 of 10
siliconglen
Tutor

Re: RAX120 problems on 2.5GHz

This is no longer working. Have the  latest firmware, set the 2.5Ghz band to no password and still couldn't get a connection. 

 

Then set the password and the invalid password errors reappeared. I must have a reliable 2.5Ghz as I have devices which only use this band. Also, I don't appreciate my time being wasted and in the unlikely event I ever work in an office again, I'm not having my family hindered by unreliable internet while I'm out the house.

 

The netgear support is poor and offers nothing except a robot reponse and "call this number" after 90 days, offering no free options for anyone with a speech issues or who doesn't want to take up time during the valuable working day when I am facing customers.

 

Therefore and on the basis of multiple independent reviews I'm going for the ASUS RT-AX86U

 

%age of 1,2,3 star reviews on Amazon for this product Vs the RAX120:  8% Vs 23%

1 star reviews 3% Vs 12%

 

Rated Excellent by PC Mag: https://uk.pcmag.com/wireless-routers/129217/asus-rt-ax86u-ax5700-router

 

Rated best for the money by CNET: https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/asus-rt-ax86u-wi-fi-6-router-review/

 

Favourite Standalone Router by Tom's guide: https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/reviews/asus-rt-ax86u

 

Impressive by Techradar https://www.techradar.com/uk/reviews/asus-rt-ax86u

Highly rated by Dong https://dongknows.com/asus-rt-ax86u-ax5700-gaming-router-review/

 

 

I need a relatively up to date router that is secure and reliable. Netgear isn't reliable.

 

 

 

 

 

Model: RAX120|Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream WiFi Router
Message 10 of 10
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