RBS50 v2 waiting for connection

[jconrod]

I have an RBS50 router that has frimware V2.5.2.4 and an RBS50 satellite that has firmware V2.3.5.30.  The status of the satellite is always "Waiting for connection" and I can't manually or automatically update the firmware.  When I turn on the satellite the top light always blinks white.  Pressing the reset button doesn't do anything.  I have now way to connect to the satellite to update it.  Any thoughts on what I can do?  Thanks.

[jconrod · Accepted solution]

Update...

I followed the instructions that I found here -- https://kb.netgear.com/000059634/How-to-upload-firmware-to-a-NETGEAR-router-using-Windows-TFTP -- to upload the FW to the bricked satellite.  However, after I enter the command in the command prompt, after a minute or so I get a message back that the "Connect request failed".  I returned the next day, after the satellite was turned off for 12 hours.  I went back to the TCP/IPv4 settings and set a DNS server address of 192.168.1.1.  I turned the satellite on while holding down the reset button.  After 10 blinks, I released it and tried the command again in the command prompt.  The transfer was successful!  Now the light above the power button is steady green and the light on the top of the Orbi is off.  It looks like the satellite FW update was successful -- it is reporting that the installed FW is V2.5.2.4.

I'm not sure what made it work today and not last night.  Maybe it was the long time being turned off.  Maybe it was setting the DNS server address to 192.168.1.1.  Those are the only two things that I did differently.

I hope this helps someone else.  This was super-frustrating.

  --Jeff

[FURRYe38]

You need to update the RBS to the same version of FW as on the RBR.

[jconrod]

Right.  But the problem is that I can't connect to the RBS.  When I try to do a manual firmware update, I'm not able to select the RBS.  The "status" of the RBS is always "Waiting for connection".  The LED above the power button on the back of the unit blicks red.  The light on the top of the unit flashes white.  It never boots up.  Pressing the reset button does nothing, even if I hold it for 15 seconds.  

Any idea of how to update the firmware when the RBS is in this state?

[FURRYe38]

What you need to do is factory reset the RBS. Wire connect a PC to the 1st satellite. Already have the FW version files downloaded on to this PC. 

Wire connect 1 PC to the back of the RBS. Factory reset the RBS, wait about 5 minutes. The PC will get a IP address from the satellite. The RBS will be 192.168.1.250. Use this IP address in a web browser to log in to the satellites web page. Log in as admin and password. Use the satellites web page FW update feature to select the FW update file that was unpacked from the .zip file. Then factory reset and then re-sync the satellites to the RBR. 

[jconrod]

Thanks. Two problems to overcome before I can do that.

1.  I can't reset the sattellite.  Pressing the reset button does nothing.  Pressing and holding the reset button does nothing.  No matter what I do, the light above the power button blinks red.

2.  I can't download the FW.  I go to https://www.netgear.com/support/product/RBS50v2.aspx#download and every version of the FW that I download can't be opened.  I end up with an image file that I can't mount or unzip.  No matter what I do I end up with a dialog box that says, "The disc image file is corrupted".

Thanks for trying to help.  This is so frustrating...

[FURRYe38]

Even a press for 15 seconds then release?

Try swapping power adapters...

[jconrod · Accepted solution]

Update...

I followed the instructions that I found here -- https://kb.netgear.com/000059634/How-to-upload-firmware-to-a-NETGEAR-router-using-Windows-TFTP -- to upload the FW to the bricked satellite.  However, after I enter the command in the command prompt, after a minute or so I get a message back that the "Connect request failed".  I returned the next day, after the satellite was turned off for 12 hours.  I went back to the TCP/IPv4 settings and set a DNS server address of 192.168.1.1.  I turned the satellite on while holding down the reset button.  After 10 blinks, I released it and tried the command again in the command prompt.  The transfer was successful!  Now the light above the power button is steady green and the light on the top of the Orbi is off.  It looks like the satellite FW update was successful -- it is reporting that the installed FW is V2.5.2.4.

I'm not sure what made it work today and not last night.  Maybe it was the long time being turned off.  Maybe it was setting the DNS server address to 192.168.1.1.  Those are the only two things that I did differently.

I hope this helps someone else.  This was super-frustrating.

  --Jeff

[FURRYe38]

Glad you got it working. Enjoy.