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Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

Daniel-UK
Apprentice

Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

RBR50 / RBS50 Firmware Version 2.7.0.70 is advertised for US Region Only. Does anyone know why?!?

I am not in US and I successfully installed it.

 

I found bizarre that an update to firmware 2.5.2.4 was forced/pushed by Netgear in July BUT I had to manually install the 2.7.0.70.

I did this primarily for the security issues that are supposely fixed although Netgear does not publish what they are.

  • Fixes the issue where Option 61 could not use the “@” character in the Internet setup GUI page. ==> never had problems with the previous firmware and I did successfully use the @ character 
  • Fixes the issue where the client devices potentially could not access the Internet after enabling Circle.==> never had this problem
  • Fixes security issues ==> this is the main reason I installed it.

Transmit power @75% has been now removed.

Does anyone have a useful list of all the changes?

Are there any issues reported?   

Model: RBK53|Orbi AC3000 Tri-band WiFi System
Message 1 of 17
Mstrbig
Master

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

Don't know why US Only, but there must be a reason.

The changes were printed and available if you search, as well as has been posted in the forum.

I've been using 2.7.0.70 for a month now and there are absolutely no issues with it. The only issuses, sad to sad, are human error.

Satellites are suggested to be updated first, then router.

My experiences are:

It takes a couple of reboots to get the app and GUI to properly report devices

Some devices require a forget WIFI network and re-join.

So PCs and laptops require a DNS flush, reconnect network, and/or Forget WIFI and re-join

In a couple of cases, we had to factory reset a second time.

Latest scenario, backup, factory reset, re-configure without any devices connected, manual update Satellites 1st, then router 2nd, to 2.7.0.70, Name SSID same as before, re-connect devices. = "0" issues. 

 

Message 2 of 17
Daniel-UK
Apprentice

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

Dear community,

I am reposting my my questions that are still unanswered

 

(1) why this firmware update is only flagged "FOR US REGION ONLY"

(2) what's the impact of installing in outside of the US

(3) does anyone have a list of changes introduced by the firmware (e.g. removal of 75% transmission power)

 

 

@Mstrbig thanks for your attempt answering my questions. Luckily my update was very smooth and I didn't experience any of the issues you described.

Can you please confirm that you are not based in US?

Message 3 of 17
Mstrbig
Master

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?


@Daniel-UK wrote:

Dear community,

I am reposting my my questions that are still unanswered

 

(1) why this firmware update is only flagged "FOR US REGION ONLY"

(2) what's the impact of installing in outside of the US

(3) does anyone have a list of changes introduced by the firmware (e.g. removal of 75% transmission power)

 

 

@Mstrbig thanks for your attempt answering my questions. Luckily my update was very smooth and I didn't experience any of the issues you described.

Can you please confirm that you are not based in US?


I'm sorry but I cannot answer the 1, 2, 3 questions, as I am in the U.S. 

Regarding 1, maybe some features are different, since ISPs are different overseas, or some languages omitted.

Regarding 2, Cannot answer, except for my answer 1. 

Regarding 3, a simple NET search will give you the answer, as well as a forum search for 2.7.0.70.

Message 4 of 17
schumaku
Guru

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

A firmware published for a certain region only could be regulatory related (there would be a warning in the formal release notes, not just in the referal) or for example because of a service platform e.g. for the newly added Parental Control.

 

Netgear has released 2.7.0.x to select installations before, based on some undefined criteria, before using the live update.

 

If the firmware is not intended for usage abroad of the US, they certainly won't distribute it using the worldwide generic live update process as what they have used for 2.5.2.4. Nothing bizarre. 

Message 5 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

Official Relase notes:

https://kb.netgear.com/000062320/RBR50-RBS50-Firmware-Version-2-7-0-70

 

I can only surmise that NG doesn't support this officially out side the US Region due to some fetures that may not be either supported or NG hasn't come to some legal aggreements with regions outside of the USA regarding some features or controls, thus would make this build of FW not officially supported outside of the US Region. Or some features were only intended for the US Region. 

 


@Daniel-UK wrote:

Dear community,

I am reposting my my questions that are still unanswered

 

(1) why this firmware update is only flagged "FOR US REGION ONLY"

(2) what's the impact of installing in outside of the US

(3) does anyone have a list of changes introduced by the firmware (e.g. removal of 75% transmission power)

 

 

@Mstrbig thanks for your attempt answering my questions. Luckily my update was very smooth and I didn't experience any of the issues you described.

Can you please confirm that you are not based in US?




 

 

Message 6 of 17
Daniel-UK
Apprentice

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

so the findings so far are

 

- none could confirm exactly/officially why this flagged for US only

- none outside of the US can confirm there are no issues with this firmware outside of the US

- there isn't somewhere a simple list with the changes (e.g. 75% transmission power removed) and of course the official release note doesn't list them (otherwise I woudn't have asked).

Message 7 of 17
Mstrbig
Master

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

It's a ConspiracySmiley Wink

Message 8 of 17
schumaku
Guru

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

For the friends of the current POTS: It's fake news.

Message 9 of 17
gr8sho
Virtuoso

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?


@Mstrbig wrote:

It's a ConspiracySmiley Wink


I'm in the U.S. and am still on 2.5.1.  None of the more recent versions have been pushed or offered.   And, I'm not looking forward to another round(s) of factory reset roulette either.  

Message 10 of 17
Mstrbig
Master

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?


@gr8sho wrote:

@Mstrbig wrote:

It's a ConspiracySmiley Wink


I'm in the U.S. and am still on 2.5.1.  None of the more recent versions have been pushed or offered.   And, I'm not looking forward to another round(s) of factory reset roulette either.  


Yea me too. And none were pushed to me as well, except for the initial update on install.

I must love pain because I decided to update all RBR50 and RBS50 units to 2.7.0.70. It's painless if updated correctly.

There are reasons not to update, but there are many reasons to update. It's also more frustrating to update when left on an old firmware and 2 or 3 updates have come and gone, and the user decides they want to update to the latest firmware.

Message 11 of 17
gr8sho
Virtuoso

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

@Mstrbig wrote:

there are many reasons to update. 


There's nothing left to do with this setup I suspect.  Unless some severe new security issue is resolved.  I've given up hope Netgear will ever be able to manage multicast IPTV traffic correctly, which is the only thing I need the product to handle at this point.  

Message 12 of 17
Supertramp11
Luminary

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

Just guessing...

 

 

Message 13 of 17
PaoloWang
Aspirant

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

I found one issue under Firmware 2.7.0.70 with RBS 40 FM 2.6.1.38, RBS40 will show the configuration synching status at the monitor interface. And the RBS40 cannot be connected or used in the whole WIFI system. So I have to downgrade the FM of RBR50 to 2.6.1.40 then the RBS40's issue fixed.

Message 14 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

sounds like the RBS40 needs to be on same version of FW and NG will have to get the FW updated and release on the 40 series to help make it work with v2.7 versions of FW. 


@PaoloWang wrote:

I found one issue under Firmware 2.7.0.70 with RBS 40 FM 2.6.1.38, RBS40 will show the configuration synching status at the monitor interface. And the RBS40 cannot be connected or used in the whole WIFI system. So I have to downgrade the FM of RBR50 to 2.6.1.40 then the RBS40's issue fixed.


 

Message 15 of 17
jpottaway
Tutor

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

I to would like to know why US only. The Circle bug in the release notes is major and effects me badly. Crashes the router eventually, well documented elsewhere. It is the DNS daemon.

I have installed the “US only” version in Australia and it works fine (and does indeed correct the crippling Circle bug) but why is this not made officially available to the rest of the world Netgear?
Message 16 of 17
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Why only US Region for Firmware 2.7.0.70?

Something to contact NG support about and see if they will tell you. 


@jpottaway wrote:
I to would like to know why US only. The Circle bug in the release notes is major and effects me badly. Crashes the router eventually, well documented elsewhere. It is the DNS daemon.

I have installed the “US only” version in Australia and it works fine (and does indeed correct the crippling Circle bug) but why is this not made officially available to the rest of the world Netgear?

 

Message 17 of 17
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