Netgear has finally released a fix for a broken update that locked users out of some of their devices and forced them to perform a factory reset.
At the end of April 2022, the networking equipment manufacturer released firmware update 4.6.8.2 for a number of Orbi devices (RBR750, RBS750, RBR850 and RBS850), as well as mesh Wi-Fi systems . However, the update seems to have messed things up, as users soon started reporting that they couldn’t log in to their router’s admin console, both through the web browser and the Orbi app. .
The device was still working, because the device ping got a response. However, being locked out of the device means that users can no longer make configuration changes.
Pull update
It took two weeks for Netgear to recognize the mess. In mid-May, the company posted an announcement: “We are aware of an issue affecting the Orbi RBK85x and RBK75x Series Mesh WiFi 6 systems,” she said.
“Some customers are no longer able to access or manage their Orbi systems through the Orbi app or web UI. A factory reset usually resolves this issue. We are working to understand the root cause and identify an alternate recovery method that does not does not require a return to factory settings.”
Around that time, Netgear even pulled the firmware update completely, preventing a further exacerbation of the problem. After that, a new patch was gradually rolled out.
The patch appears to have resolved the issues: “Christine here from NETGEAR. I’m reaching out to confirm post u/mary55330 and note that we’ve received lots of positive feedback that this patch actually recovers the ability to access router settings . through the app and web UI,” reads a Reddit post from a Netgear support member.
Not all users will receive the patch immediately. For those who can’t wait, there is a solution:
“We will be rolling out the fix to the general public in the very near future, so you can wait. For those who don’t want to wait, please direct message me your serial number and I’ll get the fix applied to you quickly. .”
Netgear did not explain what caused the issues in the first place.
Via: BleepingComputer