Nighthawk X8- R8500 Tri Band Quad Stream WiFi Router

cc666 · Jan 20, 2016

Just purchased the R8500. Fired it up, straight loaded the .26 firmware, factory reset and manually
put in my settings. Been up for 8 hours now and so far its flawless. Page loads are like lightening.
Coming from a R7000 and there is a definite difference. The signal strength is stronger on every
band. Question is should I load the .28 firmware?

CC

L&LD · Jan 20, 2016

cc666 said:
Just purchased the R8500. Fired it up, straight loaded the .26 firmware, factory reset and manually
put in my settings. Been up for 8 hours now and so far its flawless. Page loads are like lightening.
Coming from a R7000 and there is a definite difference. The signal strength is stronger on every
band. Question is should I load the .28 firmware?

CC

Download the .26 version you now have installed to a safe place. Create a backup config file on the version you're using. Flash the .28 version and do a factory reset and manually enter your settings and you'll know if you need to flash the .26 and use the backup config file to get you back to a stable router.

cc666 · Jan 20, 2016

L&LD said:
Download the .26 version you now have installed to a safe place. Create a backup config file on the version you're using. Flash the .28 version and do a factory reset and manually enter your settings and you'll know if you need to flash the .26 and use the backup config file to get you back to a stable router.

Sounds like the .28 is unstable? Have you tried it?

CC

L&LD · Jan 20, 2016

cc666 said:
Sounds like the .28 is unstable? Have you tried it?

CC

No, I use and recommend Asus routers with RMerlin firmware (or the john9527 or hggomes forks thereof).

But how I outlined in my previous post is how I would test to see if they worked in my environment.

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/no...l-and-manual-configuration.27115/#post-205573

The link above gives more detail.

scoopnog · Jan 21, 2016

cc666 said:
Just purchased the R8500. Fired it up, straight loaded the .26 firmware, factory reset and manually
put in my settings. Been up for 8 hours now and so far its flawless. Page loads are like lightening.
Coming from a R7000 and there is a definite difference. The signal strength is stronger on every
band. Question is should I load the .28 firmware?

CC

The only documented difference between 26 and 28 is MU-MIMO support. 26 came out last week, a few weeks after the beta (28) was available. The bulk of the firmware benefit was in 26. Unless you have a couple of MU-MIMO clients not much point at this time.

Both are reportedly stable, so what ever you feel like.

badbad2000 · Jan 21, 2016

I am using beta .28 so far so good for me.

JPK · Jan 24, 2016

I have the X8 with the .26 firmware....is iOS VPN supported? This article suggests so, but I do not have a "For Smart Phone" option in my VPN page?

http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/d...ce-on-my-nighthawk-router-with-my-ios-device?

NETGEAR Guy · Jan 28, 2016

Checking with engineering for the next release to support "Open VPN mobile client".

Will keep you updated.

JPK · Feb 3, 2016

NETGEAR Guy said:
Checking with engineering for the next release to support "Open VPN mobile client".

Will keep you updated.

Did you find out anything?

NightOwl326 · Feb 3, 2016

JPK said:
Did you find out anything?

Yes it's in the next release at this point.

JPK · Feb 13, 2016

NightOwl326 said:
Yes it's in the next release at this point.

Do you know the estimated date for release?

NightOwl326 · Feb 13, 2016

JPK said:
Do you know the estimated date for release?

Should be getting close!

captblaze · Feb 14, 2016

I do hope the feature set of this router is complete in a short amount of time. there are as many frustrating elements to this router (time scheduling broken, MUmimo, Open VPN) as there are reasons to like it. Netgear (as well as other tech companies) have spread themselves so thin that they can no longer produce a somewhat complete device at launch. I blame us the consumers for constantly jumping at incomplete devices in search of that true end game solution.

I do know that I will not be jumping at the next "one" anytime soon. I have spent too much money on routers in the last 3 years and neglecting my other money pit, high end computer audio (which is just as bad in some aspects).

don't get me wrong... I am just guilty of everyone else who blindly feeds the beast, but I am now dedicating the majority of my tech budget to killer audio and making due with my R8500 for the foreseeable future.

cc666 · Feb 14, 2016

captblaze said:
I do hope the feature set of this router is complete in a short amount of time. there are as many frustrating elements to this router (time scheduling broken, MUmimo, Open VPN) as there are reasons to like it. Netgear (as well as other tech companies) have spread themselves so thin that they can no longer produce a somewhat complete device at launch. I blame us the consumers for constantly jumping at incomplete devices in search of that true end game solution.

I do know that I will not be jumping at the next "one" anytime soon. I have spent too much money on routers in the last 3 years and neglecting my other money pit, high end computer audio (which is just as bad in some aspects).

don't get me wrong... I am just guilty of everyone else who blindly feeds the beast, but I am now dedicating the majority of my tech budget to killer audio and making due with my R8500 for the foreseeable future.

I can tell you that I am beta testing a firmware now that fixes about every problem, WAN disconnects, scheduling, Mu-Mimo is activated.
Stay tuned next release will have you singing a different tune!

CC

captblaze · Feb 14, 2016

cc666 said:
I can tell you that I am beta testing a firmware now that fixes about every problem, WAN disconnects, scheduling, Mu-Mimo is activated.
Stay tuned next release will have you singing a different tune!

CC

i was supposed to get the same firmware, but since I turned in my NDA I haven't heard back from them

mark4487 · Feb 18, 2016

cc666 said:
I can tell you that I am beta testing a firmware now that fixes about every problem, WAN disconnects, scheduling, Mu-Mimo is activated.
Stay tuned next release will have you singing a different tune!

CC

When will this be out?

NETGEAR Guy · Feb 18, 2016

Checking with engineering when this will be available...will keep you updated.

JPK · Mar 2, 2016

NETGEAR Guy said:
Checking with engineering when this will be available...will keep you updated.

Any update on the availability??

JPK · Mar 27, 2016

Has anyone else noticed that the logs provide almost no info aside from DHCP, lan access from remote, NTP, and DDNS? This router is connected to my internet connection and I never see anything related to security blocks? Is there anyway to enhance the logging to see this and more?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

NETGEAR Guy · Mar 28, 2016

Checking if Telnet or any hidden links available to display enhanced router information

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