NETGEAR Genie Reviews

by Auranissa

NETGEARGenie is one of the reasons I bought the netgear C3700. NETGEARGenie features made it very desirable considering I could control what devices can connect & block when necessary. Well NETGEARGenie takes forever just to log in, the even longer to load any of the features such as the network map if it actually does load. Also if you “pause internet” on one of the devices on your network, that device disappears from the map...now how do I un-pause internet for that device if it’s not showing? Tried accessing the internet again from that device and will not connect and doesn’t prompt the network to show the device. So I now have devices that I cannot get back on my network. Also my neighborhood had an internet outage and when the internet came back on the genie app only shows the device which I have connected to genie on the network app despite the fact that 2 other devices are connected. I also should ad that the netgear C3700 is not as great as all the reviews claimed. The old xfinity rental never gave me problems, but since buying this one (to save on my monthly xfinity bill), I can’t even get WiFi in my bedroom, in an 800sq ft apartment, with only a hall way in between the router & my bedroom.

by JCarlosGarcia

Latest firmware update has bug that does not allow me to login using app, says wrong password. I can login via web browser but not with app. So for rebooting or anything I need to edit, I must use web browser since app is useless after last firmware update. Problem is you cannot enable/disable parental controls via web, you must login with app to use parental controls, since I cannot login with app, my R6100 netgear router is useless. I purchased it for the parental controls. If you have a netgear router DO NOT update the firmware or it will take months (if you are lucky) for netgear customer service to help you. They should at least allow parental controls to be enabled/disabled without NETGEARGenie . Useless. App support blame the hardware, hardware support blame NETGEARGenie .

by Trento-guy

Since the update last year, when the Genie iOS App took on the blue coloring, the network map feature has not worked, except once after a Genie delete and reload of of NETGEARGenie . Since then Genie has been updated several times, I’ve changed phone models (6 to X), the WNDR4700 firmware has been updated but the only feature of Genie I am interested in, the map, does not load. I am able to sign on to the router through my phone browser and see the connected devices, but not through Genie.

New problem: genie won’t accept log on info, reporting them as invalid. But I can log in with the same credentials through the browser to the IP address. Removed genie completely and reinstalled but login refused.

Feb 2019 - tried again - recent app updates cleared the login problem, and the network map loaded quickly. But very soon the map stopped loading. I tried finding a way to clear its memory cache but iOS 12.1 doesn’t seem to offer that possibility.

by Djcarpediem

NETGEARGenie has gotten worse as certain features stop working or say “router doesn’t support this feature” when it did before/

Suddenly we realize there is an impossible situation to locate simple things in manual or community groups about a icon Wi-Fi shows up too left supposed to be the name of the router according to the manual .

But mine shows

“Not Enabled” with a red ‘x’

This doesn’t mean our Wi-Fi is not working
It is indeed.

But we can no longer access from network
Or only local
Not Remote

Logging in Remote shows
“Select which router you want to access”

There is none showing

I think I found other places it says “this router doesn’t support that feature “

Enough to say that 50percent of NETGEARGenie is broken

I tried the nighthawk just for the sake
But it’s not working

Only this older Genie or most current works

I will say
It does let local network channel changes and basic information about the network grid of devices etc
So it’s not really broken but

The fact that now it seems to have issues more than usual

And it’s not really a network issue

But a app issue

We reboot using NETGEARGenie

But cannot get NETGEARGenie to stop showing the

“Wi-Fi” NOT ENABLED “x” color red.

Please anyone explain what this is?
Because Google and community net gear is impossible!

Thanks!

by GetFaired

Honestly I just try and play video games because my parents let me, but people turn my internet off and it is ruining my childhood I cannot have fun anymore please remove NETGEARGenie I cannot keep NETGEARGenie and please remove I hate it it is ruining my child hood ever since my parents downloaded this I have had the worst week years of my life and I cannot put up with this anymore this is by far the worst app imaginable worse than the most expensive app I have tried everything but yet NETGEARGenie just cannot let me have fun at all so please do something or remove NETGEARGenie and it messes with my pc i play on my pc fortnite and when my internet gets turned off it messes up my computer and it really frustrates me becsudd NETGEARGenie is just beyond awful

by Mjheed

NETGEARGenie has lost much of its usefulness.
You have no access to the real tools for maintaining your network, just a few WiFi baubles. Still have to use the web interface to get to the real tools.
My reason for buying the router, and getting NETGEARGenie was for the parental controls. But, rather than giving you the right tools to manage your network, now they want to sell you some Disney parental control subscription.
I still held out hope for its usefulness when i found the "network map" tool. Here you can see all your devices connected to the router and what their network details are, and even "pause" their connection. Great right? Not so much. Devices won't show up in the map half the time. And the "pause" needs more control... Like time limits.
Bottom line, they could have made this much much better, but chose to sell out.

by Bobgun Book

I downloaded the Genie app last night and everything worked fine. I was able to see what devices were connected to both my 2.4 and 5G network, see traffic and Network map showed all devices connected. I was able to pause certain devices access and set individual parental controls on all devices. Logged in today and it doesn’t even recognize my router, only shows the name. Traffic now says it’s not supported on this device. Network Map only shows link between my phone and router/web...nothing else. I’ve reinstalled NETGEARGenie probably 5 times, nothing. Can still see devices connected through web version, but web version will not let me individually select parental controls.

by Hall19

Shame on Netgear!!!!! After 90 days they charge you for tech support. I’ve never had any company do this-EVER.
I lost my password for NETGEARGenie making me unable to modify parental controls. The parental control portion of NETGEARGenie doesn’t appear to have a “forgot my password” reset option so I tried creating a new account. But then it wouldn’t work because my phone was already tied to the previous account. With my frustration building I deleted NETGEARGenie from my phone and reinstalled it. Now it asks for an admin password but every possible password I can think of is incorrect. As a last ditch effort I tried calling Netgear tech support but was told it would cost $ for them to help. I will never buy a Netgear product again.

by Born_a_prince_but_fall _short

NETGEARGenie will drive you mad! I used the device list feature to see all the devices on the network and then I blocked some devices of my sons to prevent access while he is sleeping and NOW THEY DISAPPEARED FROM THE LIST OF DEVICES so can’t get them back online!!!

This is just the beginning!!!

They have 2 apps for the device and 1 additional if you use “Circle by Disney” for Parental Control service.

It took me FOREVER to configure Remote Management because you have to create an account on Netgears website and IT ALWAYS ERRORS ON SUBMISSION!!!! So it was impossible to create an account. Somehow it just let me in even though i never actually created my account. I know right!!?

And in the Genie app if you go to Network Map to see all your devices according to which node they are connected to, Access Control is turned on!!! I didn’t turn on Access Control. I don’t want MAC Address Access Control turned on.

...but wait, there’s a lot more problems!!!

Honestly who QA’ed NETGEARGenie? I work in QA and this is should never have gone out to the public.

I am one step away from returning this product back to FRYS!

by Jj.b.jj

Same review for both Netgear Genie and Nighthawk iOS apps because both are equally useless for the same reason.

I’m using a Nighthawk X6 R8000 (for now -switch to a TP-LINK Archer is imminent)

FIRST A WARNING: Everyday, non-technical users need to know that they should never ever update the router’s firmware using any Netgear iOS app. Don’t do it. Ever. Connect a computer Ethernet style to the router and update it properly. There is a good chance you will brick your router if you try to update said firmware using any Netgear iOS app.

NETGEARGenie is barely decent and certainly not in any way great or even close to adequate. The web UI flavor of Netgear Genie is still required to perform any meaningful management.

Biggest and most fatal flaw for NETGEARGenie: It does not connect locally when the router is configured to use IPv6 and that is nothing short of ridiculous. Configuring IPv6 is not a hack. It’s a feature offered by Netgear for my router. Given that, NETGEARGenie is entirely and in every way useless (for me at least).

I do dot know why NETGEARGenie was created or what it’s good for. Just stick with the web UI for router management.

Netgear needs a QA department for its app and firmware development.

by CrimsonR1Rider

When NETGEARGenie works it works great. But I can never log into it and see that devices that I have saved in my home with their proper names and or types. I logged in tonight and every single one of my connected devices at the Xbox icon and some of them at the name changes or?’s or blank. I save them in NETGEARGenie with the correct name and device type close NETGEARGenie out and it works fine. When I log into my net gear account on a laptop I don’t have this issue only through NETGEARGenie on my phone. Numerous occasions the remote function of NETGEARGenie does not work and I have to only be on the local network. I’m using an iPhone 8+ with most recent operating system upgrades.

by Gnomeski (Scott)

I loved the previous version. This new one looks like, and is, crap. I do not understand what was going on in their minds. This is an improvement? I don’t think so. And ever since I got it, I have had weird problems that I never had before. I don’t even know how to describe them because I could wonder if it is just high usage or too many devices, or my router is too old. My worst fear is that it leaves me wondering how much control someone else might have of my network. One thing I always felt, however, is that their documentation was never enough for me, and I used to work in telecommunications, so I have some idea of what I am wanting to see. Sorry to have to say these things, but it is just how I am feeling these days.

by 2338

My first experience with Netgear and I have to say I am disappointed. I bought the Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 and after having everything hooked up I downloaded the Netgear Genie app. After signing up and logging on I come to find out I can only use NETGEARGenie while I am at home and connected to the network. Apparently the Nighthawk AC1900 is not compatible and able to use remote access so I can not monitor/control the router and network away from home. I can use an app to control my Linksys router from anywhere (home or away from home) I bought 5years ago with older technology so I’m not sure why this newer Nighthawk can not. Is Linksys that much more advanced and further ahead of Netgear? So then I downloaded and tried the “Nighthawk” app from Netgear which apparently my new Nighthawk AC1900 router does not work with. Very disappointed so far with Netgear and their apps.

by JennieCake

The network map should be a list. It’s annoying how devices will go in a different order all over the screen and I’d have to look around the screen instead of going from up to down. Plus, all devices, including blocked devices, should always be shown. I’ve blocked my little siblings’ devices for bad behavior, but unblocking devices is almost impossible on NETGEARGenie if you don’t even see the device listed. It’d be nice to see devices that aren’t currently connected to the WiFi either, so that if they did something bad at school, I can just block their WiFi once I get home instead of waiting and forgetting.

Parental controls is helpful though. Don’t want the kids going on social media when they should be studying or doing homework online.

Reboot router is nice. I don’t have to get up every time the router acts strange. It’d be nice if it was faster though.

by Wellcraft19

I have a bunch of gear from Netgear in my network.
When using NETGEARGenie, it’ll detect the AccessPoint (RS6250) but not the actual router (WNR2000) - until I key in that one’s IP address manually. But even when connected to the WNR2000 (I know that’s the one based on PW and traffic meter) it still indicates the RS6250 and wants to download new firmware. But who know for what device it will actually do it. Trying the right firmware on the wrong device will likely brick it.
On top of that, the network map is slow to update and does not display the Netbios names (which I actually can see from the ASUS router, only used as an AccessPoint, essentially set up identically to the RS6250).

by Airomee Wind

The netgear genie WNDR 3700 is fast but painfully slow booting up in the mornings. I shut my internet down and night as an extra layer of security against hacker attacks and wi fi sniffing. Once it’s fully up and running it’s a great router. But I usually have to give up to 20 minutes before my devices are connected and online. It’s fully compatible with satellite internet and provides blazing fast internet speed. Just slow booting up is the only draw back to this router. NETGEARGenie is very easy to use.

by Vathier

Upgraded my router to the ac1750, added a WD mybook 4tb as a NAS/network drive (had to reformat and partition to get it to work) and moved my media to the network drive. NETGEARGenie let's me look at all the media and stream it to any of my devices on the network... SWEET. (Phone, Xbox,PCs, chromecast, etc)

But, once playback has begun, and NETGEARGenie sleeps, there is no apparent way to re open the player on the phone app. The media continues to play, and the device playing it can control it, but it really should be able to continue controlling via the phone app. So far, I can't see a way to do that.

Peace Love Unity and Rock n Roll

by Edge Guitar Winner

Create a base security level in open DNS, and turn it on/off/modify using the phone app.I created an open DNS account, and configured the default security level (without time windows) to custom, and selected everything... totally locked down.
Next, I configured a time window for normal use on the computer, and selected a low security level from morning until evening.
Whoever uses the internet outside of the time window will get DNS error messages.
Next, went to the phone app network map to find my kids computer. Who's where you lock it in, or loosening up; click on your kids, computer.
Go to filter level, and select default filter on router, next restart the router from the phone app.
You can change the security level on the fly to Open up the computer.
Just remember, if you go in the opposite direction, (to lock it down) you'll have to reboot the router every time you make an adjustment in that direction.
The system is fairly limited, but I've shown you a way to make it work… And it does work.

by Kkarty

I've lost the ability to see all devices in network map today. I should see 10, now I only see my iPhone. I set access control on a device through NETGEARGenie and now the device doesn't show up so I cant change it back. Worked great previous to today. Tried restarting router and iPhone.

Update: when I was using Netgear genie to reboot router, it never actually rebooted. I unplugged power on router and when it came back up network nap worked again.

by LoziTunes

Can’t understand all the negative reviews by unhappy customers. I’m a tech so I can see where I have the edge. It’s unfortunate that people will do a little bit of research and think they know it all. If you are willing to pay out your good hard earned money for a device and are the least bit confused, for pities sake, spend a little more and have a tech work out your problems for you, or at least get a techs advice before you spend your money. I sell Netgear all day long. It’s top notch equipment. Don’t blame NETGEARGenie ; blame the user. If you’re having troubles; ask for help.

by FlippinFlaggin

I like NETGEARGenie and the ease of set up. I just wish I understood it better, but I also haven’t taken the time to look into what I don’t know. I tried using the guest WiFi, but when I turned it on, EVERYTHING but my phone was moved to guest WiFi and nothing would work. So I turned it back off and haven’t turned it back on since. If I can figure out how to utilize that for guests visiting my home, like family, I’m golden. I just don’t want MY devices using the guest WiFi, though it doesn’t make sense why the guest WiFi didn’t work.