lilstone87

I am not included in their group regarding the R1. So take my comment's as only my opinion on the matter. But if I had to guess, the current build they have for the R1, just isn't ready for more testers. When you all see delay's, and things get quiet for a little bit. Just think a little bit. Work is likely being done a good amount, to fix some current issues, before the beta starts. To be real honest with some of the comments I have seen in this thread. I feel some people expect the beta to be great at the start, and be able to use it, without any issues. People need to calm down their expectations. As the early part of most beta's are pretty buggy, and the hope is none of the bugs are in the "major" category.

That's where you're wrong. I have said it a couple times, netgear has a history of being slow with updates, and I feel that needs to improve. There's a reason I own both Asus, and Netgear routers. One is much faster with updates. However the past few months, a lot of their releases have been pretty buggy. Which luckily someone helps out with that, making their own build's based off their firmwares.

Well I'm sure with the start of the beta, they would rather people who have got in keep it to themselves. Obviously once anyone is testing the beta.. that's what the beta forums is for on Netgear's site. Which means keep things under wraps. I'm sure there's some kind of NDA for testing the beta build.

Well having beta tested one of their routers in the past.. I do feel I know how they have handled stuff in the past, pretty well. But at the same time I also feel they're changing their way of thinking as well. Trust me I'm in no way trying to stir anything up. I'm honestly trying to "settle" people down. As some of us are getting tired of waiting, and starting to show more frustration in their posts on here. Which at this point, things are way to close. No reason to piss yourself off, or anyone, you might direct your anger towards. I honestly wish I could say I have a "good" relationship with Netgear, after I beta tested one of their routers a couple years ago. However I'm not, I'm in the same place as all of you, with them. I did try to use my past history with them, to help them when the XR500 first came out. However I was meet with a cold shoulder. Which overall they didn't owe me anything, and no I don't hold a grudge against them. I do wish things communication wise between them, and me, could of been better. Ultimately I bring this up, just to show.. at least in my case, they(netgear) played no favorites towards me.

Instead of us thinking the worst, and assuming they hand picked who got in the first batch. Lets just go with they picked people randomly, and we were not the ones picked to start off. I know some of these feelings some of you are having right now, is due to having waited a while now, and wanting to be able to test out the new build ASAP. I totally understand, still just know we're very close to all of us being able to run this build. No need to get upset at this point. Finally.. just know Netgear is the one who's handling this for the XR routers. Opening signups to allow anyone a chance at testing this new build, is new to them. So in a sense be a bit thankful. As normally the only people who ever touch beta build's, is the one's they have picked to beta test their equipment, and they only get build's for that one device to test. I know this from testing a router for them in the past. This isn't me taking up for them at all either.. as I think they should have been doing a open signup to be a beta tester for firmware's, for a little while now. It seems we're at that point now, hopefully that continues, and the process only improves going forward.

To be honest, they both have their flaws. If you have a faster internet connection the R1 isn't for you. As it can only handle I think around 200mbps max. That's what you get with older hardware. This isn't me bashing the R1 at all either. Just pointing it out. I actually still have my R1 in my network drawer.

I understand. In your case, if you have another router you can use for now, that's working well. I suggest using it. For me personally, I have 4 routers in my home, that all could run as my main router if needed. Routers, and their software, are to up, and down, for me to trust just having one available to use. I know not everyone has this option. I run two routers in my home setup at all times, for whole home coverage. As for this beta, the first batch from netgear seems to be a pretty small number of testers. So overall not many people are included right now. Hopefully as long as no major bugs are found, within a week, or two. They select a second batch of testers. Also as you mention the current bugs you're dealing with. With this beta, you could possibly be dealing with just as many. All I'm saying.. is try to keep an open mind on this. I know the wait sucks.. but sadly that's a big part of life. Hurry up, and wait.

As l just replied to the other post. Netgear should of did the beta signup better. Two things that stick out to me. 1. They asked for username, instead of email used for your netgear accounts. To easy to cause confusion for people. 2. Once you submitted the beta signup, they should of emailed the account email you attached. Saying "Thank you for signing up for the DumaOS 3.0 closed beta. Keep a lookout for another email from us, in the future, in regards to gaining access to the beta.".

This is one thing Netgear should of done better with this beta signup for XR routers. They should of asked for email you used to create account on their site, not a username you picked to use when you signed up. Overall that causes to much confusion for most people. Keep it simple.

I'm sure they refreshed the beta forums, for this beta release. Which means, only the people they added yesterday for testing, have access. So the "access denied" means you weren't apart of the first batch of testers. Also you would of gotten a email from them, if you were.

I posted last night in this thread. Netgear said they sent out emails to the one's who got picked for the first batch of testers. So if you didn't get a email, you're gonna have to wait till they send out emails for the second batch of testers.

Just wanted to update everyone who have XR routers, and signed up for the beta. Netgear posted a little while ago, they have selected the first round of testers, and sent email's to them. So if you didn't get a email today, you will have to wait till the next round of invites are sent out.

There hasn't been any word on release for it yet.. except netduma guys saying very soon. However that might be for the R1, and not the XR models. As Netgear controls the release for that. Also with the beta being a limited release at first, they may ask people testing it, to stay quiet about it, in public forums, and such. I could be wrong on this, but I just feel they might do that. As not everyone will get access to it, at the start.

Honestly I can't answer this question for them. But I tried to help you understand the likely reason they're going about it the way they are. Beta's are tricky overall. It's honestly them trying to get updates out faster, however beta's lack proper testing. With that, you have to understand not every company is gonna be open to pushing a beta build out to anyone who wants to test it. As they can be very problematic, and could need to be pulled from people being able to download, and use, quickly after release. In the case of the XR routers, ultimately "netgear" makes the decisions on when, and how they release beta builds. To be honest with you, I don't recall Netgear releasing beta builds for the public to download, and try. I have actually beta tested a router of theirs a few years back, and that's the only time I have gotten beta build's from them. I purchased the XR500 soon after it released, and I tried to see if I could get included to beta test build's for it. I had no luck at all, and that included me reaching out to my contact, who supplied me beta build's for the router I beta tested for them in the past. He reached out to someone, but nothing ever came of it. Overall I feel I'm being very open with you about things. I never felt I tried to attack you with what I said, I just tried to help you understand how they're going about releasing the beta. I do want to say, if/when netgear does start sending out this beta to people who signed up here. It will be the first time I have seen them go about releasing a beta like this. Which is a good thing, and hopefully a good sign moving forward. Because from what I have seen in the past, they have only given out beta build's, to people who they have sent beta routers to. Which is a very small number of people. As I mentioned above from my personal experience with netgear. Finally I'm not here to drive this thread off the rails.. I'm sure most of us will have our hands on the beta build soon enough.

I'm not bashing you at all.. I was just trying to help you better understand why they're going about it the way they are. Now you taking shit personal, and honestly, your first post was a bit rude imho. You started off saying "how they should go about releasing their beta". Because of how long it has taken. Trust me plenty of people want the upgrade, but from what I have seen... netduma guys have never promised a timeline for the next release. As for telling me to get off my high horse? Listen up, I have been around since these guys started up the netduma company. I was one of the first ones to buy their R1 router. I now own the XR500 router. You don't see me starting off one of my post hinting at how they should release their beta to everyone. Your post come off as someone who feels entitled. So maybe take a step back, and read your other post? As for the first sentence in my last post to you, that wasn't me downing you at all. It was me simply saying, it sounds good, and easy to do. But things are a lot more detailed, and there's a good reason, to not just let everyone who want's to test the beta build, use it at the start. Overall even the current message I'm replying to, you sound like you're "owed" to have it already. Which that's not the case. As for current bugs for XR routers. Ultimately that's an issue to be taken up with netgear, not netduma. Unless it's a direct feature of their's on the router. Stuff like UPNP, and etc not working as it should. That's stuff netgear needs to address. I want to be clear, this is me talking about the XR routers. Now for the R1 router, any problem you're having, it's on the netduma guys to try to resolve in a timely manner. Finally I have been apart of the forums here for a long time.. I can't remember one time ever, I was mean to another user on here. I haven't always been active in the forums. But I do visit from time to time. So I honestly don't see how you took my last post, and made it off as if I was being rude/mean to you. It was honestly me trying to help you understand their reasoning for doing things the way they are. Also your first post you mentioned you wasn't even using their router currently, mentioned another router, and said it had been running good for you. Which I'm happy for you, overall no need to push it, if your current setup is working well for you. The beta will be available soon, and I'm sure you will be able to test it soon as well. We're so close to being able to test some of the new features, no need to get impatient now.