Enhancements:
- Enhanced Alarm logs feature to store 1000 alarms.
- Enhanced LLDP support for WAC740 to support non-Netgear switches.
- Enhanced Airqual monitor page to show bigger channel utilization graph.
- Added HTTPS support for secure access to local browser interface.
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed dis-connectivity/AP hang related issues for WAC720/730.
- Fixed LDAP authentication issue with Windows 10.
- Fixed: Monitor page shows wrong channel Utilization.
- Fixed WAC720/730/740 reboot issue.
- Fixed IOS 12 connectivity issue with internal radius server.
Security Fixes:
- PSV-2019-0007 - Netgear Controllers (version 6.5.5.0) is vulnerable to a Default Credential vulnerability.
- PSV-2019-0004 - vulnerable to CSRF.
- PSV-2018-0628 - Controller- Multiple Unauthenticated Cross-site Scripting Issues in Controller when using "Guest Access".
- PSV-2019-0060 -Password submitted in plain text.
Before updating the firmware on your wireless controller please read these release notes carefully. The update path to the latest firmware is dependent on the current active firmware running on your wireless controller, and the access point models it is managing.
NOTE:
CUSTOMERS UPDATING CONTROLLER FROM 5.5.1.X FIRMWARE MUST UPDATE TO THE MIGRATION FIRMWARE (5.5.1R.1) FIRST BEFORE UPDATING TO 6.5.5.12 RELEASE
Customer having WAC720, WAC730 in the Controller network:
- Update the controller to 5.5.1R.1 firmware which is bundled together with 6.5.5.12 release zip file.
- Once the update is complete login to the controller, and make sure that all the APs have come to the connected state.
- Customer MUST wait for at least 15 minutes after all APs have come to connected state.
- After waiting for 15 minutes, update the controller to 6.5.5.12 firmware.
Once the update is complete login to the controller and make sure all the APs have come to connected state, clients are able to connect to the network, and the controller
| Current Firmware Version | Upgrade Steps |
| WC9500-5.5.1.X | 5.5.1. X -> 5.5.1R.0->6.5.5.12 |
Customer not having WAC720, WAC730 in the controller network:
- Customer not having 720, 730 in the controller network don’t need to go through the migration firmware release. They can directly update the controller from 5.5.1.x to 6.5.5.12
| Current Firmware Version | Upgrade Steps |
| WC9500-5.5.1.X | 5.5.1.X -> 6.5.5.12 |
Upgrade Matrix:
Upgrade to 6.5.5.12 from recent releases
| Devices | Firmware Upgraded From below versions to 6.5.5.12 |
| WC9500 | 6.5.5.0 |
| 6.5.3.9 | |
| 6.5.3.7 | |
| 6.5.3.5 |
Upgrade procedure for Redundancy setup:
- Remove the redundancy, first upgrade the Secondary controller followed by the primary controller.
- Re-configure the redundancy.
Upgrade procedure for stack setup:
- First Upgrade the Secondary controllers followed by the primary controller.
Upgrade procedure for Stacked and Redundancy setup:
- Remove the redundancy, First Upgrade the Secondary controller followed by the secondary controllers and then primary controller.
- Re-configure the redundancy.
| Older Firmware Version | Upgrade Steps |
| WC7600-6.5.5.0 | 6.5.5.0 ->6.5.5.12 |
| WC7600-6.5.3.9 | 6.5.3.9 ->6.5.5.12 |
| WC7600-6.5.3.7 | 6.5.3.7 -> 6.5.5.12 |
| WC7600-6.5.3.5 | 6.5.3.5 -> 6.5.5.12 |
Note: The customers upgrading the controller firmware from 6.5.1.2/6.5.1.8/6.5.1.11/6.5.3.1/6.5.3.2/6.5.3.4 or 5.1.0.18 doesn’t need to go through the migration firmware release 5.5.1R.1.
Upgrade to 6.5.5.12 from Standalone AP Firmware
The following table lists the minimum Standalone AP firmware version required before they can be discovered and converted to the Controller firmware. Customer has to downgrade to the same standalone AP firmware version, if they have to manage the AP in standalone mode.
Note: Make sure SNMP is enabled on the following models before discovery process in controller.
| AP Model | Firmware Version |
| WNAP210 | 3.7.4.0 |
| WNAP320 | 3.7.4.0 |
| WNDAP350 | 3.7.4.0 |
| WNDAP360 | 3.7.4.0 |
| WNDAP660 | 3.7.4.0 |
| WAC720 | 3.7.11.0 |
| WAC730 | 3.7.11.0 |
| WAC740 | NOT APPLICABLE |
| WND930 | 2.1.2 |
Upgrade Instructions:
- Using the Download Link below, download and extract the new firmware to a convenient place such as your desktop.
Download Link: http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WC9500/WC9500_V6.5.5.12.zip - Log into the WC9500.
- Make a backup of the current running configuration from Maintenance > Backup/Restore and select BACKUP button.
**Read the Caveats below if the upgrade is from a lower major release - Select Maintenance > Upgrade from the main/submenu.
- In the Firmware Upgrade section, select Local File and click Browse.
- Locate the downloaded file and click Apply.This will start the software upgrade to your WC9500. This may take some time. Do not interrupt the upgrade process. At the conclusion of the upgrade, your WC9500 will reboot.
- In case of stacked and redundancy configurations, please follow the below steps:
- Upgrade the redundant controller first if available. Wait for the redundant controller to upgrade successfully and come back active.
- Then upgrade in the order Secondary 2, Secondary 1 and Primary controller.
Caveats:
When the upgrade is from 4.x.x.x to 5.x.x.x and Admin password has any special characters (example:"P !@#$%^" ),change the password to alphanumeric only before upgrade (example : "Password"). Make a configuration backup, and upgrade. After the upgrade you can configure your old password again in 5.x.x.x.
Discovering Standalone from controller
In firmware version 6.5.1.X we remove support for WNDAP620 model access point.
| AP Model | Minimum AP software version |
| WNAP210v2 | V2.1.6 or later |
| WNAP320 | V2.1.6 or later |
| WNDAP350 | V2.1.9 or later |
| WNDAP620 | V2.0.8 or later |
| WNDAP660 | V2.0.5 or later |
| WAC720 | V3.1.1.0 or later |
| WAC730 | V3.1.1.0 or later |
| WNDAP930 | V2.0.4 or later |
This product includes software code developed by third parties, including software code subject to the GNU General Public License ("GPL") or GNU Lesser General Public License ("LGPL"). As applicable, the terms of the GPL and LGPL, and information on obtaining access to the GPL Code and LGPL Code used in this product, are available to you at NETGEAR Open Source GPL. The GPL Code and LGPL Code used in this product is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY and is subject to the copyrights of one or more authors. For details, see the GPL Code and LGPL Code for this product and the terms of the GPL and LGPL.