Neato upgrade fails

[snowbug]

I think in some cases it does have something to do with the router.

What router does is it typically also acts as a firewall blocking requests originated from outside, unless you setup port mapping / forwarding. I suspect the updater waits to accept messages from neato website and it would never receive it due to the router. What you can do is in the router configuration, temporarily put your neato connected PC to the DMZ zone. Almost all router supports the DMZ function.

In my case, updates keeps failing after a long waiting. Once I put the PC in the DMZ zone, the update check finishes in a second.

Please be warned that putting your PC in DMZ also make it vulnerable for all Internet attacks / port scans. It's strongly recommended that your PC is protected with windows or other software firewall. It is also important to "trust" the updater app in your software firewall so the app can accept incoming connections.

[W2rh0und]

"Warning to all. In regards to the XV-21 that ships with 3.0 firmware - Do not upgrade to the 3.1 software on the Neato site as this will fail. I did this and though I had bricked my vaccum until I removed the batteries and put them back in which restored the machine with 3.0 again."

I have since been advised that this is incorrect for some XV-21s so it seems to be hit and miss.

[glnc222]

This (sticky) thread was supplemented for update 3.1 Jan.2013 in http://www.robotreviews.com/chat/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=16777
The updater/driver download (separate from the firmware) was updated to V2 then, but works the same as far as the link to the Neato goes. However, there is now an error msg for failure to communicate with the Neato, separate from internet link problems, which was absent before and required a terminal session to diagnose. More different main boards and models etc. might explain it's slightly greater size, but who knows?

[denodan]

I got My Neato with Firmware version 3.0.1.17235, and also fails to update. goes through all the steps, Chrome needs permission to outside source, comes back, and says checking for updates, 3 or so mins get error, not getting into from the Neato Robot, or something like this.

Neato hope your listening? Your software update system is crap, and reading here, this seems a big problem.

So cannot do any further updates? 3.1 is out and useless to me, but the bright side is you really don't need these firmware updates, your Neato works fine, just nice to be able to have them? Come on Neato, fix your crappy software.

[glnc222]

What processor chip does your computer have, the cpu?

[denodan]

Using a Netbook. atom processor think they use.

[glnc222]

Dell Intel Atom Netbook communicates with XV-11's under Windows 7 Starter in hyperterminal and updates with Neato's app accessed through Firefox. Hyperterminal or Putty can test the connection to Neato separately; usb manual at Neato website. Caution AMD processors incompatible due to defective system bd drivers.

[denodan]

Too much mucking around as I have no idea how these programs work, so have not got any idea how to use them. And seem to ask for phone connection, should be not this hard to have to update your Neato, it's crap if you need to use a complicated process just to upgrade.

[glnc222]

Nothing new in the updater being finicky -- or a lot of PC software as well. Just doesn't come up but once a year now with infrequent updates. Question is whether interested in overcoming the limitations of what is provided, or just making known the quality issues. Contact privately if need instructions for Neato terminal sessions.

[denodan]

Got the update going, Had a really old laptop, using XP. The Laptop is that old it has also a 3.5 floppy drive. And on Acer Travel mate. Had to update a lot to even attempt the update, as it would not even access explorer, as its old was incompatible with many websites, so managed to find a site that helped me download service pack 2, then downloaded Chrome, and worked.

The updates must kill your battery in you Neato, because it said my battery is low, and now charging up.

[glnc222]

The battery is not killed; it always says low once removed from the charger, and can be recharged quickly. It is really just discovering how charged it is, taking a few minutes.

[denodan]

The battery is not killed; it always says low once removed from the charger, and can be recharged quickly. It is really just discovering how charged it is, taking a few minutes.

Thought it could not flatten so quickly, not cleaning. Guess with the update upsets the battery charge indication in Neato, but will be fine when Charged.

[cool8man]

I cannot get this update to work. This is the worst updating program I have ever seen. Why don't they just let you download a file to your PC and install from the PC. How come every router manufacturer on the planet can figure out how to do a firmware upgrade, but Neato is completely clueless.

Anyway could someone figure out how to get ahold of the update file and create an update software that actually works reliably? I've spent the last 2 hours trying to get this working with no success.

[denodan]

I cannot get this update to work. This is the worst updating program I have ever seen. Why don't they just let you download a file to your PC and install from the PC. How come every router manufacturer on the planet can figure out how to do a firmware upgrade, but Neato is completely clueless.

Anyway someone could figure out how to get ahold of the update file and create an update software that actually works reliably. I've spent the last 2 hours trying to get this working with no success.

Trouble is people chuck out old computers in favour of modern ones, and it's the modern ones that have all the trouble.

I still have an old Acer Travelmate Laptop, with XP, and even has 3.5" floppy drive, and that worked for me.

Get yourself an old PC, problem solved.

The motto, is keep an old PC handy, you never know when you will need it.

[denodan]

I cannot get this update to work. This is the worst updating program I have ever seen. Why don't they just let you download a file to your PC and install from the PC. How come every router manufacturer on the planet can figure out how to do a firmware upgrade, but Neato is completely clueless.

Anyway someone could figure out how to get ahold of the update file and create an update software that actually works reliably. I've spent the last 2 hours trying to get this working with no success.

Trouble is people chuck out old computers in favour of modern ones, and it's the modern ones that have all the trouble. So keep an old laptop as backup to things that fail to work.

I still have an old Acer Travelmate Laptop, with XP, and even has 3.5" floppy drive, and that worked for me.

Get yourself an old PC, problem solved.

The motto, is keep an old PC handy, you never know when you will need it.

[cool8man]

Trouble is people chuck out old computers in favour of modern ones, and it's the modern ones that have all the trouble.

I still have an old Acer Travelmate Laptop, with XP, and even has 3.5" floppy drive, and that worked for me.

Get yourself an old PC, problem solved.

The motto, is keep an old PC handy, you never know when you will need it.

I did just try repeatedly on an old 2008 PC running Windows Vista. Absolutely no difference. How old does my PC have to be for this to work, from the 90's?

Windows 8, Windows Vista, Firefox, IE, wired router, wireless router = absolutely no freaking difference. Absolutely nothing worked.

[vic7767]

What CPU is in that 2008 computer, AMD or Intel ?

[denodan]

The Old computer I got, uses Windows XP, have you tried a computer using XP?

[cool8man]

I don't have Windows XP, that OS came out in 2001.

All of my PCs have Intel processors. I am trying to install update on an XV-11. Here's the rundown:

Windows 8: Update tool won't install at all, not even in compatibility mode or administrator mode.
Mac OS 10.5: Update tool won't install.

Windows Vista Update tool installs, but error message comes up while trying to search for an update.
Mac OS 10.6: Update tool installs, tool detects update and identifies current firmware correctly, update process begins but update tool eventually goes blank while ball is spinning. Eventually neato shuts itself off due to inactivity. The update tool has to be force closed.

Makes no difference if I use IE, Firefox, or Safari.

I was able to get the update to work on an XV-21 using Vista, but not the XV-11 on the same exact machine with the same settings.

[denodan]

Xp maybe the Windows version the works, Xp seems to work often where other versions of Windows fail, which is why I keep a Laptop with XP.