DumaOS 3.2: Big Changes, Small Screens
We’ll open with the elephant in the room: we understand communication on new build progress feels lacking. Hopefully, we can ease some of that frustration here.
DumaOS 3.2 is a big update and we’re delighted to announce that it’s available to R2 users right now. You can download it here. (For Nighthawk Pro Gaming users, check the last section of this post to see the progress for your platform.)
We get that you might have a few questions about 3.2, so we want to answer the big ones in this post. So, to start with…
Where’s 3.1?
We know, we know – you’re wondering why we can’t count. But 3.1 does exist, you just won’t ever see it. Let us explain.
In a previous video, we mentioned that we’ve listened to your feedback on firmware releases and our communication. It was also the first time we mentioned our brand new firmware-building process. 3.1 was the litmus test for this process: if it resulted in functional firmware that worked as well as we’d hoped, we could fully adopt it moving forwards.
What all of this means is that 3.1 ended up acting as an internal, experimental firmware. With that said, 3.2 contains everything we changed for 3.1 and a whole lot more.
‘What’s in 3.2?’, you ask? Well, that question would be best answered in a section called:
What’s in 3.2?
In summary: a lot.
The biggest and most obvious change that comes in 3.2 is DumaOS for Mobile. It’s a complete overhaul of DumaOS’ mobile functionality, making it as capable as the desktop version with some cool new features to boot.
Priority Boost is the quick-fix to make sure whatever you’re using stays at the front of the queue. Simply press the Priority Boost button on your dashboard, select the activity you’re currently using and choose a boost length to make sure nothing interrupts or slows you down.
Next, Ping Optimiser is the latest incarnation of Auto-Congestion Control with a new visual process. Ping Optimiser runs tests to find the best Congestion Control settings specifically for your home. The result? A stable, low ping for your gameplay and video calls, no matter what the rest of your network is doing.
Please note that DumaOS for Mobile is not the same as the DumaOS app. This might sound confusing (and it probably is) but we hope to integrate the new view into the app as soon as possible. DumaOS for Mobile can be used by accessing DumaOS via a mobile browser.
Additionally, Hybrid VPN has had a massive increase in functionality. You can now use a Wireguard config file to VPN while retaining a much higher amount of bandwidth than before. (If you don’t already have it, you can request this config file from your VPN provider.)
Despite how it may look at first glance, QoS hasn’t gone anywhere; it’s simply renamed to the arguably-more-catchy-but-only-slightly Network Priority. Don’t worry – everything is still there!
On top of that, there’s increased compatibility with WFH interactions, improved activity detection and stability improvements across the board. This is a really big firmware from every angle, so we hope you like it as much as we do!
When can I get 3.2?
We’re pleased to say that for R2 users, you can get DumaOS 3.2 right now. Jump to our forum post and download it to start using it straight away.
For other platforms, the release timeframes for 3.2 is varied. For the XR series, we’re looking at a mixed bag, though we’re trying to get this release across the entire range.
XR1000 users recently received a maintenance patch which means we can start trying to get 3.2 out as soon as we can. Expect it soon.
XR500 users can expect 3.2 to arrive soon, too. We found a few initial bugs but have since fixed them, meaning that we can send a request for a new build to NETGEAR.
XR700 users will receive the 3.2 update shortly after this – we’re still working on some bugs similar to the ones found on the XR500 but once we’ve squashed them, we’ll be requesting a build as soon as possible. We’ll keep you posted on progress.
While we don’t have a build that’s ready for XR300 users, we want to be clear that we’re working on it. Both ourselves and NETGEAR are working to ensure that we can get 3.2 to your platform too. While there’s not a whole lot we can say at this stage, rest assured that we’re intent on making it happen.
One more thing…
On the subject of timing, this firmware also marks a bit of a sea change in how we provide builds moving forward. As mentioned earlier, we’ve made some changes to how we build firmwares, which in turn impacts how frequently we can release them. From here on out, we’ll be providing firmwares more regularly in a scheduled format. Though this means firmwares might not always be huge updates, it’ll become much easier to know when to expect something new.
That’s all this time! We get it’s been a while, and we’re grateful for your continued patience. From all of us at the Netduma team, we hope you enjoy it.
