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Every test base is limited, yes. But you don't need a test base of thousands or millions to spot fundamental problems with the basic design of the unit. You don't need an unlimited test base to be able to simulate basic network functions. One technically competent person could do it. A good test base of 10 is better than a bad test base of 100.

In the end most of the problems are with the router part, not the cable modem part, and these are issues other comparable routers don't have. In the end whatever test base they had they were well aware of some of the problems before release and also of how to solve them (and how customers wanted to solve it themselves - bridge mode). Other Netgear routers don't have most of these issues, the old DIR-615 didn't have these issues either. It's not like the DIR-615 had any bigger a test base, and that didn't have nearly as many problems.

As for consumer products without updates - the vast majority of consumer devices get by without any firmware updates. TVs, monitors, home phones, digital cameras, microwaves, printers, network cards, network switches, computer peripherals, to name a few. Even mobile phones until recently were not able to be user updated, and got on just fine without.


I don't think VM ever issued an update for the DIR-615 either, since they all still come with 1.00VG on them.