Hi Brandon, thank you for your fast reply and help. I just reconnected the external hard drive to the computer as you suggested. I will check the hard drive with the Western Digital hard drive software and run a defrag. If all is well, I will reconnect it to the router again, hopefully that will work.
About the hard reset, after I updated the router I disconnected the power from the modem, router and switch for 1 minute then reconnected the power to all of them. Is that a hard reset or will I have to press the reset button to completely erase it? I don't believe it would be the 30-30-30 I read around this website? Thank you for letting me know my firmware is still Netgear based, that helps a lot. Now if I do need to RMA it I'm armed with that piece of important information. Once more thank you for your kind help.

Hi Brandon, I did a hard reset replugged my USB Rocketfish RF-AHD35 external Hard Drive after checking it and the external was found. I entered my user name/password for the router and all is well. My wireless connection did get disconnected when I called my home phone number using our cell phone. I rechecked the router settings and it was on auto, I could have sworn I had reset it to channel 11 after the hard reset. Since I'm doubting myself, I'll keep an eye on it for now. By now only time will tell if I keep having to reset the router or not. Since is only been an hours or so since I reconnected the router I'm unable to tell if it will remain stable. I will try to report in 2 the 3 weeks. If the external remains stable. Maybe I can find away to add the Rocketfish enclosure model RF-AHD35 to the list of supported external enclosures. Note: built in card reader will not work. Once more thank you for your help. Regards, Edward

Hello, I just wanted to update from the last time as promised. My Netgear 3500L still giving me problems. I have to reset it every week or so. The USB just stops working from time to time. To make the USB work again I have to do a hard reset as Brandon mentioned and it will work again. The wireless is unstable, even at Channel 11. I changed our two phones to DECT 6.0 to no avail. I finally had enough and purchased a Trendnet 639GR router. The new router works flawlessly. I wanted to thank the community for all their help. I'll keep the 3500L for backup till I get the nerve to flash it to DD-WRT, I hear (read) good things about it.
PS I would have claimed the warranty but Netgear refused to honor it hence, the new router.