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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
Model EX6130
User Manual
March 2016 202-11627-01
350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
Support
Thank you for purchasing this NETGEAR product. You can visit www.netgear.com/support to register your product, get help, access the latest downloads and user manuals, and join our community. We recommend that you use only official NETGEAR support resources.
Conformity
For the current EU Declaration of Conformity, visit http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11621.
Compliance
For regulatory compliance information, visit http://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory.
See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.
Trademarks
© NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR and the NETGEAR Logo are trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. Any non-NETGEAR trademarks are used for reference purposes only.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Overview
Meet Your Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Side Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 When to Use Your Extender. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 How the Extender Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 2 Get Started
Use the Extender in Extender Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Place the Extender and Apply Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Check for Extender Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Connect to an Existing WiFi Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Find the Best Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Connect an Ethernet-Enabled Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Use the Extender in Access Point Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Log In to the Extender After Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Run Smart Setup Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 3 Optimize Extender Performance
Boost Your Video Streaming With FastLane Technology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Adjust the WiFi Coverage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Chapter 4 Network Settings
View Connected Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 View WiFi Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Change the Extender WiFi Network Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Change the Extender WiFi Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Turn Off the SSID Broadcast to Create a Hidden Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Disable or Enable the WiFi Radios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Change the WiFi Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Disable or Enable 20/40 MHz Coexistence for 2.4 GHz WiFi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Use WPS to Add a Computer to the Extender’s WiFi Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Use WPS With the Push Button Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Use WPS With the PIN Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Deny Access to a Computer or WiFi Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Set Up an Access Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Change the Extender’s Device Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Set Up the Extender to Use a Static IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
Use the Extender With MAC Filtering or Access Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Chapter 5 Maintain and Monitor the Extender
Change the Extender Login User Name and Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Turn Password Protection Off and On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Recover a Forgotten User Name or Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Automatically Adjust for Daylight Saving Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Manually Set the Extender Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Change the Extender’s Time Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Back Up and Restore the Extender Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Back Up the Configuration Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Restore the Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Return the Extender to Its Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Use the Factory Reset Button to Reset the Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Log In to the Extender to Reset the Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Update the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Restart the Extender Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Chapter 6 FAQs and Troubleshooting
FAQs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Cannot Connect to the Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Cannot Join a WiFi Network and Receive an Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Appendix A Factory Settings and Technical Specifications
Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Technical and Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
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1. Overview |
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The NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender increases the distance of a WiFi network by boosting the existing WiFi signal and enhancing the overall signal quality over long distances. An extender repeats the signals from an existing WiFi router or access point.
This chapter covers the following topics:
•Meet Your Extender
•When to Use Your Extender
•How the Extender Works
Note: For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the support website at support.netgear.com.
Note: Firmware updates with new features and bug fixes are made available from time to time at downloadcenter.netgear.com. Some products can regularly check the site and download new firmware, or you can check for and download new firmware manually.
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
Meet Your Extender
Before you install your extender, familiarize yourself with its LEDs, buttons, and port.
Front Panel
Router Device
Link LED Link LED
Power LED
WPS/Mode LED 
Figure 1. Front panel LEDs
The following table describes the LEDs.
Table 1. Front panel LEDs
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This LED indicates the connection between the extender and the router or |
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Router Link LED |
access point: |
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• Solid green. Best connection. |
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• Solid amber. Good connection. |
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• Solid red. Poor connection. |
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• Off. No connection. |
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Device Link LED |
This LED indicates the connection between the extender and a computer or WiFi |
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device: |
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• Solid green. Best connection. |
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• Solid amber. Good connection. |
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• Solid red. Poor connection. |
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• Off. No connection. |
Overview
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
Table 1. Front panel LEDs (continued)
LED |
Description |
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Power LED |
• Solid amber. The extender is booting. |
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• Solid green. The extender is powered on. |
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• Blinking green. The extender is switching between extender mode and |
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access point mode. |
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• Off. The extender is powered off. |
WPS/Mode LED |
• Solid green. The extender is in extender mode. |
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• Blinking green. A WPS connection is being established or the extender is |
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switching between extender mode and access point mode. |
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• Off. The extender is in access point mode. |
Side Panels
Power connector
Factory |
Reset |
Button |
WPS/Mode button |
Power On/Off |
button |
Figure 2. Buttons and port on the side panels
When to Use Your Extender
Power connector
Ethernet port |
We recommend that you connect through the extender network only when the WiFi device is in a “dead zone” where the connection from the existing network is poor or nonexistent. Data traffic routed through the extender is inherently slower than traffic routed directly from the network.
Overview
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
How the Extender Works
The extender works like a bridge between a WiFi router (or a WiFi access point) and a WiFi device outside the range of the WiFi router. The extender performs two main jobs:
•The extender connects to a working WiFi network.
When the extender connects over WiFi to an existing network, it functions as a network client, similar to how a WiFi device connects to a network.
•The extender acts as an access point for WiFi devices.
The extender broadcasts its own WiFi network that WiFi devices can join. In its role as an access point, the extender performs tasks that WiFi routers do, such as broadcasting its network name (SSID).
The extender must do each of these jobs so that both ends of the bridge are in place.
WiFi range extender |
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Existing WiFi |
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Boosts the range of |
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your existing WiFi and |
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Sometimes your |
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creates a stronger |
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router does not |
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signal in hard-to-reach |
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provide the WiFi |
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areas. |
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coverage that you |
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need. |
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Figure 3. Range extender in a home
Overview
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2. Get Started |
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This chapter covers the following topics:
•Use the Extender in Extender Mode
•Use the Extender in Access Point Mode
•Log In to the Extender After Installation
•Run Smart Setup Installation
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
Use the Extender in Extender Mode
Place the extender, apply power, and connect the extender to your WiFi network.
Note: You can also use the extender as a WiFi access point and create a new WiFi hotspot by using a wired Ethernet connection. See Use the Extender in Access Point Mode on page 16.
Place the Extender and Apply Power
To place the extender and apply power:
1.Place your extender in the same room as your WiFi router.
Proximity to the WiFi router is required only during the initial setup process.
2.Plug the extender into an electrical outlet.
3.Wait for the Power LED to light amber and then turn green.
If the Power LED does not light, press the Power On/Off button on the side of the extender.
Check for Extender Mode
To make sure that the extender is in extender mode, check to see if the WPS/Mode LED is solid green. If the WPS/Mode LED is off, press the WPS/Mode button for more than five seconds.
When the extender is in extender mode, the WPS/Mode LED and Power LED blink and then light solid green.
Connect to an Existing WiFi Network
To extend the range of your WiFi network, you must connect the extender to your existing WiFi network. You can do this in one of two ways:
•Connect with WPS. For more information, see Connect With WPS on page 11.
•Connect with web browser setup. For more information, see Connect With the NETGEAR Installation Assistant on page 12.
Get Started
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
Connect With WPS
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) lets you join a secure WiFi network without typing the network name and password.
Note: WPS does not support WEP network security. If you are using WEP security, follow the instructions in Connect With the NETGEAR Installation Assistant on page 12.
To use WPS to connect the extender to your WiFi router:
1.Press the WPS/Mode button on the extender for less than five seconds until the WPS/Mode LED blinks.
Note: If you press the WPS/Mode button for more than five seconds, the extender switches to access point mode. When the extender switches to access point mode, the WPS/Mode LED and Power LED blink and then the WPS/Mode LED turns off and the Power LED lights solid green.
2.Within two minutes, press the WPS button on your router or access point.
When the extender connects to your existing WiFi network, the WPS/Mode LED on the extender lights solid green and the Router Link LED lights. If the Router Link LED does not light, try again. If it still does not light, see Connect With the NETGEAR Installation Assistant on page 12.
3.If your WiFi router supports the 5 GHz band, repeat Steps 1 and 2 to connect the extender to the 5 GHz band.
4.Unplug the extender and move it to a new location that is about halfway between your router and the area with a poor router WiFi signal.
The location that you choose must be within the range of your existing WiFi router network.
5.Plug the extender into an electrical outlet and wait for the Power LED to light green.
6.Use the Router Link LED to help you choose a spot where the extender-to-router connection is optimal.
7.If the Router Link LED doesn’t light amber or green, plug the extender into an outlet closer to the router and try again.
Get Started
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
Keep moving the extender to outlets closer to the router until the Router Link LED lights amber or green.
8.On your computer or WiFi device, find and connect to the new extended WiFi network.
The extender creates two new extended WiFi networks. The extender’s new WiFi network names are based on your existing WiFi network name, with _2GEXT and _5GEXT at the end of the name.
For example:
•Existing WiFi network name. MyNetworkName
•New extended network names. MyNetworkName_2GEXT and MyNetworkName_5GEXT
Use the same WiFi password that you use for your WiFi router.
9.Test the extended WiFi range by moving your computer or WiFi device to the area with a poor router WiFi signal:
a.Leave your computer or WiFi device in the area with a poor router WiFi signal and return to the extender.
b.Check the Device Link LED on the extender:
•If the Device Link LED is solid green or amber, your extended WiFi network reaches the area with a poor router WiFi signal and your network setup is complete.
•If the Device Link LED is red, your extended WiFi network does not reach the area with a poor router WiFi signal.
You must move the computer or WiFi device closer to the extender until the Device Link LED turns solid green or amber.
Connect With the NETGEAR Installation Assistant
You can use a web browser to log in to the extender and set up its WiFi connection to your existing WiFi router.
To connect with web browser setup:
1.Use a WiFi network manager on a computer or WiFi device to find and connect to the extender WiFi network NETGEAR_EXT.
After the connection with the computer or WiFi device is established, the Device Link LED lights.
2.Launch web browser.
3.Enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field of the browser. The New Extender Setup page displays.
Get Started
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
4. Click the NEW EXTENDER SETUP button.
5.Complete the fields on the page to set up your login credentials and click the NEXT button.
6.Select your country or region and click the Continue button.
A message displays saying that the extender switch is set to extender mode.
7.If a message displays asking if you want to enable AP mode, click the NO button to continue with the extender mode setup.
The extender searches for WiFi networks in your area and displays a list.
8.Select a WiFi network to extend and click the NEXT button.
If you do not want to extend both WiFi bands, clear the 2.4 GHz WiFi Networks or the
5 GHz WiFi Networks check box.
9.In the Password (Network Key) field, type the existing WiFi network password (also called passphrase or security key) and click the NEXT button.
10.Set the network name (SSID) and password for your new extender WiFi network and click the NEXT button.
Note: We recommend that you use a network name (SSID) for your extender that is different from the network name (SSID) that your router uses.
Wait for the page to display a list of available extended WiFi networks, which might take up to one minute.
Get Started
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
11.Connect your computer or WiFi device to the new extender WiFi network using the extender SSID and password that you created in Step 10.
12.Make sure that your computer or WiFi device is successfully connected before you click the
Continue button.
13.Click the Continue button.
A page displays confirming that the extender successfully connected to the existing WiFi network.
14.Click the Next button.
The registration page displays.
15.Complete the registration fields and click the Finish button to complete the setup.
If you do not want to register your extender, click the Skip Registration link. Note that you must register your extender before you can use NETGEAR telephone support.
The Status page displays.
16.Unplug the extender and move it to a location that is about halfway between your router and the area with a poor router WiFi signal.
The location that you choose must be within the range of your existing WiFi router network.
17.Plug the extender into an electrical outlet and wait for the Power LED to light green. If the Power LED does not light, press the Power On/Off button.
18.Use the Router Link LED to help you choose a spot where the extender-to-router connection is optimal.
19.If the Router Link LED doesn’t light amber or green, plug the extender into an outlet closer to the router and try again.
Keep moving the extender to outlets closer to the router until the Router Link LED lights amber or green.
20.Reconnect your computer or WiFi device to the new extended WiFi network.
21.Test the extended WiFi range by moving your computer or WiFi device to the area with a poor router WiFi signal:
a.Leave your computer or WiFi device in the area with a poor router WiFi signal and return to the extender.
b.Check the Device Link LED on the extender:
Get Started
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
•If the Device Link LED is solid green or amber, your extended WiFi network reaches the area with a poor router WiFi signal and your network setup is complete.
•If the Device Link LED is red, your extended WiFi network does not reach the area with a poor router WiFi signal.
You must move the computer or WiFi device closer to the extender until the Device Link LED turns solid green or amber.
Find the Best Location
If the WiFi signal is weak, the first time you join the extender network, the Router Link LED or Device Link LED is amber or red. If this happens, adjust the position of the extender:
•If the Router Link LED is amber or red, move the extender closer to the router.
•If the Device Link LED is amber or red, move the computer or WiFi device closer to the extender.
Connect an Ethernet-Enabled Device
After the extender is connected to your existing WiFi network, you can connect a wired device to the extender using an Ethernet cable. The device can then access your existing network through the extender’s WiFi connection.
Figure 4. Connect a device to the extender’s Ethernet port
Get Started
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
Use the Extender in Access Point Mode
You can use the extender as a WiFi access point, which creates a new WiFi hotspot by using a wired Ethernet connection.
Figure 5. Extender in access point mode
To use the extender in access point mode:
1.Use an Ethernet cable to connect the Ethernet port on the extender to an Ethernet LAN port on a router or a remote Ethernet LAN jack with LAN access.
2.Plug the extender into an electrical outlet and wait for the Power LED to light green.
3.If the Power LED does not light, press the Power On/Off button on the extender.
4.To make sure that the extender is in access point mode, check to see if the WPS/Mode LED is off.
5.If the WPS/Mode LED is lit, press the WPS/Mode button for more than five seconds.
While the extender switches to access point mode, the WPS/Mode LED and Power LED blink for up to 50 seconds. When the extender is in access point mode, the WPS/Mode LED turns off and the Power LED lights solid green.
6.Use a WiFi network manager on a computer or WiFi device to find and connect to the NETGEAR_EXT (SSID) WiFi network.
After the connection with the computer or WiFi device is established, the Device Link LED lights.
7.Launch a web browser and enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field. The New Extender Setup page displays.
8.Click the NEW EXTENDER SETUP button. The Create Account page displays.
9.Complete the fields on the page to set up your login credentials and click the NEXT button.
10.Select your country or region and click the Continue button.
Get Started
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
A message displays saying that the extender switch is set to extender mode.
11.If a message displays asking if you want to enable AP mode, click the YES button to continue with the AP mode setup.
12.Set the network name (SSID), security option, and password for each access point network and click the NEXT button.
Your settings are applied and the extender is ready to be used as an access point.
13.Use a WiFi network manager on the computer or WiFi device to connect to the new access point WiFi network.
14.Click the Continue button.
A page displays confirming that the extender successfully connected to the existing WiFi network.
15.Click the Next button.
The registration page displays.
16.Follow the onscreen instructions to register your extender.
Log In to the Extender After Installation
After installation, you can log in to the extender to view or change the extender’s settings.
To log in to the extender:
1.Use a WiFi network manager on a computer or WiFi device to find and connect to the new extended WiFi network.
After the connection with the computer or WiFi device is established, the Device Link LED lights solid green.
2.Launch a web browser.
3.Enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field of the browser. A login window opens.
4.Enter your email address and password and click the LOG IN button. The Status page displays.
Run Smart Setup Installation
You can use Smart Setup to change the extender settings. This is an easy way to connect the extender to a different router or to change the extender WiFi network name (SSID) or WiFi password.
Get Started
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AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
To run Smart Setup:
1.Use a WiFi network manager on a computer or WiFi device to find and connect to the new extended WiFi network.
After the connection with the computer or WiFi device is established, the Device Link LED lights solid green.
2.Launch a web browser.
3.Enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field of the browser. A login window opens.
4.Enter your email address and password and click the LOG IN button. The Status page displays.
5.Click the SMART SETUP button. The Welcome page displays.
6.Click the WIFI RANGE EXTENDER button.
The extender scans for WiFi signals and finds the WiFi networks in your area and displays a list.
7.Select a WiFi network to extend and click the NEXT button.
If you do not want to extend both WiFi bands, clear the 2.4 GHz WiFi Networks or the
5 GHz WiFi Networks check box.
8.In the Password (Network Key) field, type the existing WiFi network password (also called passphrase or security key) and click the NEXT button.
9.Set the network name (SSID) and password for your new extender WiFi network and click the NEXT button.
Note: We recommend that you use a network name (SSID) for your extender that is different from the network name (SSID) that your router uses.
Wait for the page to display a list of available extended WiFi networks, which might take up to one minute.
10.Connect your computer or WiFi device to the new extender WiFi network using the extender SSID and password that you created in Step 9.
11.Make sure that your computer or WiFi device is successfully connected before you click the
Continue button.
12.Click the Continue button.
A page displays confirming that the extender successfully connected to the existing WiFi network.
13.Click the Next button.
Get Started
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