NETGEAR R8000 User Manual

Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Model R8000 User Manual
July 2014
202-11398-01
350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USA
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Support
Thank you for selecting NETGEAR products.
Thank you for selecting NETGEAR products.
After installing your device, locate the serial number on the label of your product and use it to register your product at
https://my.netgear.com. You must register your product before you can use NETGEAR telephone support. NETGEAR
recommends registering your product through the NETGEAR website. For product updates and web support, visit
http://support.netgear.com.
Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR.
Phone (Other Countries): Check the list of phone numbers at http://support.netgear.com/general/contact/default.aspx.
Trademarks
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NETGEAR. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Information is subject to change without notice.
© NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
Compliance
For regulatory compliance information, visit http://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory/.
See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.
2

Contents

Chapter 1 Hardware Setup
Chapter 2 Connect to the Network and Access the Router
Unpack Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Extend the Antennas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Top View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Rear Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Turn the LEDs On or Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Position Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Cable Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Connect to the Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Wired Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
WiFi Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Types of Logins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Use an Internet Browser to Access the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
NETGEAR genie Automatic Internet Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Log In to the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Change the Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Access the Router with NETGEAR genie Apps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chapter 3 Specify Your Internet Settings
Use the Internet Setup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Manually Set Up the Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Specify an Internet Connection Without a Login. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Specify an Internet Connection That Uses a Login . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Specify IPv6 Internet Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Requirements for Entering IPv6 Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Use Auto Detect for an IPv6 Internet Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Use Auto Config for an IPv6 Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Set Up an IPv6 6to4 Tunnel Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Set Up an IPv6 Pass Through Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Set Up an IPv6 Fixed Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Set Up an IPv6 DHCP Internet Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Set Up an IPv6 PPPoE Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Change the MTU Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Chapter 4 Optimize Performance
Improve Network Connections with Universal Plug and Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Chapter 5 Control Access to the Internet
Set Up Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Allow or Block Access to Your Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Manage Network Access Control Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Use Keywords to Block Internet Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Delete Keywords from the List to Be Blocked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Block Services from the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Schedule When to Block Internet Sites and Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Avoid Blocking on a Trusted Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Set Up Security Event Email Notifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Chapter 6 Tri-Band WiFi Connections
Tri-Band WiFi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
How Tri-Band WiFi Improves Speed and Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Load Balancing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Benefits of Tri-Band WiFi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Smart Connect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Enable or Disable Smart Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Beamforming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Implicit Beamforming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Chapter 7 Share USB Devices Attached to the Router
USB Device Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Access a USB Device on the Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Back Up Windows Computers with ReadySHARE Vault. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Back Up Mac Computers with Time Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Set Up a USB Hard Drive on a Mac. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Prepare to Back Up a Large Amount of Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Use Time Machine to Back Up onto a USB Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Control Access to the USB Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Use FTP Within the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
View Network Folders on a USB Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Add a Network Folder on a USB Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Edit a Network Folder on a USB Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Approve USB Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Safely Remove a USB Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Chapter 8 Access USB Devices Through the Internet
Access USB Devices Through the Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Set Up FTP Access Through the Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Access USB Devices Through the Internet with FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Dynamic DNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Your Personal FTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Set Up a New Dynamic DNS Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Specify a DNS Account That You Already Have . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Change the Dynamic DNS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Set Up Your Personal FTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Chapter 9 Use the Router as a Media Server
Specify ReadyDLNA Media Server Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Play Music from a USB Device with iTunes Server. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Play Media from a USB Device on TiVo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Chapter 10 Share a USB Printer
Install the Printer Driver and Cable the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Download the ReadySHARE Printer Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Install the ReadySHARE Printer Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Use the Shared Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
View or Change the Status of a Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Use the Scan Feature of a Multifunction USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Change NETGEAR USB Control Center Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Chapter 11 Network Settings
View WAN Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Set Up a Default DMZ Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Change the Router’s Device Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Change the LAN TCP/IP Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Specify the IP Addresses That the Router Assigns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Disable the DHCP Server Feature in the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Reserve LAN IP Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Specify Basic WiFi Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Change the WiFi Mbps Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Change the WiFi Password or Security Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Set Up a Guest Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Control the Wireless Radios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Use the WiFi On/Off Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Enable or Disable the Wireless Radios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Set Up a Wireless Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Specify WPS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Use the Router as a Wireless Access Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Chapter 12 Manage Your Network
Update the Router Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Change the admin Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Recover the admin Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
View Router Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Display Internet Port Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Check the Internet Connection Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
View and Manage Logs of Router Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Monitor Internet Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Custom Static Routes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Set Up a Static Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Edit a Static Route. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Delete a Static Route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
View Devices Currently on the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Manage the Router Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Back Up Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Restore Configuration Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Erase the Current Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Remote Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Chapter 13 Use VPN to Access Your Network
Set Up a VPN Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Specify VPN Service in the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Install OpenVPN Software on Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Use a VPN Tunnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Use VPN to Access the Router’s USB Device and Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Use VPN to Access Your Internet Service at Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Set Up VPN Client Internet Access in the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Block VPN Client Internet Access in the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Use a VPN Tunnel to Access Your Internet Service at Home . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Chapter 14 Specify Internet Port Settings
Set Up Port Forwarding to a Local Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Add a Custom Port Forwarding Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Edit a Port Forwarding Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Delete a Port Forwarding Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Application Example: Make a Local Web Server Public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
How the Router Implements the Port Forwarding Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Set Up Port Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Add a Port Triggering Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Enable Port Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Application Example: Port Triggering for Internet Relay Chat . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Chapter 15 Troubleshooting
Quick Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Sequence to Restart Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Check Ethernet Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Troubleshoot with the LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Standard LED Behavior When the Router is Powered On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Power LED Is Off or Blinking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Power LED Stays Amber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
LEDs Never Turn Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Internet or Ethernet Port LEDs Are Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
WiFi LED Is Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Cannot Log In to the Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Cannot Access the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Troubleshoot PPPoE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Troubleshoot Internet Browsing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Changes Not Saved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Wireless Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Troubleshoot Your Network Using the Ping Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Test the LAN Path to Your Router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Test the Path from Your Computer to a Remote Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Appendix A Supplemental Information
Factory Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
7

1. Hardware Setup

1
The Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router with six high-performance antennas and three
network bands—one 2.4 GHz band and two 5 GHz bands, delivers combined WiFi connection speeds of up to 3200 Mbps WiFi:
600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band 256 QAM (802.11n)
1300 Mbps on 5 GHz band 1 (802.11ac)
1300 Mbps on 5 GHz band 2 (802.11ac)
Nighthawk X6 is ideal for homes with increasing number of WiFi-connected devices and provides double the bandwidth of typical dual-band routers.
Nighthawk X6 also provides fast central storage, backup, and streaming to every device in your home with the USB 3.0 port (10 times faster than USB 2.0). Sharing content across your network is easy, whether you’re accessing stored photos and music to printing wirelessly. Stream your stored media files anywhere on the network to DLNA screens. Share your music with
AirPlay-compatible devices from a USB hard drive connected to the router. Use the free
NETGEAR ReadySHARE Vault app to back up your Windows computers to a USB hard drive connected to Nighthawk X6.
This chapter contains the following sections:
Unpack Your Router
Extend the Antennas
Top View
Rear Panel
Position Your Router
Cable Your Router
For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the support website at
http://support.netgear.com.
8
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Unpack Your Router

Your package contains the following items.
Ethernet cable
AC3200 Smart WiFi Router
Figure 1. Package contents

Extend the Antennas

Position the antennas for the best WiFi performance.
To extend the antennas:
Position all of the antennas vertically as shown.
Power adapter
Hardware Setup
9
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Top View

The router has status LEDs and buttons on the top.
LEDs
Figure 2. Router LEDs and buttons Table 1. LED and button descriptions
LED Description
Power
Internet
2.4 GHz Wireless
5 GHz WiFi 1
5 GHz WiFi 2
Solid amber. The router is starting.
Blinking amber. The
Solid white. The
Blinking white. The
Off. Power is not supplied to the router.
Solid white. The Internet connection is ready.
Solid amber.
Off. No Ethernet cable is connected between the router and the modem.
Solid white. The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is operating.
Blinking. The
Off.
Solid white. The 5 GHz-1 WiFi radio is operating.
Blinking. The
Off. The
Solid white. The 5 GHz-2 WiFi radio is operating.
Blinking. The
Off. The
The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is off.
The router has detected an Ethernet cable connection to the modem.
router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
5 GHz-1 WiFi radio is off.
router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
5 GHz-2 WiFi radio is off.
firmware is upgrading, or the Reset button was pressed.
router is ready.
firmware is corrupted.
Hardware Setup
10
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Table 1. LED and button descriptions (continued)
LED Description
USB 3.0 port USB 2.0 port
Ethernet ports 1-4
WiFi On/Off button with LED
WPS button with LED
The USB 1 LED is for the USB 3.0 USB port on the front panel. The USB 2 LED is for the USB
2.0 port on the rear panel.
Solid white.
Blinking.
Off. No USB device is connected or someone clicked the Safely Remove Hardware
button, and it is now safe to remove the attached USB device.
The LED color indicates the speed: white for Gigabit Ethernet connections and amber for 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps Ethernet connections.
Solid. A
Blinking.
Off. No device is connected to this Ethernet port.
Pressing this button for two seconds turns the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi radios on and off. If this LED is lit, the WiFi radios are on. If this LED is off, the WiFi radios are turned off and you
cannot use WiFi to connect to the router.
This button lets you use WPS to join the WiFi network without typing the WiFi password. The WPS LED blinks white during this process and then lights solid white.
A USB device is connected and is ready.
A USB device is plugged in and is trying to connect.
powered-on device is connected to the Ethernet port.
The port is sending or receiving traffic.
You can use the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel of the router to turn the LEDs on the top of the router on or off. See <pdf>“Turn the LEDs On or Off” on page 12.

Rear Panel

The rear panel has the connections and buttons shown in the following figure.
USB 2.0 port port connector On/Off
LED On/Off switch
LAN ports 1–4
port
Figure 3. Router rear panel
Pressing the Reset button restores the factory settings. See Factory Settings on page 166.
USB 3.0Ethernet Internet PowerPower
Reset button
Hardware Setup
11
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Turn the LEDs On or Off

To turn the LEDs on or off:
Slide the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel to the on or of
LED On/Off switch
The Power LED stays lit even if the LED On/Off switch is in the off position.
f position.

Position Your Router

The router lets you access your network anywhere within the operating range of your wireless network. However, the operating distance or range of your wireless connection can vary significantly depending on the physical placement of your router. For example, the thickness and number of walls the wireless signal passes through can limit the range.
Additionally, other wireless access points in and around your home might affect your router’s
signal. Wireless access points are routers, repeaters, WiFi range extenders, and any other device that emits a wireless signal for network access.
Position your router according to the following guidelines:
Position your router according to the following guidelines:
Place your router near the center of the area where your computers and other devices
operate, and within line of sight to your wireless devices.
Make sure that the router is within reach of an
for wired computers.
Place the router in an elevated location, minimizing the number walls and ceilings
between the router and your other devices.
Place the router away from electrical devices such as these:
- Ceiling fans
- Home security systems
- Microwaves
- Computers
- Base of a cordless phone
- 2.4 GHz cordless phone
Hardware Setup
AC power outlet and near Ethernet cables
12
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Place the router away from large metal surfaces, large glass surfaces, and insulated
walls such as these:
- Solid metal doors
- Aluminum studs
- Fish tanks
- Mirrors
- Brick
- Concrete

Cable Your Router

The following image shows how to cable your router:
Ethernet cable
DSL or cable
Router
Ethernet cable
Modem
Power adapter
Figure 4. Router cabling
To cable your router:
1. Unplug your modem’
s power, leaving the modem connected to the wall jack for your
Internet service. If your modem has a battery backup, remove the battery.
2. Plug in and turn on your modem.
If your modem has a battery backup, put the battery back in.
3. Connect your modem to the Internet port of your router with the yellow Ethernet cable that
came with your router.
4. Connect the power adapter to your router and plug the power adapter into an outlet.
5. Slide the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel to the on position
6. Press the Power On/Off button on the rear panel of the router.
Hardware Setup
13
2. Connect to the Network and
Access the Router
You can connect to the router’s WiFi networks or use a wired Ethernet connection. This chapter
explains the ways you can connect and how to access the router and log in.
This chapter contains the following sections:
Connect to the Network
Types of Logins
Use an Internet Browser to Access the Router
Change the Language
Access the Router with NETGEAR genie Apps
2
14
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Connect to the Network

You can connect to the router’s network through a wired or WiFi connection. If you set up your computer to use a static IP address, change the settings so that it uses Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

Wired Connection

You can connect your computer to the router using an Ethernet cable and join the router’s local area network (LAN).
To connect your computer to the router with an Ethernet cable:
1. Make sure that the router has power (its Power LED is lit).
2. Connect an Ethernet cable to an Ethernet port on your computer.
3. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to one of the numbered Ethernet ports.
Your computer connects to the local area network (LAN). A message might display on your computer screen to notify you that an Ethernet cable is connected.

WiFi Connection

You can connect to the router’s WiFi network with Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) or you can find and select the WiFi network.
To use WPS to connect to the WiFi network:
1. Make sure that the router has power (its Power LED is lit).
2. Check the WPS instructions for your computer or wireless device.
3. Press the WPS button on the router.
4. Within two minutes, on your computer or WiFi device, press its WPS button or follow its
instructions for WPS connections. Your computer or wireless device connects to the WiFi network.
To find and select the WiFi network:
1. Make sure that the router has power (its Power LED is lit).
2. On your computer or wireless device, find and select the WiFi network.
The WiFi network name is on the router’s label.
3. Join the WiFi network and enter the WiFi password.
The password is on the router’s label. Your wireless device connects to the WiFi network.
Connect to the Network and Access the Router
15
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Label

The label on the router shows the login information, WiFi network name and network key (password), MAC address, and serial number.
Figure 5. Router label

Types of Logins

Separate types of logins have different purposes. It is important that you understand the difference so that you know which login to use when.
Types of logins:
ISP login.
service provider gave you this login information in a letter or some other way. If you cannot find this login information, contact your service provider.
W
iFi network key or password. Your router is preset with a unique wireless network
name (SSID) and password for wireless access. This information is on the router label.
Router login.This logs you in to the router interface from an Internet browser as admin.
The login that your ISP gave you logs you in to your Internet service. Your

Use an Internet Browser to Access the Router

When you connect to the network (either with WiFi or with an Ethernet cable), you can use an Internet browser to access the router to view or change its settings. The first time you access the router, NETGEAR genie automatically checks to see if your router can connect to your Internet service.

NETGEAR genie Automatic Internet Setup

You can set up your router with the NETGEAR genie automatically , or you can use the genie menus and screens to set up your router manually. Before you start the setup process, get your ISP information and make sure that the computers and devices in the network have the settings described here.
Connect to the Network and Access the Router
16
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
When your Internet service starts, your Internet service provider (ISP) typically gives you all the information needed to connect to the Internet. For DSL service, you might need the following information to set up your router:
The ISP configuration information for your DSL account
ISP login name and password
Fixed or static IP address setting (special deployment by ISP; this setting is rare)
If you cannot locate this information, ask your ISP to provide it. When your Internet connection is working, you no longer need to launch the ISP login program on your computer to access the Internet. When you start an Internet application, your router automatically logs you in.
NETGEAR genie runs on any device with a web browser. Installation and basic setup takes about 15 minutes to complete.
To use NETGEAR genie to set up your router:
1. T
urn the router on by pressing the On/Off button.
2. Make sure that your computer or wireless device is connected to the router with an Ethernet
cable (wired) or wirelessly with the preset security settings listed on the label.
Note: If you want to change the router’s WiFi setting, use a wired connection
to avoid being disconnected when the new WiFi settings take effect.
3. Launch an Internet browser
.
The screen that displays depends on whether you accessed the router before:
The first time you set up the Internet connection for your router, the browser goes to
http://www
.routerlogin.net and the NETGEAR genie screen displays.
If you already used the NETGEAR genie, type http://www.routerlogin.net in the
address field for your browser to display the NETGEAR genie screen.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions.
NETGEAR genie guides you through connecting the router to the Internet.
5. If the browser cannot display the web page, do the following:
Connect to the Network and Access the Router
17
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Make sure that the computer is connected to one of the four LAN Ethernet ports or
wirelessly to the router.
Make sure that the router has full power and that its Power LED is lit white.
Close and reopen the browser or clear the browser cache.
Browse to http://www.routerlogin.net.
If the computer is set to a static or fixed IP address (this setting is uncommon),
change it to obtain an IP address automatically from the router.
6. If the router does not connect to the Internet, do the following:
a. Review your settings. Make sure that you selected the correct options and typed
everything correctly.
b. Contact your ISP to verify that you have the correct configuration information. c. Read Chapter 15, Troubleshooting. If problems persist, register your NETGEAR
product and contact NETGEAR technical support.

Log In to the Router

When you first set up your router, NETGEAR genie automatically starts when you launch an Internet browser on a computer that is connected to the router. If you want to view or change settings for the router, you can use genie again.
To log in to the router:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.

Change the Language

By default, the language is set to Auto.
To change the language:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
Connect to the Network and Access the Router
18
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. In the upper right corner, select a language from the list.
5. When prompted, click the OK button to confirm this change.
The screen refreshes with the language that you selected.

Access the Router with NETGEAR genie Apps

The genie app is the easy dashboard for managing, monitoring, and repairing your home network. The genie app can help you with the following:
Automatically repair common wireless network problems.
Easily manage router features like Live Parental Controls, guest access, Internet traffic
meter, speed test, and more.
To use the genie app to access the router:
1. Visit the NETGEAR genie web page at www.NETGEAR.com/genie.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to install the app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
3. Launch the genie app.
The genie app dashboard screen displays.
Connect to the Network and Access the Router
19

3. Specify Your Internet Settings

3
Usually , the quickest way to set up the router to use your Internet connection is to allow the genie to detect the Internet connection when you first access the router with an Internet browser. You can also customize or specify your Internet settings.
This chapter contains the following sections:
Use the Internet Setup Wizard
Manually Set Up the Internet Connection
Specify IPv6 Internet Connections
Change the MTU Size
20
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Use the Internet Setup Wizard

You can use the Setup Wizard to detect your Internet settings and automatically set up your router. The Setup Wizard is not the same as the genie screens that display the first time you connect to your router to set it up.
To use the Setup Wizard:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
5. Select the Yes radio button.
If you select No, you are taken to the Internet Setup screen (see Figure , Manually Set Up
the Internet Connection on page 22).
6. Click the Next button.
The Setup Wizard searches your Internet connection for servers and protocols to determine your Internet configuration.
When the router connects to the Internet, you are prompted to download and install the free NETGEAR Desktop genie app and the free ReadySHARE V
ANCED > Setup Wizard.
The default password is password. The user name and
ault app.
Specify Your Internet Settings
21
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Manually Set Up the Internet Connection

You can view or change the router’s Internet connection settings.

Specify an Internet Connection Without a Login

To specify the Internet connection settings:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select Internet.
The default password is password. The user name and
Scroll to view more settings
5. For the Does your Internet connection require a login? setting, leave the No radio button
selected.
6. If your Internet connection requires an account name or host name, type it in the Account
Name (If Required) field.
Specify Your Internet Settings
22
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
7. If your Internet connection requires a domain name, type it in the Domain Name (If
Required) field.
For the other sections in this screen, the default settings usually work, but you can change them.
8. Select an Internet IP Address radio button:
Get Dynamically from ISP. Your ISP uses DHCP to assign your IP address. Your ISP
automatically assigns these addresses.
Use Static IP Address. Enter the IP address, IP subnet mask, and the gateway IP
address that your ISP assigned. The gateway is the ISP router to which your router connects.
9. Select a Domain Name Server (DNS) Address radio button:
Get Automatically from ISP. Your ISP uses DHCP to assign your DNS servers. Your
ISP automatically assigns this address.
Use These DNS Servers. If you know that your ISP requires specific servers, select
this option. Enter the IP address of your ISP’s primary DNS server. If a secondary DNS server address is available, enter it also.
10. Select a Router MAC Address radio button:
Use Default Address. Use the default MAC address.
Use Computer MAC Address. The router captures and uses the MAC address of the
computer that you are now using. You must use the one computer that the ISP allows.
Use This MAC Address. Enter the MAC address that you want to use.
11. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
12. Click the Test button to test your Internet connection.
If the NETGEAR website does not display within one minute, see Chapter 15,
T roubleshooting.

Specify an Internet Connection That Uses a Login

To view or change the basic Internet setup:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
Specify Your Internet Settings
23
4. Select Internet.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Scroll to view more settings
5. In the Does your Internet connection require a login? section of the screen, s elect the
Yes radio button.
The screen adjusts.
6. In the Internet Service Provider list, select the encapsulation method:
PPPoE, PPPoA, or L2TP.
7. In the Login field, enter the login name your ISP gave you.
This login name is often an email address.
8. In the Password field, type the password that you use to log in to your Internet service.
9. If your ISP requires a service name, type it in the Service Name (if Required) field.
10. In the Connection Mode list, select Always
11. T
o change the number of minutes until the Internet login times out, in the Idle Timeout (In
On, Dial on Demand, or Manually Connect.
minutes) field, type the number of minutes.
This is how long the router keeps the Internet connection active when no one on the network is using the Internet connection.
A value of 0 (zero) means never log out.
12. Select an Internet IP Address radio button:
Get Dynamically from ISP.
Your ISP uses DHCP to assign your IP address. Your ISP
automatically assigns these addresses.
Use Static IP
Address. Enter the IP address, IP subnet mask, and the gateway IP
address that your ISP assigned. The gateway is the ISP router to which your router connects.
Specify Your Internet Settings
24
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
13. Select a Domain Name Server (DNS) Address radio button:
Get Automatically from ISP. Your ISP uses DHCP to assign your DNS servers. Your
ISP automatically assigns this address.
Use These DNS Servers. If you know that your ISP requires specific servers, select
this option. Enter the IP address of your ISP’s primary DNS server. If a secondary DNS server address is available, enter it also.
14. Select a Router MAC Address radio button:
Use Default Address. Use the default MAC address.
Use Computer MAC Address. The router captures and uses the MAC address of the
computer that you are now using. You must use the one computer that the ISP allows.
Use This MAC Address. Enter the MAC address that you want to use.
15. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
16. Click the Test button to test your Internet connection.
If the NETGEAR website does not display within one minute, see Chapter 15,
T roubleshooting.

Specify IPv6 Internet Connections

You can set up an IPv6 Internet connection if genie does not detect it automatically.
To set up an IPv6 Internet connection:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > IPv6.
The Basic Settings screen displays.
5. In the Internet Connection Type list, select the IPv6 connection type:
If your ISP did not provide details, select IPv6 Tunnel.
If you are not sure, select Auto Detect so that the router detects the IPv6 type that is
in use.
If your Internet connection does not use PPPoe or DHCP, or not fixed, but is IPv6,
select Auto Config.
Specify Your Internet Settings
25
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
Your Internet service provider (ISP) can provide this information. For more information about IPv6 Internet connection, see the following sections.
- Use Auto Detect for an IPv6 Internet Connection on page 26
- Use Auto Config for an IPv6 Internet Connection on page 28
- Set Up an IPv6 6to4 Tunnel Internet Connection on page 29
- Set Up an IPv6 Pass Through Internet Connection on page 31
- Set Up an IPv6 Fixed Internet Connection on page 31
- Set Up an IPv6 DHCP Internet Connection on page 33
- Set Up an IPv6 PPPoE Internet Connection on page 34
6. Click the Apply button.
Your changes take effect.

Requirements for Entering IPv6 Addresses

IPv6 addresses are denoted by eight groups of hexadecimal quartets that are separated by colons. You can reduce any four-digit group of zeros within an IPv6 address to a single zero or omit it. The following errors invalidate an IPv6 address:
More than eight groups of hexadecimal quartets
More than four hexadecimal characters in a quartet
More than two colons in a row

Use Auto Detect for an IPv6 Internet Connection

To set up an IPv6 Internet connection through auto detection:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > IPv6.
The IPv6 screen displays.
5. In the Internet Connection Type list, select Auto Detect.
Specify Your Internet Settings
26
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The screen adjusts:
The router automatically detects the information in the following fields:
Connection T
Router
’s IPv6 Address on WAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired
ype. This field indicates the connection type that is detected.
for the router’s WAN (or Internet) interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available.
Router
’s IPv6 Address on LAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired
for the router’s LAN interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available.
6. Select
Use DHCP Server.
an IP Address Assignment radio button:
This method passes more information to LAN devices, but some
IPv6 systems might not support the DHCv6 client function.
Auto Config.
This is the default setting.
This setting specifies how the router assigns IPv6 addresses to the devices on your home network (the LAN).
7. (Optional) Select the Use This Interface ID check box and specify the interface ID to be
used for the IPv6 address of the router’
s LAN interface.
If you do not specify an ID here, the router generates one automatically from its MAC address.
8. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
Specify Your Internet Settings
27
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Use Auto Config for an IPv6 Internet Connection

To set up an IPv6 Internet connection through auto configuration:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin.
The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > Advanced Setup > IPv6.
The IPv6 screen displays.
5. In the Internet Connection T
The screen adjusts:
ype list, select Auto Config.
The router automatically detects the information in the following fields:
Router
’s IPv6 Address on WAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired
for the router’s WAN (or Internet) interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available.
Router
’s IPv6 Address on LAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired
for the router’s LAN interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available.
6. (Optional) In the DHCP User Class (If Required) field, enter a host name.
Most people can leave this field blank, but if your ISP has given you a specific host name, enter it here.
Specify Your Internet Settings
28
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
7. (Optional) In the DHCP Domain Name (If Required) field, enter a domain name.
You can type the domain name of your IPv6 ISP. Do not enter the domain name for the IPv4 ISP here. For example, if your ISP’s mail server is mail.xxx.yyy.zzz, type xxx.yyy .zzz as the domain name. If your ISP provided a domain name, type it in this field. For example, Earthlink Cable might require a host name of home, and Comcast sometimes supplies a domain name.
8. Select an IP Address Assignment radio button:
Use DHCP Server. This method passes more information to LAN devices but some
IPv6 systems might not support the DHCv6 client function.
Auto Config. This is the default setting.
This setting specifies how the router assigns IPv6 addresses to the devices on your home network (the LAN).
9. (Optional) Select the Use This Interface ID check box and specify the interface ID to be
used for the IPv6 address of the router’s LAN interface. If you do not specify an ID here, the router generates one automatically from its MAC
address.
10. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.

Set Up an IPv6 6to4 Tunnel Internet Connection

The remote relay router is the router to which your router creates a 6to4 tunnel. Make sure that the IPv4 Internet connection is working before you apply the 6to4 tunnel settings for the IPv6 connection.
To set up an IPv6 Internet connection by using a 6to4 tunnel:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > IPv6.
The IPv6 screen displays.
5. In the Internet Connection Type list, select 6to4 Tunnel.
Specify Your Internet Settings
29
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The screen adjusts:
The router automatically detects the information in the Router’s IPv6 Address on LAN field. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’s LAN interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available.
6. Configure the remote 6to4 relay router settings by selecting one of the following radio
buttons:
Auto.
Y our router uses any remote relay router that is available on the Internet. This is
the default setting.
Static IP
Address. Enter the static IPv4 address of the remote relay router. Your IPv6
ISP usually provides this address.
7. Select an IP
Use DHCP Server.
Address Assignment radio button:
This method passes more information to LAN devices but some
IPv6 systems might not support the DHCv6 client function.
Auto Config.
This is the default setting.
This setting specifies how the router assigns IPv6 addresses to the devices on your home network (the LAN).
8. (Optional) Select the Use This Interface ID check box and specify the interface ID to be
used for the IPv6 address of the router’
s LAN interface.
If you do not specify an ID here, the router generates one automatically from its MAC address.
9. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
Specify Your Internet Settings
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Set Up an IPv6 Pass Through Internet Connection

In pass-through mode, the router works as a Layer 2 Ethernet switch with two ports (LAN and WAN Ethernet ports) for IPv6 packets. The router does not process any IPv6 header packets.
To set up a pass-through IPv6 Internet connection:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > IPv6.
The IPv6 screen displays.
5. In the Internet Connection Type list, select Pass Through.
The screen adjusts, but no additional fields display.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.

Set Up an IPv6 Fixed Internet Connection

To set up a fixed IPv6 Internet connection:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > IPv6.
The IPv6 screen displays.
5. In the Internet Connection Type list, select Fixed.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The screen adjusts:
6. Configure the fixed IPv6 addresses for the WAN connection:
IPv6 Address/Prefix
Length. The IPv6 address and prefix length of the router WAN
interface.
Default IPv6 Gateway.
The IPv6 address of the default IPv6 gateway for the router’s
WAN interface.
Primary DNS Server.
The primary DNS server that resolves IPv6 domain name
records for the router.
Secondary DNS Server.
The secondary DNS server that resolves IPv6 domain
name records for the router.
Note: If you do not specify the DNS servers, the router uses the DNS servers
that are configured for the IPv4 Internet connection on the Internet Setup screen. (See Manually Set Up the Internet Connection on page 22.)
7. Select an IP
Use DHCP Server.
Address Assignment radio button:
This method passes more information to LAN devices but some
IPv6 systems might not support the DHCv6 client function.
Auto Config.
This is the default setting.
This setting specifies how the router assigns IPv6 addresses to the devices on your home network (the LAN).
8. In the IPv6 Address/Prefix
Length fields, specify the static IPv6 address and prefix length
of the router’s LAN interface. If you do not specify an ID here, the router generates one automatically from its MAC
address.
9. CClick the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Set Up an IPv6 DHCP Internet Connection

To set up an IPv6 Internet connection with a DHCP server:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin.
The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > Advanced Setup > IPv6.
The IPv6 screen displays.
5. In the Internet Connection T
The screen adjusts:
ype list, select DHCP.
The router automatically detects the information in the following fields:
Router
’s IPv6 Address on WAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired
for the router’s WAN (or Internet) interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available.
Router
’s IPv6 Address on LAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired
for the router’s LAN interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available.
6. (Optional) In the User Class (If Required) field, enter a host name.
Most people can leave this field blank, but if your ISP gave you a specific host name, enter it here.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
7. (Optional) In the Domain Name (If Required) field, enter a domain name.
You can type the domain name of your IPv6 ISP. Do not enter the domain name for the IPv4 ISP here. For example, if your ISP’s mail server is mail.xxx.yyy.zzz, type xxx.yyy .zzz as the domain name. If your ISP provided a domain name, type it in this field. For example, Earthlink Cable might require a host name of home, and Comcast sometimes supplies a domain name.
8. Select an IP Address Assignment radio button:
Use DHCP Server. This method passes more information to LAN devices but some
IPv6 systems might not support the DHCv6 client function.
Auto Config. This is the default setting.
This setting specifies how the router assigns IPv6 addresses to the devices on your home network (the LAN).
9. (Optional) Select the Use This Interface ID check box and specify the interface ID to be
used for the IPv6 address of the router’s LAN interface. If you do not specify an ID here, the router generates one automatically from its MAC
address.
10. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.

Set Up an IPv6 PPPoE Internet Connection

To set up a PPPoE IPv6 Internet connection:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > IPv6.
The IPv6 screen displays.
5. In the Internet Connection Type list, select PPPoE.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The screen adjusts:
The router automatically detects the information in the following fields:
Router
’s IPv6 Address on WAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired
for the router’s WAN (or Internet) interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available.
Router
’s IPv6 Address on LAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired
for the router’s LAN interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available.
6. In the Login field, enter the login information for the ISP connection.
This is usually the name that you use in your email address. For example, if your main mail account is JerAB@ISP
.com, you would type JerAB in this field. Some ISPs (like Mindspring, Earthlink, and T-DSL) require that you use your full email address when you log in. If your ISP requires your full email address, type it in this field.
7. In the Password field, enter the password for the ISP connection.
8. In the Service Name field, enter a service name.
If your ISP did not provide a service name, leave this field blank.
Note: The default setting of the Connection Mode field is Always On to
provide a steady IPv6 connection. The router never terminates the connection. If the connection is terminated, for example, when the modem is turned off, the router attempts to reestablish the connection immediately after the PPPoE connection becomes available again.
9. Select
an IP Address Assignment radio button:
Use DHCP Server.
IPv6 systems might not support the DHCv6 client function.
Auto Config.
This method passes more information to LAN devices but some
This is the default setting.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
This setting specifies how the router assigns IPv6 addresses to the devices on your home network (the LAN).
10. (Optional) Select the Use This Interface ID check box and specify the interface ID to be
used for the IPv6 address of the router’s LAN interface. If you do not specify an ID here, the router generates one automatically from its MAC
address.
11. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.

Change the MTU Size

The maximum transmission unit (MTU) is the largest data packet a network device transmits. When one network device communicates across the Internet with another, the data packets travel through many devices along the way. If a device in the data path has a lower MTU setting than the other devices, the data packets must be split or “fragmented” to accommodate the device with the smallest MTU.
The best MTU setting for NETGEAR equipment is often the default value. In some situations, changing the value fixes one problem but causes another. Leave the MTU unchanged unless one of these situations occurs:
You experience problems connecting to your ISP or other Internet service, and the
technical support of either the ISP or NETGEAR recommends changing the MTU setting. These web-based applications might require an MTU change:
- A secure website that does not open, or displays only part of a web page
- Yahoo email
- MSN portal
- America Online’s DSL service
You use VPN and have severe performance problems.
You used a program to optimize MTU for performance reasons and now you have
connectivity or performance problems.
Note: An incorrect MTU setting can cause Internet communication
problems. For example, you might not be able to access certain websites, frames within websites, secure login pages, or FTP or POP servers.
To change the MTU size:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin.
The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > Setup > WAN Setup.
5. In the MTU Size field, enter a value from 64 to 1500.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
If you suspect an MTU problem, a common solution is to change the MTU to 1400. If you are willing to experiment, you can gradually reduce the MTU from the maximum value of 1500 until the problem goes away applications.
. The following table describes common MTU sizes and
Table 2. Common MTU sizes
MTU Application
1500 The largest Ethernet packet size. This setting is typical for connections that do not use
PPPoE or VPN and is the default value for NETGEAR routers, adapters, and switches. 1492 Used in PPPoE environments. 1472 Maximum size to use for pinging. (Larger packets are fragmented.) 1468 Used in some DHCP environments. 1460 Usable by AOL if you do not have large email attachments, for example. 1436 Used in PPTP environments or with VPN. 1400 Maximum size for AOL DSL. 576 Typical value to connect to dial-up ISPs.
Specify Your Internet Settings
37

4. Optimize Performance

You can set up the router to optimize performance for applications such as multiplayer gaming,
peer-to-peer connections, or real-time communications such as instant messaging or remote assistance (a feature in Windows XP). By default, the router uses Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service (WMM QoS).
This chapter contains the following sections:
Improve Network Connections with Universal Plug and Play
Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service
4
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Improve Network Connections with Universal Plug and Play

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) helps devices, such as Internet appliances and computers, access the network and connect to other devices as needed. UPnP devices can automatically discover the services from other registered UPnP devices on the network.
If you use applications such as multiplayer gaming, peer-to-peer connections, or real-time communications such as instant messaging or remote assistance (a feature in Windows XP), enable UPnP.
To enable Universal Plug and Play:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > UPnP.
The UPnP screen displays.
5. Select the Turn UPnP On check box.
By default, this check box is selected. UPnP for automatic device configuration can be enabled or disabled. If the T urn UPnP On check box is cleared, the router does not allow any device to automatically control router resources, such as port forwarding.
6. Type the advertisement period in minutes.
The advertisement period specifies how often the router broadcasts its UPnP information. This value can range from 1 to 1440 minutes. The default period is 30 minutes. Shorter durations ensure that control points have current device status at the expense of more network traffic. Longer durations can compromise the freshness of the device status but can significantly reduce network traffic.
7. Type the advertisement time to live in hops.
The time to live for the advertisement is measured in hops (steps) for each UPnP packet sent. Hops are the steps a packet takes between routers. The number of hops can range from 1 to 255. The default value for the advertisement time to live is 4 hops, which should be fine for most home networks. If you notice that some devices are not being updated or reached correctly, it might be necessary to increase this value.
8. Click the Apply button.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The UPnP Portmap Table displays the IP address of each UPnP device that is accessing the router and which ports (internal and external) that device opened. The UPnP Portmap Table also displays what type of port is open and whether that port is still active for each IP address.
To refresh the information in the UPnP Portmap Table, click the Refresh button.

Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service

Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service (WMM QoS) prioritizes wireless voice and video traffic over the WiFi link. WMM QoS is automatically enabled for the router.
WMM QoS prioritizes wireless data packets from different applications based on four access categories: voice, video, best effort, and background. For an application to receive the benefits of WMM QoS, both it and the client running that application must have WMM enabled. Legacy applications that do not support WMM and applications that do not require QoS are assigned to the best effort category, which receives a lower priority than voice and video.
To disable WMM QoS:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > QoS Setup.
The QoS Setup screen displays.
5. Clear the Enable WMM (Wi-Fi multimedia) settings (2.4 GHz b/g/n) check box.
6. Clear the Enable WMM (Wi-Fi multimedia) settings (5 GHz b/g/n) check box.
7. Clear the Enable WMM (Wi-Fi multimedia) settings Second Radio (5 GHz b/g/n) check
box.
8. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.
Optimize Performance
40

5. Control Access to the Internet

The router comes with a built-in firewall that helps protect your home network from unwanted
intrusions from the Internet.
This chapter includes the following sections:
Set Up Parental Controls
Allow or Block Access to Your Network
Use Keywords to Block Internet Sites
Block Services from the Internet
Schedule When to Block Internet Sites and Services
Avoid Blocking on a Trusted Computer
Set Up Security Event Email Notifications
5
41
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Set Up Parental Controls

The first time that you select Parental Controls from the BASIC Home screen, your browser goes to the Live Parental Controls website, where you can learn more about Live Parental Controls and download the application.
To set up Live Parental Controls:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select Parental Controls.
If your Internet connection is working, the browser automatically goes online and displays the Parental Controls web page.
5. Click either the W
6. Follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the NETGEAR Live Parental
Controls management utility
indows Users or Mac Users button.
The default password is password. The user name and
.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
After installation, Live Parental Controls automatically starts.
7. Click the Next button.
8. Read the note, and click the Next button again to proceed.
Because Live Parental Controls uses free OpenDNS accounts, you are prompted to log in or create a free account.
9. Select the radio button that applies to you:
If you already have an OpenDNS account, leave the Ye
s radio button selected.
If you do not have an OpenDNS account, select the No radio button.
10. Click the Next button.
If you are creating an account, the following screen displays:
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
11. Complete the fields and click the Next button.
After you log on or create your account, the filtering level screen displays:
12. Select a radio button for a filtering level and click the Next button.
13. Click the Take me to the status screen button.
Parental controls are now set up for the router. The dashboard shows Parental Controls as Enabled.

Allow or Block Access to Your Network

You can use access control to block or allow access to your network.
To set up access control:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > Security > Access Control.
5. Select the Turn on Access Control check box.
You must select this check box before you can specify an access rule and use the Allow and Block buttons. When this check box is cleared, all devices are allowed to connect, even if the device is in the blocked list.
6. Select an access rule:
Allow all new devices to connect. With this setting, if you add a new device, it can
access your network.
You don’t need to enter its MAC address in this screen.
NETGEAR recommends that you leave this radio button selected.
Block all new devices from connecting. With this setting, if you add a new device,
before it can access your network, you must enter its MAC address for an Ethernet connection and its MAC address for a WiFi connection in the allowed list.
The access rule does not affect previously blocked or allowed devices. It applies only to devices joining your network in the future after you apply these settings.
o view allowed or blocked devices that are not connected, click the following links:
7. T
iew list of allowed devices not currently connected to the network
V
V
iew list of blocked devices not currently connected to the network
The list displays.
8. T
o allow the computer or device you’re currently using to continue to access the network,
select the check box next to your computer or device, and click the Allow button.
9. Click the Apply button.
Your changes take effect.
Control Access to the Internet
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Manage Network Access Control Lists

You can use access control to block or allow access to your network.
To manage devices that are allowed or blocked:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin.
The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > Security > Access Control.
5. Click the View list of allowed devices not currently connected to the network link.
The list displays.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
6. Select the check box for a device.
7. Use the Add button, Edit button, and Remove from the List button as needed.
8. Click the Apply button.
Your changes take effect.

Use Keywords to Block Internet Sites

Y ou can use keywords to block certain Internet sites from your network. You can use blocking all the time or based on a schedule.
To block Internet sites:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > Security > Block Sites.
The default password is password. The user name and
5. Select a keyword blocking option:
Per Schedule.
Schedule When to Block Internet Sites and Services on page 50.)
Always.
6. In the keyword field, enter a keyword or domain that you want to block.
Turn on keyword blocking all the time, independent of the Schedule screen.
Turn on keyword blocking according to ta schedule that you set. (See
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
For example:
Specify XXX to block http://www.badstuff.com/xxx.html.
Specify .com if you want to allow only sites with domain suffixes such as .edu or .gov.
Enter a period (.) to block all Internet browsing access.
7. Click the Add Keyword button.
The keyword is added to the keyword list. The keyword list supports up to 32 entries.
8. Click the Apply button.
Keyword blocking takes effect.

Delete Keywords from the List to Be Blocked

To delete keywords from the list:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://routerlogin.net or http://routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is admin. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Block Sites.
5. Do one of the following:
To delete a single word, select it and click the Delete Keyword button.
The keyword is removed from the list.
To delete all keywords on the list, click the Clear List button.
All keywords are removed from the list.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.

Block Services from the Internet

You can block Internet services on your network based on the type of service. You can block the services all the time or based on a schedule.
Control Access to the Internet
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
To block services:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin.
The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select
ADVANCED > Security > Block Services.
5. Specify when to block the services:
o block the services all the time, select the Always radio button.
T
T
o block the services based on a schedule, select the Per Schedule radio button.
For information about how to specify the schedule, see Schedule When to Block
Internet Sites and Services on page 50.
6. Click the Add button.
The Block Services Setup screen displays:
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
7. To add a service that is in the Service Type list, select the application or service.
The settings for this service automatically display in the fields.
8. To add a service or application that is not the list, select User Defined.
a. If you know that the application uses either TCP or UDP, select the appropriate
protocol; otherwise, select TCP/UDP (both).
b. Enter the starting port and ending port numbers.
If the service uses a single port number, enter that number in both fields. To find out which port numbers the service or application uses, you can contact the publisher of the application, ask user groups or newsgroups, or search on the Internet.
9. Select a filtering option:
Only This IP Address. Block services for a single computer.
IP Address Range. Block services for a range of computers with consecutive IP
addresses on your network.
All lP Addresses. Block services for all computers on your network.
10. Click the Add button.
Your changes are saved.

Schedule When to Block Internet Sites and Services

When you schedule blocking, the same schedule is used to block sites and to block services. For information about how to specify what you want the router to block, see
Block Internet Sites on page 47 and Block Services from the Internet on page 48.
To schedule blocking:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
Use Keywords to
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Schedule.
5. Specify when to block keywords and services:
Days to Block. Select the check box for each day that you want to block the
keywords or select the Every Day check box, which automatically selects the check boxes for all days.
ime of Day to Block. Select a start and end time in 24-hour format, or select All
T
Day for 24-hour blocking.
6. Select your time zone from the list.
7. If you live in a region that observes daylight saving time, select the Automatically adjust
for daylight savings time check box.
8. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.

Avoid Blocking on a Trusted Computer

You can exempt one trusted computer from blocking. The computer you exempt must have a fixed IP address. You can use the reserved IP address feature to specify the IP address. See
Reserve LAN IP Addresses on page 104.
To specify a trusted computer:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
5. Scroll down and select the Allow trusted IP address to visit blocked sites check box.
6. In the T
7. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.
ANCED > Security > Block Sites.
rusted IP Address field, enter the IP address of the trusted computer.
The default password is password. The user name and

Set Up Security Event Email Notifications

The router can email you its logs of router activity . The log records router activity and security events such as attempts to access blocked sites or services.
To set up email notifications:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > Security > E-mail.
The default password is password. The user name and
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
5. Select the Turn Email Notification On check box.
6. In the Your Outgoing Mail Server field, enter the name of your ISP outgoing (SMTP) mail
server (such as mail.myISP.com). You might be able to find this information in the configuration screen of your email
program. If you leave this field blank, log and alert messages are not sent.
7. In the Send to This E-mail Address field, type the email address to which logs and alerts
are to be sent. This email address is also used for the From address. If this field is blank, log and alert
messages are not sent.
8. If your outgoing email server requires authentication, select the My Mail Server requires
authentication check box. a. In the User Name field, type the user name for the outgoing email server. b. In the Password field, type the password for the outgoing email server.
9. (Optional) Select the Send Alerts Immediately check box.
Email alerts are sent immediately when someone attempts to visit a blocked site.
10. To send logs based on a schedule, specify these settings:
From Send logs according to this schedule list, select the schedule type.
From the Day list, select the day.
From the Time list, select the time, and select the am or pm radio button.
11. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved. Logs are sent automatically according to the schedule that you set. If the log fills before
the specified time, it is sent. After the log is sent, it is cleared from the router memory. If the router cannot email the log and the log buffer fills, the router overwrites the log.
Control Access to the Internet
53

6. Tri-Band WiFi Connections

6
This chapter explains how the router manages WiFi connections for its WiFi bands and how you
can control the relevant router settings.
This chapter includes the following sections:
Tri-Band WiFi
Smart Connect
Implicit Beamforming
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Tri-Band WiFi

Tri-band WiFi delivers 3.2 Gbps combined WiFi speeds through three dedicated WiFi bands—a 2.4 GHz band, plus two 5 GHz bands. This additional 5 GHz WiFi band allows you to double the WiFi bandwidth for dual-band devices.
FASTEST
5 GHz - 1
300 Mbps
Figure 6. Tri-band WiFi doubles the available bandwidth for dual-band devices
FASTER
5 GHz - 2 300 Mbps
FAST
2.4 GHz
600 Mbps
Smart Connect intelligently selects the best WiFi band for each dual-band device to optimize connection speed and performance based on that device’s speed and performance. The router automatically manages your WiFi connections, performing load balancing across the two 5 GHz radios. This additional WiFi bandwidth combined with the intelligence to segregate traffic based on WiFi speed and load balancing provides the best performance for multiple WiFi devices in the home.

How Tri-Band WiFi Improves Speed and Performance

Tri-band WiFi increases the available WiFi bandwidth for your network to reduce network congestion.
Typically a dual-band WiFi router shares bandwidth among all connected devices that are downloading data at the same time. So if you are watching a Netflix movie on your Internet-enabled large screen TV while your kids are watching a YouTube video on a smartphone, the router shares the bandwidth across these two devices. This is particularly unfair for the faster 802.11ac devices or three-stream (3x3) 802.11n devices because their speeds are reduced to the speed of the slowest device in the network. Even one slow device can bring down the entire network speed.
In this simplified example, the 5 GHz band is capable of a maximum speed of 1300 Mbps, but the actual speed could be limited by the device capability
. For example, an Apple MacBook
Pro with support for three streams is capable of the maximum 1300 Mbps but the
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iPhone 5S with support for only single-stream 802.11n can achieve a maximum WiFi speed of only 150 Mbps. As more devices connect and begin downloading, the bandwidth is shared among them as well.
The following example of shared bandwidth shows a dual-band router in which the GHz WiFi band has a fast 640 Mbps capacity
. If only one computer or device connects, the router can allocate a speed of up to 640 Mbps to that connection, assuming that the device is capable of that speed. When more devices connect to the 5 GHz band, they must share the bandwidth. If four devices connect, then the router divides its 640 Mbps capacity by 5, as shown in the following figure.
5 GHz WiFi Band
MacBook Pro
1300 Mbps ÷ 5
iPhone
50 Mbps ÷ 5
Internet
Other router
5 GHz
Fast
MacBook Pro
300 Mbps ÷ 5
iPhone
150 Mbps ÷ 5
iPad
300 Mbps ÷ 5
Total bandwidth: 640 Mbps
(150 + 300 + 150 + 1300 + 1300) ÷ 5
Figure 7. Dual-band WiFi network with one 5 GHz WiFi band
That means that in the network shown, a computer with a 1,300 Mbps capacity has an effective WiFi connection speed of 160 Mbps (
1300 5
), and other devices would also see
their WiFi speeds divided by 5. Tri-band WiFi adds a second 5 GHz WiFi band to the network. This increases the available
WiFi bandwidth, which can be compared to widening the road. In addition to widening the road, having two 5 GHz bands means that the router has dedicated 5 GHz bands. That’s like
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having two lanes in the wider road instead of one. The router automatically uses Smart Connect to allocate the fastest devices to the fast lane
.
5 GHz WiFi Band
iPad
300 Mbps ÷ 3
iPhone
150 Mbps ÷ 3
Internet
Nighthawk X6
5 GHz
Faster
5 GHz
Fastest
iPhone
150 Mbps ÷ 3
Total bandwidth: 1500 Mbps
(150 + 300 + 150)÷ 3 + (1300 + 1300) ÷ 2
Greater than 2x the performance of other routers
MacBook Pro
300 Mbps ÷ 2
MacBook Pro
1300 Mbps ÷ 2
Figure 8. A tri-band network has two dedicated 5 GHz bands
In this tri-band network, the first 5 GHz band has a speed of 200 Mbps, and the second 5 GHz band has a speed of 1,300 Mbps.
The slower and faster devices are separated in different WiFi connections to ensure that you get the best speed on each device. So in the previous figure, all the three mobile devices are on one 5 GHz band with a combined maximum speed of 200 Mbps and the other 5 GHz WiFi band is used for the faster 802.1
1ac devices with a combined maximum speed of 1300 Mbps. Effectively both slower and faster devices can run faster and the overall network speed increases by more than two times, from 640 Mbps to 1500 Mbps.

Load Balancing

The router uses load balancing to distribute WiFi connections among all three WiFi bands, to ensure that both the WiFi bands are utilized. Load balancing avoids overloading a single 5 GHz band and ensures that both the WiFi bands are utilized and device connections are spread across the two bands.
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For example, if three mobile devices are connected to one 5 GHz band, the fourth device is automatically connected to the other 5 GHz band.
Internet
Printer
iPad Phone
MacBook Pro MacBook Air
Desktop computer
Legacy devices
Dual-band WiFi devices
Dual-band AC WiFi devices
IP camera
iPhone
Fast
2.4 WiFi band Up to 600 Mbps
Faster 5 GHz WiFi Band 1 Up to 1.3 Gbps
Fastest 5 GHz WiFi Band 2 Up to 1.3 Gbps
Figure 9. Load balancing in a tri-band WiFi network
Slower devices like printers, older computers, or an IP camera connect to the 2.4 GHz band. Having two 5 GH bands prevents overloading when many devices use WiFi at the same time.

Benefits of Tri-Band WiFi

The tri-band WiFi network outperforms the dual-band network in several ways:
More bandwidth is available.
Even with more devices connected to the network, because the connections are spread across two dif
ferent bands, each device gets a larger share of the available WiFi
bandwidth. The computers in Figure 8, A tri-band network has two dedicated 5 GHz
bands on page 57 have a 1,300 Mbps capacity. They share a 5 GHz WiFi band, and each
has a WiFi connection speed of 650 Mbps, compared to 325 Mbps shown in Figure 7,
Dual-band WiFi network with one 5 GHz WiFi band on page 56.
Smart Connect directs WiFi traf
fic to the appropriate lane.
With Smart Connect, older devices do not slow down faster devices.
The router uses load balancing to avoid network congestion in each WiFi band.
With load balancing, you don’t have to share your WiFi connection with as many devices.
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Smart Connect

Smart Connect balances your 5 GHz WiFi connections into two different radio bands: the 5 GHz radio 1 band and the 5 GHz radio 2 band. The router uses Smart Connect to choose the best radio band for your device to give you the best WiFi performance.
Nighthawk X6
Figure 10. Smart Connect
2.4 GHz 600 Mbps
5 GHz WiFi band 1 300 Mbps
5 GHz WiFi band 2 1300 Mbps
Legacy devices
Fast dual-band devices
Faster dual-band devices
Same WiFi network name and password for both 5 GHz bands—only one visible 5 GHz band
For Smart Connect to work, both 5 GHz radio bands must use the same wireless network name (SSID) and network key (password). That means that when you connect to the router with WiFi, you see only one 5 GHz SSID that connects to both 5 GHz radio bands.
Note: If you enable Smart Connect and the SSID and passwords for both
5 GHz radio bands do not match, the WiFi settings for 5 GHz radio 1 overwrite the WiFi settings for 5 GHz radio 2.

Enable or Disable Smart Connect

To enable or disable Smart Connect:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
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The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select W
5. Select or clear the Smart Connect – One Wireless Network Name (SSID) for both 5 GHz
radios check box.
ireless.
Selecting this check box turns on Smart Connect and clearing this check box turns off Smart Connect.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.

Beamforming

Beamforming means that your router actively tracks clients and directs pinpoints Wifi to the client, rather than just blasting it out in all directions. This means better WiFi range and performance for your WiFi devices.
The router uses explicit and implicit beamforming to improve WiFi performance. Explicit beamforming requires the client to support beamforming typically 802.1 beamforming. Implicit beamforming means the router can support beamforming even with clients that do not support beamforming. This router supports implicit beamforming for both
2.4 GHz and 5 GHz clients, which means that it will provide beamforming benefits of better
range and performance for all WiFi devices even older 802.11a/b/g/n, not just the latest WiFi clients.
1ac clients support
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Implicit Beamforming

Implicit beamforming means that the router can use information from client devices that support beamforming to improve the WiFi signal. This feature is enabled by default, but you can disable it.
To disable implicit beamforming:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Settings.
The Advanced Wireless Setting screen displays.
5. Scroll down below the WPS Settings section of the screen and clear the Enable
Implicit BEAMFORMING check box.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
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7. Share USB Devices Attached to the
Router
This chapter describes how to access and configure USB storage devices attached to your
router. The USB port on the router can be used only to connect USB storage devices like flash drives or hard drives or a printer. Do not connect computers, USB modems, CD drives, or DVD drives to the router USB port.
This chapter contains the following sections:
USB Device Requirements
Access a USB Device on the Network
Back Up Windows Computers with ReadySHARE Vault
Back Up Mac Computers with Time Machine
Control Access to the USB Device
Use FTP Within the Network
View Network Folders on a USB Device
Add a Network Folder on a USB Device
Edit a Network Folder on a USB Device
Approve USB Devices
Safely Remove a USB Device
7
For more information about ReadySHARE features, visit www.netgear.com/readyshare.
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USB Device Requirements

The router works with most USB-compliant external flash and hard drives. For the most up-to-date list of USB devices that the router supports, visit
http://kbserver.netgear.com/readyshare.
Some USB external hard drives and flash drives require you to load the drivers onto the computer before the computer can access the USB device. Such USB devices do not work with the router
The router supports the following file system types for full read/write access:
FAT16, FAT32
NTFS
NTFS with compression format enabled
Ext2, Ext3, Ext4
HFS
HFS+
.

Access a USB Device on the Network

ReadySHARE lets you access and share a USB device connected to the router USB port. (If your USB device has special drivers, it is not compatible.)
USB 3.0 port
Figure 11. The blue USB 3.0 port on the rear panel of the router provides the fastest access
To connect a USB device:
1. Insert your USB storage drive into a USB port on the rear panel of the router
NETGEAR recommends that you use the blue USB 3.0 port for the fastest access.
2. If your USB device has a power supply
, connect it.
.
You must use the power supply when you connect the USB device to the router. When you connect the USB device to the router USB port, it might take up to two minutes
before it is ready for sharing. By default, the USB device is available to all computers on your local area network (LAN).
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To access the USB device from a Mac:
1. Select Go > Connect to Server.
2. Enter smb://readyshare as the server address.
3. Click the Connect button.
To access the USB device from a Windows computer:
1. Select Start > Run.
2. Enter \\readyshare in the dialog box and click the OK button.
To map the USB device to a Windows network drive:
1. V
isit www.netgear.com/readyshare.
2. In the ReadySHARE USB Storage Access pane, click PC Utility link.
The readyshareconnect.exe file is downloaded to your computer
3. Launch readyshareconnect.exe.
4. Select the drive letter to map to the network folder.
5. (Optional)
To connect to the USB device as a different user, select the Connect using
different credentials check box and do the following: a. T
ype the user name and password.
b. Click the OK button.
6. Click the Finish button.
.
The USB device is mapped to the drive letter that you specified.

Back Up Windows Computers with ReadySHARE Vault

Your router comes with free backup software for all the Windows computers in your home. Connect a USB hard disk drive (HDD) to the USB port on your router for centralized, continuous, and automatic backup.
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To back up your Windows computer:
1. Connect a USB HDD to a USB port on the router.
The blue USB 3.0 port on the front of the router performs faster than the USB 2.0 port on the rear panel of the router.
2. Install the genie app on each Windows computer.
To download the genie app, visit www.netgear.com/genie.
3. Download ReadySHARE Vault from www.netgear.com/readyshare and install it on each
Windows computer.
4. Launch ReadySHARE Vault.
5. Use the dashboard or the Backup tab to set up and run your backup.

Back Up Mac Computers with Time Machine

You can use Time Machine to back up your Mac computers onto a USB hard drive that is connected to one of the router’s USB ports. You can access the connected USB hard drive from your Mac with a wired or wireless connection to your router.

Set Up a USB Hard Drive on a Mac

NETGEAR recommends that you use a new USB HDD or format your old USB disk to do the Time Machine backup for the first time. Use a blank partition to prevent some issues during backup using Time Machine. The router supports GUID or MBR partitions.
To format your USB hard disk drive and specify partitions:
1. Physically connect the USB hard drive to your Mac.
2. On your Mac, go to Spotlight (or the magnifying glass) at the top right of the screen and
search for Disk Utility.
3. To format your USB device, open the Disk Utility, click the Erase tab, and click the Erase
button.
4. Click the Partition tab.
5. Click Partition Layout and set the number of partitions that you want to use.
6. Click the Options button.
The Partition options display.
7. Select the GUID Partition Table or Master Boot Record radio button.
8. For the format, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
9. Click the OK button.
10. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
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Prepare to Back Up a Large Amount of Data

Before you back up a large amount of data with Time Machine, NETGEAR recommends that you follow this procedure.
To prepare to back up a large amount of data:
1. Upgrade the operating system of the Mac computer.
2. Verify and repair the backup disk and the local disk.
3. Verify and repair the permissions on the local disk.
4. Set Energy Saver:
a. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences. b. From the View menu, select Energy Saver. c. Click the Power Adapter tab. d. Select the Wake for Wi-Fi network access check box. e. Click the Back arrow to save the changes and exit the screen.
5. Modify your security settings:
a. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences. b. From the View menu, select Security. c. Click the Advanced button at the bottom of the screen. d. Leave the Log out after minutes of inactivity check box cleared.

Use Time Machine to Back Up onto a USB Hard Drive

Y ou can use T ime Machine to back up your Mac computers onto a USB hard disk drive that is connected to one of the router’s USB ports.
To back up your Mac onto a USB hard drive:
1. Prepare your USB device with a compatible format and partitions.
See Set Up a USB Hard Drive on a Mac on page 65. If you plan to back up a large amount of data, see Prepare to Back Up a Large Amount of
Data on page 66.
2. Insert your USB storage drive into a USB port on the router. Note: If your USB device has a power supply, you must use it when you
connect the USB device to the router.
The blue USB 3.0 port on the front of the router performs faster than the USB 2.0 port on the rear panel of the router.
When you connect the USB device to the router USB port, it might take up to two minutes before it is ready for sharing. By default, the USB device is available to all computers on your local area network (LAN).
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3. On your Mac computer, select Go > Connect to Server.
4. Type afp://routerlogin.net.
5. When prompted to enter your name and password, select the Guest radio button.
6. Click the Connect button.
A list of connected devices displays. This list includes the name admin when you log in as admin.
7. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences.
8. Open Time Machine.
9. Click the Select Backup Disk button and select your USB device from the list.
10. Click the Use for Backup button. Note: If you do not see the USB partition that you want in the Time Machine
disk list, go to Mac finder and click that USB partition. It displays in the Time Machine list.
11. When prompted to enter your name and password, select the Guest radio button and click
the Connect button.
When the setup is complete, the Mac automatically schedules a full backup. You can back up immediately if you want.

Control Access to the USB Device

You can specify the device name, workgroups, and network folders for your USB device.
To specify the USB access settings:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Advanced Settings.
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The USB Storage (Advanced Settings) screen displays.
5. Specify access to the USB storage device:
Network Device Name.
This is the name used to access the USB device connected
to the router. The default is readyshare.
W
orkgroup. If you are using a Windows workgroup rather than a domain, the
workgroup name is displayed here. The name works only in an operating system that supports NetBIOS, such as Microsoft Windows.
Access Method. Select the check boxes for the access methods that you want:
- Network Neighborhood/MacShare. Enabled by default.
- HTTP. Enabled by default.
You can type
http://readyshare.routerlogin.net/shares to access the USB device.
- HTTP (via Internet). Disabled by default. If you enable this feature, remote users
can type http://<public IP address/shares> (for example, http://1.1.10.102/shares) or a URL domain name to access the USB device over the Internet. supports file uploading only.
- FTP. Disabled by default.
- FTP (via Internet). Disabled by default. If you select this check box, remote users
can access the USB device through FTP over the Internet.
This feature supports
both downloading and uploading of files.
6. If you changed the settings, click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.
This feature
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Use FTP Within the Network

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) lets you send and receive large files faster.
To set up FTP access:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > USB Storage > Advanced Settings.
The default password is password. The user name and
5. Select the FTP check box.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.
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View Network Folders on a USB Device

You can view or change the network folders on the USB storage device.
To view network folders:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > USB Storage > Advanced Settings.
The default password is password. The user name and
5. Scroll down to the Available Networks Folder section of the screen, and adjust the following
settings:
Share Name. If only one device is connected, the default share name is
USB_Storage. (Some router models have more than one USB port.) You can click the name or you can type it in the address field of your web browser. If
Not Shared is shown, the default share has been deleted and no other share for the root folder exists. Click the link to change this setting.
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Read Access and Write Access. Show the permissions and access controls on the
network folder. All–no password (the default) allows all users to access the network folder. The password for admin is the same one that you use to log in to the router.
Folder Name. Full path of the network folder
V
olume Name. Volume name from the storage device (either USB device or HDD).
T
otal Space and Free Space. Show the current utilization of the storage device.
.

Add a Network Folder on a USB Device

You can add network folders on the USB storage device.
To add a network folder:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
The USB Storage (Advanced Settings) screen displays.
5. Click the Create Network Folder button.
ANCED > USB Storage > Advanced Settings.
The default password is password. The user name and
If this screen does not display, your web browser might be blocking pop-ups. If it is, change the browser settings to allow pop-ups.
6. In the USB Device list, select the USB device.
7. Click the Browse button and in the Folder field, select the folder
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
8. In the Share Name field, type the name of the share.
9. In the Read Access list and the Write Access list, select the settings that you want.
The user name (account name) for All–no password is guest. The password for admin is the same one that is used to log in to the router. By default, it is password.
10. Click the Apply button.
The folder is added on the USB device.

Edit a Network Folder on a USB Device

You can add network folders on the USB storage device.
To edit a network folder:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Advanced Settings.
The USB Storage (Advanced Settings) screen displays.
5. Click the Edit button.
The Edit Network Folder screen displays the same settings shown in the Add a Network Folder screen.
6. Change the settings in the fields as needed.
7. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.

Approve USB Devices

For more security, you can set up the router to share only USB devices that you approve.
To approve USB devices:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
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A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin.
The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > Advanced Setup > USB Settings.
By default the Enable any USB Device connection to the USB port radio button is selected. This setting lets you connect and access all your USB devices.
5. Select the No radio button.
6. Click the Approved
Devices button.
The approved and available USB devices display.
7. In the
Available USB Devices list, select the drive that you want to approve.
8. Click the Add button.
The USB device is added to the Approved USB Devices list.
9. Select the Allow only approved devices check box.
10. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
11. T
o work with another USB device, first click the Safely Remove USB Device button for the
currently connected USB device. Connect the other USB device, and repeat this process.
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Safely Remove a USB Device

Before you physically disconnect a USB device from the router USB port, log in to the router and take the drive offline.
To remove a USB disk drive safely:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select USB Storage > Basic Settings.
The USB Settings screen displays.
5. Click the Safely Remove USB Device button.
This takes the drive offline.
6. Physically disconnect the USB device.
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8. Access USB Devices Through the
Internet
With Dynamic DNS, you can use the Internet to access a USB hard drive attached to the router’s USB port router when you’re not home. This chapter includes the following sections:

Access USB Devices Through the Internet

Dynamic DNS
Your Personal FTP Server
Set Up Your Personal FTP Server
For information about how to connect the USB device and specify its settings, see Chapter 7,
Share USB Devices Attached to the Router.
8
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Access USB Devices Through the Internet

You can access USB devices through the Internet when you’re not home.
To access USB devices from a remote computer:
1. Launch a web browser on a computer that is not on your home network.
2. Connect to your home router:
To connect with Dynamic DNS, type the DNS name.
To use a Dynamic DNS account, you must enter the account information in the Dynamic DNS screen. See
To connect without Dynamic DNS, type the router’s Internet port IP address.
You can view the router’s Internet IP address on the BASIC Home screen.
You can use FTP to share files on a USB device connected to the router.
Dynamic DNS on page 78.

Set Up FTP Access Through the Internet

To set up FTP access:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
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4. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Advanced Settings.
5. Select the FTP (via Internet) check box.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.
7. T
o limit access to the admin user, click the Edit button.
8. In the Read Access list, select admin.
9. In the W
rite Access list, select admin.
10. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.

Access USB Devices Through the Internet with FTP

You must first set up FTP through Internet access as described in Set Up FTP Access
Through the Internet on page 76.
To access a USB device with FTP from a remote computer:
1. T
o download, launch an Internet browser.
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2. To upload, use an FTP client such as filezilla.
3. Type ftp:// and the Internet port IP address in the address field of the browser.
For example, type ftp://10.1.65.4. If you are using Dynamic DNS, type the DNS name. For example, type ftp://MyName.mynetgear.com.
4. When prompted, log in:
To log in as admin, in the user name field, type admin and in the password field,
type the same password that you use to log in to the router.
To log in as guest, in the user name field, enter guest.
The guest user name does not have a password. To restrict access to the USB device, you can specify that only the admin user can access it. See
the USB Device on page 67.
The files and folders of the USB device that your account has access to display. For example, you might see share/partition1/directory1.
Control Access to

Dynamic DNS

Internet service providers (ISPs) assign numbers called IP addresses to identify each Internet account. Most ISPs use dynamically assigned IP addresses. This means that the IP address can change at any time. You can use the IP address to access your network remotely, but most people don’t know what their IP addresses are or when this number changes.
To make it easier to connect, you can get a free account with a Dynamic DNS service that lets you use a domain name to access your home network. To use this account, you must set up the router to use Dynamic DNS. Then the router notifies the Dynamic DNS service provider whenever its IP address changes. When you access your Dynamic DNS account, the service finds the current IP address of your home network and automatically connects you.
If your ISP assigns a private WAN IP address (such as 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x), the Dynamic DNS service does not work because private addresses are not routed on the Internet.

Your Personal FTP Server

With your customized free URL, you can use FTP to access your network when you aren’t home through Dynamic DNS. To set up your FTP server, you must register for a free
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NETGEAR Dynamic DNS (DDNS) service account and specify the account settings. See Set
Up a New Dynamic DNS Account on page 79.
FTP Directory: FTP://‘custom name’.mynetgear.com
FTP Directory: FTP://‘custom name’.mynetgear.com
FTP Directory:
FTP://‘custom name’.mynetgear.com
FTP Directory: FTP://
custom name’.mynetgear.com
FTP Directory: FTP://
custom name’.mynetgear.com
Figure 12. You can access your network through the Internet when you’re not home
Note: The router supports only basic DDNS and the login and password
might not be secure. You can use DDNS with a VPN tunnel for a secure connection.

Set Up a New Dynamic DNS Account

To set up Dynamic DNS and register for a free NETGEAR account:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin.
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
The default password is password. The user name and
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4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Settings > Dynamic DNS.
5. Select the Use a Dynamic DNS Service check box.
6. In the Service Provider list, select NETGEAR.
7. Select the No radio button.
8. In the Host Name field, type the name that you want to use for your URL.
The host name is sometimes called the domain name. Your free URL includes the host name that you specify and ends with mynetgear
.com. For example, specify
MyName.mynetgear.com.
9. In the Email field, type the email address for your account.
10. In the Password (6-32 characters) field, type the password for your account.
11. Click the Register button.
12. Follow the onscreen instructions to register for your NETGEAR Dynamic DNS service.

Specify a DNS Account That You Already Have

If you already have a Dynamic DNS account with NETGEAR no-ip, www.no-ip.com, or www.DynDNS.org, you can set up the router to use your account.
To set up Dynamic DNS if you already have an account:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin.
The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
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The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADV
ANCED > Advanced Settings > Dynamic DNS.
5. Select the Use a Dynamic DNS Service check box.
6. In the Service Provider list, select one of the following:
NETGEAR
www
www
.no-ip.com .DynDNS.org
7. Select the Ye
s radio button.
The screen adjusts and displays the Show Status, Cancel, and Apply buttons.
8. In the Host Name field, type the host name (sometimes called the domain name) for your
account.
9. For a www
.no-ip or www.DynDNS account, in the User Name field, type the user name for
your account.
10. For a NETGEAR account at www
.no-ip, in the Email field, type the email address for your
account.
11. In the Password (6-32 characters) field, type the password for your DDNS account.
12. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.
13. T
o verify that your Dynamic DNS service is enabled in the router, click the Show Status
button.
A message displays the Dynamic DNS status.
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Change the Dynamic DNS Settings

To change your settings:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Settings > Dynamic DNS.
The Dynamic DNS screen displays.
5. Change your DDNS account settings as necessary.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.

Set Up Your Personal FTP Server

To set up your personal account and use FTP:
1. Get your free NETGEAR Dynamic DNS domain name.
See Your Personal FTP Server on page 78.
2. Make sure that your Internet connection is working.
Y our router must use a direct Internet connection. It cannot connect to a dif ferent router to access the Internet.
3. Connect a USB hard disk drive to a USB port on the router.
4. Set up FTP access in the router.
See Set Up FTP Access Through the Internet on page 76.
5. On a remote computer with Internet access, you can use FTP to access your router using
ftp://yourname.mynetgear.com.
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9. Use the Router as a Media Server

The router comes set up to work as a ReadyDLNA media server. You can set up the router to
play music from iTunes Server and media from TiVo.
This chapter contains the following sections:
Specify ReadyDLNA Media Server Settings
Play Music from a USB Device with iTunes Server
Play Media from a USB Device on TiVo
9
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Specify ReadyDLNA Media Server Settings

By default, the router acts as a ReadyDLNA media server, which lets you view movies and photos on DLNA/UPnP AV-compliant media players, such as Xbox360, Playstation, and NETGEAR media players.
To specify media server settings:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Media Server.
The Media Server (Settings) screen displays.
5. Specify the settings:
Enable DLNA Media Server. Select this check box to enable this device to act as a
media server.
Enable TiVo support. Select this check box if you want to play ReadyNAS media on
your TiVo device. See the
Media Server Device Name. Specify the name of the media server.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.
Play Media from a USB Device on TiVo on page 86.
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Play Music from a USB Device with iTunes Server

iTunes Server lets you play music with your Windows or Mac iTunes app from a USB device that is connected to the router USB port. You can also use the Apple Remote app from an iPhone or iPad to play music on any AirPlay devices, such as Apple TV or AirPlay-supported receivers.
Figure 13. Play music on a USB device with iTunes
Supported music file formats are MP3, AAC, and FLAC. The maximum number of music files supported is 10,000.
To specify iTunes server settings:
1. On your iPhone or iPad, find and connect to the WiFi network.
2. Launch the Remote app.
3. Click the Add an iT
A passcode displays.
4. Specify the passcode in the router:
a. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to
the network.
b. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
c. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
unes Library button.
The default password is password. The user name and
The BASIC Home screen displays.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
d. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Media Server.
e. Make sure that the Enable iTunes Media Server (Music Only) check box is
selected.
f. Enter the passcode. g. Click the Allow Control button. h. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved. On your iPhone or iPad, the ReadySHARE music library displays in the Remote app. You can play this music to AirPlay devices.

Play Media from a USB Device on TiVo

You can set up your TiVo to access media files stored on a USB device that is connected to your router. The TiVo must be on the same network as the router. This feature supports the following file formats:
ideo. See and play mpeg1, and mpeg2 files.
V
Music. See and play MP3 files.
Pictures. V
Y ou can use the T iV o (Series 2 and up) Home Media Option to play photos and music on your Windows or Mac computer in your
To set up the router to work with TiVo:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
iew images in jpg format.
TiVo user interface.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
The default password is password. The user name and
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4. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Media Server.
The Media Server Settings screen displays.
5. Make sure that the Enable T
iVo support check box is selected.
6. If you changed the setting, click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
To play videos:
1. On the
TiVo, select TiVo Central > My Shows.
2. Go to the bottom of the list tand select the R8000.
To play music or view photos:
1. On the
TiVo, select TiVo Central > Music, Photos, & Showcases.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
2. Select an item to play or watch.
To copy TiVo files to a computer:
Use the TiVo Desktop accessory, available at
https://www3.tivo.com/store/accessories-software.do.
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88

10. Share a USB Printer

10
The ReadySHARE Printer utility lets you share a USB printer that is connected to the USB port
on your router. You can share this USB printer among the Windows and Mac computers on your network.
This chapter contains the following sections:
Install the Printer Driver and Cable the Printer
Download the ReadySHARE Printer Utility
Install the ReadySHARE Printer Utility
Use the Shared Printer
View or Change the Status of a Printer
Use the Scan Feature of a Multifunction USB Printer
Change NETGEAR USB Control Center Settings
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Install the Printer Driver and Cable the Printer

Some USB printer manufacturers (for example, HP and Lexmark) request that you do not connect the USB cable until the installation software prompts you to do so.
To install the driver and cable the printer:
1. On each computer on your network that shares the USB printer
software for the USB printer. If you do not have the printer driver, contact the printer manufacturer.
2. Use a USB printer cable to connect the USB printer to the router USB port.
USB 3.0 port
, install the driver

Download the ReadySHARE Printer Utility

The utility works on Windows and Mac computers.
To download the utility:
1. V
isit www.netgear.com/readyshare.
2. In the ReadySHARE Printer pane, click the PC Utility or Mac Utility link.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to download the file.
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Install the ReadySHARE Printer Utility

You must install the ReadySHARE Printer utility on each computer that will share the printer. After you install it, the utility displays as NETGEAR USB Control Center on your computer.
To install the utility:
1. Double-click the ReadySHARE Printer utility setup file that you downloaded.
The InstallShield wizard displays.
2. Follow the wizard instructions to install NETGEAR USB Control Center.
After the InstallShield Wizard completes the installation, the NETGEAR USB Control
Center prompts you to select a language:
3. Select a language from the list and click the OK button.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The NETGEAR USB Control Center displays the main screen.
Some firewall software, such as Comodo, blocks NETGEAR USB Control Center from accessing the USB printer. If you do not see the USB printer displayed in the screen, you can disable the firewall temporarily to allow the utility to work.
4. Select the printer and click the Connect button.
The printer status changes to Manually connected by Mycomputer. Now computer can use the printer.
5. Click the Disconnect button.
The status changes to Available. Now all computers on the network can use the printer.
6. T
o exit the utility, select System > Exit.
, only your

Use the Shared Printer

For each computer, after you click the Connect and Disconnect buttons once, the utility automatically manages the printing queue and handling. By default, the utility starts automatically whenever you log on to Windows and runs in the background.
To manually connect and print:
1. Click the NETGEAR USB Control Center icon
The main screen displays.
2. Click the Connect button.
.
The printer status changes to Manually connected by Mycomputer. Now computer you are using can use this printer.
3. Use the print feature in your application to print your document.
4. T
o release the printer so that all computers on the network can use it, click the Disconnect
button.
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92
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
To print and release the printer to any computer on the network:
1. To print your document, use the print feature in your application.
The NETGEAR USB Control Center automatically connects your computer to the USB
printer and prints the document. If another computer is already connected to the printer your print job goes into a queue to wait to be printed.
2. If your document does not print, use the NETGEAR USB Control Center to check the status.
See View or Change the Status of a Printer .

View or Change the Status of a Printer

To view or change the status:
1. Click the NETGEAR USB Control Center icon .
The main screen displays.
,
The Status column shows the status for each device:
A
vailable. No print jobs are in process. You can use the USB printer from any
computer in the network.
Connected.
print job is done.
Manually Connected by. Only the connected computer can use the printer
W
aiting to Connect. Your computer is not connected to the shared printer yet.
2. T
o print from your computer when the status shows Manually connected by another
computer, click the Disconnect button.
The printer is released from the connection and the status changes to Available.
3. T
o print from your computer when the status shows Waiting to Connect:
a. Click the Connect button.
The printer status changes to Manually connected by Mycomputer. Now computer can use the printer.
b. To allow the printer to be shared, click the Disconnect button.
The printer is released from the connection and the status changes to Available.
Y our computer is connected to the printer and will be released when your
.
, only your
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router

Use the Scan Feature of a Multifunction USB Printer

If your USB printer supports scanning, you can also use the USB printer for scanning. For example, the USB printer displayed in the Windows Printers and Faxes window is ready for print jobs.
To use the scan feature of a multifunction USB printer:
1. Click the NETGEAR USB Control Center icon .
The main screen displays.
2. Make sure that the printer status shows as Available.
3. C
lick the Network Scanner button.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The scanner screen displays so that you can use the USB printer for scanning.

Change NETGEAR USB Control Center Settings

You can stop the NETGEAR USB Control Center from starting automatically when you log in to Windows. You can also change the language and specify the time-out to release the printer connection.
To turn off automatic NETGEAR USB Control Center startup:
1. Click the NETGEAR USB Control Center icon .
The main screen displays.
2. Select Tools > Configuration.
3. Clear the Automatically execute when logging on W
4. Click the OK button.
Your change is saved.
To change the language:
indows check box.
1. Select T
2. In the Language list, select a language.
3. Click the OK button.
ools > Configuration.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The next time NETGEAR USB Control Center starts, the language changes.
To specify the time-out:
1. Select Tools > Configuration.
2. In the Timeout field, type the number of minutes.
The time-out is the number of minutes that a computer holds its connection to the printer when the connection isn’t being used.
3. Click the OK button.
Your change is saved.
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96

11. Network Settings

11
The router comes ready for WiFi, Ethernet, and USB connections. You can customize the
router’s network settings. NETGEAR recommends that you install the router and connect it to the Internet before you change its network settings.
This chapter includes the following sections:
View WAN Settings
Set Up a Default DMZ Server
Change the Router’s Device Name
Change the LAN TCP/IP Settings
Specify the IP Addresses That the Router Assigns
Disable the DHCP Server Feature in the Router
Reserve LAN IP Addresses
Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi Connections
Specify Basic WiFi Settings
Change the WiFi Password or Security Level
Set Up a Guest Network
Control the Wireless Radios
Set Up a Wireless Schedule
Specify WPS Settings
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View WAN Settings

Y ou can view or configure wide area network (W AN) settings for the Internet port. You can set up a DMZ (demilitarized zone) server, change the maximum transmit unit (MTU) size, and enable the router to respond to a ping to its WAN (Internet) port.
To view the WAN settings:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. T
ype http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select
The following settings display:
Disable Port Scan and DoS Protection. DoS protection protects your LAN against
Default DMZ Server.
Respond to Ping on Internet Port.
Disable IGMP Proxying. IGMP proxying allows a computer on the local area network
MTU Size (in bytes).
ADVANCED > Setup > WAN Setup.
denial of service attacks such as Syn flood, Smurf others. Select this check box only in special circumstances.
games or videoconferencing, but it makes the firewall security less effective. See Set
Up a Default DMZ Server on page 99.
Use this feature only as a diagnostic tool or if you have a specific reason.
(LAN) to receive the multicast traf need this feature, you can select this check box to disable it.
Ethernet networks is 1500 bytes, or 1492 bytes for PPPoE connections. Change the
The default password is password. The user name and
Attack, Ping of Death, and many
This feature is sometimes helpful when you are playing online
This feature allows your router to be discovered.
fic it is interested in from the Internet. If you do not
The normal MTU (maximum transmit unit) value for most
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
MTU only if you are sure that it is necessary for your ISP connection. See Change the
MTU Size on page 36.
NAT Filtering. Network Address Translation (NAT) determines how the router
processes inbound traffic. Secured NAT protects computers on the LAN from attacks from the Internet but might prevent some Internet games, point-to-point applications, or multimedia applications from working. Open NAT provides a much less secured firewall but allows almost all Internet applications to work.
5. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.

Set Up a Default DMZ Server

The default DMZ server feature is helpful when you are using some online games and videoconferencing applications that are incompatible with Network Address Translation (NAT). The router is programmed to recognize some of these applications and to work correctly with them, but other applications might not function well. In some cases, one local computer can run the application correctly if the IP address for that computer is entered as the default DMZ server.
WARNING:
DMZ servers pose a security risk. A computer designated as the default DMZ server loses much of the protection of the firewall and is exposed to exploits from the Internet. If compromised, the DMZ server computer can be used to attack other computers on your network.
The router usually detects and discards incoming traffic from the Internet that is not a response to one of your local computers or a service that you have configured in the Port Forwarding/Port Triggering screen. Instead of discarding this traffic, you can have the router forward the traffic to one computer on your network. This computer is called the default DMZ server.
To set up a default DMZ server:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and
password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
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Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router
4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > WAN Setup.
The WAN Setup screen displays.
5. Select the Default DMZ Server check box.
6. Type the IP address.
7. Click the Apply button.
Your change takes effect.

Change the Router’s Device Name

The router’s device name is R8000. This device name displays in file manager when you browse your network.
To change the router’s device name:
1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the
network.
2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
3. Enter the router user name and password.
The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home screen displays.
4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > LAN Setup.
The LAN Setup screen displays.
5. In the Device Name field, type a new name.
6. Click the Apply button.
Your change is saved.

Change the LAN TCP/IP Settings

The router is preconfigured to use private IP addresses on the LAN side and to act as a DHCP server. The router’s default LAN IP configuration is as follows:
LAN IP address. 192.168.1.1
Subnet mask. 255.255.255.0
These addresses are part of the designated private address range for use in private networks and are suitable for most applications. If your network requires a different IP addressing scheme, you can change these settings.
Network Settings
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