Netgear XR500 User Manual

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

User Manual

Model XR500

April 2018 202-11808-03

350 E. Plumeria Drive San Jose, CA 95134 USA

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Support

Thank you for purchasing this NETGEAR product.You can visit www.netgear.com/support to register your product, get help, access the latest downloads and user manuals , and join our comm unity.We recommend that you use only official NETGEAR support resources.

Conformity

For the current EU Declaration of Conformity, visit http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11621.

Compliance

For regulatory compliance information, visit http://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory. See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.

Trademarks

Chapter 1 Hardware Setup

Unpack Your Router.............................................................................................10

LEDs, Buttons, and Ports on the Front Panel, Top Panel, and Left Side Panel....11

Rear Panel...........................................................................................................13

Attach the Antennas.............................................................................................14

Router Label........................................................................................................15

Position Your Router.............................................................................................15

Cable Your Router................................................................................................17

Turn the LEDs On or Off Using the LED On/Off Switch.......................................17

Chapter 2 Connect to the Network and Access the Router

Connect to the Network.......................................................................................20

Wired Connection............................................................................................20

WiFi Connection..............................................................................................20

WiFi Connection Using WPS...........................................................................20

Types of Logins....................................................................................................21

Use a Web Browser to Access the Router...........................................................21

Automatic Internet Setup.................................................................................21

Change the Language.....................................................................................23

Install the Router With the NETGEAR Up App....................................................23

Access the Router With the NETGEAR genie App..............................................24

Chapter 3 Specify Your Internet Settings

Use the Internet Setup Wizard.............................................................................26

Manually Set Up the Internet Connection............................................................26

Specify an Internet Connection Without a Login.............................................26

Specify an Internet Connection That Uses a Login.........................................27

Specify IPv6 Internet Connections.......................................................................29

Requirements for Entering IPv6 Addresses....................................................29

Use Auto Detect for an IPv6 Internet Connection...........................................30

Use Auto Config for an IPv6 Internet Connection...........................................31

Set Up an IPv6 6to4 Tunnel Internet Connection............................................32

Set Up an IPv6 6rd Internet Connection.........................................................33

Set Up an IPv6 Pass Through Internet Connection.........................................35

Set Up an IPv6 Fixed Internet Connection......................................................35

Set Up an IPv6 DHCP Internet Connection....................................................36

Set Up an IPv6 PPPoE Internet Connection...................................................38

Change the MTU Size..........................................................................................39

Chapter 4 Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

Improve Response Time by Using the Geo Filter................................................43

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Configure and Use the Geo Filter....................................................................43

Ping a Device and Allow or Deny the Device a Connection............................45

Add a Device to the Geo Filter........................................................................45

Remove a Device From the Geo Filter............................................................46

Manage the General Geo Filter Map Settings.................................................47

Manage Bandwidth Allocation..............................................................................48

Prevent Network Congestion With Anti-Bufferbloat.........................................48

Disable Anti-Bufferbloat...................................................................................49

Allocate Bandwidth to Devices........................................................................50

Reset the Bandwidth Distribution....................................................................52

Manage Traffic Prioritization.................................................................................52

Prioritize Traffic for a Device and View Prioritization Information.....................52

Add a Device for Traffic Prioritization...............................................................53

Stop Traffic Prioritization for a Device..............................................................54

Disable Automatic Traffic Prioritization............................................................55

Chapter 5 Monitor Devices and the Network and View Router Information

View and Manage Devices Currently on the Network..........................................57

View Network Usage Information.........................................................................58

View Router System Information..........................................................................59

Customize the Dashboard...................................................................................61

Chapter 6 Control Access to the Internet

Block Access to Internet Sites.............................................................................64

Add Keywords and Block Access to Specific Inter net Sites............................64

Delete Keywords From the Blocked List..........................................................65

Avoid Blocking on a Trusted Computer............................................................65

Block Services and Applications With Simple Outbound Firewall Rules..............66

Block a Service or Application From Accessing the Internet...........................66

Change an Outbound Firewall Rule for a Service or Application....................67

Remove an Outbound Firewall Rule for a Service or Application....................68

Set Up a Schedule for Keyword Blocking and Outbound Firewall Rules.............68

Set Up Email Notifications for Security Events and Log Messages.....................69

Chapter 7 Manage the Router’s Network Settings

View or Change WAN Settings............................................................................72

Set Up a Default DMZ Server..............................................................................73

Change the Router’s Device Name......................................................................73

Change the Router’s LAN IP Address and RIP Settings......................................74

Specify the IP Addresses That the Router Assigns.............................................75

Disable the DHCP Server Feature in the Router.................................................76

Manage Reserved LAN IP Addresses.................................................................77

Reserve a LAN IP Address.............................................................................77

Change a Reserved IP Address......................................................................78

Delete a Reserved IP Address Entry..............................................................78

Set Up a Bridge to Your ISP’s Network Using a Port Group or VLAN Tag Group..79

Set Up a Bridge to Your ISP’s Network Using a Port Group............................79

Set Up a Bridge to Your ISP’s Network Using a VLAN Tag Group...................80

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Set Up an IPTV Port to Lease an Intranet Port...............................................81

Manage Custom Static Routes............................................................................82

Set Up a Static Route......................................................................................83

Change a Static Route....................................................................................83

Delete a Static Route......................................................................................84

Improve Network Connections With Universal Plug and Play..............................84

Chapter 8 Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

Specify Basic WiFi Settings.................................................................................87

Change the WiFi Password or Security Level......................................................89

Change the WiFi Mbps Mode for Download and Upload Speeds........................90

Set Up a Guest WiFi Network..............................................................................90

Configure WPA/WPA2 Enter prise WiFi Security..................................................91

Configure WEP Legacy WiFi Secur ity..................................................................93

Control the WiFi Radios.......................................................................................94

Use the WiFi On/Off Button.............................................................................94

Enable or Disable the WiFi Radios..................................................................95

Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi Connections.........................................................95

Set Up a WiFi Schedule.......................................................................................96

Specify WPS Settings..........................................................................................97

Manage Implicit Beamforming.............................................................................97

Manage Mu-MIMO...............................................................................................98

Manage HT160 for 160 MHz WiFi Support..........................................................99

Disable Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service........................................................99

Use the Router as a WiFi Access Point Only.....................................................100

Chapter 9 Maintain the Router

Update the Router Firmware..............................................................................103

Check for New Firmware and Update the Router..........................................103

Manually Upload Firmware to the Router......................................................104

Change the admin Password.............................................................................105

Enable admin Password Recovery....................................................................106

Recover the admin Password............................................................................106

Manage the Router Configuration File...............................................................107

Back Up the Configuration Settings..............................................................107

Restore the Configuration Settings...............................................................108

Erase the Current Configuration Settings......................................................108

Manage Remote Access....................................................................................109

Set Up Remote Management........................................................................109

Use Remote Access......................................................................................110

Remotely Access Your Router Using the genie App..........................................110

Monitor and Meter Internet Traffic......................................................................110

Start the Traffic Meter Without Traffic Volume Restrictions............................110

Restrict Internet Traffic by Volume.................................................................111

Restrict Internet Traffic by Connection Time..................................................112

View the Internet Traffic Volume and Statistics..............................................113

Unblock the Traffic Meter After the Traffic Limit Is Reached..........................114

View and Manage the Router Activity Log.........................................................114

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Display Internet Port Statistics...........................................................................116

Check the Internet Connection Status, View Details, and Release and Renew the

Connection.........................................................................................................116

Restart the Router From Its Web Interface........................................................117

View Router Notifications...................................................................................118

Disable or Enable LED Blinking or Tur n Off LEDs.............................................118

Chapter 10 Share USB Storage Devices Attached to the Router

USB Device Requirements................................................................................121

Connect a USB Storage Device to the Router...................................................121

Access a Storage Device Connected to the Router From a Windows-Based

Computer...........................................................................................................121

Map a USB Device to a Windows Network Dr ive...............................................122

Access a Storage Device That Is Connected to the Router From a Mac...........123

Back Up Windows-Based Computers With ReadySHARE Vault.......................123

Back Up Mac Computers With Time Machine....................................................124

Set Up a USB Hard Drive on a Mac..............................................................124

Prepare to Back Up a Large Amount of Data................................................125

Use Time Machine to Back Up Onto a USB Hard Disk.................................125

Manage Access to a USB Storage Device.........................................................126

Use FTP Within the Network..............................................................................128

Manage Network Folders on a USB Storage Device.........................................128

View Network Folders on a USB Storage Device..........................................128

Add a Network Folder on a USB Storage Device..........................................129

Change a Network Folder on a USB Storage Device....................................130

Approve USB Devices........................................................................................130

Safely Remove a USB Storage Device..............................................................131

Chapter 11 Use Dynamic DNS to Access USB Storage Devices Through the Internet

Set Up Your Personal FTP Server......................................................................133

Set Up and Manage Dynamic DNS...................................................................133

Set Up a New Dynamic DNS Account...........................................................134

Specify a DNS Account That You Already Created.......................................134

Change the Dynamic DNS Settings..............................................................135

Access USB Storage Devices Through the Inter net..........................................136

Access USB Storage Devices From a Remote Computer............................136

Set Up FTP Access Through the Internet.....................................................136

Use FTP to Access Storage Devices Through the Inter net...........................137

Chapter 12 Use the Router as a Media Server

Specify ReadyDLNA Media Server Settings......................................................139

Play Music From a Storage Device With iTunes Server.....................................139

Set Up the Router’s iTunes Server With iTunes.............................................140

Set Up the Router’s iTunes Server With the Remote App.............................141

Set Up the Router to Wor k With TiVo.................................................................142

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Chapter 13 Share a USB Printer

Install the Printer Driver and Cable the Printer..................................................144

Download the ReadySHARE Printer Utility........................................................144

Install the ReadySHARE Printer Utility..............................................................144

Print Using the NETGEAR USB Control Center................................................145

View or Change the Status of a Printer..............................................................146

Use the Scan Feature of a Multifunction USB Printer........................................146

Change NETGEAR USB Control Center Settings.............................................147

Turn Off Automatic Startup for NETGEAR USB Control Center....................147

Change the Language for the NETGEAR USB Control Center....................147

Specify the USB Control Center Time-Out....................................................148

Chapter 14 Use VPN to Access Your Network

Set Up a VPN Connection..................................................................................150

Specify VPN Service in the Router....................................................................150

Install OpenVPN Software.................................................................................151

Install OpenVPN Software on a Windows-Based Computer.........................151

Install OpenVPN Software on Your Mac Computer.......................................153

Install OpenVPN Software on an iOS Device................................................154

Install OpenVPN Software on an Android Device.........................................155

Use a VPN Tunnel on a Windows-Based Computer..........................................155

Use VPN to Access the Router’s USB Storage Device and Media From a

Windows-Based Computer................................................................................156

Use VPN to Access Your Inter net Service at Home...........................................156

Allow VPN Client Internet Access in the Router............................................157

Block VPN Client Internet Access in the Router............................................157

Use a VPN Tunnel to Access Your Internet Service at Home........................158

Chapter 15 Use VPN to Access An External Network

Set Up a VPN Client Connection.......................................................................160

Enable the VPN Client in the Router and Connect to a VPN Server..................160

Disconnect the Router From the VPN Ser ver....................................................162

Chapter 16 Manage and Customize Internet Traffic Rules for Ports

Manage Port Forwarding to a Local Server for Services and Applications........164

Set Up Port Forwarding to a Local Server.....................................................164

Add a Custom Port Forwarding Service or Application.................................165

Change a Port Forwarding Service or Application........................................166

Remove a Port Forwarding Service or Application........................................166

Application Example: Make a Local Web Server Public................................167

How the Router Implements a Port Forwarding Rule....................................167

Manage Port Triggering for Services and Applications......................................167

Add a Port Triggering Service or Application.................................................168

Enable Port Triggering and Specify the Time-Out Value................................169

Change a Port Triggering Service or Application...........................................169

Remove a Por t Triggering Ser vice or Application..........................................170

Disable Por t Trigger ing..................................................................................171

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Application Example: Port Triggering for Internet Relay Chat........................171

Chapter 17 Troubleshooting

Quick Tips..........................................................................................................174

Sequence to Restart Your Network...............................................................174

Check Ethernet Cable Connections..............................................................174

Check the Network Settings..........................................................................174

Check the WiFi Settings................................................................................174

Troubleshoot With the LEDs...............................................................................174

Standard LED Behavior When the Router Is Powered On............................175

Power LED Is Off or Blinking.........................................................................175

LEDs Never Turn Off.....................................................................................175

Internet or Ethernet Port LEDs Are Off.........................................................175

WiFi LEDs Are Off.........................................................................................176

You Cannot Log In to the Router........................................................................176

You Cannot Access the Internet.........................................................................176

Troubleshoot Internet Browsing.........................................................................178

Changes Are Not Saved....................................................................................178

Troubleshoot WiFi Connectivity..........................................................................178

Troubleshoot Your Network Using the Ping Utility..............................................179

Test the Path From a Windows-Based Computer to a Remote Device.........179

Test the LAN Path to Your Router..................................................................180

Appendix A Supplemental Information

Factory Settings.................................................................................................182

Technical Specifications.....................................................................................184

Hardware Setup

This user manual is for the NETGEAR XR500 Nighthawk® Pro Gaming Router. This chapter contains the following sections:

• Unpack Your Router

• LEDs, Buttons, and Ports on the Front Panel, Top Panel, and Left Side Panel

• Rear Panel

• Attach the Antennas

• Router Label

• Position Your Router

• Cable Your Router

• Turn the LEDs On or Off Using the LED On/Off Switch

For more information about the topics cov ered in this manual, visit the support website at netgear .com/support.

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Unpack Your Router

Your package contains the XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router, the four antennas, the power adapter, and an Ethernet cable.

Figure 1. Package contents

Hardware Setup

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

LEDs, Buttons, and Ports on the Front Panel,Top Panel, and Left Side Panel

The status LEDs are located on the front panel, two buttons with LEDs are located on the top panel, and two USB 3.0 ports are located on the left side panel of the router.

Figure 2. Front view

Table 1. LED descriptions

DescriptionLED and Button

Power LED

Internet LED

Solid amber.The router is starting. Blinking amber.The firmware is upgrading, or the Reset button was pressed. Solid white.The router is ready. Solid amber.The firmware is corrupted. Off. Power is not supplied to the router.

Solid white.The Internet connection is ready. Solid amber.The router detected an Ethernet cable connection to the modem. Off. No Ethernet cable is connected between the router and the modem.

Hardware Setup

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Table 1. LED descriptions (Continued)

DescriptionLED and Button

2.4 GHz WiFi LED

5 GHz WiFi LED

Guest WiFi LED

USB 3.0 port 1 LED and USB

3.0 port 2 LED

Ethernet LEDs for ports 1–4

Solid white.The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is operating. Blinking white.The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic. Off.The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is off.

Solid white.The 5 GHz WiFi radio is operating. Blinking white.The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic. Off.The 5 GHz WiFi radio is off.

Solid white.The guest WiFi network is operating. Blinking white.The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic. Off.The guest WiFi radio is off in both the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band.

Solid white. A USB device is connected and is ready. Blinking white. A USB device is plugged in and is trying to connect. Off. No USB de vice is connected, or someone clicked the Safel y Remove Hard ware

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 white.The router detected a 1 Gbps link with a powered-on device. Blinking white.The port is sending or receiving traffic at 1 Gbps. Solid amber.The router detected a 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps link with a powered-on

device.

Blinking amber.The port is sending or receiving traffic at 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps. Off. No device is connected to this Ethernet port.

WiFi/On/Off button and LED

WPS button and LED

If the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel is mov ed to the Off position, all the LEDs

Note

except the Power LED are turned off.

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.

Hardware Setup

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Rear Panel

The following figure shows the rear panel connectors and buttons.

Figure 3. Rear panel

Viewed from left to right, the rear panel contains the following components:

• LED On/Off switch. If this switch is in the Off position, all the router’s LEDs, including the LEDs on the

four active antennas, but not the Power LED, are turned off.

• Reset button. Pressing the Reset button resets the router.

If you press the Reset button for up to 30 seconds or until the Power LED starts blinking amber, the router returns to its factory settings. For information about the factory settings, see Factory Settings on page 182.

• One antenna connector.

• Ethernet ports. F our Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 LAN ports named Eth4 to Eth1. Use these ports to connect

the router to LAN devices.

• Internet port. One yello w Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 W AN port to connect the router to an Internet modem

such as a cable modem or DLS modem.

• One antenna connector.

• DC power connector. Connect the power adapter that came in the product package to the DC power

connector.

• Power On/Off button. Press the Power On/Off button to provide power to the router.

Hardware Setup

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Attach the Antennas

The router comes with four antennas. Attach two antennas to the rear panel and attach one antenna to each side panel.

Figure 4. Attach the antennas and position them for best WiFi performance

To attach the antennas:

1. Align the antennas with the antenna posts on the router.

2. Attach the antennas on the threaded antenna posts.

3. Position the antennas for the best WiFi performance.

We recommend that you position all of the antennas as shown in the previous figure. Position the antennas on the rear panel vertically and position the antennas on the side panels at a 45 degree angle.

Hardware Setup

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Router Label

The router label on the top panel of the router shows the login information, WiFi Network Name (SSID), network key (password), serial number, and MAC address.

Figure 5. Router label

Figure 6. Location of the router label

Position Your Router

The router lets you access your network anywhere within the operating r ange of your WiFi network. Howe ver , the operating distance or range of your WiFi connection can vary significantly depending on the physical placement of your router.

To take full advantage of the 11ad advanced feature, your router must be placed within 20 feet and within line of sight of the 11ad enabled device that you are connecting to it.

Hardware Setup

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

In addition, 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 WiFi devices.

• Make sure that the router is within reach of an AC power outlet and near Ethernet cables 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

- 5 GHz cordless phone

• Place the router away from large metal surfaces, large glass surfaces, insulated walls, and items such

as these:

- Solid metal door

- Aluminum studs

- Fish tanks

- Mirrors

- Brick

- Concrete

The following factors might limit the range of your WiFi:

• The thickness and number of walls the WiFi signal passes through.

• Other WiFi access points in and around your home might affect your router’s signal.

WiFi access points are routers, repeaters, WiFi range e xtenders, and any other de vice that emits a WiFi signal for network access.

Hardware Setup

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Cable Your Router

Power on your router and connect it to a modem.

Figure 7. Cable your router

To cable your router:

1. Unplug your modem, remove and reinsert the backup battery if it uses one, and then plug the modem

back in.

2. Use the Ethernet cable to connect the modem to the yellow Internet port on the router.

If your Internet connection does not require a modem, connect your main Ethernet

Note

cable to the yellow Internet port on the router.

3. Connect the power adapter to your router and plug the power adapter into an outlet.

4. Press the Power On/Off button on the rear panel of the router.

The router’s Power LED lights solid white when the router is ready.

Turn the LEDs On or Off Using the LED On/Off Switch

You can turn off the router LEDs using the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel of the router. Note that the Power LED stays lit even if the LED On/Off switch is in the Off position.

You can also log in to the router to disable or enable LED blinking or turn off the LEDs

Note

(see Disable or Enable LED Blinking or Turn Off LEDs on page 118).

Hardware Setup

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

To turn the LEDs on or off using the LED On/Off switch:

Move the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel to the On or Off position.

Hardware Setup

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 describes the ways you can connect and how to access the router and log in.

The chapter contains the following sections:

• Connect to the Network

• Types of Logins

• Use a Web Browser to Access the Router

• Install the Router With the NETGEAR Up App

• Access the Router With the NETGEAR genie App

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming 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 netw ork (LAN).The router provides four Ethernet ports.

To connect your computer to the router with an Ethernet cable:

1. Make sure that the router is receiving 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 an Ethernet port on the router.

Your computer connects to the local area network (LAN).

WiFi Connection

To find and select the WiFi network:

1. Make sure that the router is receiving power (its Power LED is lit).

2. On your computer or mobile device, find and select the WiFi network.

The WiFi network name is on the router label.

3. Join the WiFi network and enter the WiFi password.

The password is on the router label. Your WiFi mobile connects to the WiFi network.

WiFi Connection Using WPS

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 is receiving power (its Power LED is lit).

2. Check the WPS instructions for your computer or mobile device.

3. Press the WPS button on the router.

4. Within two minutes, on your computer or mobile device, press its WPS button or follow its instructions

for WPS connections. Your computer or mobile device connects to the WiFi network.

Connect to the Network and Access the Router

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Types of Logins

Separate types of logins serve different purposes. It is important that you understand the difference so that you know which login to use when.

Several types of logins are associated with the router:

• ISP login.The login that your ISP gave you logs you in to your Internet service.Your 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.

• WiFi network key or password.Your router is preset with a unique WiFi network name (SSID) and

password for WiFi access.This information is on the router label.

• Router login.This logs you in to the router web interface from a web browser as admin.

Use a Web Browser to Access the Router

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

Automatic Internet Setup

You can set up your router automatically, or you can use a web browser to access the router and 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 are using the settings described here.

When your Internet service starts, your Internet service provider (ISP) typically gives you all the inf ormation needed to connect to the Internet. For DSL service, y ou 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.

The NETGEAR installation assistant runs on any device with a web browser. Installation and basic setup takes about 15 minutes to complete.

To automatically set up your router:

1. Make sure that the router is powered on.

2. Make sure that your computer or mobile de vice is connected to the router with an Ethernet cable (wired)

or over WiFi with the preset security settings listed on the label.

If you want to change the router’ s WiFi settings , use a wired connection to avoid being

Note

disconnected when the new WiFi settings take effect.

Connect to the Network and Access the Router

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

3. Launch a web browser.

The page 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 Configuring the Internet Connection page displays.

• If you already set up the Internet connection, enter http://www.routerlogin.net in the address field

for your browser to start the installation process.

4. Follow the instructions on the page.

The router connects to the Internet.

During the setup process, you are required to change the default router password.

Note

The ideal secure password contains no dictionary words from any language and contains uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols .The password can be up to 30 characters.

5. If the browser does not display a router page, do the following:

• Make sure that the computer is connected to one of the LAN Ethernet ports or over WiFi to the router.

• Make sure that the router is receiving power and that its Power LED is lit.

• 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 y our settings. Make sure that y ou selected the correct options and typed everything correctly.

b. Contact your ISP to verify that you are using the correct configuration information. c. Read You Cannot Access the Internet on page 176. If problems persist, register your NETGEAR

product and contact NETGEAR Technical Support.

When the router connects to the Internet, you are prompted to download and install the free ReadySHARE Vault®app.

Log In to the Router

After you automatically set up your router (see A utomatic Internet Setup on page 21), the next time that you connect to your router and launch a web browser , the browser automatically displa ys the router web interface . If you want to view or change settings for the router later, you can use a browser to log in to the router web interface.

To log in to the router:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

Connect to the Network and Access the Router

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

You can also enter http://www.routerlogin.com or http://192.168.1.1.The procedures

Note

in this manual use http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The router admin user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in.The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays. By default, the Dashboard shows the following panes:

• Internet Status

• Wireless Status

• Guest Wireless Status

• Network Overview

• CPU Usage

• Installed R-Apps

For information about these panes, see View Router System Information on page 59. For information about how y ou can change the panes that are shown on the Dashboard, see Customize

the Dashboard on page 61.

Change the Language

By default, the language is set to Auto.

To change the language:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

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 Dashboard displays.

4. In the upper right corner, click the globe icon and select a language from the Language menu.

The page refreshes with the language that you selected.

Install the Router With the NETGEAR Up App

With the NETGEAR Up app, you can easily install your router. The app automatically updates the router to the latest firmware, allows you to personalize your WiFi network, and even helps register your router with NETGEAR.

Connect to the Network and Access the Router

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The NETGEAR Up app is available for iOS and Android mobile devices.

To install your router using the NETGEAR Up app:

1. Cable your router.

For more information, see Cable Your Router on page 17.

2. On your iOS or Android mobile device, go to the app store, search for NETGEAR Up, and download

the app.

3. On your iOS or Android mobile device, tap Settings > Wi-Fi and find and connect to your router’s WiFi

network. Your router’s WiFi network name (SSID) and network key (password) are on the router label.

4. Launch the NETGEAR Up app on your mobile device.

5. Follow the instructions that display on the app to install your router and connect to the Internet.

Access the Router With the NETGEAR genie App

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 WiFi network problems.

• Easily manage router features like 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 netgear.com/genie.

2. Follow the instructions on the page to install the app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

3. Launch the genie app.

The genie app dashboard displays.

Connect to the Network and Access the Router

Specify Your Internet Settings

Usually , the quic k est wa y to set up the router to use your Internet connection is to allow the installation assistant to detect the Internet connection when you first access the router with a web browser (see Automatic Internet

Setup on page 21).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

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming 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 pages that displa y the first time you connect to your router to set it up.

To use the Setup Wizard:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > Setup Wizard.

The Setup Wizard page displays.

5. Select the Yes radio button.

If you select the No radio button, after you click the Next button, you are taken to the Internet Setup page (see Manually Set Up the Internet Connection on page 26).

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 Vault app.

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 a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to therouter network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

4. Select Settings > Internet Setup.

The Internet Setup page displays.

5. In the Does your Internet connection require a login? section, leave the No radio button selected.

6. If your Internet connection requires an account name or host name, click the Edit button in the Account

Name section and enter the account name.

7. If your Internet connection requires a domain name, type it in the Domain Name (If Required) field.

For the other sections on this page, 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 You Cannot Access the Internet on page 176.

Specify an Internet Connection That Uses a Login

To view or change the basic Internet setup:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

4. Select Settings > Internet Setup.

The Internet Setup page displays.

5. In the Does your Internet connection require a login? section, select the Yes radio button.

6. From the Internet Service Provider menu, select the encapsulation method: PPPoE, L2TP, or PPTP.

7. In the Login field, enter the login name that 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. From the Connection Mode menu, select Always On, Dial on Demand, or Manually Connect.

11. To change the number of minutes until the Internet login times out, in the Idle Timeout (In minutes)

field, type the number of minutes. This period 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.

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 You Cannot Access the Internet on page 176.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Specify IPv6 Internet Connections

You can set up an IPv6 Internet connection if the router does not detect it automatically.

To set up an IPv6 Internet connection:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > IPv6.

The IPv6 page displays.

5. From the Internet Connection Type menu, select the IPv6 connection type:

• If you are not sure, select Auto Detect so that the router detects the IPv6 type that is in use.

For more information, see Use Auto Detect for an IPv6 Internet Connection on page 30.

• If your Internet connection does not use PPPoE or DHCP, or is not fixed, but is IPv6, select Auto

Config.

For more information, see Use Auto Config for an IPv6 Internet Connection on page 31.

For information about the other IPv6 connection types that the router supports, see the following sections:

• Set Up an IPv6 6to4 Tunnel Internet Connection on page 32

• Set Up an IPv6 6rd Internet Connection on page 33

• Set Up an IPv6 Pass Through Internet Connection on page 35

• Set Up an IPv6 Fixed Internet Connection on page 35

• Set Up an IPv6 DHCP Internet Connection on page 36

• Set Up an IPv6 PPPoE Internet Connection on page 38

6. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

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

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Use Auto Detect for an IPv6 Internet Connection

To set up an IPv6 Internet connection through autodetection:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > IPv6.

The IPv6 page displays.

5. From the Internet Connection Type menu, select Auto Detect.

The page adjusts. The router automatically detects the information in the following fields:

• Connection Type.This field indicates the connection type that is detected.

• Router’s IPv6 Ad dress 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 Ad dress 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 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 netw ork (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. Select an IPv6 Filtering radio button:

• Secured. In secured mode , which is the default mode, the router inspects both TCP and UDP pack ets.

• Open. In open mode, the router inspects UDP packets only.

9. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Use Auto Config for an IPv6 Internet Connection

To set up an IPv6 Internet connection through autoconfiguration:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Setting > IPv6.

The IPv6 page displays.

5. From the Internet Connection Type menu, select Auto Config.

The page adjusts. The router automatically detects the information in the following fields:

• Router’s IPv6 Ad dress on WAN.This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’ s

• Router’s IPv6 Ad dress on LAN.This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’ s

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 gave you a specific host name, enter it here.

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 IPv6 Domain Name Server (DNS) Address radio button:

• Get Automatically from ISP.This is the default setting.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.

9. Select an IP Address Assignment radio button:

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

• 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 netw ork (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. Select an IPv6 Filtering radio button:

• Secured. In secured mode , which is the default mode, the router inspects both TCP and UDP pack ets.

• Open. In open mode, the router inspects UDP packets only.

12. 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 a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > IPv6.

The IPv6 page displays.

5. From the Internet Connection Type menu, select 6to4 Tunnel.

The page 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. Select a Remote 6to4 Relay Router radio button:

• Auto.Your router uses any remote relay router that is available on the Internet.This is the default

setting.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

• Static IP Address. Enter the static IPv4 address of the remote relay router.Your IPv6 ISP usually

provides this address.

7. Select an IPv6 Domain Name Server (DNS) Address radio button:

• Get Automatically from ISP.This is the default setting.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.

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 DHCPv6 client function.

• Auto Config.This is the default setting.

This setting specifies how the router assigns IPv6 addresses to the devices on your home netw ork (the LAN).

9. Select an IPv6 Filtering radio button:

• Secured. In secured mode , which is the default mode, the router inspects both TCP and UDP pack ets.

• Open. In open mode, the router inspects UDP packets only.

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.

Set Up an IPv6 6rd Internet Connection

The 6rd protocol makes it possible to deploy IPv6 to sites by using a service provider’s IPv4 network. 6rd uses the service provider’s own IPv6 address prefix.This limits the operational domain of 6rd to the service provider’s netw ork and is under direct control of the service provider.The IPv6 service provided is equivalent to native IPv6.The 6rd mechanism relies on an algorithmic mapping between the IPv6 and IPv4 addresses that are assigned for use within the service provider’s network.This mapping allows for automatic determination of IPv4 tunnel endpoints from IPv6 prefixes, allowing stateless operation of 6rd.

To set up an IPv6 6rd Internet connection:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > IPv6.

The IPv6 page displays.

5. From the Internet Connection Type menu, select 6rd.

The page adjusts. The router automatically detects the information in the following sections:

• 6rd (IPv6 Rapid Development) Configuration.The router detects the service provider’s IPv4

network and attempts to establish an IPv6 6rd tunnel connection. If the IPv4 network returns 6rd parameters to the router, the page adjusts to display the correct settings in this section.

• Router’s IPv6 Address on LAN.This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’s

6. Specify the following 6rd settings:

• 6rd Prefix. Enter the IPv6 prefix that your ISP gave you.

• 6rd Prefix Length. Enter the IPv6 prefix length that your ISP gave you.

• 6rd IPv4 Border Relay Address. Enter the border router’s IPv4 address that your ISP gave you.

• 6rd IPv4 Address Mask Length. Enter the IPv4 mask length that your ISP gave you.

7. Select an IPv6 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.

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 DHCPv6 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 that you want 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. Select an IPv6 Filtering radio button:

• Secured. In secured mode , which is the default mode, the router inspects both TCP and UDP pack ets.

• Open. In open mode, the router inspects UDP packets only.

11. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Set Up an IPv6 Pass Through Internet Connection

In pass-through mode, the router works as a Layer 2 Ethernet switch with tw o ports (LAN and W AN 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 a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > IPv6.

The IPv6 page displays.

5. From the Internet Connection Type menu, select Pass Through.

The page 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 a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > IPv6.

The IPv6 page displays.

5. From the Internet Connection Type menu, select Fixed.

The page adjusts.

6. In the WAN Setup section, 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 gatew ay f or the router’s W AN interface .

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

• 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.

If you do not specify the DNS servers, the router uses the DNS servers that are

Note

configured for the IPv4 Internet connection on the Internet Setup page (see Manually

Set Up the Internet Connection on page 26).

7. In the LAN Setup section, 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 DHCPv6 client function.

• Auto Config.This is the default setting.

This setting specifies how the router assigns IPv6 addresses to the devices on your home netw ork (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. Select an IPv6 Filtering radio button:

• Secured. In secured mode , which is the default mode, the router inspects both TCP and UDP pack ets.

• Open. In open mode, the router inspects UDP packets only.

10. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Set Up an IPv6 DHCP Internet Connection

To set up an IPv6 Internet connection with a DHCP server:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > IPv6.

The IPv6 page displays.

5. From the Internet Connection Type menu, select DHCP.

The page adjusts.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The router automatically detects the information in the following fields:

• Router’s IPv6 Ad dress on WAN.This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’ s

• Router’s IPv6 Ad dress on LAN.This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’ s

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.

7. (Optional) In the Domain Name (If Required) field, enter a domain name.

8. Select an IPv6 Domain Name Server (DNS) Address radio button:

• Get Automatically from ISP.This is the default setting.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.

9. 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 netw ork (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. Select an IPv6 Filtering radio button:

• Secured. In secured mode , which is the default mode, the router inspects both TCP and UDP pack ets.

• Open. In open mode, the router inspects UDP packets only.

12. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Set Up an IPv6 PPPoE Internet Connection

To set up a PPPoE IPv6 Internet connection:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > IPv6.

The IPv6 page displays.

5. From the Internet Connection Type menu, select PPPoE.

The page adjusts. The router automatically detects the information in the following fields:

• Router’s IPv6 Ad dress on WAN.This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’ s

• Router’s IPv6 Ad dress on LAN.This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’ s

6. Either select the Use the same Login information as IPv4 PPPoE check box (for IPv4 PPPoE

information, see Specify an Internet Connection That Uses a Login on page 27), or specify the follo wing PPPoE login setting information for IPv6:

a. 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 y our 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.

b. In the Password field, enter the password for the ISP connection. c. In the Service Name field, enter a service name.

If your ISP did not provide a service name, leave this field blank.

The default setting of the Connection Mode menu is Always On to provide a steady

Note

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 PPP oE connection becomes availab le again.

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

7. Select an IPv6 Domain Name Server (DNS) Address radio button:

• Get Automatically from ISP.This is the default setting.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.

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 netw ork (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. Select an IPv6 Filtering radio button:

• Secured. In secured mode , which is the default mode, the router inspects both TCP and UDP pack ets.

• Open. In open mode, the router inspects UDP packets only.

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 pac kets tra vel through many de vices along the way. If a de vice in the data path uses a lo wer MTU setting than the other devices , the data pack ets 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:

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

- A secure website that does not open, or displays only part of a web page

- Yahoo email

- MSN portal

• You use VPN and experience severe performance problems.

• You used a program to optimize MTU for perf ormance reasons and now you are e xperiencing connectivity

or performance problems.

An incorrect MTU setting can cause Internet communication problems. For example,

Note

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 a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > WAN Setup.

The WAN Setup page displays.

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 v alue of 1500 until the prob lem goes away. The following table describes common MTU sizes and applications.

Table 2. Common MTU sizes

ApplicationMTU

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.

Used in PPPoE environments.1492 Maximum size to use for pinging. (Larger packets are fragmented.)1472 Used in some DHCP environments.1468 Usable by AOL if you do not send or receive large email attachments, for example.1460

Specify Your Internet Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Table 2. Common MTU sizes (Continued)

ApplicationMTU

Used in PPTP environments or with VPN.1436 Maximum size for AOL DSL.1400 Typical value to connect to dial-up ISPs.576

Specify Your Internet Settings

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

You can customize Quality of Service (QoS) settings and optimize gaming by preventing network lag and congestion, by allocating bandwidth to specific devices, and by prioritizing traffic for specific devices.

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Improve Response Time by Using the Geo Filter

• Manage Bandwidth Allocation

• Manage Traffic Prioritization

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Improve Response Time by Using the Geo Filter

The main cause of lag in console games such as Call of Duty , Destiny, FIFA, and many others, is the distance from you to the host or server of the game.The Geo Filter can limit the distance of these hosts or servers by blocking all hosts or servers outside the range that you can specify.This allows for improved response time and might lead to fairer games.

Configure and Use the Geo Filter

By default, no devices are added to the Geo Filter and the filter is not in effect.T o start using the Geo Filter, you must add a device, specify the country or state in which your device is located, and set the distance radius for the filter.

To configure and use the Geo Filter:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Geo-Filter.

5. To add a device to the Geo Filter, do the following in the Devices pane: a. Click the ADD DEVICE button.

The Geo-Filter window opens and displays the detected devices.

b. Select your device. c. Click NEXT. d. Select a service.

If your device is a console, console services display. If your device is not a console, nonconsole services displays.

e. Click DONE.

The device is added to the Devices pane. If your device is a console, by default, the Filtering Mode radio button is selected for the device, which means that the router blocks connections outside your distance radius to force your device to use a host or server inside your radius.We recommend this setting for console games. If your device is a not console, by default, the Spectating Mode radio button is selected for the device, which means that the router does not block connections outside of your distance radius. We recommend this setting for most computer games which do not require filtering.

6. In the Geo-Filter Map pane, below the Geo-Filter Map menu icon, click the player icon and move the

icon to the map, more specifically, to the country or state in which your device is located. You can use an approximate physical location. If the map view is too small, click the magnifying glass

icon, move it to the continent in which your gaming device is located, and click the icon again.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

7. Set the distance radius by moving the Set Distance slider.

We recommend that you set a distance radius in the range from 500 km to 3,000 km (311 mi. to 1,864 mi.). All connections outside the radius are prevented from hosting your game. If you set a radius that is less than 500 km (311 mi.), you might not find games. If you set a radius that is more than 3,000 km (1,864 mi.), you might not find a high-quality connection.

8. Load recommend Geo Filter settings for your game. a. In the Geo-Filter pane, click the PROFILES button.

The Profile Selector window opens.

b. Select a game. c. Click DONE.

9. Play a test game.

Play a compatible, online multiplayer game on your selected device. Blocked connections outside your radius are indicated by warning triangles and the devices whose connections are bloc ked are pre vented from hosting your game.The host of your game is inside your radius and is indicated by the largest, most consistently shown icon.

The following icons can be shown on the map:

Player Blocked player (that is, a player outside the distance radius) Allowed player (that is, a player that you added to the whitelist) Denied player (that is, a player that you added to the blacklist) Server Blocked server (that is, a server outside the distance radius)

Whitelisted server (that is, a server that you added to the whitelist)

For information about allowing (whitelisting) or b loc king (blacklisting) a connection to

Note

a device (that is, to a player or server), see Ping a Device and Allow or Deny the

Device a Connection on page 45.

If the Auto Ping Host option is enabled, a ping graph automatically displays when you are in a game. Otherwise, you can manually click any icon on the map to load a ping graph for that connection.

10. If a ping graph does not display for a connection, click the associated icon on the map to load the ping

graph for that connection, or enable the Auto Ping Host option by doing the following:

a. In the Geo-Filter Map pane, click the Geo-Filter Map menu icon.

The Settings pane displays.

b. Select the Auto Ping Host check box. c. Click the X.

The Settings pane closes.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Ping a Device and Allow or Deny the Device a Connection

You can allow (whitelist) or block (blacklist) connections to individual devices, regardless of the distance radius of your Geo Filter. If you allow an individual connection, the device can connect to your device, even if is outside the radius of your Geo Filter. If you deny an individual connection, the device cannot connect to your device, even if is inside the radius of your Geo Filter. However, you cannot block a dedicated server .

To ping a device and allow the device to connect to your device or deny the device from connecting to your device:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Geo-Filter.

5. In the Geo-Filter Map pane, click the connection on the Geo Filter Map.

If the Ping pane is not yet open, the Ping pane opens. For the selected connection, the Ping pane displays the ping information and the associated host type, IP address, and domain name.

The ping results shows the connection quality from your device to the device at the other end of the connection.The connection quality is measured in milliseconds (ms).The lower the value in ms, the better.

6. In the Ping pane, do the following: a. To assign a name to the connection, type a name in the Name field.

b. Click the ALLOW or DENY button.

The connection is added to the Allow and Deny pane.

7. To ping the connection again, click the ping icon in the Allow and Deny pane.

The new ping results display in the Ping pane.

8. To remove the connection from the Allow and Deny pane, click the trash icon in the Allow and Deny

pane. If the connection was allowed, it might now be denied if it is outside the distance radius.

If the connection was denied, it might now be allowed if it is inside the distance radius.

Add a Device to the Geo Filter

You can add a device to the Geo Filter.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

To add a device to the Geo Filter:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Geo-Filter.

5. Click the ADD DEVICE button.

The Geo-Filter window opens and displays the detected devices.

6. Select your device.

7. Click NEXT.

8. Select a service.

If your device is a console, console services display. If your device is not a console , nonconsole services displays.

9. Click DONE

The device is added to the Devices pane. If your device is a console, by default, the Filtering Mode radio button is selected for the device, which

means that the router blocks connections outside your distance radius to force your device to use a host or server inside your radius.We recommend this setting for console games.

If your device is not a console, by default, the Spectating Mode radio button is selected for the device, which means that the router does not block connections outside of your distance r adius.We recommend this setting for most computer games which do not require filtering.

For information about using the device with the Geo Filter, see Configure and Use

Note

the Geo Filter on page 43.

Remove a Device From the Geo Filter

You can remove a device from the Geo Filter.

To remove a device from the Geo Filter:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Geo-Filter.

5. In the Devices pane, below the device that you want to remove, click the DELETE button.

The device is removed from the Geo Filter.

Manage the General Geo Filter Map Settings

You can manage the general Geo Filter map settings such as the unit of length (kilometers or miles) in which the distance radius is expressed, whether the Strict Mode feature is enabled, and whether the Auto Ping Host feature is enabled.

Fore information about using the Geo Filter, see Configure and Use the Geo Filter on page 43.

To manage the general Geo Filter map settings:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Geo-Filter.

5. In the Geo-Filter Map pane, click the Geo-Filter Map menu icon.

The Settings pane displays.

6. Configure the following general settings:

• Unit of length. By def ault, the Kilometers radio b utton is selected and the distance radius is shown

in kilometers.You can also select the Miles radio button to show the distance radius in miles.

• Strict Mode.The Strict Mode feature guarantees that dedicated servers that fall outside your filter

range are always blocked. For most games, select the Strict Mode check box. For Destiny, we recommend that you keep the Strict Mode check box cleared. By default, the Strict Mode check box is selected.

• Auto Ping Host.The Auto Ping Host feature automatically loads a ping graph that shows the

connection quality from your device to the de vice at the other end of the connection. By default, the Auto Ping Host check box is selected. If you clear the Auto Ping Host check box, you can still manually ping a connection (see Ping a Device and Allow or Den y the Device a Connection on page

45).

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The Flush Cloud button is for use under guidance from NETGEAR Technical Support.

Note

(Clicking the Flush Cloud button reloads the IP addresses for the Geo Filter.)

7. To close the Settings pane, click the X.

Manage Bandwidth Allocation

The router supports a Quality of Service (QoS) feature that lets you prevent network congestion with the Anti-Bufferbloat feature (which is a way to control the total bandwidth) and allocate bandwidth to specific devices.

Prevent Network Congestion With Anti-Bufferbloat

The Anti-Bufferbloat feature can prevent congestion and queuing delays that are caused by devices that consume a lot of bandwidth.You can set the maximum percentage of the total bandwidth that bandwidth-intensive devices can consume , thereby allowing bandwidth to remain available for devices that consume less bandwidth.

To configure and use the Anti-Bufferbloat feature:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select QoS.

5. In the Anti-Bufferbloat pane, click the Anti-Bufferbloat menu icon.

The Options pane displays.

6. In the Download Bandwidth and Upload Bandwidth fields, enter the total do wnload bandwidth speed

in Mbps and total upload bandwidth speed in Mbps that you receive from your ISP. If you are not sure about the bandwidth speeds, run a speed test, for e xample, b y visiting speedtest.net.

7. Change the default Anti-Bufferbload options:

• Goodput. By default, the Goodput check box is selected and both the upload and download

bandwidth values are more closely aligned to the results of a speedtest. If you used the automatic Internet setup, the router performed a speed test during the setup process.

• Disable all QoS (not recommended). By default, the Disable all QoS (not recommended) chec k

box is not selected. If you disable all QoS features, this will stop QoS from eliminating network congestion and it will affect other features on this router, including Deep Packet Inspection.We recommend that you do not select this check box.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

8. Click the X to close the Options pane.

9. Select how you want to apply Anti-Bufferbloat:

• Apply. Select this radio button if you want to always apply Anti-Bufferbloat. If Anti-Bufferbloat is

always applied, you can pla y games without an y de vices or applications causing you to lag b ut your total bandwidth speeds is reduced so you must change the setting back to Never when you finish gaming.

• When High Priority Traffic Detected. Select this radio button if you only want to apply

Anti-Bufferbloat when games are being played (all console games and most computer games are automatically detected by DumaOS).Y our total bandwidth speeds will only be reduced when games are detected.This radio button is selected by default.

• Never. Select this radio button to disable Anti-Bufferbloat. If Anti-Bufferbload is disabled, your full

bandwidth speeds are received but your games are caught in a queue, causing lag, when all your bandwidth is being used.

10. In the Anti-Bufferbloat pane, move the buttons on the Download and Upload sliders to the desired

percentage values. To the right of each slider, the selected value displays are a percentage of the total bandwidth speed

that you specified in Step 6 and as an absolute value in Mb. For example, if you move the button on the Download slider to 70, devices that consume a lot of

bandwidth are limited to 70 percent of the total bandwidth speed that you specified, and 30 percent of the total bandwidth remains available for devices that consume less bandwidth.

Disable Anti-Bufferbloat

If you disable the Anti-Buff erbloat feature , bandwidth-intensive de vices can consume all availab le bandwidth, causing congestion and forcing traffic for other devices to be queued. However, situations might exist in which you want to disable the Anti-Bufferbloat feature.

To disable the Anti-Bufferbloat feature:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select QoS.

5. In the Anti-Bufferbloat pane, move the buttons on the Download and Upload sliders all the way to the

right, to 100 percent. The Anti-Bufferbloat feature is now disabled.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Allocate Bandwidth to Devices

Some devices on your network need more bandwidth than others. For example, a device that you use for gaming or media streaming requires more bandwidth than a device that is mostly used for browsing and emails.You can allocate a percentage of the total router bandwidth to each of the devices on your network. Doing so guarantees bandwidth for a device when it needs it.

You can set different allocations for upload and download bandwidths. By default, the router automatically allocates excess (un used) bandwidth to a de vice that needs it. Although

we do not recommend it, you can disable this option so that the router does not share unused bandwidth across your network and the bandwidth that you allocate to each device is the maxim um bandwidth that the device can use.

To allocate bandwidth to devices:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select QoS.

The Bandwidth Allocation pane displays a graph that shows the devices on the router network. By default, each device is allocated an equal share of the router bandwidth, expressed by a number in a white circle that is associated with a device.

5. To allocate download bandwidth to devices, do the following in the Bandwidth Allocation pane: a. Above the graph, select the Download radio button.

By default, this radio button is selected.The Bandwidth Allocation pane shows as the Bandwidth Allocation - Download pane.

b. For each device to which you want to allocate download bandwidth, move the associated white

circle to the bandwidth percentage that you want to allocate. As you move the white circle , the download percentages in the white circles for other de vices change.

CAUTION:

If you allocate 100 percent to one device, you effectively disable other devices. If you allocate 0 percent to one device, you effectively disable the device.

c. Click the UDATE DISTRIBUTION button.

The allocated download bandwidths take effect.

6. To allocate upload bandwidth to devices, do the following in the Bandwidth Allocation pane:

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

a. Above the graph, select the Upload radio button.

The Bandwidth Allocation pane shows as the Bandwidth Allocation - Upload pane.

b. For each device to which you want to allocate upload bandwidth, move the associated white circle

to the bandwidth percentage that you want to allocate. As you move the white circle , the download percentages in the white circles for other de vices change.

CAUTION:

If you allocate 100 percent to one device, you effectively disable other devices. If you allocate 0 percent to one device, you effectively disable the device.

c. Click the UDATE DISTRIBUTION button.

The allocated upload bandwidths take effect.

7. To allocate an exact bandwidth (either in Mbps or in percentage) to a device, do the following in the

Bandwidth Allocation pane:

a. Above the graph, select either the Download radio button or Upload radio button. b. From the list of devices to the left of the graph, select the device.

If no devices display, click the + to the left of Devices. A pane opens on the right side.

c. Do one of the following:

• In the Set Device Bandwidth field, enter the bandwidth in Mbps.

• In the Set Device Bandwidth field, use the up or down arrows to set the bandwidth.

• In the circle graph, move the red band to the desired bandwidth percentage.

• In the field that shows the percentage, enter the desired bandwidth percentage.

d. Click the SAVE button.

The allocated bandwidth takes effect. Bandwidth that you allocate to this device also affects available bandwidth for other devices.

e. To close the pane, click the X.

8. To prevent unused bandwidth from being shared across your network (which we do not recommend),

do the following in the Bandwidth Allocation pane:

a. Click the Bandwidth Allocation menu icon.

The Settings pane opens.

b. Clear the Share Excess check box.

The bandwidth that you allocate to each device is now the maxim um bandwidth that the de vice can use.This setting applies to both the download bandwidth and upload bandwidth.

c. To close the Settings pane, click the X.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Reset the Bandwidth Distribution

You can reset the bandwidth to default settings so that the router allocates each device an equal share of the bandwidth.You can reset the bandwidth distribution for download bandwidth and upload bandwidth separately.

To reset the bandwidth to default settings:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select QoS.

5. Above the graph, select either the Download radio button or Upload radio button.

If you reset the download bandwidth, the allocated upload bandwidths are not affected.The other way around is also true: If you reset the upload bandwidth, the allocated download bandwidths are not affected.

6. Click the RESET DISTRIBUTION button.

The default bandwidths take effect.

Manage Traffic Prioritization

The router supports a Quality of Service (QoS) feature that lets you prioritize traffic for specific devices.

Prioritize Traffic for a Device and Vie w Prioritization Information

By default, the router automatically prioritizes high-priority traffic such as games. If you prefer, you can manually disable automatic traffic prioritization (see Disable Automatic Traffic Prioritization on page 55).

Whether or not automatic traffic prioritization is enabled, you can prioritize the traffic for a de vice and service so that, if network congestion occurs, the traffic is not held up in a queue but is sent to the front of the queue, reducing network lag for the device.Traffic prioritization for a device affects both outgoing and incoming traffic.

You can also view traffic prioritization information.The router shows the number of uploaded and downloaded packets that were sent to the front of the queue and shows whether high-priority traffic is automatically prioritized.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

To prioritize traffic for a device and view prioritization information:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select QoS.

5. Scroll down to the Traffic Prioritization pane.

By default, traffic prioritization for DumaOS classified games is enabled. DumaOS classified games is a preset list of games and covers all console games and most PC games. If y ou enable traffic prioritization for all DumaOS classified games, your router automatically applies traffic prioritization when it detects games.We recommend that you keep this setting enabled.

You can manually add your own service or port/port range by clicking the ADD DEVICE button and then choosing the service or port/port range you would like to add.

6. To manually add a device for traffic prioritization, do the following in the Devices pane: a. From the All Devices section, clear the Enabled check box.

Your router no longer automatically applies traffic prioritization when it detects games.

b. Click the ADD DEVICE button.

The Traffic Prioritization Selector window opens and the detected devices display.

c. Select your device. d. Select a service.

By default, the Basic radio button is selected and a preset list of games display.We recommend that you manually select a service only if you consider yourself an advanced user.

e. To display other selection criteria, select the Advanced radio button, and enter the start and end

numbers for the source port, enter the start and end numbers for the destination port, and select the protocol.

f. Click DONE.

The device is added to the Traffic Prioritization pane and its traffic is now prioritized. The Traffic Prioritization Information pane displays the total number of high-priority packets, the total number of background pack ets, and the total n umber of unprioritized pack ets.This information is displayed for both uploaded packets and downloaded packets. If high-priority traffic is automatically being prioritized, a colored circle displays in the Traffic Prioritization Information pane next to High Priority Traffic Detected.

Add a Device for Traffic Prioritization

You can add a device for traffic prioritization.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

To add a device for traffic prioritization:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select QoS.

5. Scroll down to the Traffic Prioritization pane.

6. From the All Devices section, clear the Enabled check box.

Your router no longer automatically applies traffic prioritization when it detects games.

7. Click the ADD DEVICE button.

The Traffic Prioritization Selector window opens and the detected devices display.

8. Select your device.

9. Select a service.

By default, the Basic radio button is selected and a preset list of games display.We recommend that you manually select a service only if you consider yourself an advanced user.

10. T o displa y other selection criteria, select the Advanced radio button, and enter the start and end numbers

for the source port, enter the start and end numbers for the destination port, and select the protocol.

11. Click DONE.

The device is added to the Traffic Prioritization pane.

Stop Traffic Prioritization for a Device

You can stop traffic prioritization for a device that you manually added to the Traffic Prioritization pane. If automatic traffic prioritization is enabled (which it is by default) and the router detects high-priority traffic to or from the device, the router still prioritizes that traffic. However, other traffic to or from the device is no longer prioritized.

To stop traffic prioritization for a device:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

4. Select QoS.

5. Scroll down to the Traffic Prioritization pane and click the trash icon next to the device.

The device is removed from the Traffic Prioritization pane.

Disable Automatic Traffic Prioritization

By default, the router automatically prioritizes high-priority traffic such as games.Y ou can disable this option.

To disable the automatic traffic prioritization:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select QoS.

5. Scroll down to the Traffic Prioritization pane.

6. From the All Devices section, clear the Enabled check box.

High-priority traffic is no longer automatically prioritized.

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

Monitor Devices and the Network and View Router Information

This chapter describes how to monitor the devices on your network and the network itself and how to view the router system information.

For more information about viewing the router logs , statistics, and netw ork connection, see Maintain the Router on page 102.

The chapter includes the following sections:

• View and Manage Devices Currently on the Network

• View Network Usage Information

• View Router System Information

• Customize the Dashboard

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

View and Manage Devices Currently on the Network

You can view all computers and devices that are currently connected to y our router network.Y ou can change the settings that display on the page (you cannot change the actual settings f or a device through the router), prevent a device from being displayed, and block a device from connecting to the Internet through router.

To view and manage devices on the network:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Device Manager.

The Network Map page displays, showing the device tree with your network setup.The device tree shows separate branches for devices connected through the wired LAN and devices connected over WiFi, as well as a branch for the WAN connection.

5. To display the settings for a device, click the device.

The Device Settings pane displays .The pane shows the MAC address, IP address (if any), and connection type for the device.

6. To assign or change the displayed name and type for the device, in the Device Settings pane, do the

following:

a. In the Name field, enter a name of up to 35 characters. b. From the Device Type menu, select a type. c. Click the SAVE button.

Your settings are saved.

7. To remove the device from the network tree, in the Device Settings pane, click the DELETE button.

The device no longer displays in the device tree.This option is useful when a device is removed from the network and you no longer want to see it in the device tree.

8. To block a device from accessing the Internet through the router, in the Device Settings pane, click the

BLOCK button.

The device is blocked and is indicated by a black icon in the device tree.

9. To unblock a previously b lock ed de vice so that it can once again access the Internet through the router ,

in the Device Settings pane, click the UNBLOCK button. The device is unblocked and is indicated by a red icon in the device tree.

Monitor Devices and the Network and View Router Information

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

View Network Usage Information

The router integrates deep packet inspection (DPI) so that y ou can view the devices, traffic categories, and applications that are using the upload and download bandwidth in your router network.You can then use this information to apply your Quality of Service (QoS) settings and optimize gaming (see Customize Quality

of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming on page 42).

You can view real-time information about all devices on your network that are consuming bandwidth and you can view details about traffic categories and applications that are consuming bandwidth for a device. You also view the total bandwidth usage across the router network relative to the network’ s ov erall bandwidth speeds.

To view network usage information:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Network Monitor.

The page that displays shows the Network Snapshot pane and the Network Overview pane:

• Network Snapshot pane.This pane displays the upload and download network bandwidth in Mbps

per second.The pane displays the total usage as well as individual usage for active devices.

• Network Overview pane.This pane displays the network’s total bandwidth usage in Mbps per

second, relative to the network’s overall bandwidth speeds.

5. To view upload or download volume details, point to a bar (in the Network Snapshot pane) or point to

a node (in the Network Overview pane). A small pop-up window displays volume details.

6. To limit the displayed bandwidth in a pane to the download bandwidth or upload bandwidth, do the

following:

• To exclude upload bandwidth from the pane, above the graph in a pane, click the Upload text.

The Upload text is crossed out and the graph displays the download bandwidth only. Click the

Upload text again to redisplay the upload bandwidth.

• To exclude download bandwidth from the pane, above the graph in a pane, click the Download

text. The Download text is crossed out and the graph displays the upload bandwidth only. Click the

Download text again to redisplay the download bandwidth.

7. To view the traffic category breakdown for the total usage or for an individual device, in the Network

Snapshot pane, click the download or upload bar for either the total usage or for an individual device.

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The Category Breakdown pane displays and shows the traffic categories that are using download or upload bandwidth for your selection.

You can take any of the following actions in the Category Breakdown pane:

• To view traffic category volume details, point to the graph.

A small pop-up window displays volume details.

• To exclude a traffic category from the graph, above the gr aph, click the name f or the traffic category .

The name is crossed out and the graph excludes the traffic category . Clic k the name for the category again to redisplay the traffic category.

• To view the applications that are consuming bandwidth for your selection and traffic category, click

the graph. The Application Breakdown pane displays and shows the applications that are using download or upload bandwidth for your selection. You can take any of the following actions in the Application Breakdown pane:

- To view application volume details, point to the graph.

A small pop-up window displays volume details.

- To exclude an application from the graph, above the graph, click the name for the application.

The name is crossed out and the graph excludes the application. Click the name for the application again to redisplay the application.

- To close the Application Breakdown pane, click the X.

• To close the Category Breakdown pane, click the X.

View Router System Information

To view router system information:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select System Information.

The page that displays shows the following panes, most of which are self-explanatory:

• CPU Usage.This pane shows usage information about both CPUs on the router.You can take any

of the following actions in the CPU Usage pane:

- To exclude a CPU from the graph, above the graph, click the name of the CPU.

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The name is crossed out and the graph excludes information about the CPU. Click the name of the CPU again to redisplay information about the CPU.

- To view usgae details about a CPU, point to a node on the graph.

A small pop-up window displays usage details.

• RAM Usage.This pane shows usage information about the three random access memory (RAM)

categories on the router.You can take any of the following actions in the RAM Usage pane:

- To exclude a RAM category from the graph, above the graph, click the name of the RAM

category. The name is crossed out and the graph excludes information about the RAM category. Click the name of the RAM category again to redisplay information about the RAM category.

- To view usage detail about a RAM category, point to the graph.

A small pop-up window displays usage details.

• Flash Usage.This pane shows usage information about the eight flash memory categories on the

router.You can take any of the following actions in the Flash Usage pane:

- To exclude a flash memory category from the graph, above the graph, click the name of the

flash memory category. The name is crossed out and the graph excludes inf ormation about the flash memory category. Click the name of the flash memory category again to redisplay information about the flash memory category.

- To view usage details about a flash memory, point to the graph.

A small pop-up window displays usage details.

• System Info.The information in this pane includes the firmware version that is installed on the

router.The pane includes an option to restart the router (see Restart the Router From Its Web

Interface on page 117).

• Network Status.This pane shows the bytes and packets that the router transferred since it was

started, including deprioritized packets.

• Installed R-Apps.This pane shows the default router applications (R-Apps) that are installed on

the router. Do not change the retry-attempts-on-startup value in the Options pane that is accessible from the Installed R-Apps pane, unless Technical Support instructs you to do so.

• Internet Status.The information in this pane includes the WAN IP address of the router. For more

information about the Internet status, see Check the Internet Connection Status, View Details, and

Release and Renew the Connection on page 116.

• Wireless Status.The information in this pane includes the network key (WiFi password) for the

main WiFi network. For more information about the main network, see Specify Basic WiFi Settings on page 87.

• Guest Wireless Status. This information in this pane includes the network key (WiFi password)

for the guest WiFi network. F or more inf ormation about the guest network, see Set Up a Guest WiFi

Network on page 90.

• Logs.This pane shows the logs.Y ou can also do wnload the logs as a te xt file. For more information

about this option and about other options for the logs, see View and Manage the Router Activity

Log on page 114.

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Customize the Dashboard

By default, the Dashboard includes the following panes:

• Internet Status

• Wireless Status

• Guest Wireless Status

• Network Overview

• CPU Usage

• Installed R-Apps

For information about these panes, see View Router System Information on page 59. You can customize the panes that display on the Dashboard by adding panes that are useful to you and

removing panes that are not useful to you.You also rearrange and resize the panes.

To customize the Dashboard:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. To add panes to the Dashboard, do the following: a. Select Geo-Filter, QoS, Device Manager, Network Monitor, or System Information.

The page displays panes.

b. For each pane that you want to add, click the pin icon that is associated with the pane.

The panes are added to the Dashboard.

5. To remove a pane from the Dashboard, on the Dashboard, click the pin icon that is associated with the

pane. The pane is removed from the Dashboard but not from its home page.

6. To move a pane to another location on the Dashboard, do the following: a. Point to a pane until the cursor displays as a cross with four arrows.

b. Click and hold the pane and move it to another location. c. Release the pane.

7. To resize a pane, do the following:

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

a. Point to a pane until the diagonal double-headed arrow displays at the lower right corner of the

pane.

b. Click the arrow and move the pane horizontally, vertically, or both. c. Release the pane.

Monitor Devices and the Network and View Router Information

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:

• Block Access to Internet Sites

• Block Services and Applications With Simple Outbound Firewall Rules

• Set Up a Schedule for Keyword Blocking and Outbound Firewall Rules

• Set Up Email Notifications for Security Events and Log Messages

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Block Access to Internet Sites

You can block keywords and domains (websites) to prevent certain types of HTTP traffic from accessing your network. By default, keyword blocking is disabled and no domains are blocked.

Add Keywords and Block Access to Specific Internet Sites

You can add keywords to block specific Internet sites from your network.You can use blocking all the time or based on a schedule.

To add keywords and block access to select Internet sites:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Content Filtering > Block Sites.

The Block Sites page displays.

5. Select a keyword blocking option:

• Per Schedule.Turn on ke yword blocking according to a schedule that y ou set. For more information,

see Set Up a Schedule for Keyword Blocking and Outbound Firewall Rules on page 68.

• Always.Turn on keyword blocking all the time, independent of the Schedule page.

6. In the Type keyword or domain name here field, enter a keyword or domain that you want to block.

Website names and domain names that include the keyword are blocked or the domain name that you specify is blocked.

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 255 entries.

8. Click the Apply button.

Keyword blocking takes effect.

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Delete Keywords From the Blocked List

To delete one or all keywords from the list:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Content Filtering > Block Sites.

The Block Sites page displays.

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 settings are saved.

Avoid Blocking on a Trusted Computer

You can exempt one trusted computer from blocking. The computer that you exempt must be assigned a fixed IP address.You can use the reserved IP address feature to specify the IP address (see Manage

Reserved LAN IP Addresses on page 77).

To specify a trusted computer:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Content Filtering > Block Sites.

The Block Sites page displays.

5. Scroll down and select the Allow trusted IP address to visit blocked sites check box.

6. In the Trusted IP Address field, enter the IP address of the trusted computer.

7. Click the Apply button.

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Your settings are saved.

Block Services and Applications With Simple Outbound Firewall Rules

A firewall protects one network (the trusted network, such as your LAN) from another (the untrusted network, such as the Internet), while allowing communication between the two.

The router provides one default outbound firew all rule: It allows all access to the Internet (that is, the WAN). You can add simple rules to prevent access to specific services and applications on the Internet. In addition, you can specify if a rule applies to one user, a range of users, or all users on your LAN.

The router lists many default services and applications that you can use in outbound rules.You can also add an outbound firewall rule for a custom service or application.

For information about blocking specific keywords, URLs, or sites, see Block Access to Internet Sites on page 64.This type of blocking is another aspect of outbound firewall rules.

Service blocking means the same thing as applying outbound firewall rules.Note

Block a Service or Application From Accessing 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.

To block a service or application from accessing the Internet:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings> Content Filtering > Block Services.

The Block Services page displays.

5. Specify when to block the services:

• To block the services all the time, select the Always radio button.

• To block the services based on a schedule, select the Per Schedule radio button.

For information about how to specify the schedule, see Set Up a Schedule for Keyword Blocking and

Outbound Firewall Rules on page 68.

6. Click the Add button.

The Block Services Setup page displays.

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

7. To add a service that is in the Service Type menu, 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 in the menu, select User Defined, and do the following: a. If you know that the application uses either TCP or UDP, select the appropriate protocol from the

Protocol menu. 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.

c. In the Service Type/User Defined field, enter a description.

9. Select a filtering option:

• Only This IP Address. Block services for a single computer. Enter the IP address for that computer.

• IP Address Range. Bloc k services for a r ange of computers with consecutiv e IP addresses on y our

network. Enter the starting IP address and ending IP address for the range.

• All lP Addresses. Block services for all computers on your network.

10. Click the Add button.

Your settings are saved.

Change an Outbound Firewall Rule for a Service or Application

You can change an existing outbound firewall rule that blocks a service or application.

To change an outbound firewall rule for a service or application:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Content Filtering > Block Services.

The Block Services page displays.

5. In the Service Table, select the radio button for the rule.

6. Click the Edit button.

The Block Services Setup page displays.

7. Change the settings.

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

For more information about the settings, see Bloc k a Service or Application From Accessing the Internet on page 66.

8. Click the Accept button.

Your settings are saved.The changed rule displays in the Service Table on the Block Services page.

Remove an Outbound Firewall Rule f or a Service or Application

You can remove an outbound firewall rule that you no longer need. After you remove the rule, the service or application is no longer blocked.

To remove an outbound firewall rule for a service or application:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Content Filtering > Block Services.

The Block Services page displays.

5. In the Service Table, select the radio button for the rule.

6. Click the Delete button.

The rule is removed from the Service Table.

Set Up a Schedule for Keyword Blocking and Outbound Firewall Rules

You can set up a schedule that you can apply to keyword blocking for Internet sites and outbound firewall rules for services and applications.

The schedule can specify the days and times that these features are active. After you set up the schedule, if you want it to become active, you must apply it to keyword blocking (see Block Access to Internet Sites on page 64), outbound firewall rules (see Block Services and Applications With Simple Outbound Firewall

Rules on page 66), or both.Without a schedule, you can only enable or disable these features. By default,

no schedule is set.

To set up a schedule:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router user name and password.

Control Access to the Internet

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Content Filtering > Schedule.

The Schedule page displays.

5. Set up the schedule for blocking:

• Days to Block. Select the check box for each day that you want to block access or specify that

blocking occurs on every day by selecting the Every Day check box. By default, the Every Day check box is selected.

• Time of Day to Block. Select a start and end time for blocking in 24-hour format or select the All

Day check box for 24-hour blocking. By default, the All Day check box is selected.

6. From the Time Zone menu, select your time zone.

7. If you live in an area that observes daylight saving time, select the Automatically adjust for daylight

savings time check box.

If the router synchronized its internal clock with a time server on the Internet and you

Note

selected the correct time zone, the Current Time field displays the correct date and time.

8. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Set Up Email Notifications for Security Events and Log Messages

The router can email you notifications of security events and its log messages of router activity. The log records router activity and security events such as attempts to access bloc ked sites, services, or applications.

To set up email notifications:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Content Filtering > E-mail.

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XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The E-mail page displays.

5. Select the Turn E-mail Notification On check box.

6. In the Primary E-mail Address field, enter the email address that you want to send alerts and logs to.

7. In the Y our Outgoing Mail Server field, enter the name of y our ISP outgoing (SMTP) mail server (such

as mail.myISP.com). You might be able to find this information in the configuration window of y our email program. If y ou leav e

this field blank, log and alert messages are not sent.

8. In the Outgoing Mail Server Port Number section, enter the port number that your outgoing mail server

uses. The default port number is 25. If your ISP uses a different port number, you might be able to find this

information in the configuration window of your email program.

9. If your outgoing email server requires authentication, select the My mail server requires authentication

check box, and do the following:

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.

10. To send alerts when someone attempts to visit a blocked site, select the Send Alerts Immediately

check box. Email alerts are sent immediately when someone attempts to visit a blocked site.This is the default

setting.

11. To send logs messages based on a schedule, select a schedule from the Send logs according to this

schedule menu and specify the settings:

• Hourly.The router sends log messages hourly.

• Daily.The router sends log messages daily at the time that you specify. From the Time menu,

select the time, and select the a.m. or p.m. radio button.

• Weekly.The router sends log messages weekly at the day and time that you specify. From the Day

menu, select the day of the week. From the Time menu, select the time, and select the a.m. or p.m. radio button.

By default, the router sends log messages when the log is full.To prevent the router from doing so, select None from the Send logs according to this schedule menu.

12. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved. The router sends log messages automatically according to the schedule that you set. If the log fills

before the specified time, the router sends all log messages. After the router sends the log messages, they are cleared from the router memory. If the router cannot send the log messages and the log buffer fills, the router overwrites the log messages.

Control Access to the Internet

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

The router comes ready for WiFi, Ethernet, and USB connections.You can customize the router’s network settings.We recommend that you install the router and connect it to the Internet before you change its network settings.

This chapter includes the following sections:

• View or Change WAN Settings

• Set Up a Default DMZ Server

• Change the Router’s Device Name

• Change the Router’s LAN IP Address and RIP Settings

• Specify the IP Addresses That the Router Assigns

• Disable the DHCP Server Feature in the Router

• Manage Reserved LAN IP Addresses

• Set Up a Bridge to Your ISP’s Network Using a Port Group or VLAN Tag Group

• Manage Custom Static Routes

• Improve Network Connections With Universal Plug and Play

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

View or Change WAN Settings

You can view or configure wide area network (WAN) settings for the Internet port.You can set up a DMZ (demilitarized zone) server, change the maxim um transmit unit (MTU) size, and enab le the router to respond to a ping to its WAN (Internet) port.

To view or change the WAN settings:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > WAN Setup.

The WAN Setup page displays. View or change the following settings:

• Disable Port Scan and DoS Protection. DoS protection protects y our LAN against denial of service

attacks such as Syn flood, Smurf Attack, Ping of Death, and many others. Select this check box only in special circumstances.

• Default DMZ Server.This feature is sometimes helpful when you are playing online games or

videoconferencing, but it makes the firewall security less effective. For more information, see Set

Up a Default DMZ Server on page 73.

• Respond to Ping on Internet Port.This feature allows your router to be discovered. Use this

feature only as a diagnostic tool or for a specific reason.

• Disable IGMP Proxying. IGMP proxying allows a computer on the local area network (LAN) to

receive the multicast traffic it is interested in from the Internet. By default, the Disable IGMP Pr oxying check box is selected and IGMP proxying is disabled.

• MTU Size (in bytes).The normal maximum transmit unit (MTU) value for most Ethernet networks

is 1500 bytes (which is the default setting), or 1492 b ytes f or PPP oE connections . Change the MTU value only if you are sure that it is necessary for your ISP connection. For more information, see

Change the MTU Size on page 39.

• NAT Filtering. Network Address Translation (NAT) determines how the router processes inbound

traffic. Secured NA T protects computers on the LAN from attac ks from the Internet but might prev ent 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. By default, the Secured NAT radio button is selected and the router functions with secured NAT.

• Disable SIP ALG. Some voice and video comm unication applications do not work well with the SIP

ALG. Disabling the SIP ALG might help your voice and video applications to create and accept a call through the router.

5. If you made changes to the settings, click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

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 e xposed 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 configured on the Port Forwarding/Port Triggering page. Instead of discarding this traffic, you can specify that the router f orwards the traffic to one computer on y our network. This computer is called the default DMZ server.

To set up a default DMZ server:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > WAN Setup.

The WAN Setup page displays.

5. Select the Default DMZ Server check box.

6. Type the IP address.

7. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Change the Router’s Device Name

The router’s default device name is based on its model number (XR500).This device name displays in, for example, the file manager when you browse your network. If you change this name, the ReadySHARE storage folder access path automatically changes to reflect the new device name.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

To change the router’s device name:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > Device Name.

The Device Name page displays.

5. In the Device Name field, type a new name.

6. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Change the Router’s LAN IP Address and RIP Settings

The router is preconfigured to use private IP addresses on the LAN side and to function 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.

You might want to change these settings if you need a specific IP subnet that one or more devices on the network use, or if you use competing subnets with the same IP scheme.

To change the LAN IP address and RIP settings:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > LAN Setup.

The LAN Setup page displays.

5. In the IP Address field, type the IP address.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

6. In the IP Subnet Mask field, type the subnet mask of the router.

The IP address and subnet mask identify which addresses are local to a specific device and which must be reached through a gateway or router.

7. Router Information Protocol (RIP) allows a router to exchange routing information with other routers.

To change the RIP settings, do the following:

a. Select the RIP direction:

• Both.The router broadcasts its routing table periodically and incorporates information that it

receives.This is the default setting.

• Out Only.The router broadcasts its routing table periodically.

• In Only.The router incorporates the RIP information that it receives.

b. Select the RIP version:

• Disabled.The RIP versions are ignored.This is the default setting.

• RIP-1.This format is universally supported. It is adequate for most networks, unless you are

using an unusual network setup.

• RIP-2.This format carries more information. Both RIP-2B and RIP-2M send the routing data in

RIP-2 format. RIP-2B uses subnet broadcasting. RIP-2M uses multicasting.

8. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved. If you changed the LAN IP address of the router, you are disconnected when this change takes effect.

9. To reconnect, close your browser, relaunch it, and log in to the router.

Specify the IP Addresses That the Router Assigns

By default, the router functions as a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server .The router assigns IP, DNS server , and default gate wa y addresses to all computers connected to the LAN.The assigned default gateway address is the LAN address of the router.

These addresses must be part of the same IP address subnet as the router’s LAN IP address. If you changed the router’s LAN IP address (see Change the Router’s LAN IP Address and RIP Settings on page 74), the addresses must be part of the IP address subnet of the router’s new LAN IP address.

If you use the router’ s def ault addressing scheme, define a r ange between 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.254, although you can save part of the range for devices with fixed addresses.

To specify the pool of IP addresses that the router assigns:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > LAN Setup.

The LAN Setup page displays.

5. Make sure that the Use Router as DHCP Server check box is selected.

6. Specify the range of IP addresses that the router assigns: a. In the Starting IP Address field, type the lowest number in the range.

This IP address must be in the same subnet as the router.

b. In the Ending IP Address field, type the number at the end of the range of IP addresses.

This IP address must be in the same subnet as the router.

7. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved. The router delivers the following parameters to any LAN device that requests DHCP:

• An IP address from the range that you define

• Subnet mask

• Gateway IP address (the router’s LAN IP address)

• DNS server IP address (the router’s LAN IP address)

Disable the DHCP Server Feature in the Router

By default, the router functions as a DHCP server. The router assigns IP, DNS server, and default gateway addresses to all computers connected to the LAN.The assigned default gateway address is the LAN address of the router.

You can use another device on your network as the DHCP server or specify the network settings of all your computers.

To disable the DHCP server feature in the router:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > LAN Setup.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The LAN Setup page displays.

5. Clear the Use Router as DHCP Server check box.

6. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

7. (Optional) If this service is disabled and no other DHCP server is available on your network, set your

computer IP addresses manually so that the computers can access the router.

Manage Reserved LAN IP Addresses

When you specify a reserved IP address for a computer on the LAN, that computer always receives the same IP address each time it accesses the router’s DHCP server . Assign reserved IP addresses to computers or servers that require permanent IP settings.

Reserve a LAN IP Address

To reserve a LAN IP address:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > LAN Setup.

The LAN Setup page displays.

5. In the Address Reservation section, click the Add button.

The Address Reservation page displays.

6. Either add a device that the router detected and that is in the Address Reservation T ab le or add a custom

device:

• To add a device that the router detected and that is in the Address Reservation Table, select the

radio button for the device. The IP Address field, MAC Address field, and De vice Name field are populated with the information from the the Address Reservation Table.

• To add a custom device, do the following:

a. In the IP Address field, type the IP address to assign to the computer or server.

Choose an IP address from the router’s LAN subnet, such as 192.168.1.x.

b. In the MAC Address field, type the MAC address of the computer or server. c. In the Device Name field, type a description for the computer or server.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

7. Click the Add button.

The LAN Setup page displays again and the address is entered into the Address Reservation table on that page.

8. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved. The reserved address is not assigned until the next time the computer contacts the router’s DHCP

server.You can restart the computer, or access its IP configuration and force a DHCP release and renew.

Change a Reserved IP Address

To change a reserved address entry:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > LAN Setup.

The LAN Setup page displays.

5. Select the radio button next to the reserved address.

6. Click the Edit button.

The Address Reservation page displays.

7. Change the settings.

8. Click the Apply button.

The LAN Setup page displays again.The Address Reservation table on that page shows the changed settings.

9. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Delete a Reserved IP Address Entry

To delete a reserved address entry:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > LAN Setup.

The LAN Setup page displays.

5. Select the radio button next to the reserved address.

6. Click the Delete button.

The address is removed from the Address Reservation table.

7. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Set Up a Bridge to Your ISP’s Netw ork Using a P ort Group or VLAN Tag Group

Some devices, such as an IPTV, cannot function behind the router’s network address translation (NAT) service or firewall. Based on what your Internet service provider (ISP) requires, for the device to connect to the ISP’s network directly, you can enable the bridge between the device and the router’s Internet port or add new VLAN tag groups to the bridge.

If your ISP provides instructions for how to set up a bridge for IPTV and Internet

Note

service, follow those instructions.

Set Up a Bridge to Your ISP’s Network Using a Port Group

For some devices, such as an IPTV, that are connected to the router’s Ethernet LAN port or WiFi network, your ISP might require you to use a port group to set up a bridge to the router’s Internet interface and, effectively, your ISP’s network.

A bridge with a port group prevents packets that are sent between the device and the router’s Internet port from being processed through the router’s Network Address Translation (NAT) service.

For an IPTV-specific procedure, see Set Up an IPTV Port to Lease an Intranet Port on page 81.

To set up a bridge to your ISP’s network using a port group:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > VLAN/Bridge Settings.

The VLAN/Bridge Settings page displays.

5. Select the Enable VLAN/Bridge group check box.

The page expands.

6. Select the By bridge group radio button.

The page expands.

7. Select a Wired Ports check box or a Wireless check box:

• If your device is connected to an Ethernet port on the router, select the Wired Ports check box that

corresponds to the Ethernet port on the router to which the device is connected.

• If your device is connected to your router’s WiFi network, select the Wireless check box that

corresponds to the router’s WiFi network to which the device is connected.

You must select at least one Wired Ports or Wireless check box.You can select more

Note

than one check box.

8. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Set Up a Bridge to Y our ISP’ s Netw ork Using a VLAN T ag Group

For some devices, such as IPTVs, that are connected to the router’s Ethernet LAN ports or WiFi network, your ISP might require you to use a VLAN tag g roup to set up a bridge to the router’ s Internet interface and, effectively, your ISP’s network.

If you are subscribed to a service such as IPTV, the router might require VLAN tags to distinguish between the Internet traffic and the IPTV traffic. A bridge with a VLAN tag group prevents packets that are sent between the device and the router’ s Internet port from being processed through the router’s Network Address Translation (NAT) service.

You can add VLAN tag groups to a bridge and assign VLAN IDs and priority values to each VLAN tag g roup .

To set up a bridge to your ISP’s network using a VLAN tag group:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

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 Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > VLAN/Bridge Settings.

The VLAN/Bridge Settings page displays.

5. Select the Enable VLAN/Bridge group check box.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The page expands.

6. Select the By VLAN tag group radio button.

The page expands.

7. Click the Add button.

The Add VLAN Rule page displays.

8. Specify the following settings:

• Name. Enter a name for the VLAN tag group.The name can be up to 10 characters.

• VLAN ID. Enter a value from 1 to 4094.

• Priority. Enter a value from 0 to 7.

• Select the check box for a wired LAN port or WiFi port.

- If your device is connected to an Ethernet port on the router, select the LAN port check box that

corresponds to the Ethernet port on the router to which the device is connected.

- If your device is connected to your router’s WiFi network, select the WiFi check box that

corresponds to the router’s WiFi network to which the device is connected.

You must select at least one LAN port or WiFi port.You can select more than one port.

9. Click the Apply button.

The VLAN/Bridge Settings page displays again.The VLAN tag g roup is added to the table on that page .

10. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Set Up an IPTV Port to Lease an Intranet Port

You can set up the router to create an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) port that can lease an IP address from your IPTV service provider. Use this feature only if you subscribe to an IPTV service and your IPTV service requires an intranet address.

Some IPTV ports cannot work behind NA T because the IPTV port requires an IP address within the Internet service provider’s network (intranet address).You can set up a bridge connection from the WAN to one of the LAN ports.When IPTV is connected through WiFi, the home router also must support the bridging of the WAN port to the WiFi network name (SSID).The designated LAN port or WiFi network name becomes an IPTV port with direct access to the WAN without going through NAT.

To set up an IPTV port to lease an intranet port from your IPTV service provider:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

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.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > VLAN/Bridge Settings.

The VLAN / Bridge Settings page displays.

5. Select the Enable VLAN/Bridge Group check box.

The page expands.

6. Select the By bridge group radio button.

The page expands.

7. Depending on the port to which the IPTV is connected, select a Wired Ports check box or a Wireless

check box:

• If the IPTV is connected to an Ethernet port on the router, select the Wired Ports check box that

corresponds to the Ethernet port on the router to which the device is connected.

• If the IPTV is connected to your router’ s WiFi network, select the Wireless check bo x that corresponds

to the router’s WiFi network to which the device is connected.

8. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Manage Custom Static Routes

Typically, you do not need to add static routes unless you use multiple routers or multiple IP subnets on your network.

As an example of when a static route is needed, consider the following case:

• Your main Internet access is through a cable modem to an ISP.

• Your home network includes an ISDN router for connecting to the company where you are employed.

This router’s address on your LAN is 192.168.1.100.

• Your company’s network address is 134.177.0.0.

When you set up your router, two implicit static routes were created. A default route was created with your ISP as the gateway, and a second static route was created to your local network for all 192.168.1.x addresses. With this configuration, if you try to access a device on the 134.177.0.0 network, your router forwards your request to the ISP.The ISP forwards y our request to the company where you are emplo yed, and the company firewall is likely to deny the request.

In this case you must define a static route, telling your router to access 134.177.0.0 through the ISDN router at 192.168.1.100. Here is an example:

• The Destination IP Address and IP Subnet Mask fields specify that this static route applies to all

134.177.x.x addresses.

• The Gateway IP Address field specifies that all traffic f or these addresses will be forw arded to the ISDN

router at 192.168.1.100.

• A metric value of 1 works because the ISDN router is on the LAN.

• The Private check box is selected only as a precautionary security measure in case RIP is activated.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Set Up a Static Route

To set up a static route:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Static Routes.

The Static Routes page displays.

5. Click the Add button.

The page adjusts.

6. In the Route Name field, type a name for this static route (for identification purposes only).

7. To limit access to the LAN only, select the Private check box.

If the Private check box is selected, the static route is not reported in RIP.

8. Select the Active check box to make this route effective.

9. In the Destination IP Address field, type the IP address of the final destination.

10. In the IP Subnet Mask field, type the IP subnet mask for this destination.

If the destination is a single host, type 255.255.255.255.

11. In the Gateway IP Address field, type the gatew ay IP address, which m ust be on the same LAN segment

as the router.

12. In the Metric field, type a number from 1 through 15 as the metric value.

This value represents the number of routers between your netw ork and the destination. Usually, a setting of 2 or 3 works, but if this is a direct connection, set it to 1.

13. Click the Apply button.

The static route is added to the table.

Change a Static Route

To change a static route:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Static Routes.

The Static Routes page displays.

5. In the table, select the radio button for the route.

6. Click the Edit button.

The Static Routes page adjusts.

7. Edit the route information.

8. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Delete a Static Route

To delete a static route:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Static Routes.

The Static Routes page displays.

5. In the table, select the radio button for the route.

6. Click the Delete button.

The route is removed from the table.

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 multiplay er gaming, peer-to-peer connections, or real-time communications such as instant messaging or remote assistance, keep UPnP enabled.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

To manage Universal Plug and Play:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

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 Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Setting > UPnP.

The UPnP page displays.

5. If UPnP is not enabled, select the Turn UPnP On check box.

By default, this check box is selected.You can disable UPnP for automatic device configuration. If you clear the T urn UPnP On chec k bo x, the router does not allo w any de vice 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 receive 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 betw een 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.

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.

9. To refresh the information in the UPnP Portmap Table, click the Refresh button.

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

The router comes ready for WiFi connections.You can customize the router’s WiFi settings. This chapter includes the following sections:

• Specify Basic WiFi Settings

• Change the WiFi Password or Security Level

• Change the WiFi Mbps Mode for Download and Upload Speeds

• Set Up a Guest WiFi Network

• Configure WPA/WPA2 Enterprise WiFi Security

• Configure WEP Legacy WiFi Security

• Control the WiFi Radios

• Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi Connections

• Set Up a WiFi Schedule

• Specify WPS Settings

• Manage Implicit Beamforming

• Manage Mu-MIMO

• Manage HT160 for 160 MHz WiFi Support

• Disable Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service

• Use the Router as a WiFi Access Point Only

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Specify Basic WiFi Settings

The router comes with preset security. This means that the WiFi network name (SSID), network key (password), and security option (encryption protocol) are preset in the factory.You can find the preset SSID and password on the router label.

The preset SSID and password are uniquely generated for every device to protect

Note

and maximize your WiFi security.

If you change your preset security settings, make a note of the new settings and store it in a safe place where you can easily find it.

If your computer is connected with WiFi when y ou change the SSID or other WiFi security settings, you are disconnected when you click the Apply b utton.T o av oid this problem, use a computer with a wired connection to access the router.

You can specify the settings for the 2.4 GHz band and for the 5 GHz band. However, if you enable Smart Connect, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands must use the same WiFi network name (SSID) and network key (password).

To specify basic WiFi settings:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > Wireless Setup.

The Wireless Settings page displays. You can specify the settings for the 2.4 GHz band and 5 GHz band.

5. From the Region menu, select your region.

In some locations, you cannot change this setting.

6. To let the router automatically select the fastest WiFi band (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) for your device, select

the Enable Smart Connect check box. By default, the Enable Smart Connect check bo x is selected and both the Name (SSID) field and radio

buttons for the security options for the 5 GHz band are masked out because that band uses the same network name (SSID) and security option as the 2.4 GHz band.That means that when you connect to the router with WiFi, you see only one SSID that connects to both bands.

If you enable Smart Connect and the SSID and passwords f or the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

Note

bands do not match, the SSID and security option for the 2.4 GHz band overwrite the SSID and security option for the 5 GHz band.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

To specify a separate SSID and security option for each WiFi band, clear the Enable Smart Connect check box.

7. To control the SSID broadcast, select or clear the Enable SSID Broadcast check box.

When this check box is selected, the router broadcasts its SSID so that it displays when you scan for local WiFi networks on your computer or mobile device.

8. To control 20/40 MHz coexistence, select or clear the Enable 20/40 MHz Coexistence check box.

By default, 20/40 MHz coexistence is enabled to prevent interference between WiFi networks in your environment at the expense of the WiFi speed. If no other WiFi networks are present in your environment, you can clear the Enable 20/40 MHz Coexistence check bo x to increase the WiFi speed to the maximum supported speed.

9. To change the network name (SSID), type a new name in the Name (SSID) field.

The name can be up to 32 characters long and it is case-sensitive.The default SSID is randomly generated and is on the router label . If you change the name, make sure to write down the new name and keep it in a safe place.

10. To change the WiFi channel, select a number from the Channel menu.

In some regions, not all channels are available. Do not change the channel unless you experience interference (shown by lost connections or slo w data transfers). If this happens, experiment with different channels to see which is the best.

When you use multiple access points, it is better if adjacent access points use different channels to reduce interference.The recommended channel spacing between adjacent access points is four channels (for example, use Channels 1 and 5, or 6 and 10).

For information about the options in the Mode menu, see Change the WiFi Mbps

Note

Mode for Download and Upload Speeds on page 90. By default, the fastest modes

are selected.

11. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved. If you connected wirelessly to the network and you changed the SSID, you are disconnected from the

network.

12. Make sure that you can connect wirelessly to the network with its new settings.

If you cannot connect wirelessly, check the following:

• Is your computer or mobile device connected to another WiFi network in your area? Some mobile

devices automatically connect to the first open network without WiFi security that they discover.

• Is your computer or mobile device trying to connect to your network with its old settings (before you

changed the settings)? If so, update the WiFi network selection in your computer or mobile device to match the current settings for your network.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Change the WiFi Password or Security Level

The WiFi password is different from the admin password that you use to log in to the router. Your router comes with preset WPA2 or WPA security.We recommend that you use the preset security,

but you can change the settings.We recommend that you do not disable the preset security. For information about other WiFi security options, see Configure WPA/WPA2 Enterprise WiFi Security on

page 91 and Configure WEP Legacy WiFi Security on page 93.

To change the WPA settings:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > Wireless Setup.

The Wireless Settings page displays.

5. Under Security Options, select a WPA option.

The WPA2 options use the newest standard for the strongest security. WPA2-PSK [AES] is the default setting.

The Passphrase field displays.

6. In the Passphrase field, enter the network key (password).

It is a text string from 8 to 63 characters.

7. Write down the new password and keep it in a secure place for future reference.

8. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

9. Make sure that you can reconnect over WiFi to the network with its new security settings.

If you cannot connect over WiFi, check the following:

• Is your computer or mobile device connected to another WiFi network in your area? Some mobile

devices automatically connect to the first open network without WiFi security that they discover.

• Is your computer or mobile device trying to connect to your network with its old settings (before you

changed the settings)? If so, update the WiFi network selection in your computer or mobile device to match the current settings for your network.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Change the WiFi Mbps Mode for Download and Upload Speeds

The data rate for high-speed transmissions is commonly identified as megabits per second (Mbps). By default, the router is set to operate with up to 800 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz WiFi band and up to 1,733 Mbps

in the 5 GHz WiFi band.You can select slower settings.

To change the WiFi Mbps settings:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time you logged in.The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > Wireless Setup.

The Wireless Settings page displays.

5. For the 2.4 GHz WiFi band, in the Wireless Network (2.4 GHz b/g/n) section, select a setting from the

Mode menu.

Up to 800 Mbps is the default setting.The other settings are Up to 347 Mbps and Up to 54 Mbps.

6. For the 5 GHz WiFi band, select a setting from the Mode menu.

Up to 1733 Mbps is the default setting, which allows 802.11ac, 11n, and 11ad de vices to join the network. The other settings are Up to 800 Mbps and Up to 347 Mbps.

7. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved. If you are connected over WiFi to the network, you might be disconnected from the network and might

need to reconnect.

Set Up a Guest WiFi Network

Guest networks allow visitors at your home to use the Internet without using your WiFi security key.You can add a guest network for the 2.4 GHz WiFi band and the 5.0 GHz WiFi band.

By default, the guest networks are disabled.

To set up a guest network:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > Guest Network.

The Guest Network Settings page displays.

5. Scroll to the section of the page for the guest WiFi network that you want to set up.

6. Leave the Enable SSID Broadcast check box selected.

Allowing the router to broadcast its WiFi network name (SSID) mak es it easier to find y our network and connect to it. If you clear this check box, that creates a hidden network.

7. If you want to allow mobile devices that are connected to the guest network to detect each other and

provide access to your main WiFi network, select the Allow guests to see each other and access m y local network check box.

For greater security, by default, mobile devices that are connected to the guest WiFi network cannot detect each other or access mobile devices or Ethernet devices that are connected to the main WiFi network.

8. Keep the default guest network name or type a custom name.

The default guest WiFi network names (SSIDs) are as follows:

• NETGEAR-Guest is for the 2.4 GHz WiFi band.

• NETGEAR-5G-Guest is for the 5 GHz WiFi band.

The guest network name is case-sensitive and can be up to 32 characters.You can configure the WiFi-enabled devices in your network to use the guest network name in addition to the main SSID.

9. Select a security option.

The WPA2 options use the newest standard for the strongest security. WPA2-PSK [AES] is the default setting.

For information about WPA/WPA2 Enterprise, see Configure WPA/WPA2 Enterprise WiFi Security on page 91.

10. To enable the guest network, select the Enable Guest Network check box.

If you do not select this check bo x, the guest network settings are saved after y ou click the Apply b utton, but the guest network remains disabled.

11. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Configure WPA/WPA2 Enterprise WiFi Security

Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS) is an enterprise-level method for centralized Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) management.To enable the router to provide WPA and WPA2 enterprise WiFi security, the WiFi network that the router provides must be able to access a RADIUS server.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

If you want to change the WiFi settings of the router’s main netw ork, use a wired connection

Tip

to avoid being disconnected when the new WiFi settings take effect.

To configure WPA and WPA2 enterprise security:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Depending on the WiFi network that you are configuring, do one of the following:

• If you are configuring the main WiFi network, select Settings > Setup > Wireless Setup.

The Wireless Settings page displays.

• If you are configuring the guest WiFi network, select Settings > Setup > Guest Network.

The Guest Network page displays.

5. In the Security Options section for either the 2.4 GHz band or 5 GHz band, select the WPA/WPA2

Enterprise radio button.

The page adjusts.

6. In the WPA/WPA2 Enterprise section, specify the following settings:

• From the WPA Mode menu, select the enterprise WPA mode:

- WP A2 [AES].WP A2 pro vides a secure connection but some older mobile de vices do not detect

WPA2 and support only WPA. If your network includes such older devices, select WPA [TKIP] + WPA2 [AES] security.

- WPA [TKIP] +WPA2 [AES].This type of security enables mobile devices that support either

WPA or WPA2 to join the router’s WiFi network. This is the default mode.

• RADIUS server IP Address. Enter the IPv4 address of the RADIUS server to which the WiFi network

can connect.

• RADIUS server Port. Enter the number of the port on the router that is used to access the RADIUS

server for authentication.The default port number is 1812.

• RADIUS server Shared Secret. Enter the shared secret (RADIUS pass word) that is used between

the router and the RADIUS server during authentication of a WiFi user.

7. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

8. Make sure that you can reconnect over WiFi to the network with its new security settings.

If you cannot connect over WiFi, check the following:

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

• Is your computer or mobile device connected to another WiFi network in your area? Some mobile

devices automatically connect to the first open network without WiFi security that they discover.

• Is your computer or mobile device trying to connect to your network with its old settings (before you

changed the settings)? If so, update the WiFi network selection in your computer or mobile device to match the current settings for your network.

Configure WEP Legacy WiFi Security

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security is a legacy authentication and data encryption mode that is superseded by WPA-PSK and WPA2-PSK.WEP limits the WiFi transmission speed to 54 Mbps (the router is capable of speeds of up 800 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band).

If you want to change the WiFi settings of the router’s main netw ork, use a wired connection

Tip

to avoid being disconnected when the new WiFi settings take effect.

To configure WEP security:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Depending on the WiFi network that you are configuring, do one of the following:

• If you are configuring the main WiFi network, do the following: a. Select Settings > Setup > Wireless Setup.

The Wireless Settings page displays.

b. From the Mode menu, select Up to 54 Mbps.

The page adjusts to display the WEP radio button.

• If you are configuring the guest WiFi network, select Settings > Setup > Guest Network.

The Guest Network page displays.

You can configure WEP security for the guest network only if the selection from

Note

the Mode menu for the mainWiFi network is Up to 54 Mbps.You cannot set the WiFi mode for the guest network separately from the main WiFi network.

5. In the Security Options section, select the WEP radio button.

The page adjusts.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

6. From the Authentication Type menu, select one of the following types:

• Automatic. Clients can use either Open System or Shared Key authentication.

• Shared Key. Clients can use only Shared Key authentication.

7. From the Encryption Strength menu, select the encryption key size:

• 64-bit. Standard WEP encryption, using 40/64-bit encryption.

• 128-bit. Standard WEP encryption, using 104/128-bit encryption.This selection provides higher

encryption security.

8. Specify the active key by selecting the Key 1, Key 2, Key 3, or Key 4 radio button.

Only one key can be the active key.To join the router’s WiFi network, a user must enter the key value for the key that you specified as the active key.

9. Enter a value for the key:

• For 64-bit WEP, enter 10 hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0–9, A–F).The key values are not

case-sensitive.

• For 128-bit WEP, enter 26 hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0–9, A–F).The key values are

not case-sensitive.

10. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

11. Make sure that you can reconnect over WiFi to the network with its new security settings.

If you cannot connect over WiFi, check the following:

• Is your computer or mobile device connected to another WiFi network in your area? Some mobile

devices automatically connect to the first open network without WiFi security that they discover.

• Is your computer or mobile device trying to connect to your network with its old settings (before you

changed the settings)? If so, update the WiFi network selection in your computer or mobile device to match the current settings for your network.

Control the WiFi Radios

The router’s internal WiFi radios broadcast signals in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz ranges. By default, they are on so that you can connect over WiFi to the router.When the WiFi radios are off , you can still use an Ethernet cable for a LAN connection to the router.

You can turn the WiFi radios on and off with the WiFi On/Off button on the router, or you can log in to the router and enable or disable the WiFi radios. If you are close to the router, it might be easier to press its WiFi On/Off button. If you are away from the router or already logged in it might be easier to enable or disable them.

Use the WiFi On/Off Button

To turn the WiFi radios off and on with the WiFi On/Off button:

Press the WiFi On/Off button on the top of the router for two seconds. If you turned off the WiFi radios, the WiFi On/Off LED and the WPS LED turn off. If you turned on the

WiFi radios, the WiFi On/Off LED and the WPS LED light.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Enable or Disable the WiFi Radios

If you used the WiFi On/Off button to turn off the WiFi radios , you can’t log in to the router to turn them back on.You must press the WiFi On/Off button again for two seconds to turn the WiFi radios back on.

To enable or disable the WiFi radios:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Advanced Wireless.

The Advanced Wireless Settings page displays.

5. In the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz sections, select or clear the Enable Wireless Router Radio check boxes.

Clearing these check boxes turns off the WiFi feature of the router for each band.

6. Click the Apply button.

If you turned off both WiFi radios, the WiFi On/Off LED and the WPS LED turn off. If

Note

you turned on the WiFi radios, the WiFi On/Off LED and the WPS LED light.

Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi Connections

The WPS Wizard helps you add a Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)–enabled device to your WiFi network without typing the WiFi password.

To use the WPS Wizard:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Setup > WPS Wizard.

The Add WPS Client page displays.The page describes WPS.

5. Click the Next button.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

The page adjusts.

6. Select a setup method:

• Push button. Click the WPS button on this page.

• PIN Number.The page adjusts again. Enter the client security PIN and click the Next button.

7. Within two minutes, go to the WPS-enabled device and use its WPS software to connect to the WiFi

network. The WPS process automatically sets up your WPS-enabled device with the network password when it

connects.The router WPS page displays a confirmation message.

Set Up a WiFi Schedule

You can turn off the WiFi signal from your router at times when you do not need a WiFi connection. For example, you might turn it off for the weekend if you leave town.

To set up the WiFi schedule:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Advanced Wireless.

The Advanced Wireless Settings page displays.

5. Click the Add a new period button.

The page adjusts.

6. Use the menus, radio buttons , and chec k boxes to set up a period during which you want to turn off the

WiFi signal.

7. Click the Apply button.

The Advanced Wireless Settings page displays.

8. To activate the schedule, select the Turn off wireless signal by schedule check box.

9. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Specify WPS Settings

Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) lets you join the WiFi network without typing the WiFi password. In most situations, you do not need to change these settings. If you need to change the settings, you can

do so only after you disable the Smart Connect feature (see Specify Basic WiFi Settings on page 87).

To specify WPS settings:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Advanced Wireless.

The Advanced Wireless Settings page displays. The Router’s PIN field displays the fixed PIN that you can use to configure the router’s WiFi settings

from another device through WPS.

5. (Optional) Select or clear the Enable Router’s PIN check box.

The PIN function might temporarily be disabled when the router detects suspicious attempts to break into the router’s WiFi settings by using the router’s PIN through WPS. (By default, after three such attempts, the PIN function is temporarily disabled.) You can manually enable the PIN function by selecting the Enable Router’s PIN check box.

6. (Optional) Select or clear the Keep Existing Wireless Settings check box.

By default, the Keep Existing Wireless Settings check box is selected.We recommend that you leave this check box selected.

If you clear this check bo x, the next time a ne w WiFi client uses WPS to connect to the router, the router WiFi settings change to an automatically generated random SSID and security key.

7. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Manage Implicit Beamforming

Implicit beamforming contrasts with explicit beamf orming, which means the router actively tracks clients and directs power to the router antenna closest to the client. Explicit beamforming works whether or not the client supports beamforming. Implicit beamforming means that the router can use information from client devices that support beamforming to improve the WiFi speed, reliability, and range.This feature is enabled by def ault, but you can disable it.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

To disable implicit beamforming:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Advanced Wireless.

The Advanced Wireless Settings page displays.

5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and clear the Enable Implicit BEAMFORMING check box.

6. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved. If you are connected over WiFi to the network, you might be disconnected from the network and might

need to reconnect.

Manage Mu-MIMO

Multi user multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) improves perf ormance when multiple Mu-MIMO-capable WiFi clients transfer data at the same time.WiFi clients must support Mu-MIMO, and they m ust be connected to a 5 GHz WiFi band.This feature is enabled by default, but you can disable it.

To disable Mu-MIMO:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Advanced Wireless.

The Advanced Wireless Settings page displays.

5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and clear the Enable MU-MIMO check box.

6. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved. If you are connected over WiFi to the network, you might be disconnected from the network and might

need to reconnect.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

Manage HT160 for 160 MHz WiFi Support

HT160 supports 160 MHz for WiFi traffic, reducing lag and improving gaming and streaming data speeds. Note that the WiFi clients that connect to the router must be capab le of supporting 160 MHz, and they must be connected to the 5 GHz WiFi network. By default, HT160 is disabled, but you can enable it.

To enable HT160:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

3. Enter the router user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Advanced Wireless.

The Advanced Wireless Settings page displays.

5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select the Enable HT160 check box.

6. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved. If you are connected over WiFi to the network, you might be disconnected from the network and might

need to reconnect.

Disable Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service

Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service (WMM QoS) prioritizes WiFi voice and video traffic over the 2.4 GHz band. By default, WMM QoS is enabled for the router.

WMM QoS prioritizes WiFi 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, WMM must be enabled for both it and the client running that application. 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.

We recommend that you do not disable the WMM settings. If you disable the WMM

Note

settings, the maximum link rate your router can reach is 54 Mbps over the 2.4 GHz band.

To disable the WMM settings:

1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the router network.

2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

XR500 Nighthawk Pro Gaming Router

3. Enter the router admin user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

4. Select Settings > Advanced Settings > Advanced Wireless.

The Advanced Wireless Settings page displays.

5. Clear the Enable WMM (Wi-Fi multimedia) settings (2.4GHz b/g/n) check box.

6. Click the Apply button.

Your settings are saved.

Use the Router as a WiFi Access Point Only

By default, the router functions both as a router and a WiFi access point (AP).You can set up the router to function in AP mode and let it operate on the same local network as another router.When the router functions in AP mode, many of its router-related features are disabled.

To use the router in AP mode:

1. Use an Ethernet cable to connect the Internet port of this router to an Ethernet port on the other router.

2. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the network.

3. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.

A login window opens.

4. Enter the router user name and password.

The user name is admin.The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

The Dashboard displays.

5. Select Settings > Setup > Router Mode.

The Router / AP Mode page displays. By default the Router Mode radio button is selected and the router functions both as a router and a WiFi AP.

6. Select the AP Mode radio button.

The page adjusts.

7. Select an IP address setting:

• Get dynamically from existing router. The other router on the network assigns an IP address to

this router while this router is in AP mode.

• Use fixed IP Address (not recommended). Use this setting if you want to manually assign a specific

IP address to this router that the router uses while it functions in AP mode. Using this option effectiv ely requires advanced network experience.

Manage the Router’s WiFi Settings

100

Netgear XR500 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Hardware Setup

Unpack Your Router

LEDs, Buttons, and Ports on the Front Panel,Top Panel, and Left Side Panel

Rear Panel

Attach the Antennas

Router Label

Position Your Router

Cable Your Router

Turn the LEDs On or Off Using the LED On/Off Switch

Connect to the Network and Access the Router

Connect to the Network

Wired Connection

WiFi Connection

WiFi Connection Using WPS

Types of Logins

Use a Web Browser to Access the Router

Automatic Internet Setup

Log In to the Router

Change the Language

Install the Router With the NETGEAR Up App

Access the Router With the NETGEAR genie App

Specify Your Internet Settings

Use the Internet Setup Wizard

Manually Set Up the Internet Connection

Specify an Internet Connection Without a Login

Specify an Internet Connection That Uses a Login

Specify IPv6 Internet Connections

Requirements for Entering IPv6 Addresses

Use Auto Detect for an IPv6 Internet Connection

Use Auto Config for an IPv6 Internet Connection

Set Up an IPv6 6to4 Tunnel Internet Connection

Set Up an IPv6 6rd Internet Connection

Set Up an IPv6 Pass Through Internet Connection

Set Up an IPv6 Fixed Internet Connection

Set Up an IPv6 DHCP Internet Connection

Set Up an IPv6 PPPoE Internet Connection

Change the MTU Size

Customize Quality of Service Settings and Optimize Gaming

Improve Response Time by Using the Geo Filter

Configure and Use the Geo Filter

Ping a Device and Allow or Deny the Device a Connection

Add a Device to the Geo Filter

Remove a Device From the Geo Filter

Manage the General Geo Filter Map Settings

Manage Bandwidth Allocation

Prevent Network Congestion With Anti-Bufferbloat

Disable Anti-Bufferbloat

Allocate Bandwidth to Devices

Reset the Bandwidth Distribution

Manage Traffic Prioritization

Prioritize Traffic for a Device and Vie w Prioritization Information

Add a Device for Traffic Prioritization

Stop Traffic Prioritization for a Device

Disable Automatic Traffic Prioritization

Monitor Devices and the Network and View Router Information

View and Manage Devices Currently on the Network

View Network Usage Information

View Router System Information

Customize the Dashboard

Control Access to the Internet

Block Access to Internet Sites

Add Keywords and Block Access to Specific Internet Sites

Delete Keywords From the Blocked List

Avoid Blocking on a Trusted Computer

Block Services and Applications With Simple Outbound Firewall Rules

Block a Service or Application From Accessing the Internet

Change an Outbound Firewall Rule for a Service or Application

Remove an Outbound Firewall Rule f or a Service or Application

Set Up a Schedule for Keyword Blocking and Outbound Firewall Rules

Set Up Email Notifications for Security Events and Log Messages

Manage the Router’s Network Settings

View or Change WAN Settings

Set Up a Default DMZ Server

Change the Router’s Device Name

Change the Router’s LAN IP Address and RIP Settings