Cax30 Um en

User Manual
Nighthawk AX6 AX2700 WiFI Cable Modem

Router
Model CAX30
NETGEAR, Inc.
April 2021 350 E. Plumeria Drive
202-12054-01 San Jose, CA 95134, USA
Nighthawk AX6 AX2700 WiFI Cable Modem Router Model CAX30
Support and Community

Visit www.netgear.com/support to get your questions answered and access the latest
downloads.
You can also check out our NETGEAR Community for helpful advice at
community.netgear.com.
Customer-owned cable devices might not be compatible with certain cable networks.
Check with your cable Internet provider to confirm that this NETGEAR cable device is
allowed on your cable network.
If you are experiencing trouble installing your cable device, contact NETGEAR at
1-866-874-8924.
Regulatory and Legal
Si ce produit est vendu au Canada, vous pouvez accéder à ce document en français
canadien à https://www.netgear.com/support/download/.
(If this product is sold in Canada, you can access this document in Canadian French at
https://www.netgear.com/support/download/.)
For regulatory compliance information including the EU Declaration of Conformity, visit
http://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory/.
See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.
For NETGEAR’s Privacy Policy, visit https://www.netgear.com/about/privacy-policy/.
By using this device, you are agreeing to NETGEAR’s Terms and Conditions at
https://www.netgear.com/about/terms-and-conditions. If you do not agree, return the
device to your place of purchase within your return period.
Note to CATV system installer: This reminder is provided to call the CATV systems
installer’s attention to Section 820-93 of the National Electrical Code, which provide
guidelines for proper grounding and in particular, specify that coaxial cable shield shall
be connected to the grounding system of the building, as close to the point of cable
entry as practical.
Trademarks
© NETGEAR, Inc., NETGEAR and the NETGEAR Logo are trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc.
Any non-NETGEAR trademarks are used for reference purposes only.
2
Contents
Chapter 1 Hardware Setup

Unpack Your Modem Router...............................................................9
Front panel LEDs and buttons.............................................................9
Rear Panel............................................................................................12
Position Your Modem Router............................................................13
Install and Activate Your Modem Router.........................................14
Connect Your Modem Router to a Computer............................14
Activate Your Internet Service......................................................16
Perform a Speed Test....................................................................17
Chapter 2 Specify Your Internet Settings
Specify the Cable Connection Starting Frequency........................19
View Modem Router Initialization.....................................................19
Manually Set Up the Internet Connection.......................................20
Change the MTU Size.........................................................................21
Chapter 3 Connect to the Network and Access the Modem Router
Connect to the Network....................................................................25
Wired Connection..........................................................................25
Using WPS to Connect to the WiFi Network..............................25
Finding and Selecting the WiFi Network....................................25
Types of Logins...................................................................................26
Log In to the Modem Router.............................................................26
Chapter 4 Control Access to the Internet
Enable access control to allow or block access to the Internet....29
Use keywords to block Internet sites...............................................30
Block services from the Internet.......................................................32
Delete keywords from the blocked list............................................33
Prevent blocking on a trusted computer.........................................33
Manage network access control lists...............................................34
Schedule when to block Internet sites and services......................35
Set up security event email notifications.........................................36
Chapter 5 Manage Network Settings
View or change the WAN settings....................................................39
3
Set up a default DMZ server..............................................................40

Change the Router’s Device Name..................................................41
Change the LAN TCP/IP settings......................................................41
Specify the IP addresses that the modem router assigns..............42
Disable the DHCP server feature in the modem router.................44
Manage reserved LAN IP addresses................................................44
Reserve an IP address....................................................................45
Edit a reserved IP address............................................................45
Delete a reserved IP address entry..............................................46
Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi connections......................................47
Specify Basic WiFi Settings................................................................47
Change the WiFi Mode......................................................................49
Change the Transmission Power Control........................................50
Change the WiFi password or the WiFi security.............................51
Set up a guest WiFi network.............................................................52
Control the WiFi radios......................................................................54
Use the WiFi On/Off button..........................................................55
Enable or disable the WiFi radios................................................55
Set up a WiFi schedule.......................................................................56
Specify WPS settings..........................................................................56
Enable or disable implicit beamforming.........................................57
Enable or disable airtime fairness....................................................58
Ethernet Port Aggregation................................................................59
Set Up Ethernet Port Aggregation...............................................59
View or Change the Modem Router Ethernet Port Aggregation
Mode...............................................................................................61
Chapter 6 Manage Your Modem Router
Update the router firmware...............................................................63
Check for new firmware and update the router.........................63
Manually upload firmware to the router.....................................64
Change the admin password............................................................65
Enable admin password recovery....................................................65
Recover the admin password............................................................66
View information about the router and the Internet and WiFi
settings.................................................................................................67
Display the statistics of the Internet port.........................................68
Check the Internet connection status..............................................69
View and manage logs of router activity.........................................70
View devices currently on the network............................................71
View event logs...................................................................................71
Monitor Internet traffic.......................................................................72
Manage the router configuration file...............................................73
Back up the settings.......................................................................74
4
Erase the settings...........................................................................74

Restore the settings.......................................................................75
Remotely access your router using the Nighthawk app................75
Disable LED blinking or turn off LEDs..............................................76
Set your time zone..............................................................................76
Set the NTP Server..............................................................................77
Specify ReadyDLNA media server settings.....................................79
Return the router to its factory default settings..............................80
Use the Reset button.....................................................................80
Erase the settings...........................................................................80
Chapter 7 Share USB Storage Devices Attached to the Modem
Router
USB device requirements..................................................................83
Connect a USB storage device to the router..................................83
Access a storage device connected to the router from a
Windows-based computer................................................................84
Map a USB device to a Windows network drive.............................84
Access a storage device that is connected to the router from a
Mac.......................................................................................................85
Enable FTP access within your network...........................................86
View network folders on a storage device......................................86
Add a network folder on a USB storage device.............................87
Edit a network folder on a USB storage device..............................88
Safely remove a USB storage device...............................................89
Chapter 8 Use Dynamic DNS to Access USB Storage Devices
Through the Internet
Set up and manage Dynamic DNS...................................................92
Set up FTP access through the Internet...........................................92
Your personal FTP server...................................................................93
Set up your personal FTP server..................................................93
Set up a new Dynamic DNS account...........................................94
Specify a DNS account that you already created.......................94
Change the Dynamic DNS settings.............................................95
Access USB storage devices through the Internet.........................96
Chapter 9 Use VPN to Access Your Network
Set up a VPN connection...................................................................98
Specify VPN Service in the Router....................................................98
Install OpenVPN Software.................................................................99
Install OpenVPN Software on Your Windows Computer..........99
Install OpenVPN Software on Your Mac Computer................102
Install OpenVPN Software on an iOS Device...........................103
5
Install OpenVPN Software on an Android Device...................103

Use a VPN Tunnel on Your Windows Computer..........................104
Use VPN to Access the Router’s USB Device and Media............106
Use VPN to Access Your Internet Service at Home......................106
Set Up VPN Client Internet Access in the Modem Router......107
Block VPN Client Internet Access in the Router.......................107
Use a VPN Tunnel to Access Your Internet Service at Home..108
Chapter 10 Manage Port Forwarding and Port Triggering
Manage Port Forwarding to a Local Server..................................111
Set Up Port Forwarding to a Local Server.................................111
Add a Custom Port Forwarding Service...................................112
Edit a Port Forwarding Service...................................................113
Delete a Port Forwarding Entry..................................................114
Application Example: Make a Local Web Server Public.........114
How the Router Implements the Port Forwarding Rule..........115
Port Triggering.................................................................................115
Add a Port Triggering Service....................................................116
Enable Port Triggering................................................................117
Application Example: Port Triggering for Internet Relay Chat port
triggering......................................................................................117
Chapter 11 Troubleshooting
Quick tips...........................................................................................120
Sequence to restart your network.............................................120
Check the power adapter and Ethernet cable connections...120
Check the WiFi settings..............................................................120
Check the network settings........................................................120
Troubleshoot with the LEDs............................................................121
Standard LED behavior when the router is powered on........121
Power LED is off or blinking.......................................................121
LEDs never turn off......................................................................122
Online LED is Off.........................................................................122
Ethernet LAN port LEDs are off..................................................122
WiFi LED is off..............................................................................122
You cannot log in to the router.......................................................123
You cannot access the Internet.......................................................124
Troubleshoot Internet browsing.....................................................125
Changes are not saved....................................................................126
Troubleshoot WiFi connectivity......................................................126
Troubleshoot your network using the ping utility........................127
Test the LAN path to your router...............................................127
Test the path from a Windows-based computer to a remote
device............................................................................................128
6
Chapter 12 Supplemental Information

Factory Settings................................................................................130
Technical Specifications..................................................................131
7
1
Hardware Setup
This chapter covers the following topics:

• Unpack Your Modem Router
• Front panel LEDs and buttons
• Rear Panel
• Position Your Modem Router
• Install and Activate Your Modem Router
For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the support website
at support.netgear.com.
8
Unpack Your Modem Router

Your package contains the modem router, Ethernet cable, and power adapter.
Figure 1. Package contents
Front panel LEDs and buttons

Status LEDs are located on the front of the modem router. The WiFi and WPS buttons
are also located on the front.
Hardware Setup 9 User Manual

Figure 2. Modem router LEDs and buttons
You can use the LEDs to verify status and connections. The following table lists and
describes each LED on the top panel of the modem router.

Table 1. LED descriptions
LED Description
Power • Solid white. Power is supplied to the modem router.

• Off. No power is supplied to the modem router.
• Solid red. Thermal cutoff mode. Power off the modem router, let it
cool, and move it away from heat sources (such as a TV, DVD player,
or speakers) and keep it vertical in open air.
Downstream • Solid amber. One downstream channel is locked.

• Solid white. Two or more downstream channels are locked.
• Blinking white. The modem router is scanning for a downstream
channel.
• Off. No downstream channel is locked.
Upstream • Solid amber. One upstream channel is locked.

• Solid white. Two or more upstream channels are locked.
• Blinking white. The modem router is scanning for an upstream
channel.
• Off. No upstream channel is locked.
Online • Solid white. The modem router is online.

• Blinking white. The modem router is synchronizing with the cable
provider’s cable modem termination system (CMTS).
• Slow blinking amber and white. The modem router reached the
traffic meter limit.
• Off. The modem router is offline.
Ethernet ports 1-4 The LED color indicates the speed: white for Gigabit Ethernet connections
and amber for 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps Ethernet connections.
• Solid. A powered-on device is connected to the Ethernet port.
• Blinking. The port is sending or receiving traffic.
• Off. No device is connected to this Ethernet port.

Table 1. LED descriptions (Continued)
2.4 GHz radio • Solid white. The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is operating.
• Blinking. The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
• Off. The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is off.
5 GHz radio • Solid white. The 5 GHz WiFi radio is operating.

• Blinking. The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
• Off. The 5 GHz WiFi radio is off.
USB port • Solid white. A USB device is connected and is ready.

• Off. No USB device is connected, or someone clicked the Safely
Remove Hardware button and it is now safe to remove the attached
USB device.
The WiFi and WPS buttons are located on the front of the modem router.
Table 2. Front panel buttons
Button Description
WiFi Pressing this button for two seconds turns the WiFi radios in the modem
router 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
modem router.
WPS This button lets you use WPS to join the WiFi network without typing the
WiFi password. The WPS LED blinks during this process and then lights
solid.
LED on/off Pressing this button for two seconds turns the LEDs on and off.
Rear Panel
The connections and button on the rear panel are shown in the following figure.

Figure 3. Modem router rear panel
Position Your Modem Router

The modem router lets you access your network anywhere within the operating range
of your WiFi network. However, the operating distance or range of your WiFi connection
can vary significantly depending on the physical placement of your modem router. For
example, the thickness and number of walls the WiFi signal passes through can limit
the range.
Additionally, other WiFi access points in and around your home might affect your
modem router’s signal. WiFi access points are modem routers, repeaters, WiFi range
extenders, and any other device that emits a WiFi signal for network access.
Position your modem router according to the following guidelines:
• Place your modem 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 modem router is within reach of an AC power outlet and near
Ethernet cables for wired computers.
• Place the modem router in an elevated location, minimizing the number walls and
ceilings between the modem router and your other devices.

• Place the modem 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
• Place the modem router away from large metal surfaces, large glass surfaces, and
insulated walls, and items such as these:
- Solid metal doors
- Aluminum studs
- Fish tanks
- Mirrors
- Brick
- Concrete
Install and Activate Your Modem Router

The modem router provides a connection between your cable Internet provider’s
network and your computer, router, or WiFi router.
Connect Your Modem Router to a Computer

During the installation and activation, you must connect the modem router directly to
a computer.

12V 3.5A
Figure 4. Connect the modem router directly to a computer
Note: Before you connect your modem router and contact your cable Internet provider,
collect your cable account number, account phone number, and login information (your
email address or user name and password).
To connect your modem router directly to a computer:

1. Connect a coaxial cable.
Use the coaxial cable that your cable company provided to connect the cable port
on the modem router to a cable wall outlet or a line splitter. Make sure that the cable
is tightly connected.
Note: If Xfinity is your cable Internet provider, Xfinity recommends connecting your
modem router directly to a cable wall outlet.
2. Connect the power adapter provided in the package to the modem router and plug
the power adapter into an electrical outlet.
When the startup procedure is complete, the Power LED lights solid white.
If the Power LED does not light, press the Power On/Off button on the rear panel
of the modem router.
3. Wait for the modem router to come online.

When the modem router comes online, the Online LED stops blinking and lights
solid white.
This process might take up to 10 minutes.
Even though an Internet connection is established, Internet service is available only after
you set it up with your cable Internet provider.

For information about how to activate your Internet service, see Activate Your Internet
Service on page 16.
Activate Your Internet Service

Before you activate your Internet service, gather the following information:
• Your cable Internet provider account information
• Modem router model number, which is CAX30
• Modem router serial number, which is on the modem router label
• Modem router MAC address, which is on the modem router label
Your modem router’s serial number and MAC address are on the modem router label.
The following is contact information for cable Internet providers that support your
modem router.
Table 3. Cable Internet provider contact information
Cable Internet Provider Contact Information
Cox https://www.cox.com/residential/support/home.htmlhttps://www.cox.com/activate
1-888-556-1193
Mediacom https://support.mediacomcable.com/
1-855-Mediacom (1-855-633-4226)
Optimum https://www.optimum.net/support/contact-us
https://install.optimum.com/JointInstall/
1-877-810-6750
Sparklight https://support.sparklight.com/
1 (877) 692-2253

Table 3. Cable Internet provider contact information (Continued)
Cable Internet Provider Contact Information
Spectrum https://www.spectrum.net/contact-us/https://activate.spectrum.net/
1-833-267-6094
Xfinity® https://www.xfinity.com/internetsetup
1-800-XFINITY (1-800-934-6489)
Use the Xfinity app for Xfinity activation and then use the NETGEAR
Nighthawk app for router installation.
Note: Your cable Internet provider’s contact information might change. You can find
the contact information in your monthly Internet service billing statement.
To activate your Internet service:

1. Visit your cable Internet provider’s website and follow the onscreen instructions to
activate your Internet service.
2. If you are unable to activate your Internet service using the instructions on your cable
Internet provider’s website, call your cable Internet provider for support.
3. To determine the accurate Internet speed, visit your cable Internet provider's speed
test website and perform a speed test. .
If your actual speed is lower than your subscribed speed, contact your cable Internet
provider.
Perform a Speed Test

To determine the accurate Internet speed, visit your cable Internet provider's speed
test website and perform a speed test.
If your actual speed is lower than your subscribed speed, contact your cable Internet
provider.

2
Specify Your Internet Settings
Usually, the quickest way to set up the modem router to use your Internet connection
is to allow the modem router to detect the Internet connection when you first access
the modem router with an Internet browser. You can also customize or specify your
Internet settings.
This chapter contains the following sections:
• Specify the Cable Connection Starting Frequency
• View Modem Router Initialization
• Manually Set Up the Internet Connection
• Change the MTU Size
18
Specify the Cable Connection Starting

Frequency
The starting frequency is automatically generated. For most Internet connections, you
do not need to specify this information. If you must enter a starting frequency, contact
your Internet provider.
To change the starting frequency:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to the
modem router network.
2. Enter http://routerlogin.net or 192.168.1.1.
A login window opens.
3. Enter the modem router user name and password.

The user name is admin. The password is the password you set the first time you
connected to the modem router. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home page displays.
4. Select Cable Connection.

The page displays the status of all downstream and upstream channels and provides
a field for the starting frequency.
5. Enter the starting frequency.

6. Click the Apply button.
Your settings are saved.
View Modem Router Initialization

You can track the initialization procedure of the modem router and get details about
the downstream and upstream cable channel. The time is displayed after the modem
router is initialized.
The modem router automatically goes through the following steps in the provisioning
process:
1. Scans and locks the downstream frequency and then ranges the upstream channels.
2. Obtains a WAN address for the modem router.
3. Connects to the Internet.
Specify Your Internet Settings 19 User Manual

To view the status of the modem router initialization:


4. Select Cable Connection.

The Startup Procedure section displays the initialization progress. The page also
displays the status of all downstream and upstream channels. (You must scroll down
to view all the channels.) The number of downstream and upstream channels that
are locked depends on the number of channels that your Internet provider uses.
Manually Set Up the Internet Connection

In most situations, you do not need to change these settings. We recommend that you
use the default settings for DHCP because most cable Internet services provide the IP
address through DHCP.
To specify the Internet connection settings:

4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > Internet Setup.

5. If your Internet connection requires an account name or host name, type it in the
Account Name (If Required) field.
6. If your Internet connection requires a domain name, type it in the Domain Name (If
Required) field.

For the other sections in this page, the default settings usually work, but you can
change them.
7. 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 modem router to which
your modem router connects.
8. 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
or tertiary DNS server address is available, enter it also.

If the NETGEAR website does not display within one minute, see Troubleshooting
on page 119.
Change the MTU Size

The maximum transmission unit (MTU) is the largest data packet a network device
transmits. When one network device communicates across the Internet with another,
the data packets travel through many devices along the way. If a device in the data path
uses a lower MTU setting than the other devices, the data packets must be split or
“fragmented” to accommodate the device with the smallest MTU.

The best MTU setting for NETGEAR equipment is often the default value. In some
situations, changing the value fixes one problem but causes another. Leave the MTU
unchanged unless one of these situations occurs:
• You experience problems connecting to your ISP or other Internet service, and the
technical support of either the ISP or NETGEAR recommends changing the MTU
setting. These web-based applications might require an MTU change:
- A secure website that does not open, or displays only part of a web page
- Yahoo email
- MSN portal
• You use VPN and experience severe performance problems.

• You used a program to optimize MTU for performance reasons, and now you are
experiencing connectivity or performance problems.
Note: An incorrect MTU setting can cause Internet communication problems. For
example, you might not be able to access certain websites, frames within websites,
secure login pages, or FTP or POP servers.
To change the MTU size:


4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > WAN Setup.

5. In the MTU Size field, enter a value from 64 to 1500.
If you suspect an MTU problem, a common solution is to change the MTU to 1400. If
you are willing to experiment, you can gradually reduce the MTU from the maximum
value of 1500 until the problem goes away. The following table describes common MTU
sizes and applications.

Table 4. Common MTU sizes
MTU Application
1500 The largest Ethernet packet size. This setting is typical for connections
that do not use VPN, and is the default value for NETGEAR routers,
adapters, and switches.
1472 Maximum size to use for pinging. (Larger packets are fragmented.)
1468 Used in some DHCP environments.
1460 Usable by AOL if you do not send or receive large email attachments,
for example.

3
Connect to the Network and Access
the Modem Router

• Connect to the Network
• Types of Logins
• Log In to the Modem Router
24
Connect to the Network

You can connect to the modem 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 modem router using an Ethernet cable and join
the modem router’s local area network (LAN).
To connect your computer to the modem router with an Ethernet cable:
1. Make sure that the modem 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 to one of the numbered Ethernet ports.
Your computer connects to the local area network (LAN). A message might display
on your computer screen to notify you that an Ethernet cable is connected.
Using WPS to Connect to the WiFi Network

You can connect to the modem 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:
2. Check the WPS instructions for your computer or mobile device.
3. Press the WPS button on the modem router.
4. Within two minutes, on your computer or WiFi device, press its WPS button or follow
its instructions for WPS connections.
Your computer or mobile device connects to the WiFi network.
Finding and Selecting the WiFi Network

To find and select the WiFi network:
2. On your computer or mobile device, find and select the WiFi network.
The WiFi network name is on the modem router label.
Connect to the Network and 25 User Manual

Access the Modem Router
3. Join the WiFi network and enter the WiFi password.

The password is on the modem router label.
Your computer or mobile device connects to the WiFi network.
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.
Types of logins:
• WiFi network key or password. Your modem router is preset with a unique WiFi
network name (SSID) and password for WiFi access. This information is on the modem
router label.
Note: Your modem router broadcasts dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi signals.
The label shows the SSID for the 2.4 GHz signal. For information about 5 GHz WiFi
settings, see Specify Basic WiFi Settings on page ?.
• Modem router login. This logs you in to the modem router web pages as admin
from an Internet browser.
Log In to the Modem Router

When you connect to the network (either with WiFi or with an Ethernet cable), you can
use a web browser to access the modem router to view or change its settings. The first
time you access the modem router, the modem router automatically checks to see if it
can connect to your Internet service.
To log in to the modem router:
1. Launch a web browser from a WiFi-enabled computer or mobile device that is
connected to the network.
2. Type http://routerlogin.net or http://192.168.1.1.


The first time you log in to the modem router, you are prompted to change the
admin password and set up security questions. You must enter these settings before
you can access the Internet.
4. Enter a new password.

5. Select security questions and enter the answers.
6. Click the Next button.
The modem router connects to the Internet. The BASIC Home page displays the
status of the Internet connection.

4
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.
• Enable access control to allow or block access to the Internet
• Use keywords to block Internet sites
• Manage network access control lists
• Schedule when to block Internet sites and services
• Set up security event email notifications
28
Enable access control to allow or block

access to the Internet
You can use access control to block or allow access to the Internet through your router.
To set up access control:
router network.
2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.
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.
4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Access Control.

The Access Control page displays.
5. Select the Turn on Access Control check box.

You must select this check box before you can specify an access rule and use the
Allow and Block buttons. When this check box is cleared, all devices are allowed
to connect, even if a device is in the blocked list.
6. Select an access rule:

• Allow all new devices to connect. With this setting, a new device can access
your network. You don’t need to enter the its MAC address. This is the default
setting. We recommend that you leave this radio button selected.
• Block all new devices from connecting. With this setting, a new device cannot
access your router’s Internet connection, but can still access your router’s local
network. Before a device accesses your router’s Internet connection, you must
enter its MAC address for an Ethernet connection and its MAC address for a WiFi
connection in the allowed list.
The access rule does not affect previously blocked or allowed devices. It applies
only to devices joining your network in the future after you apply these settings.
7. To view allowed or blocked devices that are not connected, click one of the following
links:
• View list of allowed devices not currently connected to the network
• View list of blocked devices not currently connected to the network
Control Access to the Internet 29 User Manual

The list displays.
8. To allow the WiFi-enabled computer or mobile device you’re currently using to

continue to access the Internet, select the check box next to your computer or device,
and click the Allow button.
Use keywords to block Internet sites

You can use keywords to block certain Internet sites from your network. You can use
blocking all the time or based on a schedule.
To block Internet sites:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Block Sites.

The Block Sites page displays.
5. Select a keyword blocking option:
• Per Schedule. Turn on keyword blocking according to a schedule that you set.
For more information, see Schedule when to block Internet sites and services on
page 35.
• 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.
For example:
• Specify XXX to block http://www.badstuff.com/xxx.html.

• Specify .com if you want to allow only sites with domain suffixes such as .edu or
.gov.
• Enter a period (.) to block all Internet browsing access.
7. Click the Add Keyword button.

The keyword is added to the keyword list. The keyword list supports up to 32 entries.
Keyword blocking takes effect.

Block services from the Internet

You can block Internet services on your network based on the type of service. You can
block the services all the time or based on a schedule.
To block services:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Security > 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 Schedule when to block
Internet sites and services on page 35.
6. Click the Add button.

The Block Services Setup page displays.
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. Otherwise, select TCP/UDP (both).
b. Enter the starting port and ending port numbers.
If the service uses a single port number, enter that number in both fields. To find
out which port numbers the service or application uses, you can contact the
publisher of the application, ask user groups or newsgroups, or search on the
Internet.
9. Select a filtering option:

• Only This IP Address. Block services for a single computer.

• IP Address Range. Block services for a range of computers with consecutive IP
addresses on your network.
• All lP Addresses. Block services for all computers on your network.

Delete keywords from the blocked list

To delete keywords from the list:
router network.


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.

Prevent 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 ?.

To specify a trusted computer:

router network.


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.
Manage network access control lists

You can manage network access control lists (ACLs) that block or allow access to the
Internet through your router.
To manage devices that are allowed or blocked:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Access Control.

The Access Control page displays.

5. Select the Turn on Access Control radio button.

6. Click the View list of allowed devices not currently connected to the network
link.
The list displays.
7. Select the check box for a device.

8. Use the Add button, Edit button, and Remove from the list button as needed.
Schedule when to block Internet sites and

services
When you schedule blocking, the same schedule is used to block sites and to block
services.
To schedule blocking:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Schedule.

The Schedule page displays.
5. Specify when to block keywords and services:
• Days to Block. Select the check box for each day that you want to block the
keywords, or select the Every Day check box, which automatically selects the
check boxes for all days.
• Time of Day to Block. Select a start and end time in 24-hour format, or select
the All Day check box for 24-hour blocking.

Set up security event email notifications

The router can email you its logs of router activity. The log records router activity and
security events such as attempts to access blocked sites or services.
To set up email notifications:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Security > E-mail.

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

6. In the Send to This E-mail Address field, type the email address to which logs and
alerts are to be sent.
This email address is also used for the From address. If this field is blank, log and
alert messages are not sent.
7. In the Your Outgoing Mail Server field, enter the name of your ISP outgoing (SMTP)
mail server (such as mail.myISP.com).
You might be able to find this information in the configuration window of your email
program. If you leave this field blank, log and alert messages are not sent.
8. In the Outgoing Mail Server Port Number field, enter a port number in the field.
If you do not know the port number, leave the default port number.
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.
11. To send logs based on a schedule, specify these settings:

a. From Send logs according to this schedule menu, select the schedule type.
b. From the Day menu, select the day.
c. From the Time menu, select the time, and select the am or pm radio button.

Logs are sent automatically according to the schedule that you set. If the log fills
before the specified time, it is sent. After the log is sent, it is cleared from the router
memory. If the router cannot email the log and the log buffer fills, the router
overwrites the log.

5
Manage 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.
• View or change the WAN settings
• Set up a default DMZ server
• Change the Router’s Device Name
• Change the LAN TCP/IP settings
• Specify the IP addresses that the modem router assigns
• Disable the DHCP server feature in the modem router
• Manage reserved LAN IP addresses
• Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi connections
• Specify Basic WiFi Settings
• Change the WiFi Mode
• Change the Transmission Power Control
• Change the WiFi password or the WiFi security
• Set up a guest WiFi network
• Control the WiFi radios
• Set up a WiFi schedule
• Specify WPS settings
• Enable or disable implicit beamforming
• Enable or disable airtime fairness
• Ethernet Port Aggregation
38
View or change the 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 maximum transmit unit (MTU)
size, and enable the modem router to respond to a ping to its WAN (Internet) port.
To view or change the WAN settings:
router network.


The WAN Setup page displays.
View or change the following settings:
• Disable IPv4 Firewall Protection. The IPv4 firewall protects against some internet
threats and denial of service attacks. Select this check box only in special
circumstances.
• Disable Port Scan and DoS Protection. DoS protection protects your 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.
• Respond to Ping on Internet Port. This feature allows your modem router to
be discovered. Use this feature only as a diagnostic tool or for a specific reason.
• MTU Size (in bytes). The normal MTU (maximum transmit unit) value for most
Ethernet networks is 1500 bytes. Change the MTU only if you are sure that it is
necessary for your ISP connection.
• Disable SIP ALG. Some voice and video communication 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 modem router.

Manage Network Settings 39 User Manual

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 modem router is programmed to recognize some of these applications and
to work correctly with them, but other applications might not function well. In some
cases, one local computer can run the application correctly if the IP address for that
computer is entered as the default DMZ server.
WARNING: DMZ servers pose a security risk. A computer designated as the default
DMZ server loses much of the protection of the firewall and is exposed to exploits from
the Internet. If compromised, the DMZ server computer can be used to attack other
computers on your network.
The modem 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 forwards the traffic to one computer on your network. This computer is
called the default DMZ server.
To set up a default DMZ server:
router network.


The WAN Setup page displays.
5. Select the Default DMZ Server check box.

6. Type the IP address.

Change the Router’s Device Name

The modem router’s default device name is based on its model number. This device
name displays in the file manager when you browse your network.
To change the modem router’s device name:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > LAN Setup.

The LAN Setup page displays.
5. In the Device Name field, type a new name.

Change the LAN TCP/IP settings

The modem router is preconfigured to use private IP addresses on the LAN side and
to act as a DHCP server. The modem 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 TCP/IP settings:

router network.


5. In the IP Address field, type the IP address.
6. In the IP Subnet Mask field, type the subnet mask of the modem 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 modem router.

If you changed the LAN IP address of the modem router, you are disconnected when
this change takes effect.
8. To reconnect, close your browser, relaunch it, and log in to the router.
Specify the IP addresses that the modem

router assigns
By default, the modem router acts as a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (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
modem router.
These addresses must be part of the same IP address subnet as the modem router’s
LAN IP address. Using the default addressing scheme, define a range 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 modem router assigns:

router network.


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 modem 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 modem router.

The modem router delivers the following address information to any LAN device that
requests a DHCP address:
• An IP address from the range that you define

• Subnet mask
• Gateway IP address (the modem router’s LAN IP address)
• DNS server IP address (the modem router’s LAN IP address)

Disable the DHCP server feature in the

modem router
By default, the modem router acts 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 modem 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 modem router:
router network.


5. Clear the Use Router as DHCP Server check box.

7. (Optional) If this service is disabled and no other DHCP server is on your network,
set your computer IP addresses manually so that the computers can access the
modem 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 modem router’s DHCP
server. Assign reserved IP addresses to computers or servers that require permanent
IP settings.

Reserve an IP address
To reserve an IP address:
router network.


5. In the Address Reservation section, click the Add button.

6. In the IP Address field, type the IP address to assign to the computer or server.
Choose an IP address from the modem router’s LAN subnet, such as 192.168.1.x.
7. Type the MAC address of the computer or server.
Tip: If the computer is already on your network, you can copy its MAC address from
the Attached Devices page and paste it here.

The reserved address is entered into the table.
The reserved address is not assigned until the next time the computer contacts the
modem router’s DHCP server. Reboot the computer, or access its IP configuration and
force a DHCP release and renew.
Edit a reserved IP address

To edit a reserved address entry:
router network.


5. Select the radio button next to the reserved address that you want to edit.
6. Click the Edit button.
The Address Reservation page displays.
7. Change the settings.

Delete a reserved IP address entry

To delete a reserved address entry:
router network.


5. Select the radio button next to the reserved address that you want to delete.
6. Click the Delete button.
The address is removed.

Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi connections

The WPS Wizard helps you add a WPS-enabled device to your WiFi network without
typing the WiFi password.
To use the WPS Wizard:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > WPS Wizard.

A note explaining WPS displays.

The WPS page displays.
6. Select a setup method:

• Push button. Click the WPS button on this page.
• PIN Number. The page adjusts. 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 yourr WPS-enabled device with the network
password when it connects. The modem router WPS page displays a confirmation
message.
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.

Note: The preset SSID and password are uniquely generated for every device to protect
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 you change the SSID or other WiFi security
settings, you are disconnected when you click the Apply button. To avoid this problem,
use a computer with a wired connection to access the modem router.
To specify basic WiFi settings:
router network.

4. Select Wireless.
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 control the SSID broadcast, select or clear the Enable SSID Broadcast check
box.
When this check box is selected, the modem router broadcasts its network name
(SSID) so that it displays when you scan for local WiFi networks on your computer
or mobile device.
7. 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.
8. 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 slow 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).

If you connected wirelessly to the network and you changed the SSID, you are
disconnected from the network.
10. 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 WiFi 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.
Change the WiFi Mode

To change the WiFi mode settings:
router network.
3. Enter the modem router admin user name and password.

you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
4. Select Wireless.
5. In the Wireless Network (2.4 GHz b/g/n) section, select a WiFi mode from the Mode
menu.
• Up to 54 Mbps. This mode allows 802.11n, 802.11g, and 802.11b devices to
join the network but limits 802.11n devices to functioning at up to 54 Mbps.

• Up to 430 Mbps. This mode allows for reduced interference with neighboring
WiFi networks. This mode allows 802.11n, 802.11g, and 802.11b devices to join
the network but limits 802.11n devices to functioning at up to 430 Mbps.
• Up to 860 Mbps. This mode allows 802.11n, 802.11g, and 802.11b devices to
join the network and allows 802.11n devices to function at up to 860 Mbps. This
mode is the default mode.
6. In the Wireless Network (5 GHz a/n/ac) section, select a WiFi mode from the Mode
menu.
• Up to 430 Mbps. This mode allows 802.11ac, 802.11n, and 802.11a devices to
join the selected WiFi network in the 5 GHz band of the network but limits
802.11ac and 802.11n devices to functioning at up to 430 Mbps.
• Up to 860 Mbps. This mode allows for reduced interference with neighboring
WiFi networks. This mode allows 802.11ac, 802.11n, and 802.11a devices to join
the selected WiFi network in the 5 GHz band of the network but limits 802.11ac
devices to functioning at up to 860 Mbps.
• Up to 1801 Mbps. This mode allows 802.11ac, 802.11n, and 802.11a devices
to join the selected WiFi network in the 5 GHz band of the network and allows
802.11ac devices to function at up to 1801 Mbps. This mode is the default mode.

Change the Transmission Power Control

By default, you router’s transmission power is set to 100%. This allows your router to
give you whole home WiFi coverage. If you don’t need whole home WiFi coverage, and
you also want to save power consumption while using your router, you can lower the
transmission power of your router.
To change the transmission power control:
router network.

you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.

4. Select Wireless.
5. In the Wireless Network (2.4 GHz b/g/n/ax) section, select a percentage from the
Transmit Power Control menu.
6. In the Wireless Network (5 GHz a/n/ac/ax) section, select a percentage from the
Transmit Power Control menu.
Change the WiFi password or the WiFi

security
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. Do not disable the preset security.
To change the WiFi password or the WiFi security:
router network.

4. Select Wireless.
5. To change the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WiFi password, enter a new password in the
Password (Network Key) field.
You must enter a phrase of 8 to 63 characters. The Password (Network Key) field
displays if the WPA2-PSK [AES] or WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES] security
radio button is selected.

6. To change the WiFi security for the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WiFi network, select a Security
Options radio button.
• None. An open WiFi network that does not provide any security. Any WiFi device
can join the WiFi network. We recommend that you do not use an open WiFi
network.
• WPA2-PSK [AES]. This option is the default setting. This type of security enables
WiFi devices that support WPA2 to join the router’s WiFi network. If you did not
change the WiFi password, the default password displays. The default password
is printed on the router label.WPA2 provides a secure connection but some older
WiFi devices do not detect WPA2 and support only WPA. If your network includes
such older devices, select WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES] security.
• WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES]. This type of security enables WiFi devices
that support either WPA or WPA2 to join the router’s WiFi network. However,
WPA-PSK [TKIP] is less secure than WPA2-PSK [AES] and limits the speed of WiFi
devices to 54 Mbps.
• WPA/WPA2 Enterprise. This type of security requires that your WiFi network
can access a RADIUS server.

Set up a guest WiFi network

A guest network allows visitors to use the Internet without using your WiFi security
password or with a different WiFi password. By default, the guest WiFi network is
disabled. You can enable and configure the guest WiFi network for each WiFi band.
The router simultaneously supports the 2.4 GHz band for 802.11ax, 802.11n, 802.11g,
and 802.11b devices and the 5 GHz band for 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, and 802.11a
devices.
The WiFi mode of the guest WiFi network depends on the WiFi mode of the main WiFi
network. For example, if you configure the WiFi mode for the main WiFi network as Up
to 54 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band, the guest WiFi network also functions in the Up to 54
Mbps mode in the 2.4 GHz band. The channel also depends on the channel selection
of the main WiFi network.
The router provides two default guest networks with the following names (SSIDs):
• 2.4 GHz guest WiFi network SSID. NETGEAR_Guest
• 5 GHz guest WiFi network SSID. NETGEAR-5G_Guest

By default, these networks are configured as open networks without security but are
disabled. You can enable one or both networks. You can also change the SSIDs for
these networks.
To set up a guest network:
router network.

4. Select Guest Network.

The Guest Network Settings page displays.
5. Configure the following settings to set up a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest WiFi network:
• Enable Guest Network. By default, the guest WiFi network is disabled. To enable
the guest WiFi network for the
2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WiFi band, select the Enable Guest Network check box.
• Enable SSID Broadcast. By default, the router broadcasts the SSID of the WiFi
band so that WiFi stations can detect the WiFi name (SSID) in their scanned
network lists. To turn off the SSID broadcast for the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest WiFi
network, clear the Enable SSID Broadcast check box.
• Allow guests to see each other and access my local network. By default, WiFi
clients that are connected to the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest WiFi network cannot
access WiFi devices or Ethernet devices that are connected to the main WiFi
network. To allow access to the main WiFi network, select the Allow guests to
see each other and access my local network check box.
• Guest Wireless Network Name (SSID). The SSID is the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest
WiFi network name. The default 2.4 GHz SSID is NETGEAR_Guest. The default 5
GHz SSID NETGEAR-5G_Guest.
To change the SSID, enter a 32-character (maximum), case-sensitive name in this
field.
6. Select a WiFi security option for the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest WiFi network:
• None. An open WiFi network that does not provide any security. Any WiFi device
can join the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest WiFi network. This is the default setting for
the guest WiFi network.

• WPA2-PSK [AES]. WPA2 provides a secure and fast connection but some older
WiFi devices do not detect WPA2 and support only WPA. Select WPA2-PSK [AES]
security to allow WiFi devices to connect to the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest WiFi
network at the fastest speed. If your network includes older devices that do not
support WPA2, select WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES] security. To use WPA2
security, in the Password (Network Key) field, enter a phrase of 8 to 63
characters. To join the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest WiFi network, a user must enter
this password.
• WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES]. This type of security enables WiFi devices
that support either WPA or WPA2 to join the 2.4 GHz band of the guest WiFi
network. However, WPA-PSK [TKIP] is less secure than WPA2-PSK [AES] and limits
the speed of WiFi devices to 54 Mbps. To use WPA + WPA2 security, in the
Password (Network Key) field, enter a phrase of 8 to 63 characters. To join the
2.4 GHz or 5 GHz guest WiFi network, a user must enter this password.

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:
• If your computer or mobile device is already connected to another WiFi network
in your area, disconnect it from that WiFi network and connect it to the WiFi
network that the router provides.
Some WiFi devices automatically connect to the first open network without WiFi
security that they discover.
• Does your computer or mobile device display as an attached device?
If it does, it is connected to the network.
• Are you using the correct network name (SSID) and password?
Control the WiFi radios

The modem 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 modem router.
When the WiFi radios are off, you can still use an Ethernet cable for a LAN connection
to the modem router.
You can turn the WiFi radios on and off with the WiFi On/Off button on the modem
router, or you can log in to the modem router and enable or disable the WiFi radios. If
you are close to the modem router, it might be easier to press its WiFi On/Off button.

If you are away from the modem 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 modem 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.
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
modem 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:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Settings.

5. Do one of the following for your router’s WiFi networks:

• Turn off the WiFi radio. Clear the Enable Wireless Router Radio check box.
• Turn on the WiFi radio. Select the Enable Wireless Router Radio check box.


Set up a WiFi schedule

You can turn off the WiFi signal from your modem 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:
router network.


5. Click the Add a new period button.

The page adjusts.
6. Use the menus, radio buttons, and check boxes to set up a period during which you
want to turn off the WiFi signal.
8. Select the Turn off wireless signal by schedule check box to activate the schedule.
Specify WPS settings

Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) lets you join the WiFi network without typing the WiFi
password.

To specify WPS settings:

router network.


The Router’s PIN field displays the fixed PIN that you can use to configure the modem
router’s WiFi settings from another device through WPS.
5. (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 box, the next time a new WiFi client uses WPS to connect to
the modem router, the modem router WiFi settings change to an automatically
generated random SSID and security key.

Enable or disable implicit beamforming

Implicit beamforming means that the modem router can use information from WiFi
clients that support beamforming to improve the WiFi signal.
To enable or disable implicit beamforming:
router network.


5. Scroll down below the WPS Settings section and select or clear the Enable Implicit
BEAMFORMING check box.
Selecting this check box enables implicit beamforming. Clearing this check box
disables implicit beamforming.

If you connected over WiFi to the network, you are disconnected from the network
and must reconnect.
Enable or disable airtime fairness

Airtime fairness ensures that all WiFi clients receive equal time on the network. Network
resources are divided by time, so if you have five WiFi clients, they each get one-fifth
of the network time. The advantage of this feature is that your slowest WiFi clients don’t
control network responsiveness. This feature is enabled by default, but you can disable
it.
To enable or disable airtime fairness:
router network.


5. Scroll down below the WPS Settings section and select or clear the Enable AIRTIME
FAIRNESS check box.

Selecting this check box enables airtime fairness. Clearing this check box disables
airtime fairness.

If you connected over WiFi to the network, you are disconnected from the network
and must reconnect.
Ethernet Port Aggregation

Ethernet aggregation lets aggregate two Ethernet ports on your router to improve the
aggregated file transfer speed.
To set up Ethernet port aggregation, connect a device that supports Ethernet port
aggregation and 802.3ad to Ethernet aggregate ports 1 and 2 on your router. Note that
Ethernet port aggregation is also referred to as link aggregation, teaming port, and
port trunking.
WARNING: To avoid causing broadcast looping, which can shut down your network,
do not connect an unmanaged switch to Ethernet ports 1 and 2 on your router.
Figure 5. Ethernet port aggregation
Set Up Ethernet Port Aggregation

If you are connecting a switch, make sure that your switch supports 802.3ad LACP.

To set up Ethernet port aggregation:

1. Set up Ethernet port aggregation on your device before connecting it to your router.
Note: If your device supports a static link aggregation group (LAG) only, you must
enable static mode before you connect your device to Ethernet ports 1 and 2 on the
router. See Step 3 for more information about how to enable static mode on your
router.
For information about how to set up Ethernet port aggregation on your router or
computer, see the documentation that came with your router or computer.
2. Connect your device to Ethernet ports 1 and 2 on the router.

3. Log in to your router and enable Ethernet port aggregation:
a. Launch a web browser from a computer or mobile device that is connected to
the router network.
b. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net.
c. Enter the router admin user name and password.
d. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Ethernet Port Aggregation.
The Ethernet Port Aggregation page displays.
e. Select an Ethernet port aggregation mode (note that Ethernet port aggregation
is disabled by default):
• Enable (LACP-IEEE 803.3ad). The router communicates with the device
connected to Ethernet ports 1 and 2 on your router, and checks to see if
Ethernet port aggregation is supported on the device. If Ethernet port
aggregation is supported, the router automatically trunks Ethernet ports 1
and 2. If not, Ethernet ports 1 and 2 work as independent Ethernet ports. We
recommend that you select this mode unless your NAS or switch can support
static LAG only.
• Static. If your device supports a static link aggregation group (LAG) only,
select this mode. Otherwise, we recommend that you to select the Enable
(LACP-IEE 803.3ad) radio button instead.
Note: You must enable static mode before you connect your device to
Ethernet ports 1 and 2 on the router.
f. Click the Apply button.

View or Change the Modem Router Ethernet Port

Aggregation Mode
To view or change your modem router's Ethernet port aggregation mode:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Ethernet Port Aggregation.

The Ethernet Port Aggregation page displays.
5. Select an Ethernet port aggregation mode:
• Disable. This mode is selected by default. This mode disables Ethernet port
aggregation on your router. Ethernet ports 1 and 2 can be used as independent
Ethernet ports.
• Enable (LACP-IEEE 803.3ad). The router communicates with the device connected
to Ethernet ports 1 and 2 on your router, and checks to see if Ethernet port
aggregation is supported on the device. If Ethernet port aggregation is supported,
the router automatically trunks Ethernet ports 1 and 2. If not, Ethernet ports 1 and
2 work as independent Ethernet ports. We recommend that you select this mode
unless your NAS or switch can support static LAG only.
• Static. If your device supports a static link aggregation group (LAG) only, select
this mode. Otherwise, we recommend that you to select the Enable (LACP-IEE
803.3ad) radio button instead.
Note: You must enable static mode before you connect your device to Ethernet
ports 1 and 2 on the router.

6
Manage Your Modem Router
This chapter describes the modem router settings for administering and maintaining
your modem router and home network.
The chapter contains the following sections:
• Update the router firmware
• Change the admin password
• Enable admin password recovery
• Recover the admin password
• View information about the router and the Internet and WiFi settings
• Display the statistics of the Internet port
• Check the Internet connection status
• View and manage logs of router activity
• View devices currently on the network
• View event logs
• Monitor Internet traffic
• Manage the router configuration file
• Remotely access your router using the Nighthawk app
• Disable LED blinking or turn off LEDs
• Set your time zone
• Set the NTP Server
• Specify ReadyDLNA media server settings
• Return the router to its factory default settings
62
Update the router firmware

You can log in to the modem router and check if new firmware is available, or you can
manually load a specific firmware version to your modem router.
Check for new firmware and update the router

The modem router firmware (routing software) is stored in flash memory. You might
see a message at the top of the modem router pages when new firmware is available.
You can respond to that message to update the firmware or you can check to see if new
firmware is available and update your product.
Note: We recommend that you connect a computer to the modem router using an
Ethernet connection to update the firmware.
To check for new firmware and update your modem router:

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

4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Router Update.

The Router Update page displays.
5. Click the Check button.

The modem router finds new firmware information if any is available and displays a
message asking if you want to download and install it.
6. Click the Yes button.

The modem router locates and downloads the firmware and begins the update.
WARNING: To avoid the risk of corrupting the firmware, do not interrupt the update.
For example, do not close the browser, click a link, or load a new page. Do not turn
off the router.
Manage Your Modem Router 63 User Manual

When the upload is complete, your modem router restarts. The update process
typically takes about one minute. Read the new firmware release notes to find out if
you must reconfigure the modem router after updating.
Manually upload firmware to the router

If you want to upload a specific firmware version, or your modem router fails to update
its firmware automatically, follow these instructions.
Note: We recommend that you connect a computer to the modem router using an
Ethernet connection to upload the firmware.
To manually upload a firmware file to your modem router:

1. Download the firmware for your router from the NETGEAR Download Center, save
it to your desktop, and unzip the file if needed.
Note: The correct firmware file uses an .img or .chk extension.
2. Launch a web browser from a computer that is connected to the router network.

5. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Router Update.

The Router Update page displays.
6. Click the Browse button.

7. Find and select the firmware file on your computer.
8. Click the Upload button.
The modem router begins the upload.
Note: To avoid the risk of corrupting the firmware, do not interrupt the update. For
example, do not close the browser, click a link, or load a new page. Do not turn off
the router. Wait until the router finishes restarting. If your modem router does not
reboot, check the Router Status page to confirm whether the new firmware version
uploaded.

Change the admin password

The admin password is the one you specified the first time you logged in. You can
change this password.
Note: The ideal password contains no dictionary words from any language and contains
uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. It can be up to 30 characters.
To change the password for the admin user name:

router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Set Password.

The Set Password page displays.
5. Type the old password in the Old Password field.
6. Type the new password in the Set Password and Repeat New Password fields.
Enable admin password recovery

The modem router admin password is used to log in to your router web interface. We
recommend that you enable password recovery so that you can recover the password
if it is forgotten. This recovery process is supported in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and
Chrome browsers but not in the Safari browser.
To enable password recovery:
router network.


4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Set Password.

The Set Password page displays.
5. Select the Enable Password Reset check box.

6. Select two security questions and provide answers to them.
Recover the admin password

If you set up the password recovery feature, you can recover your modem router admin
password.
To recover your router admin password:
3. Click the Cancel button.

If password recovery is enabled, you are prompted to enter the serial number of the
modem router.
The serial number is on the router label.
4. Enter the serial number of the modem router.

5. Click the Continue button.
A window opens requesting the answers to your security questions.
6. Enter the saved answers to your security questions.

7. Click the Continue button.
A window opens and displays your recovered password.

8. Click the Login again button.

9. With your recovered password, log in to the modem router.
View information about the router and the

Internet and WiFi settings
You can view router information, the Internet port status, and WiFi settings.
To view information about the router and the Internet, modem, and WiFi settings:
router network.

4. Click the ADVANCED tab.

The ADVANCED Home page displays.
The information on this page uses the following color coding:
• A green icon indicates that the Internet connection is fine and no problems exist.
For a WiFi network, the network is enabled and secured.
• A red icon indicates that configuration problems exist for the Internet connection
or the connection is down. For a WiFi network, the network is disabled or down.
• An amber icon indicates that the Internet port is configured but cannot get an
Internet connection (for example, because the cable is disconnected), that a WiFi
network is enabled but unprotected, or that another situation that requires your
attention occurred.

Display the statistics of the Internet port

To display the statistics of the Internet port:
router network.


5. In the Internet Port pane, click the Show Statistics button.

The Show Statistics window opens and displays following information:
• System Up Time. The time elapsed since the modem router was last restarted.
• Port. The statistics for the WAN (Internet) port, LAN (Ethernet) ports, and WLANs.
For each port, the window displays the following information:
- Status. The link status of the port.
- TxPkts. The number of packets transmitted on this port since the router was
last started.
- RxPkts. The number of packets received on this port since the router was last
started.
- Collisions. The number of collisions on this port since the router was last
started.
- Tx B/s. The current transmission (outbound) bandwidth used on the WAN
and LAN ports.
- Rx B/s. The current reception (inbound) bandwidth used on the WAN and
LAN ports.
- Up Time. The time elapsed since this port acquired the link.
- Poll Interval. The interval at which the statistics are updated on this page.

6. To change the polling frequency, enter a time in seconds in the Poll Interval field
and click the Set Interval button.
To stop the polling entirely, click the Stop button.
Check the Internet connection status

To check the Internet connection status:
router network.


5. In the Internet Port pane, click the Connection Status button.

The Connection Status window opens. The information that displays depends on
the type of Internet connection.
For example, if your Internet connection does not require a login and the router
receives an IP address automatically, the window displays the following information:
• IP Address. The IP address that is assigned to the modem router.

• Subnet Mask. The subnet mask that is assigned to the modem router.
• Default Gateway. The IP address for the default gateway that the modem router
communicates with.
• DHCP Server. The IP address for the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server
that provides the TCP/IP configuration for all the computers that are connected
to the modem router.
• DNS Server. The IP address of the Domain Name Service server that provides
translation of network names to IP addresses.
• Lease Obtained. The date and time when the lease was obtained.
• Lease Expires. The date and time that the lease expires.

6. To release (stop) the Internet connection, click the Release button.

7. To renew (restart) the Internet connection, click the Renew button.
8. To exit the screen, click the Close Window button.
View and manage logs of router activity

The logs are a detailed record of the websites you accessed or attempted to access
and many other router actions. Up to 256 entries are stored in the log.
To view and manage logs:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Logs.

The Logs page displays and shows information such as the following:
• Action. The action that occurred, such as whether Internet access was blocked
or allowed.
• Source IP. The IP address of the initiating device for the log entry.
• Target address. The name or IP address of the website or news group visited or
to which access was attempted.
• Date and time. The date and time the log entry was recorded.
Other information might be displayed.
5. To customize the logs, scroll down and clear or select the check boxes in the Include
in Log section.
6. To refresh the log screen, click the Refresh button.
7. To clear the log entries, click the Clear Log button.
8. To email the log immediately, click the Send Log button.

You must set up email notifications in order to receive the logs. The router to emails
the logs to the address that you specified when you set up email notifications. For
more information, see Set up security event email notifications on page ?.

View devices currently on the network

You can view all computers and devices that are currently connected to your network.
To view devices on the network:
router network.

4. Select Attached Devices.

The following information is displayed:
• Connection Type. Wired or the WiFi band for the connection.
• Device Name. If the device name is known, it is shown here.
• IP Address. The IP address that the router assigned to this device when it joined
the network. This address can change if a device is disconnected and rejoins the
network.
• MAC Address. The unique MAC address for each device does not change. The
MAC address is typically shown on the product label of the device.
5. To update this page, click the Refresh button.
View event logs

Event log captures inportant modem router events.

To view the event log:

router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Event Log.

The Event Log page displays the following information:
• Time. The time the event was recorded.

• Priority. The severity for this event.
• Description. A description of this event.
5. To refresh the page, click the Refresh button.

6. To clear the log entries, click the Clear Log button.
Monitor Internet traffic

Traffic metering allows you to monitor the volume of Internet traffic that passes through
the modem router Internet port. You can set limits for traffic volume.
To monitor Internet traffic:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Traffic Meter.

The Traffic Meter page displays.

5. Select the Enable Traffic Meter check box.

6. To control the volume of Internet traffic, use either the traffic volume control feature
or the connection time control feature:
• Select the Traffic volume control by radio button and then select one of the
following options:
• No Limit. No restriction is applied when the traffic limit is reached.
• Download only. The restriction is applied to incoming traffic only.
• Both Directions. The restriction is applied to both incoming and outgoing
traffic.
• Select the Connection time control radio button and enter the allowed hours in
the Monthly limit field.
7. If your ISP charges for extra data volume when you make a new connection, enter
the extra data volume in MB in the Round up data volume for each connection by
field.
8. In the Traffic Counter section, set the traffic counter to begin at a specific time and
date.
To start the traffic counter immediately, click the Restart Counter Now button.
9. In the Traffic Control section, specify whether the router should issue a warning
message before the monthly limit of Mbytes or hours is reached.
By default, the value is 0 and no warning message is issued. You can select one of
the following to occur when the limit is attained:
• The Online LED blinks white or amber.
• The Internet connection is disconnected and disabled.

The Internet Traffic Statistics section helps you to monitor the data traffic.
11. To update the Traffic Statistics section, click the Refresh button.
12. To display more information about the data traffic on your router and to change the
poll interval, click the Traffic Status button.
Manage the router configuration file

The configuration settings of the modem router are stored within the modem router in
a configuration file. You can back up (save) this file to your computer, restore it, or reset
it to the factory default settings.

Back up the settings

To back up the modem router’s configuration settings:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Backup Settings.

The Backup Settings page displays.
5. Click the Back Up button.
6. Follow the direction of your browser to save the file.
A copy of the current settings is saved in the location that you specified.
Erase the settings

CAUTION: This process erases all settings that you configured in the router.
To erase the settings:

router network.


5. Click the Erase button.

The configuration is reset to factory default settings. When the reset is complete,
the router restarts. This process takes about two minutes.
WARNING: To avoid the risk of corrupting the firmware, do not interrupt the reset.
off the router. Wait until the router finishes restarting.
Restore the settings

To restore configuration settings that you backed up:
router network.


5. Click the Browse button to find and select the .cfg file.
6. Click the Restore button.
The file is uploaded to the modem router and the modem router restarts.
WARNING: Do not interrupt the restoration process.
Remotely access your router using the

Nighthawk app
You can use the Nighthawk app to remotely access your router and change its settings.
Before you can use remote access with the Nighthawk app, you must update your
router’s firmware and download the latest Nighthawk app for your mobile device.
For more information about how to update your router’s firmware, see Check for new
firmware and update the router on page 63.

To download the latest Nighthawk app for your mobile device, visit
https://www.netgear.com/home/apps-services/nighthawk-app/.
Disable LED blinking or turn off LEDs

The LEDs on the top panel of the modem router indicate activities and behavior. You
can disable LED blinking for network communications, or turn off all LEDs except the
Power LED.
To disable LED blinking or turn off the LEDs:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > LED Control Settings.

The LED Control Settings page displays.
5. To disable blinking, select the Disable blinking on Online LED, LAN LED, Wireless
LED and USB LED when data traffic is detected radio button.
6. To turn off all LEDs except the Power LED, select the Turn off all LEDs except Power
LED radio button.
Set your time zone

To set your time zone:
router network.


4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > NTP Settings.

The NTP Settings page displays.
5. Select your time zone from the menu.
6. If you live in a region that observes daylight saving time, select the Automatically
adjust for daylight savings time check box.
Set the NTP Server

By default, the router uses the NETGEAR NTP server to sync the network time. You can
change the NTP server to your preferred NTP server.
To set the NTP server:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > NTP Settings.

The NTP Settings page displays.
5. Select an NTP server radio button:
• Use the default NETGEAR NTP server
• Set your preferred NTP server
6. If you selected the Set your preferred NTP server radio button, enter the NTP server
domain name or IP address in the Primary NTP server field.



Specify ReadyDLNA media server settings

By default, the router acts as a ReadyDLNA media server, which lets you view movies
and photos on DLNA/UPnP AV-compliant media players, such as Xbox360, Playstation,
and NETGEAR media players.
To specify media server settings:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > USB Functions > ReadySHARE Storage > Media Server.
The Media Server (Settings) page displays.
5. Specify the settings:

• Enable Media Server. Select this check box to enable this device to act as a
media server.
• Media Server Name. Click the Click here to change the Device name link to
change the modem router's media server name.
Note: If you change the media server name, you can also change the
ReadySHARE storage folder access path to the new name or keep the access
path as \\readyshare .


Return the router to its factory default

settings
Under some circumstances (for example, if you lost track of the changes that you made
to the router settings or you move the router to a different network), you might want to
erase the configuration and reset the router to factory default settings.
To reset the router to factory default settings, you can use either the Reset button on
the back of the router or the Erase function.
After you reset the router to factory default settings, the user name is admin, the
password is password, the LAN IP address is 192.168.1.1 (which is the same as
www.routerlogin.net), and the DHCP server is enabled.
Tip: If the router is in bridge mode, you can access it by LAN IP address 192.168.100.1.
Use the Reset button

To reset the router to factory default settings:

1. On the back of the router, locate the Reset button.
2. Using a straightened paper clip, press and hold the Reset button for at least five
seconds.
3. Release the Reset button.
The Power LED starts blinking. When the reset is complete, the router restarts. This
process takes about two minutes.
For example, if you are connected to the router web interface, do not close the
browser, click a link, or load a new page. Do not turn off the router. Wait until the
router finishes restarting.
Erase the settings


To erase the settings:

router network.


5. Click the Erase button.

The configuration is reset to factory default settings. When the reset is complete,
the router restarts. This process takes about two minutes.
off the router. Wait until the router finishes restarting.

7
Share USB Storage Devices
Attached to the Modem Router
This chapter describes how to access and manage storage devices attached to your
modem router. ReadySHARE lets you access and share USB storage devices connected
to the router. (If your storage device uses special drivers, it is not compatible.)
Note: You can use a USB port on the modem router to connect a USB storage device
like a flash drive or hard drive. Do not connect a computer, USB modem, CD drive, or
DVD drive to a USB port on the modem router.

• USB device requirements
• Connect a USB storage device to the router
• Access a storage device connected to the router from a Windows-based computer
• Map a USB device to a Windows network drive
• Access a storage device that is connected to the router from a Mac
• Enable FTP access within your network
• View network folders on a storage device
• Add a network folder on a USB storage device
• Edit a network folder on a USB storage device
• Safely remove a USB storage device
For more information about ReadySHARE features, visit netgear.com/readyshare.
82
USB device requirements

The modem router works with most USB-compliant external flash and hard drives. For
the most up-to-date list of USB devices that the modem router supports, visit
kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/18985/~/readyshare-usb-drives-compatibility-list.
Some USB external hard drives and flash drives require you to load the drivers onto the
computer before the computer can access the USB storage device. Such USB storage
devices do not work with the modem router.
The modem router supports the following file system types for full read/write access:
• FAT16
• FAT32
• NTFS
• NTFS with compression format enabled
• Ext2
• Ext3
• Ext4
• HFS
• HFS+
Connect a USB storage device to the router

ReadySHARE lets you access and share USB storage devices that are connected to a
USB port on the modem router. (If your USB storage device uses special drivers, it is
not compatible.)
To connect a USB device:
1. Insert your USB storage device into a USB port on the modem router.
2. If your USB storage device uses a power supply, connect it.
You must use the power supply when you connect the USB storage device to the
modem router.
When you connect the USB storage device to the router USB port, it might take up
to two minutes before it is ready for sharing. By default, the USB storage device is
available to all computers on your local area network (LAN).
Share USB Storage Devices 83 User Manual

Access a storage device connected to the

router from a Windows-based computer
To access the USB storage device from a Windows-based computer:
1. Connect a USB storage device to a USB port on your modem router.
router.
When you connect the USB storage device to the modem router’s port, it might take
up to two minutes before it is ready for sharing. By default, the USB storage device
is available to all computers on your local area network (LAN).
3. Select Start > Run.

4. Enter \\readyshare in the dialog box.
5. Click the OK button.
A window automatically opens and displays the files and folders on the USB storage
device.
Map a USB device to a Windows network

drive
To map the USB storage device to a Windows network drive:
router.
3. Select Start > Run.

4. Enter \\readyshare in the dialog box.
A window automatically opens and displays the USB storage device.

6. Right-click the USB device and select Map network drive.

The Map Network Drive window opens.
7. Select the drive letter to map to the new network folder.

8. Click the Finish button.
The USB storage device is mapped to the drive letter that you specified.
9. To connect to the USB storage device as a different user, select the Connect using
different credentials check box, click the Finish button, and do the following:
a. Type the user name and password.
b. Click the OK button.
Access a storage device that is connected

to the router from a Mac
From a computer or device on the network, you can access a storage device that is
connected to the modem router.
To access the device from a Mac:
router.
3. On a Mac that is connected to the network, select Go > Connect to Server.

The Connect to Server window opens.
4. In the Server Address field, enter smb://readyshare.

5. When prompted, select the Guest radio button.
If you set up access control on the modem router and you allowed your Mac to access
the network, select the Registered User radio button and enter admin for the name
and router admin password for the password. For more information about access
control, see Enable access control to allow or block access to the Internet on page
?.

6. Click the Connect button.

A window automatically opens and displays the files and folders on the USB storage
device.
Enable FTP access within your network

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) lets you download (receive) and upload (send) large files
faster.
To enable FTP access within your network:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > USB Functions > ReadySHARE Storage.

The USB Storage (Advanced Settings) page displays.
5. Select the FTP check box.

View network folders on a storage device

You can view network folders on a storage device that is connected to the modem
router.
To view network folders:
router network.

4. Scroll down to the Available Networks Folder section to view the following settings:
• Share Name. If only one USB device is connected, the default share name is
USB_Storage.
You can click the name or you can type it in the address field of your web browser.
If Not Shared is shown, the default share was deleted and no other share for the
root folder exists.
• Read Access and Write Access. The permissions and access controls on the
network folder. All–no password (the default) allows all users to access the network
folder. The password for admin is the same one that you use to log in to the
modem router.
• Folder Name. The full path of the network folder.
• Volume Name. The volume name from the storage device.
• Total Space and Free Space. The current utilization of the storage device.
Add a network folder on a USB storage

device
You can add network folders on a USB storage device connected to a modem router
USB port.
To add a network folder:
router network.



5. In the Available Network Folders section, select the USB storage device.
If a single device is attached to the USB port, the radio button is selected
automatically.
6. Click the Create Network Folder button.

The Add Folder window opens.
If this window does not open, your web browser might be blocking pop-ups. If it is,
change the browser settings to allow pop-ups.
7. From the USB Device menu, select the USB drive.
Note: We recommend that you do not attach more than one drive to one USB port
(for example, through a USB hub).
8. Click the Browse button and in the Folder field, select the folder.
9. In the Share Name field, type the name of the share.
10. From the Read Access menu and the Write Access menu, select the settings that
you want.
All–no password (the default) allows all users to access the network folder. The other
option is that only the admin user is allowed access to the network folder. The
password for admin is the same one that you use to log in to the router.

The folder is added on the USB storage device.
12. Click the Close Window button.

The window closes.
Edit a network folder on a USB storage

device
You can edit network folders on a USB storage devices connected to a modem router
USB port.
To edit a network folder:
router network.



5. In the Available Network Folders section, select the USB storage device.
The Edit Network Folder window opens.
7. Change the settings in the fields as needed.

Safely remove a USB storage device

Before you physically disconnect a USB storage device from the modem router USB
port, log in to the modem router and take the USB storage device offline.
To remove a USB storage device safely:
router network.


5. In the Available Network Folders sections, select the USB storage device.
6. Click the Safely Remove USB Device button.
This takes the device offline.

7. Physically disconnect the USB storage device.

8
Use Dynamic DNS to Access USB
Storage Devices Through the
Internet
With Dynamic DNS, you can use the Internet to access USB devices attached to the
router’s USB ports when you’re not home.
• Set up and manage Dynamic DNS
• Set up FTP access through the Internet
• Your personal FTP server
• Access USB storage devices through the Internet
91
Set up and manage Dynamic DNS

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

To set up FTP access:
router network.


5. Select the FTP (via Internet) check box.

7. To limit access to the admin user, select a device in the Available Network Folder's
section.
If only one device is connected, it is automatically selected.
Use Dynamic DNS to Access USB 92 User Manual

Internet

The Edit page displays.
9. In the Read Access menu, select admin.

10. In the Write Access menu, select admin.
Your personal FTP server

With your customized free URL, you can use FTP to access your network when you aren’t
home through Dynamic DNS. To set up your FTP server, you must register for a NETGEAR
Dynamic DNS (DDNS) service account and specify the account settings. See Set up a
new Dynamic DNS account on page 94.
Note: The router supports only basic DDNS, and the login and password might not be
secure. You can use DDNS with a VPN tunnel for a secure connection.
Set up your personal FTP server

To set up your personal account and use FTP:
1. Get your NETGEAR Dynamic DNS domain name.
For more information, see Set up a new Dynamic DNS account on page 94.
2. Make sure that your Internet connection is working.

Your router must use a direct Internet connection. It cannot connect to a different
router to access the Internet.
3. Connect a storage device to the router.

router.
When you connect the USB storage device to the router USB port, it might take up
to two minutes before it is ready for sharing. By default, the USB storage device is
available to all computers on your local area network (LAN).
5. Set up FTP access in the router.

See Set up FTP access through the Internet on page 92.

Internet
6. On a remote computer with Internet access, you can use FTP to access your router
using ftp://yourname.mynetgear.com.
Set up a new Dynamic DNS account

To set up Dynamic DNS and register for a free NETGEAR account:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Dynamic DNS.

The Dynamic DNS page displays.
5. Select the Use a Dynamic DNS Service check box.
6. From the Service Provider menu, select NETGEAR.
You can select another service provider.
7. Select the No radio button.

8. In the Host Name field, type the name that you want to use for your URL.
The host name is sometimes called the domain name. Your free URL includes the
host name that you specify and ends with mynetgear.com. For example, specify
MyName.mynetgear.com.
9. In the Email field, type the email address for your account.
10. In the Password (6-32 characters) field, type the password for your account.
11. Click the Register button.
12. Follow the onscreen instructions to register for your NETGEAR Dynamic DNS service.
Specify a DNS account that you already created

If you already created a Dynamic DNS account with NETGEAR, No-IP, or DynDNS, you
can set up the router to use your account.

Internet
To set up Dynamic DNS if you already created an account:

router network.


5. Select the Use a Dynamic DNS Service check box.
6. From the Service Provider menu, select your provider.
7. Select the Yes radio button.
The page adjusts and displays the Show Status, Cancel, and Apply buttons.
8. In the Host Name field, type the host name (sometimes called the domain name)
for your account.
9. Depending on the type of service, specify either the user name of the email address:
• No-IP account or DynDNS account. In the User Name field, type the user name
for your account.
• NETGEAR account. In the Email field, type the email address for your account.
10. In the Password (6-32 characters) field, type the password for your DDNS account.
12. To verify that your Dynamic DNS service is enabled in the router, click the Show
Status button.
A message displays the Dynamic DNS status.
Change the Dynamic DNS settings

You can change the settings for your Dynamic DNS account.

Internet
To change your settings:

router network.


5. Change your DDNS account settings as necessary.

Access USB storage devices through the

Internet
You can access USB storage devices through the Internet when you’re not home.
To access devices from a remote computer:
1. Launch a web browser on a computer that is not on your home network.
2. Connect to your home router:
• To connect with Dynamic DNS, type the DNS name.
To use a Dynamic DNS account, you must enter the account information on the
Dynamic DNS page. See Set up and manage Dynamic DNS on page 92.
• To connect without Dynamic DNS, type the router’s Internet port IP address.
You can view the router’s Internet IP address on the BASIC Home page.
You can use FTP to share files on a USB device connected to the router.

Internet
9
Use VPN to Access Your Network
You can use OpenVPN software to remotely access your router using virtual private
networking (VPN). This chapter explains how to set up and use VPN access.
• Set up a VPN connection
• Specify VPN Service in the Router
• Install OpenVPN Software
• Use a VPN Tunnel on Your Windows Computer
• Use VPN to Access the Router’s USB Device and Media
• Use VPN to Access Your Internet Service at Home
97
Set up a VPN connection

A virtual private network (VPN) lets you use the Internet to securely access your network
when you aren’t home.
This type of VPN access is called a client-to-gateway tunnel. The computer is the client,
and the router is the gateway. To use the VPN feature, you must log in to the modem
router and enable VPN, and you must install and run VPN client software on the computer.
VPN uses DDNS or a static IP address to connect with your modem router.
To use a DDNS service, register for an account with a host name (sometimes called a
domain name). You use the host name to access your network. The modem router
supports these accounts: NETGEAR, No-IP, and Dyn.
If your Internet service provider (ISP) assigned a static WAN IP address (such as 50.196.x.x
or 10.x.x.x) that never changes to your Internet account, the VPN can use that IP address
to connect to your home network.
Specify VPN Service in the Router

You must specify the VPN service settings in the router before you can use a VPN
connection.
To specify the VPN service:
router network.

4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > VPN Service.

The VPN page displays.
5. Select the Enable VPN Service check box.

By default, the VPN uses the UDP service type and uses port 12974. If you want to
customize the service type and port, we recommend that you change these settings
before you install the OpenVPN software.
Use VPN to Access Your Network 98 User Manual

6. To change the service type, scroll down and select the TCP radio button.
7. To change the port, scroll down to the Service Port field, and type the port number
that you want to use.
Your changes are saved. VPN is enabled in the modem router, but you must install
and set up OpenVPN software on your computer before you can use a VPN
connection.
Install OpenVPN Software

You must install this software on each Windows computer, Mac computer, iOS device,
or Android device that you plan to use for VPN connections to your modem router.
Install OpenVPN Software on Your Windows Computer

You must install this software on each Windows computer that you plan to use for VPN
connections to your modem router.
To install VPN client software on your Windows computer:
router network.


The VPN Service page displays.
5. Make sure that the Enable VPN Service check box is selected.
6. Specify any VPN service settings on the page.
For more information, see Specify VPN Service in the Router on page 98.
7. Click the For Windows button to download the OpenVPN configuration files.
8. Visit openvpn.net/index.php/download/community-downloads.html to download
the OpenVPN client utility.

9. In the Windows Installer section of the page, double-click the

openVPN-install-xxx.exe link.
10. Download and install the Open VPN software on your computer, click the
openVPN-install-xxx.exe file.

12. Read the License Agreement and click the I Agree button.
13. Leave the check boxes selected as shown, and click the Next button.

14. To specify the destination folder, click the Browse button and select a destination
folder.
15. Click the Install button.

The window displays the progress of the installation and then displays the final
installation page.
16. Click the Finish button.

17. Unzip the configuration files that you downloaded and copy them to the folder where
the VPN client is installed on your device.
For a client device with Windows 64-bit system, the VPN client is installed at
C:\Program files\OpenVPN\config\ by default.
18. For a client device with Windows, modify the VPN interface name to NETGEAR-VPN:
a. On your computer, go to the Networks page. If you are using Windows 10, select
Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
b. In the local area connection list, find the local area connection with the device
name TAP-Windows Adapter.

c. Select the local area connection and change its name (not its device name) to
NETGEAR-VPN.
If you do not change the VPN interface name, the VPN tunnel connection will fail.
For more information about using OpenVPN on your Windows computer, visit
https://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation/howto.html#quick.
Install OpenVPN Software on Your Mac Computer

You must install this software on each Mac computer that you plan to use for VPN
To install VPN client software on your Mac computer:
router network.


7. Click the For non-Windows button to download the OpenVPN configuration files.
8. Visit https://tunnelblick.net/index.html to download the OpenVPN client utility for
Mac OS X.
9. Download and install the file.
10. Unzip the configuration files that you downloaded and copy them to the folder where
the VPN client is installed on your device.
The client utility must ge installed by a user with administrative priviledges.
For more information about using OpenVPN on your Mac computer, visit
https://openvpn.net/vpn-server-resources/installation-guide-for-openvpn-connect-client-on-macos/.

Install OpenVPN Software on an iOS Device

You must install this software on each iOS device that you plan to use for VPN connections
to your router.
To install VPN client software on an iOS device:
router network.


7. Click the For Smart Phone button to download the OpenVPN configuration files.
8. On your iOS device, download and install the OpenVPN Connect app from the Apple
app store.
9. On your computer, unzip the configuration files that you downloaded and send the
files to your iOS device.
Note that when you open the .ovpn file, a list of apps displays. Select the OpenVPN
Connect app to open the .ovpn file.
For more information about using OpenVPN on your iOS device, visit
http://www.vpngate.net/en/howto_openvpn.aspx#ios.
Install OpenVPN Software on an Android Device

You must install this software on each Android device that you plan to use for VPN

To install VPN client software on an Android device:

router network.


7. Click the For Smart Phone button to download the OpenVPN configuration files.
8. On your Android device, download and install the OpenVPN Connect app from the
Google Play Store.
9. On your computer, unzip the configuration files that you downloaded and send the
files to your Android device.
10. Open the files on your Android device.
11. Open the .ovpn file using the OpenVPN Connect app.
For more information about using OpenVPN on your Android device, visit
http://www.vpngate.net/en/howto_openvpn.aspx#android.
Use a VPN Tunnel on Your Windows

Computer
After you set up the modem router to use VPN and install the OpenVPN application on
your computer, you can open a VPN tunnel from your computer to your modem router
over the Internet.
For the VPN tunnel to work, the local LAN IP address of the remote modem router must
use a different LAN IP scheme from that of the local LAN where your VPN client computer
is connected. If both networks use the same LAN IP scheme, when the VPN tunnel is

established, you cannot access your home router or your home network with the
OpenVPN software.
The default LAN IP address scheme for the modem router is 192.x.x.x. The most common
IP schemes are 192.x.x.x, 172.x.x.x, and 10.x.x.x. If you experience a conflict, change the
IP scheme either for your home network or for the network with the client VPN computer.
For information about changing these settings, see Change the LAN TCP/IP settings on
page ?.
To open a VPN tunnel:
1. Launch the OpenVPN application with administrator privileges.
The OpenVPN icon displays in the Windows taskbar.
Tip: You can create a shortcut to the VPN program, then use the shortcut to access
the settings and select the run as administrator check box.Then every time you use
this shortcut, OpenVPN automatically runs with administrator privileges.
2. Right-click the OpenVPN icon.
3. Select Connect.
The VPN connection is established. You can do the following:
• Launch a web browser and log in to your modem router.

• Use Windows file manager to access the modem router’s USB device and
download files.

Use VPN to Access the Router’s USB Device

and Media
To access a USB device and download files from your Windows-based computer
using VPN:
1. On your Windows-based computer, open the Windows file manager and select
Network.
Note: See your computer’s documentation for information about how to display
the network resources.
The network resources display. The ReadySHARE icon displays in the Computer
section and the remote router icon displays in the Media Devices section (if DLNA
is enabled in the modem router).
2. If the icons do not display, click the Refresh button to update the window.
If the local LAN and the remote LAN are using the same IP scheme, the remote
modem router icon does not display in the Media Devices and Network Infrastructure
sections.
3. To access the USB device, click the ReadySHARE icon.

4. To access media on the modem router’s network, click the remote modem router
icon.
Use VPN to Access Your Internet Service at

Home
When you’re away from home and you access the Internet, you usually use a local Internet
service provider. For example, at a coffee shop you might be given a code that lets you
use the coffee shop’s Internet service account to surf the web.
Nighthawk lets you use a VPN connection to access your own Internet service when
you’re away from home. You might want to do this if you travel to a geographic location
that doesn’t support all the Internet services that you use at home. For example, your
Netflix account might work at home but not in a different country.

Set Up VPN Client Internet Access in the Modem Router

By default, the router is set up to allow VPN connections only to your home network,
but you can change the settings to allow Internet access. Accessing the Internet remotely
through a VPN might be slower than accessing the Internet directly.
To allow VPN clients to use your home Internet service:
router network.


The VPN page displays.
5. Select the Enable VPN Service radio button.

6. Scroll down to the Clients will use this VPN connection to access section, and select
the All sites on the Internet & Home Network radio button.
When you access the Internet with the VPN connection, instead of using a local
Internet service, you use the Internet service from your home network.

8. Click the For Windows or For Non Windows button and download the configuration
files for your VPN clients.
9. Unzip the configuration files and copy them to the folder where the VPN client is
installed on your device.
Block VPN Client Internet Access in the Router

By default, the router is set up to allow VPN connections only to your home network,
not to the Internet service for your home network. If you changed this setting to allow
Internet access, you can change it back.

To allow VPN clients to access only your home network:

router network.


The VNP page displays.
5. Select the Enable VPN Service radio button.

6. Scroll down to the Clients will use this VPN connection to access section, and select
the Home Network only radio button.
This is the default setting. The VPN connection is only to your home network, not to
the Internet service for your home network.

8. Click For Windows or For Non Windows button and download the configuration
files for your VPN clients.
9. Unzip the configuration files and copy them to the folder where the VPN client is
installed on your device.
Use a VPN Tunnel to Access Your Internet Service at Home

To access your Internet service:
1. Set up the router to allow VPN access to your Internet service.
See Set Up VPN Client Internet Access in the Modem Router on page 107.
2. On your computer, launch the OpenVPN application.

The OpenVPN icon displays in the Windows taskbar.
3. Right-click the icon and select Connect.

4. When the VPN connection is established, launch your Internet browser.

10
Manage Port Forwarding and Port
Triggering
You can use port forwarding and port triggering to set up rules for Internet traffic. You
need networking knowledge to set up these features.
• Manage Port Forwarding to a Local Server
• Port Triggering
110
Manage Port Forwarding to a Local Server

If your home network includes a server, you can allow certain types of incoming traffic
to reach the server. For example, you might want to make a local web server, FTP server,
or game server visible and available to the Internet.
The router can forward incoming traffic with specific protocols to computers on your
local network.You can specify the servers for applications and you can also specify a
default DMZ server to which the router forwards all other incoming protocols.
Set Up Port Forwarding to a Local Server

To forward specific incoming protocols:
1. Decide which type of service, application, or game you want to provide.
2. Find the local IP address of the computer on your network that will provide the
service.
The server computer must always use the same IP address.
3. Assign the server computer a reserved IP address.

See Manage reserved LAN IP addresses on page 44.
router network.
6. Enter the router user name and password.

7. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Port Forwarding/Port Triggering.

The Port Forwarding / Port Triggering page displays.
8. Leave the Port Forwarding radio button selected as the service type.
9. From the Service Name menu, select the service name.
If the service that you want to add is not in the menu, create a custom service. See
Add a Custom Port Forwarding Service on page 112.
10. In the Server IP Address field, enter the IP address of the computer that will provide
the service.
Manage Port Forwarding and 111 User Manual

Port Triggering

The service displays in the menu.
Add a Custom Port Forwarding Service

The router lists default services and applications that you can use in port forwarding
rules. If the service or application is not predefined, you can add a port forwarding rule
with a custom service or application.
To add a custom service:
1. Find out which port number or range of numbers the application uses.
You can usually find this information by contacting the publisher of the application
or user groups or news groups.
router network.


7. Click the Add Custom Service button.
The Ports - Custom Service page displays.
8. In the Service Name field, enter a descriptive name.
9. From the Protocol menu, select the protocol.
If you are unsure, select TCP/UDP.
10. In the External port range field enter the port range.
11. Specify the internal ports by one of these methods:
• Leave the Use the same port range for Internal port check box selected.
• Type the port numbers in the Internal Starting Port field and the Internal Ending
Port field.

Port Triggering
You can enter a port range and fixed ports in one rule, for example, external (30–50,
78, 100–102), internal (40–60, 99, 200–202). With this rule, external ports 30–50 are
forwarded to internal ports 40–60.
12. In the Internal IP address field, type the IP address or select the radio button for an
attached device listed in the table.
The service is now in the list on the Port Forwarding/Port Triggering page.
Edit a Port Forwarding Service

To edit a port forwarding entry:
router network.


6. In the table, select the radio button next to the service name.
7. Click the Edit Service button.
The Ports - Custom Services page displays.
8. Change the settings as needed.


Port Triggering
Delete a Port Forwarding Entry

To delete a port forwarding entry:
router network.


5. Leave the Port Forwarding radio button selected.

6. In the table, select the radio button next to the service name.
7. Click the Delete Service button.
The service is deleted.
Application Example: Make a Local Web Server Public

If you host a web server on your local network, you can use port forwarding to allow
web requests from anyone on the Internet to reach your web server.
To make a local web server public:
1. Assign your web server either a fixed IP address or a dynamic IP address using DHCP
address reservation.
In this example, your router always gives your web server an IP address of
192.168.1.33.
2. On the Port Forwarding/Port Triggering page, configure the router to forward the
HTTP service to the local address of your web server at 192.168.1.33.
HTTP (port 80) is the standard protocol for web servers.
3. (Optional) Register a host name with a Dynamic DNS service and specify that name
on the Dynamic DNS page of the router.
Dynamic DNS makes it much easier to access a server from the Internet because you
can type the name in the Internet browser. Otherwise, you must know the IP address
that the ISP assigned, which typically changes.

Port Triggering
How the Router Implements the Port Forwarding Rule

The following sequence shows the effects of a port forwarding rule:
1. When you type the URL www.example.com in your browser, the browser sends a
web page request message with the following destination information:
• Destination address. The IP address of www.example.com, which is the address
of your router.
• Destination port number. 80, which is the standard port number for a web server
process.
2. Your router receives the message and finds your port forwarding rule for incoming
port 80 traffic.
3. The router changes the destination in the message to IP address 192.168.1.33 and
sends the message to that computer.
4. Your web server at IP address 192.168.1.33 receives the request and sends a reply
message to your router.
5. Your router performs Network Address Translation (NAT) on the source IP address
and sends the reply through the Internet to the computer or WiFi device that sent
the web page request.
Port Triggering
Port triggering is a dynamic extension of port forwarding that is useful in these cases:
• An application must use port forwarding to more than one local computer (but not
simultaneously).
• An application must open incoming ports that are different from the outgoing port.
With port triggering, the router monitors traffic to the Internet from an outbound “trigger”
port that you specify. For outbound traffic from that port, the router saves the IP address
of the computer that sent the traffic. The router temporarily opens the incoming port
or ports that you specify in your rule and forwards that incoming traffic to that destination.
Port forwarding creates a static mapping of a port number or range of ports to a single
local computer. Port triggering can dynamically open ports to any computer when
needed and close the ports when they are no longer needed.
Note: If you use applications such as multiplayer gaming, peer-to-peer connections,

real-time communications such as instant messaging, or remote assistance (a feature
in Windows XP), enable Universal Plug and Play (UPnP).

Port Triggering
Add a Port Triggering Service

To add a port triggering service:
router network.


5. Select the Port Triggering radio button.

The page adjusts.
6. Click the Add Service button.
7. In the Service Name field, type a descriptive service name.

8. From the Service User menu, select a user option:
• Any (the default) allows any computer on the Internet to use this service.
• Single address restricts the service to a particular computer.
9. From the Service Type menu, select TCP or UDP or TCP/UDP (both).
If you are not sure, select TCP/UDP.
10. In the Triggering Port field, enter the number of the outbound traffic port that will
open the inbound ports.
11. In the Connection Type, Starting Port, and Ending Port fields, enter the inbound
connection information.
The service is now in the Portmap Table. You must enable port triggering before
the router uses port triggering. See Enable Port Triggering on page 117.

Port Triggering
Enable Port Triggering

To enable port triggering:
router network.


The Port Forwarding/Port Triggering page displays.
5. Select the Port Triggering radio button.
6. Clear the Disable Port Triggering check box.

If this check box is selected, the router does not use port triggering even if you
specified port triggering settings.
7. In the Port Triggering Timeout field, enter a value up to 9999 minutes.

This value controls how long the inbound ports stay open when the router detects
no activity. This value is required because the router cannot detect when the
application terminates.

Application Example: Port Triggering for Internet Relay

Chat
Some application servers, such as FTP and IRC servers, send replies to multiple port
numbers. Using port triggering, you can tell the router to open more incoming ports
when a particular outgoing port starts a session.
An example is Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Your computer connects to an IRC server at
destination port 6667. The IRC server not only responds to your originating source port
but also sends an “identify” message to your computer on port 113. Using port triggering,
you can tell the router, “When you initiate a session with destination port 6667, you must

Port Triggering
also allow incoming traffic on port 113 to reach the originating computer.” The following
sequence shows the effects of this port triggering rule:
1. You open an IRC client program to start a chat session on your computer.
2. Your IRC client composes a request message to an IRC server using a destination
port number of 6667, the standard port number for an IRC server process. Your
computer then sends this request message to your router.
3. Your router creates an entry in its internal session table describing this communication
session between your computer and the IRC server. Your router stores the original
information, performs Network Address Translation (NAT) on the source address
and port, and sends this request message through the Internet to the IRC server.
4. Noting your port triggering rule and observing the destination port number of 6667,
your router creates another session entry to send any incoming port 113 traffic to
your computer.
5. The IRC server sends a return message to your router using the NAT-assigned source
port (for example, port 33333) as the destination port and sends an “identify” message
to your router with destination port 113.
6. When your router receives the incoming message to destination port 33333, it checks
its session table to see if a session is active for port number 33333. Finding an active
session, the router restores the original address information replaced by NAT and
sends this reply message to your computer.
7. When your router receives the incoming message to destination port 113, it checks
its session table and finds an active session for port 113 associated with your
computer. The router replaces the message’s destination IP address with your
computer’s IP address and forwards the message to your computer.
8. When you finish your chat session, your router eventually senses a period of inactivity
in the communications. The router then removes the session information from its
session table and incoming traffic is no longer accepted on port numbers 33333 or
113.

Port Triggering
11
Troubleshooting
This chapter provides information to help you diagnose and solve problems you might
experience with your modem router. If you do not find the solution here, check the
NETGEAR support site at netgear.com/support for product and contact information.
• Quick tips
• Troubleshoot with the LEDs
• You cannot log in to the router
• You cannot access the Internet
• Troubleshoot Internet browsing
• Changes are not saved
• Troubleshoot WiFi connectivity
• Troubleshoot your network using the ping utility
119
Quick tips
This section describes tips for troubleshooting some common problems.
Sequence to restart your network

If you must restart your network, follow this sequence:
1. Turn off and unplug the modem router.
2. Plug in the modem router and turn it on. Wait two minutes.
Check the power adapter and Ethernet cable connections

If the modem router does not start, make sure that the power adapter cable is securely
plugged in.
If the Internet connection does not function, make sure that the coax cable is securely
plugged in. The Online LED on the modem router is lit if the modem router is receiving
a signal from the ISP.
If the LAN connections do not function, make sure that the Ethernet cables are securely
plugged in. If one or more powered-on computers are connected to the modem router
by an Ethernet cable, the corresponding numbered router LAN port LEDs light.
Check the WiFi settings

Make sure that the WiFi settings on the WiFi-enabled computer or mobile device and
the modem router match exactly. The WiFi network name (SSID) and WiFi security
settings of the modem router and the computer or mobile device must match exactly.
WiFi passwords are case sensitive.
If you set up an access control list, you must add the MAC address of each computer
and mobile device to the modem router’s access control list.
Check the network settings

If your computer or mobile device cannot connect to the modem router, make sure that
the network settings of the computer or mobile device are correct. Computers and
mobile devices must use network IP addresses on the same network as the modem
router. By default, almost all computers and mobile devices are set up to obtain an IP
address automatically using DHCP.
Troubleshooting 120 User Manual

Some Internet service providers require you to use the MAC address of the computer
initially registered on the account, but this is an unusual situation. You can view the MAC
address on the Attached Devices page of the router web interface.
Troubleshoot with the LEDs

By default, the modem router uses standard LED settings.
Standard LED behavior when the router is powered on

After you turn on power to the modem router, verify that the following sequence of
events occurs:
1. When power is first applied, verify that the Power LED is lit.
2. After about two minutes, verify the following:
• The Power LED is lit.
• The Downstream LED is lit.
• The Upstream LED is lit.
• The Online LED is lit.
• The WiFi LED is lit (unless you turned off the WiFi radio).
You can use the LEDs on the front panel of the modem router for troubleshooting.
Power LED is off or blinking

This could occur for a number of reasons. Check the following:
• Make sure that the power adapter is securely connected to your modem router and
securely connected to a working power outlet.
• Make sure that you are using the power adapter that NETGEAR supplied for this
product.
• If the Power LED blinks slowly and continuously, the modem router firmware is
corrupted. This can happen if a firmware update is interrupted, or if the modem
router detects a problem with the firmware. If the error persists, it is likely that a
hardware problem exists. For recovery instructions, or help with a hardware problem,
contact Technical Support at netgear.com/support.

LEDs never turn off

When the modem router is turned on, the LEDs light for about 10 seconds and then
turn off. If all the LEDs stay on, this indicates a fault within the modem router.
If all LEDs are still lit one minute after power-up, do the following:
• Cycle the power to see if the modem router recovers.

• Press and hold the Reset button for at least 5 seconds to return the modem router
to its factory settings.
If the error persists, a hardware problem might be the cause. Contact Technical Support
at netgear.com/support.
Online LED is Off

If the Online LED is off and the modem router is connected to the coax cable, try the
following:
• Make sure that the coax cable connections are secure at the modem router and at
the wall jack.
• Make sure that your cable Internet provider provisioned your cable Internet service.
Your provider can verify that the signal quality is good enough for modem router
service.
• Remove any excess splitters that are on your cable line.
Ethernet LAN port LEDs are off

If the Ethernet port LEDs do not light when an Ethernet connection is made, check the
following:
• Make sure that the Ethernet cable connections are secure at the modem router and
computer.
• Make sure that power is turned on to the connected modem router or computer.
• Be sure that you are using the correct cable.
WiFi LED is off

If the WiFi LED stays off, check to see if someone pressed the WiFi On/Off button on
the modem router. This button turns the WiFi radios in the modem router on and off.
If someone disabled the WiFi radios by using the router web interface, the WiFi LED
also stays off. The WiFi LED is lit when the WiFi radios are turned on.

Note: if the LED On/Off button is in the off position, all LEDs are off except the Power
LED.
You cannot log in to the router

If you are unable to log in to the modem router from a computer or mobile device on
your local network, check the following:
• If you are using an Ethernet-connected computer, check the cable connection

between the computer and the modem router.
• If you are using a WiFi-enabled computer or mobile device, check the WiFi connection
between the computer or mobile device and the modem router.
• Make sure that you are using the correct login information. 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. Make sure that Caps Lock is off when you
enter this information. If you forget the admin password and you set up the password
recovery feature, see Recover the admin password on page 66 for the procedure.
• Try quitting the browser and launching it again.
• Make sure that Java, JavaScript, or ActiveX is enabled in your browser. If you are
using Internet Explorer, click the Refresh button to be sure that the Java applet is
loaded.
• Make sure that the IP address of your computer or mobile device is in the same
subnet as the modem router. If you are using the recommended addressing scheme,
the IP address of your computer or mobile device is in the range of 192.168.1.2 to
192.168.1.254.
• If the IP address of your computer or mobile device is shown as 169.254.x.x, the
computer or mobile device could not reach the modem router’s DHCP server and
the Windows or Mac operating system generated and assigned an IP address. Such
an autogenerated IP address is in the range of 169.254.x.x. If your IP address is in
this range, check the connection from the computer or mobile device to the modem
router, and reboot your computer or mobile device.
• If your modem router’s IP address was changed and you do not know the current IP
address, clear the modem router’s configuration to factory defaults. This sets the
modem router’s IP address to 192.168.1.1.
Tip: If the router is in access point mode or bridge mode and you do not know the
IP address that is assigned to it, first try to use an IP scanner application to detect
the IP address. (IP scanner applications are available online free of charge.) If you
can detect the IP address, you don’t need to reset the router to factory default
settings.

• If you are attempting to set up your NETGEAR modem router as a replacement for
an ADSL gateway in your network, the modem router cannot perform many gateway
services. For example, the router cannot convert ADSL or cable data into Ethernet
networking information. NETGEAR does not support such a configuration.
You cannot access the Internet

When your modem router cannot access the Internet and your Online LED is on, activate
your modem router by registering the cable MAC address of your modem router with
your cable Internet provider. For instructions for registering, see Install and Activate
Your Modem Router on page 14.
If you already activated the modem router and can access it, but not the Internet, check
to see if the modem router can obtain a WAN IP address from your Internet service
provider (ISP). Unless your ISP provides a fixed IP address, your router requests an IP
address from the ISP. You can determine whether the request was successful using the
modem router web interface.
To check your IP address:
router network.
2. Select an external site such as https://www.netgear.com/.


6. Check to see that an IP address is shown for the Internet port. If 0.0.0.0 is shown,
your modem router did not obtain an IP address from your ISP.
If your modem router is still unable to obtain an IP address from the ISP, the problem
might be one of the following:
• Your cable modem router hasn't activated successfully. Contact your ISP.
• Your cable modem router doesn't connect to the proper cable outlet. Make sure
the Online LED is lit.

If your modem router obtained an IP address, but your computer does not load any
web pages from the Internet, it might be for one or more of the following reasons:
• Your computer might not recognize any DNS server addresses.

Typically, your ISP provides the addresses of one or two DNS servers for your use.
If you entered a DNS address during the modem router’s configuration, reboot your
computer, and verify the DNS address. You can configure your computer manually
with DNS addresses, as explained in your operating system documentation.
• The modem router might not be configured as the TCP/IP gateway on your computer.
If your computer obtains its information from the modem router by DHCP, reboot
the computer and verify the gateway address.
• You might be running login software that is no longer needed.
If your ISP provided a program to log you in to the Internet, you no longer need to
run that software after installing your modem router.
Troubleshoot Internet browsing

If your modem router can obtain an IP address but your computer is unable to load any
web pages from the Internet, it might be for the following reasons:
• The traffic meter is enabled, and the limit was reached.

By configuring the traffic meter not to block Internet access when the traffic limit is
reached, you can resume Internet access. If your Internet service provider (ISP) sets
a usage limit, they might charge you for the overage.
• Your computer might not recognize any DNS server addresses. A DNS server is a
host on the Internet that translates Internet names (such as www addresses) to numeric
IP addresses.
Typically, your ISP provides the addresses of one or two DNS servers for your use.
If you entered a DNS address during the modem router’s configuration, restart your
computer.
Alternatively, you can configure your computer manually with a DNS address, as
explained in the documentation for your computer.
• The modem router might not be configured as the default gateway on your computer.
Restart the computer and verify that the modem router address (www.routerlogin.net)
is listed by your computer as the default gateway address.

Changes are not saved

If the modem router does not save the changes that you make in the modem router
web interface, do the following:
• When entering configuration settings, always click the Apply button before moving
to another page or tab, or your changes are lost.
• Click the Refresh or Reload button in the web browser. It is possible that the changes
occurred, but the old settings might be in the web browser’s cache.
Troubleshoot WiFi connectivity

If you are experiencing trouble connecting over WiFi to the modem router, try to isolate
the problem:
• Does the WiFi device or computer that you are using find your WiFi network?
If not, check the WiFi LED on the modem router. If it is off, you can press the WiFi
On/Off button on the modem router to turn the modem router WiFi radios back on.
If you disabled the modem router’s SSID broadcast, then your WiFi network is hidden
and does not display in your WiFi client’s scanning list. (By default, SSID broadcast
is enabled.)
• Does your WiFi device support the security that you are using for your WiFi network
(WPA or WPA2)?
• If you want to view the WiFi settings for the modem router, use an Ethernet cable to
connect a computer to a LAN port on the modem router. Then log in to the modem
router, and select BASIC > Wireless.
Note: Be sure to click the Apply button if you change settings.
If your WiFi device finds your network but the signal strength is weak, check these
conditions:
• Is your modem router too far from your computer or too close? Place your computer
near the modem router but at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) away and see whether the
signal strength improves.
• Are objects between the modem router and your computer blocking the WiFi signal?

Troubleshoot your network using the ping

utility
Most network devices and routers contain a ping utility that sends an echo request
packet to the designated device. The device then responds with an echo reply. You can
easily troubleshoot a network using the ping utility in your computer or workstation.
Test the LAN path to your router

You can ping the modem router from your computer to verify that the LAN path to your
modem router is set up correctly.
To ping the modem router from a Windows-based computer:
1. From the Windows toolbar, click the Start button and select Run.
2. In the field provided, type ping followed by the IP address of the modem router, as
in this example:
ping www.routerlogin.net

You see a message like this one:
Pinging <IP address > with 32 bytes of data
If the path is working, you see this message:
Reply from < IP address >: bytes=32 time=NN ms TTL=xxx
If the path is not working, you see this message:
Request timed out
If the path is not functioning correctly, one of the following problems might be occurring:
• Wrong physical connections

For a wired connection, make sure that the numbered LAN port LED is lit for the port
to which you are connected.
Check to see that the appropriate LEDs are lit for your network devices. If your
modem router and computer are connected to a separate Ethernet switch, make
sure that the link LEDs are lit for the switch ports that are connected to your computer
and modem router.
• Wrong network configuration
Verify that the Ethernet card driver software and TCP/IP software are both installed
and configured on your computer.

Verify that the IP address for your modem router and your computer are correct and
that the addresses are on the same subnet.
Test the path from a Windows-based computer to a remote

device
To test the path from a Windows-based computer to a remote device:
1. From the Windows toolbar, click the Start button and select Run.
2. In the Windows Run window, type
ping -n 10 <IP address>
where <IP address> is the IP address of a remote device such as your ISP DNS server.
If the path is functioning correctly, messages display that are similar to those shown
in Test the LAN path to your router on page 127.
3. If you do not receive replies, check the following:

• Check to see that IP address of your modem router is listed as the default gateway
for your computer. If DHCP assigns the IP configuration of your computers, this
information is not visible in your computer Network Control Panel. Verify that the
IP address of the modem router is listed as the default gateway.
• Check to see that the network address of your computer (the portion of the IP
address specified by the subnet mask) is different from the network address of
the remote device.
• Check to see that your cable or DSL modem is connected and functioning.
• If your ISP assigned a host name to your computer, enter that host name as the
account name on the Internet Setup page.
• Your ISP might be rejecting the Ethernet MAC addresses of all but one of your
computers.
Many broadband ISPs restrict access by allowing traffic only from the MAC address
of your broadband modem. Some ISPs additionally restrict access to the MAC address
of a single computer connected to that modem. If your ISP does this, configure your
modem router to “clone” or “spoof” the MAC address from the authorized computer.

12
Supplemental Information
This appendix covers the following topics:

• Factory Settings
• Technical Specifications
129
Factory Settings
You can return the modem router to its factory settings. Use the end of a paper clip or
a similar object to press and hold the Reset button on the back of the modem router
for at least seven seconds. The modem router resets, and returns to the factory
configuration settings shown in the following table.
Table 5. Factory default settings
Feature Default behavior
Modem router login User login URL www.routerlogin.com,

www.routerlogin.net,
or 192.168.1.1
User name (case-sensitive) admin
Local network (LAN) LAN IP 192.168.1.1
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
DHCP server Enabled
DHCP range 192.168.1.2 to

192.168.1.254
DHCP starting IP address Configured by the

Internet provider
DHCP ending IP address 192.168.1.254
DMZ Disabled
Time zone ISP/MSO ToD (time

of day) configuration
Time zone adjusted for daylight ISP/MSO ToD (time

savings time of day) server
configuration
SNMP Enabled
Cable modem firewall Inbound (communications coming Disabled (except

in from the Internet) traffic on port 80, the
HTTP port)
Outbound (communications going Enabled (all)

out to the Internet)
Supplemental Information 130 User Manual

Table 5. Factory default settings (Continued)
WiFi WiFi communication Enabled
SSID name See the modem

router label
Security WPA2-PSK (AES)
Broadcast SSID Enabled
Country/region United States
RF channel (2.4 GHz) Auto1
RF channel (5 GHz) CH 153 (or manually

select Band I and 4
Channels)
Operating mode Up to 860 Mbps at

2.4 GHz, 1801 Mbps
at 5 GHz
1
Maximum WiFi signal rate derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual throughput can vary. Network
conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and
network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate.
Technical Specifications
Table 6. Modem router specifications
Feature Description
Data and routing protocols TCP/IP, DHCP, Dynamic DNS, UPnP, and SMB
Power adapter (North America) 120V, 60 Hz, input

12V/3.5A DC output
Dimensions 10.4 x 8.5 x 4.3 in (264 x 215 x 110 mm)
Weight 2.55 lb (1.16 kg)
Operating temperature 0° to 40° C (32º to 104º F)
Operating humidity 90% maximum relative humidity, noncondensing
Electromagnetic emissions FCC Part 15 Class B
LAN 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX or 1000BASE-T, RJ-45

Table 6. Modem router specifications (Continued)
WAN 2 x 2 OFDM/OFDMA DOCSIS 3.1

32 x 8 SCQAM DOCSIS 3.0
WiFi Maximum WiFi signal rate complies with the IEEE 802.11
standard.
Radio data rates Auto Rate Sensing
Data encoding standards IEEE 802.11ac 2.0

IEEE 802.11n version 2.0
IEEE 802.11n 256 QAM IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b 2.4
GHz IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11a 5.0 GHz
Maximum computers per WiFi Limited by the amount of WiFi network traffic generated
network by each node (typically 50–70 nodes)
Operating frequency range 2.4 GHz: 2.412–2.462 GHz 5 GHz: 5.18–5.24 + 5.745–5.825
GHz
802.11 security WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK, and WPA/WPA2

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User Manual

Nighthawk AX6 AX2700 WiFI Cable Modem

Support and Community

Chapter 1 Hardware Setup

Set up a default DMZ server..............................................................40

Erase the settings...........................................................................74

Install OpenVPN Software on an Android Device...................103

Chapter 12 Supplemental Information

This chapter covers the following topics:

Unpack Your Modem Router

Figure 1. Package contents

Front panel LEDs and buttons

Hardware Setup 9 User Manual

Figure 2. Modem router LEDs and buttons

Hardware Setup 10 User Manual

Table 1. LED descriptions

Power • Solid white. Power is supplied to the modem router.

Downstream • Solid amber. One downstream channel is locked.

Upstream • Solid amber. One upstream channel is locked.

Online • Solid white. The modem router is online.

Hardware Setup 11 User Manual

Table 1. LED descriptions (Continued)

5 GHz radio • Solid white. The 5 GHz WiFi radio is operating.

USB port • Solid white. A USB device is connected and is ready.

Table 2. Front panel buttons

Hardware Setup 12 User Manual

Figure 3. Modem router rear panel

Position Your Modem Router

Hardware Setup 13 User Manual

Install and Activate Your Modem Router

Connect Your Modem Router to a Computer

Hardware Setup 14 User Manual

Figure 4. Connect the modem router directly to a computer

To connect your modem router directly to a computer:

3. Wait for the modem router to come online.

Hardware Setup 15 User Manual

Activate Your Internet Service

Table 3. Cable Internet provider contact information

Cable Internet Provider Contact Information

Hardware Setup 16 User Manual

Table 3. Cable Internet provider contact information (Continued)

Cable Internet Provider Contact Information

To activate your Internet service:

Perform a Speed Test

Hardware Setup 17 User Manual

Specify the Cable Connection Starting

3. Enter the modem router user name and password.

4. Select Cable Connection.

5. Enter the starting frequency.

View Modem Router Initialization

Specify Your Internet Settings 19 User Manual

To view the status of the modem router initialization:

3. Enter the modem router user name and password.

4. Select Cable Connection.

Manually Set Up the Internet Connection

3. Enter the modem router user name and password.

4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > Internet Setup.

Specify Your Internet Settings 20 User Manual