Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Model R8000 User Manual January 2015 202-11398-03 350 East Plumeria Drive San Jose, CA 95134 USA
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Support Thank you for selecting NETGEAR products. After installing your device, locate the serial number on the label of your product and use it to register your product at https://my.netgear.com. You must register your product before you can use NETGEAR telephone support. NETGEAR recommends registering your product through the NETGEAR website. For product updates and web support, visit http://support.netgear.com. Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR.
Contents Chapter 1 Hardware Setup Unpack Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Extend the Antennas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Top View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Chapter 4 Optimize Performance Improve Network Connections with Universal Plug and Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Chapter 5 Control Access to the Internet Set Up Parental Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allow or Block Access to Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Access USB Devices Through the Internet with FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Dynamic DNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Your Personal FTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Set Up a New Dynamic DNS Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Recover the admin Password. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 View Router Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Display Internet Port Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Check the Internet Connection Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Sequence to Restart Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Check Ethernet Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Troubleshoot with the LEDs .
1. 1 Hardware Setup The Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router with six high-performance antennas and three network bands—one 2.4 GHz band and two 5 GHz bands, delivers combined WiFi connection speeds of up to 3200 Mbps WiFi: • 600 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band 256 QAM (802.11n) • 1300 Mbps on 5 GHz band 1 (802.11ac) • 1300 Mbps on 5 GHz band 2 (802.11ac) Nighthawk X6 is ideal for homes with increasing number of WiFi-connected devices and provides double the bandwidth of typical dual-band routers.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Unpack Your Router Your package contains the following items. Ethernet cable AC3200 Smart WiFi Router Power adapter Figure 1. Package contents Extend the Antennas Position the antennas for the best WiFi performance. To extend the antennas: Position all of the antennas vertically as shown.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Top View The status LEDs and buttons are located on the top of the router. LEDs WiFi On/Off button WPS button Figure 2. Router LEDs and buttons Table 1. LED and button descriptions LED Description Power • • • • • Solid amber. The router is starting. Blinking amber. The firmware is upgrading, or the Reset button was pressed. Solid white. The router is ready. Blinking white. The firmware is corrupted. Off. Power is not supplied to the router.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Table 1. LED and button descriptions (continued) LED Description USB 3.0 port USB 2.0 port The USB 1 LED is for the USB 3.0 USB port on the front panel. The USB 2 LED is for the USB 2.0 port on the rear panel. • Solid white. A USB device is connected and is ready. • Blinking. A USB device is plugged in and is trying to connect. • Off.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Turn the LEDs On or Off Using the LED On/Off Switch To turn the LEDs on or off using the LED On/Off switch: Slide the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel to the On or Off position. LED On/Off switch The Power LED stays lit even if the LED On/Off switch is in the Off position. Position Your Router The router lets you access your network anywhere within the operating range of your wireless network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router • Place the router away from large metal surfaces, large glass surfaces, and insulated walls such as these: - Solid metal doors - Aluminum studs - Fish tanks - Mirrors - Brick - Concrete Cable Your Router The following image shows how to cable your router: Ethernet cable DSL or cable Router Ethernet cable Modem Power adapter Figure 4. Router cabling To cable your router: 1.
2. Connect to the Network and Access the Router 2 You can connect to the router’s WiFi networks or use a wired Ethernet connection. This chapter explains the ways you can connect and how to access the router and log in.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Connect to the Network You can connect to the router’s network through a wired or WiFi connection. If you set up your computer to use a static IP address, change the settings so that it uses Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). Wired Connection You can connect your computer to the router using an Ethernet cable and join the router’s local area network (LAN). To connect your computer to the router with an Ethernet cable: 1.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Label The label on the router shows the login information, WiFi network name and network key (password), MAC address, and serial number. Figure 5. Router label Types of Logins Separate types of logins have different purposes. It is important that you understand the difference so that you know which login to use when. Types of logins: • ISP login. The login that your ISP gave you logs you in to your Internet service.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router When your Internet service starts, your Internet service provider (ISP) typically gives you all the information needed to connect to the Internet.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router • Make sure that the computer is connected to one of the four LAN Ethernet ports or wirelessly to the router. • Make sure that the router is receiving power and that its Power LED is lit white. • Close and reopen the browser or clear the browser cache. • Browse to http://www.routerlogin.net. • If the computer is set to a static or fixed IP address (this setting is uncommon), change it to obtain an IP address automatically from the router. 6.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. In the upper right corner, select a language from the list. 5. When prompted, click the OK button to confirm this change. The screen refreshes with the language that you selected. Access the Router with NETGEAR genie Apps The genie app is the easy dashboard for managing, monitoring, and repairing your home network.
3. Specify Your Internet Settings 3 Usually, the quickest way to set up the router to use your Internet connection is to allow the genie to detect the Internet connection when you first access the router with an Internet browser. You can also customize or specify your Internet settings.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Use the Internet Setup Wizard You can use the Setup Wizard to detect your Internet settings and automatically set up your router. The Setup Wizard is not the same as the genie screens that display the first time you connect to your router to set it up. To use the Setup Wizard: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Manually Set Up the Internet Connection You can view or change the router’s Internet connection settings. Specify an Internet Connection Without a Login To specify the Internet connection settings: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 7. If your Internet connection requires a domain name, type it in the Domain Name (If Required) field. For the other sections in this screen, the default settings usually work, but you can change them. 8. Select an Internet IP Address radio button: • Get Dynamically from ISP. Your ISP uses DHCP to assign your IP address. Your ISP automatically assigns these addresses. • Use Static IP Address.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select Internet. Scroll to view more settings 5. In the Does your Internet connection require a login? section of the screen, select the Yes radio button. The screen adjusts. 6. In the Internet Service Provider list, select the encapsulation method: PPPoE, PPPoA, or L2TP. 7. In the Login field, enter the login name your ISP gave you. This login name is often an email address. 8.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 13. Select a Domain Name Server (DNS) Address radio button: • Get Automatically from ISP. Your ISP uses DHCP to assign your DNS servers. Your ISP automatically assigns this address. • Use These DNS Servers. If you know that your ISP requires specific servers, select this option. Enter the IP address of your ISP’s primary DNS server. If a secondary DNS server address is available, enter it also. 14. Select a Router MAC Address radio button: • Use Default Address.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router • If your Internet connection does not use PPPoe or DHCP, or not fixed, but is IPv6, select Auto Config. Your Internet service provider (ISP) can provide this information. For more information about IPv6 Internet connection, see the following sections.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The screen adjusts: The router automatically detects the information in the following fields: • Connection Type. This field indicates the connection type that is detected. • Router’s IPv6 Address on WAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’s WAN (or Internet) interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Use Auto Config for an IPv6 Internet Connection To set up an IPv6 Internet connection through auto configuration: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 7. (Optional) In the DHCP Domain Name (If Required) field, enter a domain name. You can type the domain name of your IPv6 ISP. Do not enter the domain name for the IPv4 ISP here. For example, if your ISP’s mail server is mail.xxx.yyy.zzz, type xxx.yyy.zzz as the domain name. If your ISP provided a domain name, type it in this field. For example, Earthlink Cable might require a host name of home, and Comcast sometimes supplies a domain name. 8.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The screen adjusts: The router automatically detects the information in the Router’s IPv6 Address on LAN field. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’s LAN interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available. 6.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Set Up an IPv6 Pass Through Internet Connection In pass-through mode, the router works as a Layer 2 Ethernet switch with two ports (LAN and WAN Ethernet ports) for IPv6 packets. The router does not process any IPv6 header packets. To set up a pass-through IPv6 Internet connection: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The screen adjusts: 6. Configure the fixed IPv6 addresses for the WAN connection: • IPv6 Address/Prefix Length. The IPv6 address and prefix length of the router WAN interface. • Default IPv6 Gateway. The IPv6 address of the default IPv6 gateway for the router’s WAN interface. • Primary DNS Server. The primary DNS server that resolves IPv6 domain name records for the router. • Secondary DNS Server.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Set Up an IPv6 DHCP Internet Connection To set up an IPv6 Internet connection with a DHCP server: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 7. (Optional) In the Domain Name (If Required) field, enter a domain name. You can type the domain name of your IPv6 ISP. Do not enter the domain name for the IPv4 ISP here. For example, if your ISP’s mail server is mail.xxx.yyy.zzz, type xxx.yyy.zzz as the domain name. If your ISP provided a domain name, type it in this field. For example, Earthlink Cable might require a host name of home, and Comcast sometimes supplies a domain name. 8.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The screen adjusts: The router automatically detects the information in the following fields: • Router’s IPv6 Address on WAN. This field shows the IPv6 address that is acquired for the router’s WAN (or Internet) interface. The number after the slash (/) is the length of the prefix, which is also indicated by the underline (_) under the IPv6 address. If no address is acquired, the field displays Not Available. • Router’s IPv6 Address on LAN.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router This setting specifies how the router assigns IPv6 addresses to the devices on your home network (the LAN). 10. (Optional) Select the Use This Interface ID check box and specify the interface ID to be used for the IPv6 address of the router’s LAN interface. If you do not specify an ID here, the router generates one automatically from its MAC address. 11. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > WAN Setup. 5. In the MTU Size field, enter a value from 64 to 1500. 6. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. If you suspect an MTU problem, a common solution is to change the MTU to 1400.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Enable the Bridge or Add a VLAN Tag Group Some devices, such as an IPTV, cannot work behind a router’s network address translation (NAT) or firewall. Based on what your Internet Service Provider (ISP) requires, in order for the device to connect to the ISP’s network directly, you can enable the bridge between the device and the router’s Internet port or add new VLAN tag groups to the bridge.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Add VLAN Tag Groups You can add VLAN tag groups to the bridge and assign VLAN IDs and priority values to each VLAN tag group. If you add a VLAN tag group to the bridge, packets sent between the device and the router’s Internet port are not processed through the router’s network address translation (NAT) or firewall. To add a VLAN tag group: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The VLAN tag group is added. 13. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
4. Optimize Performance 4 You can set up the router to optimize performance for applications such as multiplayer gaming, peer-to-peer connections, or real-time communications such as instant messaging or remote assistance (a feature in Windows XP). By default, the router uses Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service (WMM QoS).
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Improve Network Connections with Universal Plug and Play Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) helps devices, such as Internet appliances and computers, access the network and connect to other devices as needed. UPnP devices can automatically discover the services from other registered UPnP devices on the network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The UPnP Portmap Table displays the IP address of each UPnP device that is accessing the router and which ports (internal and external) that device opened. The UPnP Portmap Table also displays what type of port is open and whether that port is still active for each IP address. To refresh the information in the UPnP Portmap Table, click the Refresh button.
5. Control Access to the Internet 5 The router comes with a built-in firewall that helps protect your home network from unwanted intrusions from the Internet.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Set Up Parental Controls The first time that you select Parental Controls from the BASIC Home screen, your browser goes to the Live Parental Controls website, where you can learn more about Live Parental Controls and download the application. To set up Live Parental Controls: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router After installation, Live Parental Controls automatically starts. 7. Click the Next button. 8. Read the note, and click the Next button again to proceed. Because Live Parental Controls uses free OpenDNS accounts, you are prompted to log in or create a free account. 9. Select the radio button that applies to you: • If you already have an OpenDNS account, leave the Yes radio button selected. • If you do not have an OpenDNS account, select the No radio button. 10.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 11. Complete the fields and click the Next button. After you log on or create your account, the filtering level screen displays: 12. Select a radio button for a filtering level and click the Next button. 13. Click the Take me to the status screen button. Parental controls are now set up for the router. The dashboard shows Parental Controls as Enabled. Allow or Block Access to Your Network You can use access control to block or allow access to your network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Access Control. 5. Select the Turn on Access Control check box. You must select this check box before you can specify an access rule and use the Allow and Block buttons. When this check box is cleared, all devices are allowed to connect, even if the device is in the blocked list. 6.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Manage Network Access Control Lists You can use access control to block or allow access to your network. To manage devices that are allowed or blocked: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 6. Select the check box for a device. 7. Use the Add button, Edit button, and Remove from the List button as needed. 8. Click the Apply button. Your changes take effect. Use Keywords to Block Internet Sites 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: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router For example: • Specify XXX to block http://www.badstuff.com/xxx.html. • Specify .com if you want to allow only sites with domain suffixes such as .edu or .gov. • Enter a period (.) to block all Internet browsing access. 7. Click the Add Keyword button. The keyword is added to the keyword list. The keyword list supports up to 32 entries. 8. Click the Apply button. Keyword blocking takes effect.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router To block services: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Block Services. 5.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 7. To add a service that is in the Service Type list, select the application or service. The settings for this service automatically display in the fields. 8. To add a service or application that is not the list, select User Defined. a. If you know that the application uses either TCP or UDP, select the appropriate protocol; otherwise, select TCP/UDP (both). b. Enter the starting port and ending port numbers.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Schedule. 5. Specify when to block keywords and services: • Days to Block. Select the check box for each day that you want to block the keywords or select the Every Day check box, which automatically selects the check boxes for all days. • Time of Day to Block. Select a start and end time in 24-hour format, or select All Day for 24-hour blocking. 6. Select your time zone from the list. 7.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Block Sites. 5. Scroll down and select the Allow trusted IP address to visit blocked sites check box. 6. In the Trusted IP Address field, enter the IP address of the trusted computer. 7. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 5. Select the Turn Email Notification On check box. 6. In the Your Outgoing Mail Server field, enter the name of your ISP outgoing (SMTP) mail server (such as mail.myISP.com). You might be able to find this information in the configuration screen of your email program. If you leave this field blank, log and alert messages are not sent. 7. In the Send to This E-mail Address field, type the email address to which logs and alerts are to be sent.
6. Tri-Band WiFi Connections 6 This chapter explains how the router manages WiFi connections for its WiFi bands and how you can control the relevant router settings.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Tri-Band WiFi Tri-band WiFi delivers 3.2 Gbps combined WiFi speeds through three dedicated WiFi bands—a 2.4 GHz band, plus two 5 GHz bands. This additional 5 GHz WiFi band allows you to double the WiFi bandwidth for dual-band devices. FASTEST 5 GHz - 1 300 Mbps FASTER 5 GHz - 2 300 Mbps FAST 2.4 GHz 600 Mbps Figure 6.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router iPhone 5S with support for only single-stream 802.11n can achieve a maximum WiFi speed of only 150 Mbps. As more devices connect and begin downloading, the bandwidth is shared among them as well. The following example of shared bandwidth shows a dual-band router in which the GHz WiFi band has a fast 640 Mbps capacity.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router having two lanes in the wider road instead of one. The router automatically uses Smart Connect to allocate the fastest devices to the fast lane. 5 GHz WiFi Band 5 GHz Faster iPhone 150 Mbps ÷ 3 iPad 300 Mbps ÷ 3 iPhone 150 Mbps ÷ 3 Internet 5 GHz Fastest Nighthawk X6 Total bandwidth: 1500 Mbps (150 + 300 + 150)÷ 3 + (1300 + 1300) ÷ 2 Greater than 2x the performance of other routers MacBook Pro 300 Mbps ÷ 2 MacBook Pro 1300 Mbps ÷ 2 Figure 8.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router For example, if three mobile devices are connected to one 5 GHz band, the fourth device is automatically connected to the other 5 GHz band. Internet Printer Desktop computer IP camera Fast 2.4 WiFi band Up to 600 Mbps Legacy devices iPad iPhone Phone Faster 5 GHz WiFi Band 1 Up to 1.3 Gbps Dual-band WiFi devices Fastest 5 GHz WiFi Band 2 Up to 1.3 Gbps MacBook Pro MacBook Air Dual-band AC WiFi devices Figure 9.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Smart Connect Smart Connect balances your 5 GHz WiFi connections into two different radio bands: the 5 GHz radio 1 band and the 5 GHz radio 2 band. The router uses Smart Connect to choose the best radio band for your device to give you the best WiFi performance. 2.4 GHz 2.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select Wireless. 5. Select or clear the Smart Connect – One Wireless Network Name (SSID) for both 5 GHz radios check box. Selecting this check box turns on Smart Connect and clearing this check box turns off Smart Connect. 6. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Implicit Beamforming Implicit beamforming means that the router can use information from client devices that support beamforming to improve the WiFi signal. This feature is enabled by default, but you can disable it. To disable implicit beamforming: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3.
7. Share USB Devices Attached to the Router 7 This chapter describes how to access and configure USB storage devices attached to your router. The USB port on the router can be used only to connect USB storage devices like flash drives or hard drives or a printer. Do not connect computers, USB modems, CD drives, or DVD drives to the router USB port.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router USB Device Requirements The router works with most USB-compliant external flash and hard drives. For the most up-to-date list of USB devices that the router supports, visit http://kbserver.netgear.com/readyshare. Some USB external hard drives and flash drives require you to load the drivers onto the computer before the computer can access the USB device. Such USB devices do not work with the router.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router To access the USB device from a Mac: 1. Connect your USB device to a USB port on the router. NETGEAR recommends you use the blue USB 3.0 port on the router to get the best USB device access speed. If your USB device has a power supply, you must use it when you connect the USB device to the router. When you connect the USB device to the router’s USB port, it might take up to two minutes before it is ready for sharing.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 2. In the ReadySHARE USB Storage Access pane, click PC Utility link. The readyshareconnect.exe file is downloaded to your computer. 3. Launch readyshareconnect.exe. 4. Select the drive letter to map to the network folder. 5. (Optional) To connect to the USB device as a different user, select the Connect using different credentials check box and do the following: a. Type the user name and password. b. Click the OK button. 6. Click the Finish button.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Back Up Mac Computers with Time Machine You can use Time Machine to back up your Mac computers onto a USB hard drive that is connected to one of the router’s USB ports. You can access the connected USB hard drive from your Mac with a wired or wireless connection to your router. Set Up a USB Hard Drive on a Mac NETGEAR recommends that you use a new USB HDD or format your old USB disk to do the Time Machine backup for the first time.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router b. Select Energy Saver. The Energy Saver screen displays. c. Click the Power Adapter tab. d. Select the Wake for Wi-Fi network access check box. e. Click the Back arrow to save the changes and exit the screen. 5. Modify your security settings: a. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences. The System Preferences screen displays. b. Select Security & Privacy. The Security & Privacy screen displays. c. Click the Advanced button at the bottom of the screen. d.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 5. When prompted to enter your name and password, select the Guest radio button. 6. Click the Connect button. A list of connected devices displays. This list includes the name admin when you log in as admin. 7. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences. 8. Open Time Machine. 9. Click the Select Backup Disk button and select your USB device from the list. 10. Click the Use for Backup button.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The USB Storage (Advanced Settings) screen displays. 5. Specify access to the USB storage device: • Network Device Name. This is the name used to access the USB device connected to the router. The default is readyshare. • Workgroup. If you are using a Windows workgroup rather than a domain, the workgroup name is displayed here. The name works only in an operating system that supports NetBIOS, such as Microsoft Windows. • Access Method.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Use FTP Within the Network File Transfer Protocol (FTP) lets you send and receive large files faster. To set up FTP access: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router View Network Folders on a USB Device You can view or change the network folders on the USB storage device. To view network folders: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router • Read Access and Write Access. Show the permissions and access controls on the network folder. All–no password (the default) allows all users to access the network folder. The password for admin is the same one that you use to log in to the router. • Folder Name. Full path of the network folder. • Volume Name. Volume name from the storage device (either USB device or HDD). • Total Space and Free Space. Show the current utilization of the storage device.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 8. In the Share Name field, type the name of the share. 9. In the Read Access list and the Write Access list, select the settings that you want. The user name (account name) for All–no password is guest. The password for admin is the same one that is used to log in to the router. By default, it is password. 10. Click the Apply button. The folder is added on the USB device. Edit a Network Folder on a USB Device You can add network folders on the USB storage device.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > USB Settings. By default the Enable any USB Device connection to the USB port radio button is selected. This setting lets you connect and access all your USB devices. 5. Select the No radio button. 6.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Safely Remove a USB Device Before you physically disconnect a USB device from the router USB port, log in to the router and take the drive offline. To remove a USB disk drive safely: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin.
8. Access USB Devices Through the Internet 8 With Dynamic DNS, you can use the Internet to access a USB hard drive attached to the router’s USB port router when you’re not home. This chapter includes the following sections: • Access USB Devices Through the Internet • Dynamic DNS • Your Personal FTP Server • Set Up Your Personal FTP Server For information about how to connect the USB device and specify its settings, see Chapter 7, Share USB Devices Attached to the Router.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Access USB Devices Through the Internet You can access USB devices through the Internet when you’re not home. To access USB devices from a remote computer: 1. Launch a web browser on a computer that is not on your home network. 2. Connect to your home router: • To connect with Dynamic DNS, type the DNS name. To use a Dynamic DNS account, you must enter the account information in the Dynamic DNS screen. See Dynamic DNS on page 82.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Advanced Settings. 5. Select the FTP (via Internet) check box. 6. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved. 7. To limit access to the admin user, click the Edit button. 8. In the Read Access list, select admin. 9. In the Write Access list, select admin. 10. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 2. To upload, use an FTP client such as filezilla. 3. Type ftp:// and the Internet port IP address in the address field of the browser. For example, type ftp://10.1.65.4. If you are using Dynamic DNS, type the DNS name. For example, type ftp://MyName.mynetgear.com. 4. When prompted, log in: • To log in as admin, in the user name field, type admin and in the password field, type the same password that you use to log in to the router.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router NETGEAR Dynamic DNS (DDNS) service account and specify the account settings. See Set Up a New Dynamic DNS Account on page 83. FTP Directory: FTP://‘custom name’.mynetgear.com FTP Directory: FTP://‘custom name’.mynetgear.com FTP Directory: FTP://‘custom name’.mynetgear.com FTP Director y: FTP://‘cu stom name’.m ynetgea r.com FTP Directory : FTP:// ‘custom name’.my netgear.c om Figure 12.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Settings > Dynamic DNS. 5. Select the Use a Dynamic DNS Service check box. 6. In the Service Provider list, select NETGEAR. 7. Select the No radio button. 8. In the Host Name field, type the name that you want to use for your URL. The host name is sometimes called the domain name. Your free URL includes the host name that you specify and ends with mynetgear.com. For example, specify MyName.mynetgear.com. 9.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Settings > Dynamic DNS. 5. Select the Use a Dynamic DNS Service check box. 6. In the Service Provider list, select one of the following: • NETGEAR • www.no-ip.com • www.DynDNS.org 7. Select the Yes radio button. The screen adjusts and displays the Show Status, Cancel, and Apply buttons. 8. In the Host Name field, type the host name (sometimes called the domain name) for your account. 9. For a www.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Change the Dynamic DNS Settings To change your settings: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4.
9. Use the Router as a Media Server 9 The router comes set up to work as a ReadyDLNA media server. You can set up the router to play music from iTunes Server and media from TiVo.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Specify ReadyDLNA Media Server Settings By default, the router acts as a ReadyDLNA media server, which lets you view movies and photos on DLNA/UPnP AV-compliant media players, such as Xbox360, Playstation, and NETGEAR media players. To specify media server settings: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Play Music from a USB Device with iTunes Server iTunes Server lets you play music with your Windows or Mac iTunes app from a USB device that is connected to the router USB port. You can also use the Apple Remote app from an iPhone or iPad to play music on any AirPlay devices, such as Apple TV or AirPlay-supported receivers. Figure 13. Play music on a USB device with iTunes Supported music file formats are MP3, AAC, and FLAC.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router d. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Media Server. e. Make sure that the Enable iTunes Media Server (Music Only) check box is selected. f. Enter the passcode. g. Click the Allow Control button. h. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved. On your iPhone or iPad, the ReadySHARE music library displays in the Remote app. You can play this music to AirPlay devices.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Media Server. The Media Server Settings screen displays. 5. Make sure that the Enable TiVo support check box is selected. 6. If you changed the setting, click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. To play videos: 1. On the TiVo, select TiVo Central > My Shows. 2. Go to the bottom of the list tand select the R8000. To play music or view photos: 1. On the TiVo, select TiVo Central > Music, Photos, & Showcases.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 2. Select an item to play or watch. To copy TiVo files to a computer: Use the TiVo Desktop accessory, available at https://www3.tivo.com/store/accessories-software.do.
10. 10 Share a USB Printer The ReadySHARE Printer utility lets you share a USB printer that is connected to the USB port on your router. You can share this USB printer among the Windows and Mac computers on your network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Install the Printer Driver and Cable the Printer Some USB printer manufacturers (for example, HP and Lexmark) request that you do not connect the USB cable until the installation software prompts you to do so. To install the driver and cable the printer: 1. On each computer on your network that shares the USB printer, install the driver software for the USB printer. If you do not have the printer driver, contact the printer manufacturer. 2.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Install the ReadySHARE Printer Utility You must install the ReadySHARE Printer utility on each computer that will share the printer. After you install it, the utility displays as NETGEAR USB Control Center on your computer. To install the utility: 1. Double-click the ReadySHARE Printer utility setup file that you downloaded. The InstallShield wizard displays. 2. Follow the wizard instructions to install NETGEAR USB Control Center.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The NETGEAR USB Control Center displays the main screen. Some firewall software, such as Comodo, blocks NETGEAR USB Control Center from accessing the USB printer. If you do not see the USB printer displayed in the screen, you can disable the firewall temporarily to allow the utility to work. 4. Select the printer and click the Connect button. The printer status changes to Manually connected by Mycomputer. Now, only your computer can use the printer. 5.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router To print and release the printer to any computer on the network: 1. To print your document, use the print feature in your application. The NETGEAR USB Control Center automatically connects your computer to the USB printer and prints the document. If another computer is already connected to the printer, your print job goes into a queue to wait to be printed. 2. If your document does not print, use the NETGEAR USB Control Center to check the status.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Use the Scan Feature of a Multifunction USB Printer If your USB printer supports scanning, you can also use the USB printer for scanning. For example, the USB printer displayed in the Windows Printers and Faxes window is ready for print jobs. To use the scan feature of a multifunction USB printer: 1. Click the NETGEAR USB Control Center icon . The main screen displays. 2. Make sure that the printer status shows as Available. 3.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Change NETGEAR USB Control Center Settings You can stop the NETGEAR USB Control Center from starting automatically when you log in to Windows. You can also change the language and specify the time-out to release the printer connection. To turn off automatic NETGEAR USB Control Center startup: 1. Click the NETGEAR USB Control Center icon . The main screen displays. 2. Select Tools > Configuration. 3.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router To specify the time-out: 1. Select Tools > Configuration. 2. In the Timeout field, type the number of minutes. The time-out is the number of minutes that a computer holds its connection to the printer when the connection isn’t being used. 3. Click the OK button. Your change is saved.
11. 11 Network Settings The router comes ready for WiFi, Ethernet, and USB connections. You can customize the router’s network settings. NETGEAR recommends that you install the router and connect it to the Internet before you change its network settings.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router View 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 router to respond to a ping to its WAN (Internet) port. To view the WAN settings: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router MTU only if you are sure that it is necessary for your ISP connection. See Change the MTU Size on page 36. • NAT Filtering. Network Address Translation (NAT) determines how the router processes inbound traffic. Secured NAT protects computers on the LAN from attacks from the Internet but might prevent some Internet games, point-to-point applications, or multimedia applications from working.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > WAN Setup. The WAN Setup screen displays. 5. Select the Default DMZ Server check box. 6. Type the IP address. 7. Click the Apply button. Your change takes effect. Change the Router’s Device Name The router’s device name is R8000. This device name displays in file manager when you browse your network. To change the router’s device name: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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 have competing subnets with the same IP scheme. To change the LAN TCP/IP settings: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router b. In the RIP Version list, select one of the following: • Disabled. This is the default setting. • RIP-1. This format is universally supported. It is adequate for most networks, unless you have an unusual network setup. • RIP-2. This format carries more information. Both RIP-2B and RIP-2M send the routing data in RIP-2 format. RIP-2B uses subnet broadcasting. RIP-2M uses multicasting. 8. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > LAN Setup. 5. Make sure that the Use Router as DHCP Server check box is selected. 6. Specify the range of IP addresses that the router assigns: a. In the Starting IP Address field, type the lowest number in the range. This IP address must be in the same subnet as the router. b. In the Ending IP Address field, type the number at the end of the range of IP addresses. This IP address must be in the same subnet as the router. 7.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router To disable the DHCP server feature in the router: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > LAN Setup. 5.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Tip: If the computer is already on your network, you can copy its MAC address from the Attached Devices screen and paste it here. 8. Click the Apply button. The reserved address is entered into the table. The reserved address is not assigned until the next time the computer contacts the router’s DHCP server. Reboot the computer, or access its IP configuration and force a DHCP release and renew. To edit a reserved address entry: 1.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 5. Select the radio button next to the reserved address. 6. Click the Delete button. The address is removed. Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi Connections The WPS Wizard helps you add a wireless computer or device to your WiFi network without typing the WiFi password. To use the WPS Wizard: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Note: The preset SSID and password are uniquely generated for every device to protect and maximize your wireless security. NETGEAR recommends that you do not change your preset security settings. 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router want to use different settings for each 5 GHz WiFi band, you must first disable Smart Connect (see Enable or Disable Smart Connect on page 62). 5. In the Region list, 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Note: For information about using Smart Connect to intelligently manage your 5 GHz WiFi connections, see Smart Connect on page 62. To change the WiFi Mbps settings: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 7. For the second 5 GHz WiFi band, in the 5 GHz-Two Radio section of the screen, select a setting from the Mode list. If you enabled Smart Connect, both 5 GHz WiFi bands must use the same WiFi settings. If you want to use different settings for each 5 GHz WiFi band, you must first disable Smart Connect (see Enable or Disable Smart Connect on page 62). 8. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Set Up a Guest Network Guest networks allows visitors at your home to use the Internet without using your wireless security key. You can add a guest network for the 2.4 GHz WiFi band and for each of the two 5.0 GHz WiFi bands. To set up a guest network: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router • Enable Guest Network. When this check box is selected, the guest network is enabled, and guests can connect to your network using the SSID of this profile. • Enable SSID Broadcast. If this check box is selected, the wireless access point broadcasts its name (SSID) to all wireless stations. Stations with no SSID can adopt the correct SSID for connections to this access point. • Allow guest to see each other and access my local network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Enable or Disable the Wireless Radios If you used the WiFi On/Off button to turn off the wireless radios, you can’t log in to the router to turn them back on. You must press the WiFi On/Off button again for two seconds to turn the wireless radios back on. To enable or disable the wireless radios: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Set Up a Wireless Schedule You can turn off the wireless signal from your router at times when you do not need a wireless connection. For example, you might turn it off for the weekend if you leave town. To set up the wireless schedule: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Specify WPS Settings Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) lets you join the WiFi network without typing the WiFi password. To specify WPS Settings: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Use the Router as a Wireless Access Point You can set up the router to run as an access point (AP) on the same local network as another router. To set up the router as an AP: 1. Use an Ethernet cable to connect the Internet port of this router to a LAN port in the other router. Cable this port to a LAN port on another router 2. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 3. Type http://www.routerlogin.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 7. Scroll down and select an IP address setting: • Get dynamically from existing router. The other router on the network assigns an IP address to this router while this router is in AP mode. • Enable fixed IP settings on this device (not recommended). Use this setting if you want to manually assign a specific IP address to this router while it is in AP mode. Using this option effectively requires advanced network experience.
12. Manage Your Network 12 This chapter describes the router settings for administering and maintaining your router and home network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Update the Router Firmware The router firmware (routing software) is stored in flash memory. You might see a message at the top of the genie screens 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 to update your product. To check for new firmware and update your router: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Change the admin Password This feature let you change the default password that is used to log in to the router with the user name admin. This password is not the one that you use for WiFi access. To set the password for the user name admin: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Recover the admin Password NETGEAR recommends that you enable password recovery if you change the password for the router user name admin. Then 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 set up password recovery: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 7. Click the Login again button. A login screen displays. 8. With your recovered password, log in to the router. View Router Status To view router status and usage information: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. 4. The BASIC Home screen displays 5. Click the ADVANCED tab. The ADVANCED Home screen displays. 6. In the Internet Port pane, click the Show Statistics button. The following information displays: • System Up Time.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Check the Internet Connection Status To check the Internet connection status: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 6. To return the status of all items to 0, click the Release button. 7. To refresh the screen, click the Renew button. 8. To exit the screen, click the Close Window button. View and Manage Logs of Router Activity The log is a detailed record of the websites you have accessed or attempted to access and other router actions. Up to 256 entries are stored in the log.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router • Date and time. The date and time the log entry was recorded. 5. To customize the logs, scroll down and clear or select the check boxes. To refresh the log screen, click the Refresh button. To clear the log entries, click the Clear Log button. To email the log immediately, click the Send Log button. Monitor Internet Traffic Traffic metering allows you to monitor the volume of Internet traffic that passes through the router Internet port.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 6. (Optional) Control the volume of Internet traffic. You can 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router network for all 192.168.1.x addresses. With this configuration, if you try to access a device on the 134.177.0.0 network, your router forwards your request to the ISP. The ISP forwards your request to the company where you are employed, and the company firewall is likely to deny the request. In this case you must define a static route, telling your router to access 134.177.0.0 through the ISDN router at 192.168.1.100.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router If the Private check box is selected, the static route is not reported in RIP. 8. Select the Active check box to make this route effective. 9. Type the IP address of the final destination. 10. Type the IP subnet mask for this destination. If the destination is a single host, type 255.255.255.255. 11. Type the gateway IP address, which must be on the same LAN segment as the router. 12. Type a number from 1 through 15 as the metric value.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Delete a Static Route To delete a static route: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select Attached Devices. The Wired Devices section lists devices that are connected to the router with Ethernet cables. The other sections list devices that are connected to each WiFi band in the WiFi network. The following information is displayed for wireless devices: • Connection Type. Wired or the WiFi band for the connection. • Device Name. If the device name is known, it is shown here. • IP Address.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Backup Settings. 5. Click the Back Up button. 6. Specify a location on your network. A copy of the current settings is saved in the location you specified. Restore Configuration Settings To restore configuration settings that you backed up: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Erase the Current Configuration Settings You can erase the current configuration and restore the factory default settings. You might want to do this if you move the router to a different network. (See Factory Settings on page 172.) To erase the configuration settings: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Remote Management. 5. Select the Turn Remote Management On check box. 6. In the Allow Remote Access By section, specify the external IP addresses to be allowed to access the router’s remote management.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 2. Type your router’s WAN IP address into your browser’s address or location field followed by a colon (:) and the custom port number. For example, if your external address is 134.177.0.123 and you use port number 8080, enter http://134.177.0.123:8080 in your browser. Configure the LEDs You can turn the Internet, WiFi, USB 3.0 port, and USB 2.0 port LEDs on the front panel of the router on or off. You can also enable or disable blinking on the LEDs.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Enable LED Blinking You can enable blinking on the LEDs if the router detects data traffic. To enable blinking on the LEDs: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 6. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved.
13. Use VPN to Access Your Network 13 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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. Secure remote access Open VPN Client Internet Figure 14. VPN provides a secure tunnel between your home network and a remote computer This type of VPN access is called a client-to-gateway tunnel. The computer is the client, and the router is the gateway.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. To install the Open VPN software on your computer, click the openVPN-install-xxx.exe file. The OpenVPN Setup Wizard displays: 5. Click the Next button. 6. Read the License Agreement and click the I Agree button. The Choose Components screen displays: 7. Leave the check boxes selected as shown, and click the Next button. 8. To specify the destination folder, click the Browse button and select a destination folder.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The following screen displays: 9. Click the Install button. The screen displays the progress of the installation and then displays the final installation screen. 10. Click the Finish button. 11. 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. 12.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Use a VPN Tunnel After you set up the router to use VPN and install the OpenVPN application on your computer, you can open a VPN tunnel from your computer to your router over the Internet. For the VPN tunnel to work, the local LAN IP address of the remote R8000 must have a different LAN IP scheme from that of the local LAN where your VPN client computer is connected.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router A menu displays: 3. Select Connect. The VPN connection is established. You can do the following: • Launch an Internet browser and log in to your router. • Use Windows file manager to access the 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: 1. In Windows file manager, select the Network folder. The network resources display.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router For a client device with Windows 64-bit system, the VPN client is installed at C:\Program files\OpenVPN\config\ by default. 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: 1.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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.
14. Specify Internet Port Settings 14 You can use port forwarding and port triggering to set up rules for Internet traffic. You need networking knowledge to set up these features.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Set Up Port Forwarding to a Local Server If you have a server in your home network, 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 9. In the Server IP Address field, enter the IP address of the computer that will provide the service. 10. Click the Add button. The service displays in the list. Add a Custom Port Forwarding Service 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. 2.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router If the application uses a single port, enter the same port number in the External Ending Port field. If the application uses a range of ports, enter the ending port number of the range in the External Ending Port field. 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 and Internal Ending Port fields. 12.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Delete a Port Forwarding Entry To delete a port forwarding entry: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Add a Port Triggering Service To add a port triggering service: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Enable Port Triggering To enable port triggering: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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 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.
15. 15 Troubleshooting This chapter provides information to help you diagnose and solve problems you might have with your router. If you do not find the solution here, check the NETGEAR support site at http://support.netgear.com for product and contact information.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Quick Tips This section describes tips for troubleshooting some common problems. Sequence to Restart Your Network When you need to restart your network, follow this sequence: 1. Turn off and unplug the modem. 2. Turn off the router. 3. Plug in the modem and turn it on. Wait two minutes. 4. Turn on the router and wait two minutes. Check Ethernet Cable Connections If your device does not power on, make sure that the Ethernet cables are securely plugged in.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Troubleshoot with the LEDs By default, the router is set with standard LED settings. If you disabled blinking for the LEDs or turned off all LEDs except the Power LED, you must return the LEDs to their standard settings for troubleshooting. For information about controlling the LED settings, see Position Your Router on page 12. Standard LED Behavior When the Router is Powered On After you turn on power to the router, the following sequence of events occurs: 1.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router LEDs Never Turn Off When the 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 router. If all LEDs are still lit one minute after power-up, do the following: • Cycle the power to see if the router recovers. • Press and hold the Reset button to return the router to its factory settings. For more information, see Factory Settings on page 172.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router this range, check the connection from the computer to the router, and reboot your computer. • If your router’s IP address was changed and you do not know the current IP address, clear the router’s configuration to factory defaults. This sets the router’s IP address to 192.168.1.1. For more information, see Factory Settings on page 172. • Make sure that your browser has Java, JavaScript, or ActiveX enabled.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router If your router is still unable to obtain an IP address from the ISP, the problem might be one of the following: • Your Internet service provider (ISP) might require a login program. Ask your ISP whether they require PPP over Ethernet (PPPoE) or some other type of login. • If your ISP requires a login, the login name and password might be set incorrectly. • Your ISP might check for your computer’s host name.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Click the ADVANCED tab. The ADVANCED Home screen displays. 5. In the Internet Port pane, click the Connection Status button. The Connection Status screen displays. 6. Check the Connection Status screen to see if your PPPoE connection is up and working.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Changes Not Saved If the router does not save the changes you make in the router interface, do the following: • When entering configuration settings, always click the Apply button before moving to another screen or tab, or your changes are lost. • Click the Refresh or Reload button in the web browser. The changes might have occurred, but the old settings might be in the web browser’s cache.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Test the LAN Path to Your Router You can ping the router from your computer to verify that the LAN path to your router is set up correctly. To ping the router from a Windows computer: 1. From the Windows toolbar, click Start and select Run. 2. In the field provided, type ping followed by the IP address of the router, as in this example: ping www.routerlogin.net 3. Click the OK button.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router If the path is functioning correctly, messages display that are similar to those shown in the previous section, Test the LAN Path to Your Router on page 169. If you do not receive replies, check the following: • Check that your computer has the IP address of your router listed as the default gateway. If DHCP assigns the IP configuration of your computers, this information is not visible in your computer Network Control Panel.
A. Supplemental Information This appendix includes technical information about your router.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Factory Settings You can return the 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 router for at least seven seconds. The router resets and returns to the factory configuration settings shown in the following table. Table 3. Factory default settings Feature Router login Internet connection Local network (LAN) Firewall Default behavior User login URL www.routerlogin.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Table 3. Factory default settings (continued) Feature Wireless Default behavior Wireless communication Enabled SSID name See router label Security WPA2-PSK (AES) Broadcast SSID Enabled Transmission speed Auto* Country/region United States in the US; otherwise, varies by region RF channel Auto for 2.4GHz, CH 44 for 5GHz- 1, and CH 153 for 5GHz-2 Operating mode Up to 600 Mbps at 2.4 GHz, 1300 Mbps at 5 GHz *.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Technical Specifications Table 4. R8000 Router specifications Feature Description Data and routing protocols TCP/IP, RIP-1, RIP-2, DHCP, PPPoE, PPTP, Bigpond, Dynamic DNS, UPnP, and SMB Power adapter • • • • Dimensions 11.63 x 8.92 x 2.14 in (295.5 x 226.8 x 54.5 mm) Weight 2.43 lbs (1.
