User Manual
Table Of Contents
- Contents
- 1. Hardware overview and setup
- 2. Connect to Network and Access the Router
- 3. Specify Your Internet Settings
- Use the Internet Setup Wizard
- Manually set up the Internet connection
- Specify IPv6 Internet connections
- Requirements for entering IPv6 addresses
- Use auto config for an IPv6 Internet connection
- Use auto detect for an IPv6 Internet connection
- Set up an IPv6 6to4 tunnel Internet connection
- Set up an IPv6 6rd Internet connection
- Set up an IPv6 pass-through Internet connection
- Set up an IPv6 fixed Internet connection
- Set up an IPv6 DHCP Internet connection
- Set up an IPv6 PPPoE Internet connection
- Manage the MTU size
- 4. Optimize Performance
- 5. Control Access to the Internet
- 6. Share USB Storage Devices Attached to the 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
- Back up Windows-based computers with ReadySHARE Vault
- Back up Mac computers with Time Machine
- 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
- 7. Use Dynamic DNS to Access USB Storage Devices Through the Internet
- 8. Use the Router as a Media Server
- 9. Manage 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 router assigns
- Disable the DHCP server feature in the router
- Manage reserved LAN IP addresses
- Use the WPS Wizard for WiFi connections
- Specify Basic WiFi Settings
- Change the Router WiFi Mode
- 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
- Set up the router as a WiFi access point
- Set Up a WiFi Bridge Between the Router and Another Device
- Set up a bridge for a port group or VLAN tag group
- Manage custom static routes
- Enable or disable MU-MIMO
- Enable or disable airtime fairness
- Enable or disable implicit beamforming
- 10. Manage Your Router
- 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
- Monitor Internet traffic
- Manage the router configuration file
- Remote access
- Remotely access your router using the Nighthawk app
- Disable LED blinking or turn off LEDs
- Return the router to its factory default settings
- 11. Use VPN to Access Your Network
- 12. Manage Port Forwarding and Port Triggering
- 13. Troubleshooting
- 14. Supplemental Information
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 Internet service, and the technical
support of either the Internet service provider (ISP) or NETGEAR recommends
changing the MTU setting.
For example, if a secure website does not open, or displays only part of a web page,
you might need to change the MTU.
•
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.
CAUTION: 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.
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 2. Common MTU sizes
ApplicationMTU
The largest Ethernet packet size. This setting is typical for
connections that do not use PPPoE or VPN and is the default value
for NETGEAR routers, adapters, and switches.
1500
Used in PPPoE environments.1492
Maximum size to use for pinging. (Larger packets are fragmented.)1472
Used in some DHCP environments.1468
User Manual40Specify Your Internet Settings
AC2000 Smart WiFi Router