Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Model R7500 User Manual August 2014 202-11384-01 350 East Plumeria Drive San Jose, CA 95134 USA
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 Top View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Rear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Turn the LEDs On or Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Chapter 4 Optimize Performance Use Dynamic QoS to Optimize Internet Traffic Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enable Dynamic QoS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enable or Disable the Automatic QoS Database Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manually Update the Dynamic QoS Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Participate in Dynamic QoS Analytics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Set Up a New Dynamic DNS Account. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Specify a DNS Account That You Already Created. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Change the Dynamic DNS Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Set Up Your Personal FTP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Disable the DHCP Server Feature in the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Manage Reserved LAN IP Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Reserve an IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Edit a Reserved IP Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Delete a Reserved IP Address Entry. . . . .
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Check Ethernet Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Wireless Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Network Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Troubleshoot with the LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1. 1 Hardware Setup The Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router with four high-performance antennas and quad-stream X4 architecture combines four WiFi streams to deliver WiFi connection speeds up to 1.73 Gbps, and a combined speed of 2.33 Gbps. • 600 Mbps WiFi speed on the 2.4 GHz band • 1.73 Gbps on the 5 GHz band Nighthawk X4 is ideal for homes with a high volume of network and Internet traffic from gaming and streaming.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Unpack Your Router Your package contains the following items. AC2350Smart WiFi Router Ethernet cable Power adapter Antennas (4) Figure 1. Package contents Top View The status LEDs and buttons are located on the top of the router. WiFi On/Off button WPS button LEDs Figure 2.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. Internet • • • Solid white. The Internet connection is ready. Solid amber. The router detected an Ethernet cable connection to the modem. Off.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Rear Panel The rear panel connections and buttons are shown in the following figure. LED On/Off switch Reset button Gigabit Ethernet Internet LAN ports 1–4 port Power connector Power On/Off Figure 3. Router rear panel Pressing the Reset button restores the factory settings. See Factory Settings on page 168. Turn the LEDs On or Off To turn the LEDs on or off: Slide the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel to the On or Off position.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Attach the Antennas To attach the antennas: 1. To determine where to attach the antennas, match the labels on the antennas with the labels on the router. 2. Align the antennas with the antenna posts on the router. 3. Attach the antennas on the threaded antenna posts. 4. Position the antennas for the best WiFi performance. NETGEAR recommends that you position all of the antennas vertically, as shown. USB Ports on the Left Panel Two 3.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router eSATA Port on the Right Panel An eSATA port is located on the right panel. Figure 5. eSATA port Connect an eSATA Device To connect an eSATA device: Use an eSATA cable to connect your device to the eSATA port on the side of the router as shown.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Position Your Router The router lets you access your network anywhere within the operating range of your wireless network. However, the operating distance or range of your wireless connection can vary significantly depending on the physical placement of your router. For example, the thickness and number of walls the wireless signal passes through can limit the range. Additionally, other wireless access points in and around your home might affect your router’s signal.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Cable Your Router The following image shows how to cable your router: Ethernet cable DSL or cable Router Ethernet cable Modem Power adapter Figure 6. Router cabling To cable your router: 1. Unplug your modem’s power, leaving the modem connected to the wall jack for your Internet service. If your modem uses a battery backup, remove the battery. 2. Plug in and turn on your modem. If your modem uses a battery backup, put the battery back in. 3.
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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 7. Router label 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: • ISP login. The login that your ISP gave you logs you in to your Internet service.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 a web browser. You can also customize or specify your Internet settings.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 4. Select Internet. Scroll to view more settings 5. In the Does your Internet connection require a login? setting, 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 that your ISP gave you. This login name is often an email address. 8. In the Password field, type the password that you use to log in to your Internet service. 9.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router • Get Automatically from ISP. Your ISP uses DHCP to assign your DNS servers. Your ISP automatically assigns this address. • Use These DNS Servers. If you know that your ISP requires specific servers, select this option. Enter the IP address of your ISP’s primary DNS server. If a secondary DNS server address is available, enter it also. 14. Select a Router MAC Address radio button: • Use Default Address. Use the default MAC address. • Use Computer MAC Address.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Your Internet service provider (ISP) can provide this information. For more information about IPv6 Internet connection, see the following sections.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Use Auto Config for an IPv6 Internet Connection To set up an IPv6 Internet connection through auto configuration: 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Most people can leave this field blank, but if your ISP gave you a specific host name, enter it here. 7. (Optional) In the DHCP Domain Name (If Required) field, enter a domain name. You can type the domain name of your IPv6 ISP. Do not enter the domain name for the IPv4 ISP here. For example, if your ISP’s mail server is mail.xxx.yyy.zzz, type xxx.yyy.zzz as the domain name. If your ISP provided a domain name, type it in this field.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Your settings are saved. Set Up an IPv6 DHCP Internet Connection To set up an IPv6 Internet connection with a DHCP server: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Most people can leave this field blank, but if your ISP gave you a specific host name, enter it here. 7. (Optional) In the Domain Name (If Required) field, enter a domain name. 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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.
4. Optimize Performance 4 You can set up the router to optimize performance for applications such as Internet gaming, high definition video streaming, and VoIP communication. By default, the router uses Wi-Fi Multimedia Quality of Service (WMM QoS).
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Use Dynamic QoS to Optimize Internet Traffic Management Dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) helps improve your router’s Internet traffic management capabilities through better application and device identification, bandwidth allocation, and traffic prioritization techniques. Dynamic QoS resolves traffic congestion when the Internet bandwidth is limited and different demands compete for bandwidth.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router To enable Dynamic QoS: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select Dynamic QoS. 5. Select the Enable Dynamic QoS check box. 6.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Enable or Disable the Automatic QoS Database Update The router uses a QoS database of the most popular applications and services to implement Dynamic QoS. By default, the router automatically updates this database. You can turn off this feature and manually update the database. To enable or disable the automatic Dynamic QoS database update: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router To manually update the Dynamic QoS database: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select Dynamic QoS.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 4. Select Dynamic QoS. 5. Make sure that you have enabled Dynamic QoS. For more information about enabling Dynamic QoS, see Enable Dynamic QoS on page 41. 6. Select the Help improve the Dynamic QoS feature by sharing analytics with NETGEAR check box. A pop-up screen displays detailed information about sharing analytics. The Yes radio button is selected by default. 7. After you have read the information, click the Submit button. 8. Click the Apply button.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 > UPnP. The UPnP screen displays. 5. Select the Turn UPnP On check box. By default, this check box is selected. UPnP for automatic device configuration can be enabled or disabled.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router require QoS are assigned to the best effort category, which receives a lower priority than voice and video. To disable WMM QoS: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 created an OpenDNS account, leave the Yes radio button selected. • If you did not yet create an OpenDNS account, select the No radio button.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. The Setup is complete screen displays. 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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 a device is in the blocked list. 6. Select an access rule: • Allow all new devices to connect. With this setting, if you add a new device, it can access your network.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router • Specify XXX to block http://www.badstuff.com/xxx.html. • Specify .com if you want to allow only sites with domain suffixes such as .edu or .gov. • Enter a period (.) to block all Internet browsing access. 7. Click the Add Keyword button. The keyword is added to the keyword list. The keyword list supports up to 32 entries. 8. Click the Apply button. Keyword blocking takes effect. Delete Keywords from the Blocked List To delete keywords from the list: 1.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 > Security > Block Services. 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 > 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Set Up Security Event Email Notifications The router can email you its logs of router activity. The log records router activity and security events such as attempts to access blocked sites or services. To set up email notifications: 1. Launch 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. c. (Optional) in the Outgoing Mail Server Port Number field, enter a port number. 9. (Optional) Select the Send Alerts Immediately check box. Email alerts are sent immediately when someone attempts to visit a blocked site. 10.
6. Share Storage Devices Attached to the Router 6 This chapter describes how to access and manage storage devices attached to your router. ReadySHARE lets you access and share storage devices, such as a USB or eSATA storage device, connected to the router. (If your storage device has special drivers, it is not compatible.) Note: The USB ports on the router can be used only to connect USB storage devices like flash drives or hard drives or a printer.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Connect an eSATA Device to the Router You can connect an eSATA device to the eSATA port located on the right side of the router. Figure 9. eSATA port 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Connect a USB Device to the Router ReadySHARE lets you access and share a USB device connected to the router USB port. (If your USB device uses special drivers, it is not compatible.) Figure 10. Two 3.0 USB ports are located on the side of the router To connect a USB device: 1. Insert your USB storage drive into a USB port on the side panel of the router. 2. If your USB device uses a power supply, connect it.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router If you set up access control on the router and you allowed your Mac to access the network, select the Registered User radio button and enter admin for the name and password for the password. For more information about access control, see the user manual, which is available online at http://downloadcenter.netgear.com or through a link in the router’s user interface. 5. Click the Connect button.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 5. To connect to the 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. The device is mapped to the drive letter that you specified. Back Up Windows Computers with ReadySHARE Vault Your router comes with free backup software for all the Windows computers in your home.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 2. On your Mac, go to Spotlight (or the magnifying glass) at the top right of the screen and search for Disk Utility. 3. To format your USB device, open the Disk Utility, click the Erase tab, and click the Erase button. 4. Click the Partition tab. 5. Click Partition Layout and set the number of partitions that you want to use. 6. Click the Options button. The Partition options display. 7. Select the GUID Partition Table or Master Boot Record radio button. 8.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router To back up your Mac onto a USB hard drive: 1. Prepare your USB device with a compatible format and partitions. See Set Up a USB Hard Drive on a Mac on page 66. If you plan to back up a large amount of data, see Prepare to Back Up a Large Amount of Data on page 67. 2. Insert your USB storage drive into a USB port on the router. Note: If your USB device uses a power supply, you must use it when you connect the USB device to the router.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > ReadySHARE > Advanced Settings. 5. Specify access to the storage device: • Network Device Name. This is the name used to access the device connected to the router. • Workgroup.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router To view network folders: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > ReadySHARE > Advanced Settings. 5.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Add a Network Folder on a Storage Device You can add network folders on a storage device connected to the router USB ports and eSATA port. To add a network folder: 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 6. Click the Create Network Folder button. If this screen does not display, your web browser might be blocking pop-ups. If it is, change the browser settings to allow pop-ups. 7. Complete the fields. 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. 8. Click the Apply button. The folder is added on the storage device.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > ReadySHARE> Advanced Settings. 5. Click the Edit button. The Edit Network Folder screen displays. 6. Change the settings in the fields as needed. 7. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved. Approve USB Devices For more security, you can set up the router to share only USB devices that you approve. To approve USB devices: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. Click the Approved Devices button. The approved and available USB devices display. 7. In the Available USB Devices list, select the device that you want to approve. 8. Click the Add button.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 USB Storage > Basic Settings. The USB Settings screen displays. 5. Click the Safely Remove USB Device button. This takes the device offline. 6. Physically disconnect the USB device.
7. Access Storage Devices Through the Internet 7 With Dynamic DNS, you can use the Internet to access an eSATA drive attached to the router’s eSATA port and USB hard drives attached to the router’s USB ports when you’re not home.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Access Storage Devices Through the Internet You can access eSATA and USB 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 in the Dynamic DNS screen. See Dynamic DNS on page 79.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Access Storage Devices Through the Internet with FTP You must first set up FTP through Internet access as described in Set Up FTP Access Through the Internet on page 78. To access a USB device with FTP from a remote computer: 1. To download, launch a web browser. 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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 80. FTP Directory: FTP://‘custom name’.mynetgear.com FTP Directory: FTP://‘custom name’.mynetgear.com FTP Directory: FTP://‘custom name’.mynetgear.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 your provider. 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 No-IP or Dyn account, in the User Name field, type the user name for your account. 10.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Settings > Dynamic DNS. The Dynamic DNS screen displays. 5. Change your DDNS account settings as necessary. 6. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved. Set Up Your Personal FTP Server To set up your personal account and use FTP: 1. Get your NETGEAR Dynamic DNS domain name. See Set Up FTP Access Through the Internet on page 78. 2. Make sure that your Internet connection is working.
8. Use the Router as a Media Server 8 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Play Music from a Storage Device with iTunes Server iTunes Server lets you play music with your Windows or Mac iTunes app from a storage device that is connected to the router. 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 12. Play music on a USB device with iTunes Supported music file formats are MP3, AAC, and FLAC.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router d. Select ADVANCED > ReadySHARE 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 on AirPlay devices.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > ReadySHARE 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 and select the R7500. To play music or view photos: 1.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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.
9. 9 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 the printer driver is not installed, contact the printer manufacturer. 2.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 2. In the ReadySHARE Printer pane, click the PC Utility or Mac Utility link. 3. Follow the onscreen instructions to download the file. 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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. Click the Network Scanner button.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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.
10. Manage Your Network 10 This chapter describes the router settings for administering and maintaining your router and home network.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 update your product. To check for new firmware and update your router: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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. Note: Be sure to change the password for the user name admin to a secure password. 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router recovery process is supported in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome browsers but not in the Safari browser. To set up password recovery: 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router View Router Status To view router status and usage information: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Click the ADVANCED tab.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. The time elapsed since the router was last restarted. • Port. The statistics for the WAN (Internet) and LAN (Ethernet) ports.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 following information displays: • IP Address. The IP address that is assigned to the router. • Subnet Mask.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router View and Manage Logs of Router Activity The log is a detailed record of the websites you accessed or attempted to access and other router actions. Up to 256 entries are stored in the log. To view and manage logs: 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. You can set limits for traffic volume. To monitor Internet traffic: 1.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. The restriction is applied to both incoming and outgoing traffic.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. Here is an example: • The Destination IP Address and IP Subnet Mask fields specify that this static route applies to all 134.177.x.x addresses.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. This value represents the number of routers between your network and the destination.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Static Routes. The Custom Static Routes screen displays. 5. In the table, select the radio button for the route. 6. Click the Delete button.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router • 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 number 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. 5. To update this screen, click the Refresh button.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Restore Configuration Settings To restore configuration settings that you backed up: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 5. Click the Erase button. The factory default settings are restored. The user name is admin, the password is password, and the LAN IP address is 192.168.1.1. DHCP is enabled. Remote Management You can access your router over the Internet to view or change its settings. You must know the router’s WAN IP address to use this feature. For information about remote access using Dynamic DNS, see Chapter 7, Access Storage Devices Through the Internet.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Note: For enhanced security, restrict access to as few external IP addresses as practical. Select one of the following: • Only This Computer. Allow access from a single IP address on the Internet. Enter the IP address to be allowed access. • IP Address Range. Allow access from a range of IP addresses on the Internet. Enter a beginning IP address and an ending IP address to define the allowed range. • Everyone. Allow access from any IP address on the Internet. 7.
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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router MTU only if you are sure that it is necessary for your ISP connection. See Change the MTU Size on page 38. • 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 R7500. This device name displays in the file manager when you browse your network. To change the router’s device name: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 use competing subnets with the same IP scheme. To change the LAN TCP/IP settings: 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router b. Select a RIP version: • Disabled. This is the default setting. • RIP-1. This format is universally supported. It is adequate for most networks, unless you are using an unusual network setup. • RIP-2. This format carries more information. Both RIP-2B and RIP-2M send the routing data in RIP-2 format. RIP-2B uses subnet broadcasting. RIP-2M uses multicasting. 8. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > LAN Setup. 5. Clear the Use Router as DHCP Server check box. 6. Click the Apply button. 7.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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. Edit a Reserved IP Address To edit a reserved address entry: 1.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Setup > LAN Setup. The LAN Setup screen displays. 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Specify Basic WiFi Settings The router comes with preset security. This means that the WiFi network name (SSID), network key (password), and security option (encryption protocol) are preset in the factory. You can find the preset SSID and password on the router label. 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router You can specify the settings for the 2.4 GHz band and for the 5 GHz band. 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. When this check box is selected, the router broadcasts its network name (SSID) so that it displays when you scan for local WiFi networks on your computer or wireless device. 7.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router To change the WiFi Mbps settings: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select Wireless. 5. For the 2.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Change the WiFi Password or Security Level Your router comes with preset WPA2 or WPA security. The password that you enter to connect to your network is unique to your router and is on the router label. NETGEAR recommends that you use the preset security, but you can change the settings. NETGEAR recommends that you do not disable security. To change the WPA settings: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select Wireless. The Wireless Setup screen displays. 5. Scroll down to the Wireless Network (5 GHz 802.11a/n/ac) section of the screen. 6. Select the Enable Video Network check box. 7.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 4. Select Guest Network. 5. Scroll to the section of the screen for the guest WiFi network that you want to set up. The default guest wireless network names (SSIDs) are as follows: • NETGEAR-Guest is for the 2.4 GHz WiFi band. • NETGEAR-5G-Guest is for the 5 GHz WiFi band. 6. Leave the Enable SSID Broadcast check box selected. Allowing the router to broadcast its wireless network name (SSID) makes it easier to find your network and connect to it.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Enable a Video Guest WiFi Network Guest networks allows visitors at your home to use the Internet without using your wireless security key. For optimal HD streaming performance for your guests, you can enable a 5 GHz guest video network. When this the video network feature is enabled, the router uses video reliability algorithms to reduce jitter and packet loss during video streaming. To set up a guest network: 1.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Control the Wireless Radios The router’s internal wireless radios broadcast signals in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz range. By default, they are on so that you can connect wirelessly to the router. When the wireless radios are off, you can still use an Ethernet cable for a LAN connection to the router. You can turn the wireless radios on and off with the WiFi On/Off button on the router, or you can log in to the router and enable or disable the wireless radios.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Settings. 5. In the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz sections of the screen, select or clear the Enable Wireless Radio check boxes. Clearing these check boxes turns off the WiFi feature of the router for each band. 6. Click the Apply button. If you turned off both wireless radios, the WiFi On/Off LED and the WPS LED turn off. If you turned on the wireless radios, the WiFi On/Off LED and the WPS LED light.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router The Advanced Wireless Settings screen displays. 5. Click the Add a new period button. 6. Use the lists, radio buttons, and check boxes to set up a period during which you want to turn off the wireless signal. 7. Click the Apply button. The Advanced Wireless Settings screen displays. 8. Select the Turn off wireless signal by schedule check box to activate the schedule. 9. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router The PIN function might temporarily be disabled when the router detects suspicious attempts to break into the router’s wireless settings by using the router’s PIN through WPS. You can manually enable the PIN function by selecting the Enable Router’s PIN check box. 6. (Optional) Select or clear the Keep Existing Wireless Settings check box. By default, the Keep Existing Wireless Settings check box is selected. NETGEAR recommends that you leave this check box selected.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 5. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless AP. 6. Select the Enable AP Mode check box. 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Use the Router in Bridge Mode You can use your router in bridge mode to connect multiple devices with WiFi at the faster 802.11ac speed. To do this, you need two WiFi routers: one set up as a router and the other set up as a bridge. Figure 13. Router in bridge mode with an 802.11ac WiFi connection Installing your router as a bridge offers the following benefits: • You can take advantage of gigabit WiFi speeds on current devices.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 2. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network of the router that will run in bridge mode. 3. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 4. 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. 5. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Bridge.
12. Use VPN to Access Your Network 12 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router information about changing these settings, see Change the LAN TCP/IP Settings on page 118. 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. The ReadySHARE icon is in the Computer section and the remote R7500 icon is in the Media Devices section (if DLNA is enabled in the router). 2. If the icons do not display, click the Refresh button to update the screen.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router To allow VPN clients to use your home Internet service: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. A login screen displays. 3. Enter the router user name and password. The user name is admin. The default password is password. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 > Advanced Setup > VPN Service. The VNP screen 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.
13. Specify Internet Port Settings 13 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Set Up 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 3. Type http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 12. In the Internal IP address field, type the IP addressor select the radio button for an attached device listed in the table. 13. Click the Apply button. The service is now in the list on the Port Forwarding/Port Triggering screen. Edit a Port Forwarding Service To edit a port forwarding entry: 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Port Forwarding/Port Triggering. The Port Forwarding/Port Triggering screen displays. 5. Select the Port Forwarding radio button as the service type. 6. In the table, select the radio button next to the service name. 7. Click the Delete Service button. The service is deleted.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi 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 wireless device that sent the web page request. Set Up 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).
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 6. Click the Add Service button. 7. In the Service Name field, type a descriptive service name. 8. From the Service User list, 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 list, select TCP or UDP or TCP/UDP (both). If you are not sure, select TCP/UDP. 10.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router 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.
14. 14 Troubleshooting This chapter provides information to help you diagnose and solve problems you might experience 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Troubleshoot with the LEDs By default, the router is set with standard LED settings. If you turned off the LEDs except the Power LED, you must return the LEDs to their standard settings for troubleshooting. For information about controlling the LED settings, see Turn the LEDs On or Off on page 11. 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 168.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 168. • Make sure that Java, JavaScript, or ActiveX is enabled in your browser.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Changes Not Saved If the router does not save the changes that 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. It is possible that the changes occurred, but the old settings might be in the web browser’s cache.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 the Start button 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 X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router If the path is functioning correctly, messages display that are similar to those shown in Test the LAN Path to Your Router on page 165. If you do not receive replies, check the following: • Check that IP address of your 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.
A. Supplemental Information This appendix includes technical information about your router.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart 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 8. Factory default settings Feature Router login Internet connection Local network (LAN) Firewall Default Behavior User login URL www.routerlogin.com or www.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Table 8. 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 Auto1 Country/region United States in the US; otherwise, varies by region RF channel Auto for 2.4GHz, CH 44 for WW SKU and CH 153 for North America SKU Operating mode Up to 600 Mbps at 2.4 GHz, 1733 Mbps at 5 GHz 1.
Nighthawk X4 AC2350 Smart WiFi Router Technical Specifications Table 9. R7500 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 11.22 x 7.26 x 1.97 in. (285 x 184.5 x 50 mm) Weight 1.
