Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Model R8000 User Manual February 2016 202-11645-01 350 East Plumeria Drive San Jose, CA 95134 USA
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Support Thank you for purchasing this NETGEAR product. You can visit www.netgear.com/support to register your product, get help, access the latest downloads and user manuals, and join our community. We recommend that you use only official NETGEAR support resources. Conformity For the current EU Declaration of Conformity, visit http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11621. Compliance For regulatory compliance information, visit http://www.netgear.
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 Add VLAN Tag Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Chapter 4 Optimize Performance Use Dynamic QoS to Prioritize Bandwidth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Enable Dynamic QoS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Enable Dynamic QoS Using the genie App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router View Network Folders on a USB Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Add a Network Folder on a USB Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Edit a Network Folder on a USB Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Approve USB Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Safely Remove a USB Device . . .
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Specify Basic WiFi Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Change the WiFi Mbps Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Change the WiFi Password or Security Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Set Up a Guest Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Control the Wireless Radios . .
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Chapter 14 Specify Internet Port Settings Set Up Port Forwarding to a Local Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Add a Custom Port Forwarding Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Edit a Port Forwarding Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Delete a Port Forwarding Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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. AC3200 Smart WiFi Router Ethernet cable Power adapter (varies by region) 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 Computer 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 • If NETGEAR genie detects that the router is connected to another router or gateway, NETGEAR genie prompts you to set up the router in router mode or access point mode: Select the Help Me Choose radio button or Let Me Choose radio button: • Help Me Choose. If you select the Help Me Choose radio button, NETGEAR genie asks you a few questions to determine if you should set the router in router mode or access point mode.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router c. Read Chapter 15, Troubleshooting. If problems persist, register your NETGEAR product and contact NETGEAR technical support. Log In to the Router When you first set up your router, NETGEAR genie automatically starts when you launch an Internet browser on a computer that is connected to the router. If you want to view or change settings for the router, you can use genie again. To log in to the router: 1.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Access the Router with NETGEAR genie Apps The genie app is the easy dashboard for managing, monitoring, and repairing your home network. The genie app can help you with the following: • Automatically repair common wireless network problems. • Easily manage router features like Live Parental Controls, guest access, Internet traffic meter, speed test, and more. To use the genie app to access the router: 1. Visit the NETGEAR genie web page at www.NETGEAR.
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 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. Enter the IP address, IP subnet mask, and the gateway IP address that your ISP assigned. The gateway is the ISP router to which your router connects. 9.
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, PPTP, 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 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 5. In the Internet Connection Type list, select 6rd Tunnel. The router automatically detects the information in the following sections: • 6rd (IPv6 Rapid Development) Configuration. The router detects the service provider’s IPv4 network and attempts to establish an IPv6 6rd Tunnel connection. If the IPv4 network returns 6rd parameters to the router the page adjusts to display the correct settings in this section. • Router’s IPv6 Address on LAN.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 8. (Optional) Select the Use This Interface ID check box and specify the interface ID that you want to be used for the IPv6 address of the router’s LAN interface. If you do not specify an ID here, the router generates one automatically from its MAC address. 9. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Change the MTU Size The maximum transmission unit (MTU) is the largest data packet a network device transmits.
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 > 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 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. Enable the Bridge If your device, such as an IPTV, is connected to the router’s Ethernet port or WiFi network, you can enable the bridge so that the packets sent between the device and the router’s Internet port are not processed through the router’s network address translation (NAT).
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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.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 Your settings are saved.
4.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Use Dynamic QoS to Prioritize Bandwidth Dynamic Quality of Service (QoS) prioritizes your WiFi bandwidth by application and device. If your Internet bandwidth is limited, Dynamic QoS resolves Internet traffic congestion by using better application and device identification, bandwidth allocation, and traffic prioritization techniques. If you like gaming and streaming videos, you can benefit from enabling Dynamic QoS.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select Dynamic QoS. 5. Select the Enable Dynamic QoS check box. 6. Specify your Internet bandwidth. You can use Speedtest to detect your Internet bandwidth or you can enter your Internet bandwidth manually. NETGEAR recommends that you use Speedtest. To use Speedtest to detect your Internet bandwidth: a. For more accurate Speedtest results, make sure that no other devices are accessing the Internet. b. Click the Speedtest button.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router To enable Dynamic QoS using the Desktop genie app: 1. On your computer, open the app that you use to manage your WiFi connections. 2. Locate your router’s WiFi network and join it. 3. Click the genie app icon on your desktop or in the Windows taskbar. The Home screen displays. 4. Select Network Map. The network map displays with an image of the router and the devices connected to it. 5. Right-click the R8000 image and select Dynamic QoS.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router To view bandwidth utilization by device and application: 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 X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router A list of applications used by the device and their Internet download and upload speed displays: View Bandwidth Utilization By Device and Application Using the genie App You can view how much bandwidth is utilized by each device or application that is connected to the router’s network using the genie app. To view bandwidth utilization by device and application using the genie app: 1. On your computer, open the app that you use to manage your WiFi connections. 2.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The Dynamic QoS screen displays. 6. Make sure that Dynamic QoS is enabled and click the Close button. If Dynamic QoS is not enabled, see Enable Dynamic QoS Using the genie App on page 46. 7. On the network map, right-click the router image again and select Statistics. The Bandwidth Utilization screen displays. 8. From the menus at the top of the screen, select the following: • Download or Upload • Per Device or Per App • Real time 9. Click the Refresh button.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The Attached Devices screen displays the Internet download and upload speed for each device connected to the network. 7. Select the check box next to the device you want to edit. 8. Click the Edit button. The Edit Devices screen displays. 9. From the Device Priority menu, select a priority value. 10. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select Dynamic QoS. If you are using Dynamic QoS, the Enable Dynamic QoS check box is selected. 5. Select or clear the Automatically update performance optimization database check box. 6. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Manually Update the Performance Optimization Database The router uses a performance optimization database that analyzes the most popular applications and services to determine how to implement Dynamic QoS.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router If you are using Dynamic QoS, the Enable Dynamic QoS check box is selected. 5. Click the Update Now button. The router checks for the newest version of the database and downloads it. 6. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The time to live for the advertisement is measured in hops (steps) for each UPnP packet sent. Hops are the steps a packet takes between routers. The number of hops can range from 1 to 255. The default value for the advertisement time to live is 4 hops, which should be fine for most home networks. If you notice that some devices are not being updated or reached correctly, it might be necessary to increase this value. 8. Click the Apply button.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Your changes are saved.
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 Parental Controls website, where you can learn more about Parental Controls. To set up Parental Controls, you must download the genie app. To set up Parental Controls: 1. Launch an Internet browser from a computer or WiFi device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://www.routerlogin.net. A login screen displays. 3.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Because Live Parental Controls uses free OpenDNS accounts, you are prompted to log in or create a free account. 10. Select a radio button as follows: • If you already own an OpenDNS account, leave the Yes radio button selected. • If you did not yet create an OpenDNS account, select the No radio button. If you are creating an account, the following screen displays. a. Complete the fields. b. Click the Next button.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router After you log on or create your account, the filtering level screen displays. 11. Select a radio button for a filtering level and click the Next button.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 12. Click the Take me to the status screen button. Parental Controls are now set up for the router. 13. To enable Parental Controls, click the Enable Live Parental Controls button. Allow or Block Access to Your Network You can use access control to block or allow access to your network. To set up access control: 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band 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 the 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 X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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. The user name and password are case-sensitive. The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Security > Access Control.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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. 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 • 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 List to Be Blocked To delete keywords from the list: 1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the network. 2. Type http://routerlogin.net or http://routerlogin.
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 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 X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router b. Enter the starting port and ending port numbers. If the service uses a single port number, enter that number in both fields. To find out which port numbers the service or application uses, you can contact the publisher of the application, ask user groups or newsgroups, or search on the Internet. 9. Select a filtering option: • Only This IP Address. Block services for a single computer. • IP Address Range.
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 1300 Mbps FASTER 5 GHz - 2 1300 Mbps FAST 2.4 GHz 600 Mbps Figure 7.
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 9.
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 10.
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.
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 • 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. Add a Network Folder on a USB Device You can add network folders on the USB storage device. To add a network folder: 1. Launch an Internet 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 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. To edit a network folder: 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 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. Click the Approved Devices button. The approved and available USB devices display. 7.
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. Manage Dynamic DNS and 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.
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 95.
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 96. 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 13.
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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router A ReadyCLOUD app is also available for Windows computers, Android mobile devices, and iOS mobile devices. For more information about setting up ReadyCLOUD, see the ReadyCLOUD for Routers User Manual, which is available online at http://downloadcenter.netgear.com. Create a ReadyCLOUD Account To create a ReadyCLOUD account: 6. Launch a web browser from a computer or WiFi device. 7. Visit http://readycloud.netgear.com. The ReadyCLOUD Welcome page displays. 8.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The BASIC Home page displays. 6. Select ADVANCED > USB Functions > ReadySHARE Storage. The USB Storage (Advanced Settings) page displays. 7. Click the ReadyCLOUD tab. 8. Enter your ReadyCLOUD user name and password and click the Register button. If you did not create a ReadyCLOUD account, see Create a ReadyCLOUD Account on page 100. The router is registered with ReadyCLOUD.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The ReadyCLOUD page displays the router that you registered and the contents of the USB storage device that is connected to the router.
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 14. Play music on a USB device with iTunes Supported music file formats are MP3, AAC, and FLAC.
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. d. Select ADVANCED > USB Storage > Media Server. e. Select the Enable iTunes Media Server (Music Only) check box and click the Apply button. f. Enter the passcode and click the Allow Control button. Your changes take effect. On your iPhone or iPad, the ReadySHARE music library displays in the Remote app.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The BASIC Home screen displays. 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.
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 Disable LED Blinking or Turn Off LEDs The router LEDs on the top panel indicate router activities and behavior. You can disable LED blinking for network communications, or turn off all LEDs except the Power LED. To disable LED blinking or turn off the LEDs: 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 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. The following settings display: • Disable Port Scan and DoS Protection. DoS protection protects your LAN against denial of service attacks such as Syn flood, Smurf Attack, Ping of Death, and many others. Select this check box only in special circumstances. • Default DMZ Server.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Set Up a Default DMZ Server The default DMZ server feature is helpful when you are using some online games and videoconferencing applications that are incompatible with Network Address Translation (NAT). The router is programmed to recognize some of these applications and to work correctly with them, but other applications might not function well.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 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. 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 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. In the IP Address field, type the IP address. 6. In the IP Subnet Mask, type the subnet mask of the router. The IP address and subnet mask identify which addresses are local to a specific device and which must be reached through a gateway or router. 7. Change the RIP settings.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router If you changed the LAN IP address of the router, you are disconnected when this change takes effect. 9. To reconnect, close your browser, relaunch it, and log in to the router Specify the IP Addresses That the Router Assigns By default, the router acts as a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. The router assigns IP, DNS server, and default gateway addresses to all computers connected to the LAN.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router This IP address must be in the same subnet as the router. b. In the Ending IP Address field, type the number at the end of the range of IP addresses. This IP address must be in the same subnet as the router. 7. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Reserve LAN IP Addresses When you specify a reserved IP address for a computer on the LAN, that computer always receives the same IP address each time it accesses the router’s DHCP server. Assign reserved IP addresses to computers or servers that require permanent IP settings. To reserve an IP address: 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band 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 Edit button. 7. Change the settings. 8. Click the Apply button. Your changes are saved. To delete a reserved address 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The BASIC Home screen displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > WPS Wizard. A note explaining WPS displays. 5. Click the Next button. 6. Select a setup method: • Push button. Click the WPS button on this screen. • PIN Number. The screen adjusts. Enter the client security PIN and click the Next button. 7. Within two minutes, go to the client device and use its WPS software to connect to the WiFi network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select Wireless. You can specify the settings for the 2.4 GHz band and for the 5 GHz bands. 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 75). 5. In the Region list, select your region. In some locations, you cannot change this setting. 6.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router Your settings are saved. If you connected wirelessly to the network and you changed the SSID, you are disconnected from the network. 10. Make sure that you can connect wirelessly to the network with its new settings.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select Wireless. 5. For the 2.4 GHz WiFi band, in the Wireless Network (2.4 GHz b/gn/n) section of the screen, select a setting from the Mode list. Up to 600 Mbps is the default setting. The other settings are Up to 289 Mbps and Up to 54 Mbps. 6. For the first 5 GHz WiFi band, in the 5 GHz-One Radio section of the screen, select a setting from the Mode list. Up to 1300 Mbps is the default setting, which allows 802.11ac and 802.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router To change the WPA 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. Select Wireless. The Wireless Setup screen displays. 5.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The BASIC Home screen displays. 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 first 5 GHz WiFi band. • NETGEAR-5G-2-Guest is for the second 5 GHz WiFi band. 6. Select any of the following wireless settings: • Enable Guest Network.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router the WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES] radio button. This setting protects your WiFi network and lets computers and wireless devices can connect to the WiFi network by using either WPA2 or WPA security. 9. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band 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 X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless Settings. 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router The Router’s PIN field displays the PIN that you use on a registrar (for example, from the Network Explorer on a Vista Windows computer) to configure the router’s wireless settings through WPS. 5. (Optional) Select or clear the Enable Router’s PIN check box. The PIN function might temporarily be disabled when the router detects suspicious attempts to break into the router’s wireless settings by using the router’s PIN through WPS.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router To set up the router with your existing router or gateway: 1. Use an Ethernet cable to connect the Internet port of this router to a LAN port on your existing router or gateway. Cable this port to a LAN port on another router 2. Launch a web browser from a computer or WiFi device that is connected to the network. The first time that you are setting up the Internet connection for your router, the browser goes to http://www.routerlogin.
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 189.) 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. Remotely Access Your Router Using the genie App You can use the genie app to remotely access your router and change its key settings.
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 15. 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 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 page displays. 4. Select ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > VPN Service. The VPN Service page displays. 5. Make sure that the Enable VPN Service check box is selected. 6. Specify any VPN service settings on the page. For more information, see Specify VPN Service in the Router on page 160. 7.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 12. Read the License Agreement and click the I Agree button. 13. Leave the check boxes selected as shown, and click the Next button. 14. To specify the destination folder, click the Browse button and select a destination folder. 15. Click the Install button. The page displays the progress of the installation and then displays the final installation page.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 16. Click the Finish button. 17. Unzip the configuration files that you downloaded and copy them to the folder where the VPN client is installed on your computer. For a client device with Windows 64-bit system, the VPN client is installed at C:\Program files\OpenVPN\config\ by default. 18. For a client device with Windows, modify the VPN interface name to NETGEAR-VPN: a. In Windows, select Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network Connections. b.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router For more information about using OpenVPN on your Mac computer, visit https://openvpn.net/index.php/access-server/docs/admin-guides/183-how-to-connect-toaccess-server-from-a-mac.html. Use a VPN Tunnel on Your Windows Computer 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.
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 If the service that you want to add is not in the list, create a custom service. See Add a Custom Port Forwarding Service on page 171. 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.
Nighthawk X6 AC3200 Tri-Band WiFi Router 10. In the External Starting Port field, enter the beginning port number. 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.
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 189.
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 189. • 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 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 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 • 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. Verify that the IP address of the router is listed as the default gateway.
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.
