N300 WiFi Range Extender Model WN3000RP User Manual April 2014 202-11346-01 350 East Plumeria Drive San Jose, CA 95134 USA
N300 WiFi Range Extender 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.
N300 WiFi Range Extender Contents Chapter 1 Get to Know Your Extender Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extender Side and Bottom Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How the Extender Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . When to Use Your Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1. Get to Know Your Extender 1 This chapter covers the following topics: • Front Panel • Extender Side and Bottom Panels • How the Extender Works • When to Use Your Extender For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the support website at http://support.netgear.com. Firmware updates with new features and bug fixes are made available from time to time on downloadcenter.netgear.com.
N300 WiFi Range Extender Front Panel The front panel has LEDs. Router Client Arrow Arrow LED LED Router Link LED Client Link LED Power LED WPS LED Figure 1. Extender front panel Table 1. LEDs LED Description Router Link LED The connection between the extender and the router or access point. • Solid green. Best connection. • Solid amber. Good connection. • Solid red. Poor connection. • Off. No connection. Client Link LED The connection between the extender and a computer or mobile device.
N300 WiFi Range Extender Extender Side and Bottom Panels The side panel has buttons, and the bottom panel has the Factory Reset button and an Ethernet port. Power On/Off button WPS button Factory Reset button Ethernet port Figure 2. Extender side and bottom panels How the Extender Works The extender increases the distance of a WiFi network. The extender connects to your network’s WiFi signal and it broadcasts its own WiFi signal.
N300 WiFi Range Extender When to Use Your Extender NETGEAR recommends that you connect to the extender only when your WiFi network connection is poor. Data traffic routed through the extender is inherently slower than traffic routed directly from the network.
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N300 WiFi Range Extender Place the Extender NETGEAR recommends that you place the extender near the router during initial setup. Then move it farther away from the router as needed to increase the area that has a WiFi signal. To place the extender: 1. Place your extender in the same room as your WiFi router. 2. Plug the extender into an electrical outlet. The Power LED button. lights green.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 4. Connect your existing WiFi devices to the new extended network. Use the same WiFi password that you use for your WiFi router. 5. Unplug the extender and move it to a new location closer to the area with a poor WiFi signal. The location that you choose must be within the range of your existing WiFi router network. 6. Plug the extender into an electrical outlet and wait one minute. The Power LED button. lights green. If the Power LED does not light, press the Power 7.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 5. In the Name field, type a name (SSID) for your new extender WiFi network and click the Continue button. Note: You can use the same security settings as your existing network by selecting the check box. The settings are applied and the following screen displays: 6. Use a WiFi network manager on the computer or mobile device to connect to the extender’s newly created WiFi network. 7. Enter your password. 8. Select the check box and click the Continue button.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 9. Unplug the extender and move it to a new location closer to the area with a poor WiFi signal. The location you choose must be within the range of your existing WiFi router network. 10. Plug the extender into an electrical outlet and wait one minute. The Power LED button. lights green. If the Power LED does not light, press the Power 11. Use the Router Link LED on the front panel to help you choose a spot where the extender-to-router connection is optimal.
N300 WiFi Range Extender Cable a Computer or Device to the Ethernet Port You can use an Ethernet cable to connect a computer or device to the Ethernet port on the extender. Here are some examples of when you might want to do this: • You want to use a computer to log in to the extender to view or change its settings, but you are having trouble connecting to the extender WiFi networks. • You have already installed the extender and now you want to connect a device to the extender’s Ethernet port.
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N300 WiFi Range Extender Log In to the Extender After Initial Setup After installation, you can log in to the extender to view or change its settings. To log in to the extender after the initial setup: 1. Connect a computer or mobile device to the extender’s network. 2. Launch a web browser and enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field. A login screen displays. 3. Enter admin for the user name and password for the password.
N300 WiFi Range Extender If you already changed the password and want to change it again, type your personalized password. 4. Select Maintenance > Set Password. 5. Type the old password. 6. Type the new password twice. 7. Click the Apply button. Your settings are saved. Use the Setup Wizard to Connect the Extender to a Network The first time that you use a browser to connect to the extender to install it, the NETGEAR genie installation wizard displays.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 5. To select the network you want the extender to join, do one of the following: • Select the radio button for the network. • Select the Manually input my wireless SSID radio button and type the name of the network. 6. Enter the security settings for the network that you selected. 7. Click the Continue button. You are prompted to name the extender network. By default, the extender network name is the same as the network that you selected with _EXT at the end. 8.
N300 WiFi Range Extender Add a WPS Client to the Extender Network A WPS client is a computer or wireless device. WPS lets you add a wireless computer or device to the extender’s WiFi network without typing the WiFi password. WPS does not support WEP network security. If you are using WEP security, see Connect with NETGEAR genie Smart Setup on page 10. Note: For instructions about how to use the physical WPS button on the extender, see Connect with WPS on page 9. To add a WPS client: 1.
N300 WiFi Range Extender You are prompted to enter a user name and password. If you do not see the login prompt, make sure to include http:// when you type http://www.mywifiext.net in your browser. 3. Type admin for the user name and type your password. If you have not yet personalized your password, type password for the password. 4. Select Setup > Wireless Settings. 5. To change the network name, type a name in the Name (SSID) field. 6.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 4. Select Advanced > Wireless Settings. All the check boxes are selected by default. 5. In the Advanced Wireless Settings section of the screen, select or clear the check boxes. • Enable Wireless Access Point. When this check box is selected, the extender allows WiFi connections. Clearing this check box prevents wireless devices from connecting to the extender. LAN devices can still connect to the extender over an Ethernet cable. • Enable SSID Broadcast.
N300 WiFi Range Extender CAUTION: If you use a wireless device to set up the access list, add your wireless device to the access list. Otherwise, you are disconnected when you click the Apply button. To avoid this situation, use a computer with a wired connection to access the extender. Before you enable the access list, you must add the MAC addresses of the wireless devices that you want to grant access to the WiFi network of the extender. To set up and enable the access list: 1.
N300 WiFi Range Extender Now only computers and devices in the Wireless Card Access list can join the extender’s WiFi networks. Set Up the Extender to Use a Static IP Address By default, the extender gets its IP address dynamically from the router in your network. This is the most common setting and is suitable for most situations. You can set up the extender to use a static IP address. You specify the static IP address and it always stays the same.
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N300 WiFi Range Extender Back Up the Extender Configuration When the extender works correctly after initial setup, NETGEAR recommends that you back up the extender configuration settings. After you have backed up the settings, if you change the extender settings but are not content with the new settings, you can restore the backed-up configuration settings. To back up the extender configuration settings: 1. On your computer, launch a web browser. 2.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 3. Type admin for the user name and type your password. If you have not yet personalized your password, type password for the password. 4. Select Maintenance > Backup Settings. 5. Click the Browse button. 6. Locate and select the previously saved backup file. By default, the name of the backup file is NETGEAR_WN3000RP.cfg.
N300 WiFi Range Extender To restore factory settings: 1. Insert a paper clip into the Factory Reset hole and hold it until the Power LED blinks amber. Factoy Reset button 2. Release the button. All the LEDs turn off for about three seconds. The Power LED lights solid amber for about 30 seconds. The Power LED lights solid green. The extender returns to its factory settings.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 4. Select Maintenance > Backup Settings. CAUTION: After you click the Erase button, do not try to go online, turn off the extender, shut down the computer, or do anything else to the extender until it finishes restarting! 5. Click the Erase button. A confirmation pop-up screen displays. 6. Confirm your decision. The extender restarts. This process takes about one minute.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 4. Select Maintenance > Firmware Upgrade. 5. Click the Check button. 6. If new firmware is available, follow the onscreen prompts to download it onto your computer. Note: You might need to unzip the firmware file. 7. Click the Browse button. 8. Locate and select the new firmware file. CAUTION: After you click the Upload button, do not try to go online, turn off the extender, shut down the computer, or do anything else to the extender until it finishes restarting! 9.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 4. Select Maintenance > Network Devices. For each wired and wireless device, the IP address, device name, and MAC address display. 5. (Optional) Click the Refresh button. The screen is updated.
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N300 WiFi Range Extender FAQs This section provides answers for difficulties you might experience with the extender. 1. Question. Will the extender work if I connect it to my wireless router with an Ethernet cable? Answer. No. The extender is designed to connect wirelessly to the router or access point. 2. Question. What are the user name and default password to log in to the extender? Answer. If you are online at http://www.mywifiext.
N300 WiFi Range Extender 7. Question. I have enabled a wireless MAC filter (wireless access control or ACL) on my wireless router. What should I do when installing the extender? Answer. When the wireless device connects through the extender to your router, the MAC address of the wireless device shown on the router is translated to another MAC address.
N300 WiFi Range Extender • You might have typed the network name, passphrase, or key incorrectly. Use the Setup Wizard to select a WiFi network from the list with detected networks, and retype the passphrase or key. The passphrase or key is case-sensitive. For example, PASSWORD25 is not the same as Password25 or password25. • If the extender cannot detect your WiFi network, check to see if your WiFi network is still working. Make sure that the wireless router is turned on.
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N300 WiFi Range Extender Factory Default Settings The following table includes the factory settings for the extender. You can use the Factory Reset button or the Erase feature to return the extender to these settings. (See Return the Extender to Its Factory Settings on page 25.) Table 4.
N300 WiFi Range Extender Table 5. Technical specifications (continued) Extender Specifications Environmental • • • Interface • • Operating temperature: 32° to 140°F (0° to 40°C) Operating humidity: 90% maximum relative humidity, noncondensing Electromagnetic emissions: Meets requirements of FCC Part 15 Class B. Local: 10BASE-T, 100BASE-Tx, RJ-45 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.
