Netgear Ex7000 Nighthawk Ac1900 Wifi Range Extender User Manual

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8
8.   Share a USB Printer Through the 
Extender
The ReadySHARE Printer utility lets you share a USB printer that is connected to the USB port 
on your extender. You can share this USB printer among the Windows and Mac computers on 
your network. 
This chapter contains the following sections:
•Set Up ReadySHARE Printer
•Use the Shared Printer
•View or Change the Status of a Printer
•Use the Scan Feature of a Multifunction USB Printer
•Change NETGEAR USB Control Center Settings
Note:For more information about ReadySHARE features, visit 
www.netgear.com/readyshare. 
Note:For information about how to connect the USB drive and how to 
specify its settings, see Chapter 6, Share a USB Storage Device.  
						

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Set Up ReadySHARE Printer
To set up ReadySHARE Printer:
1. 
Connect the USB printer to a USB port on the extender with a USB printer\
 cable.
2.  On each computer that will share the printer
 , do the following:
a. Install the current USB printer driver software (available from the pri\
nter 
manufacturer).
b.  Download ReadySHARE Printer from  www
 .netgear.com/readyshare.
c.  In the ReadySHARE Printer pane, click the  PC Utility or Mac Utility link.
d.  Follow the onscreen instructions to download the file.
3.  Double-click the ReadySHARE Printer utility setup file that you download\
ed.
The InstallShield wizard displays.
4.  Follow the wizard instructions to install NETGEAR USB Control Center
 .
After the InstallShield Wizard completes the installation, the NETGEAR U\
SB Control 
Center prompts you to select a language.
5.  Select a language from the menu and click the  OK button.
Some firewall software, such as Comodo, blocks the NETGEAR USB Control C\
enter 
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.
6.  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
 .
7.  Click the  Disconnect button.
The status changes to Available. Now all computers on the network can use the printer.
Note: After you click the Connect and Disconnect  buttons once, the utility 
automatically manages the printing queue and handling.
8.  T
o exit the utility, select System > Exit. 
						

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 AC1900 WiFi Range Extender
Use the Shared Printer
After you install the ReadySHARE Printer utility, by default, when you log on to Windows, the 
utility starts automatically and runs in the background.
To manually connect and print from the printer that is connected to the e\
xtender:
1.  On your computer
 , click the NETGEAR USB Control Center icon .
The main screen displays.
2.  Click the  Connect button.
The printer status changes to Manually connected by Mycomputer . Now
 , only the 
computer you are using can use this printer.
3.  Use the print feature in your application to print your document.
4.  T
o release the printer connection so that all computers on the network ca\
n use it, click the 
Disconnect button.
To print and release the connection to the printer that is connected to t\
he extender:
1. T
o print your document from your computer, use the print feature in your application.
The NETGEAR USB Control Center automatically connects your computer to t\
he USB printer and prints the document. If another computer is already connecte\
d 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.
View or Change the Status of a Printer
The NETGEAR USB Control Center displays the status of the USB printer th\
at is connected 
to the extender. You can view the status or change the status manually.
To view or change the status:
1.  On your computer
 , click the NETGEAR USB Control Center icon .
The Status column shows the status for each device:
• A
vailable. No print jobs are in process. You can use the USB printer from any 
computer in the network.  
						

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AC1900 WiFi Range Extender 
•
Connected. Your computer is connected to the printer. When your print job is done, 
the printer connection is released.
• Manually Connected by . Only the connected computer can use the printer
 . 
• W
aiting to Connect . Your computer is not connected to the shared printer yet. 
2.  T
o change the status from Manually Connected by another computer to Available, click the 
Disconnect button.
The printer connection is released and the status changes to Available.
3.  T
o change the status from Waiting to Connect to Available, click the  Connect button.
The printer status changes to Manually connected by my computer. Now, only your  computer can use the printer
 .
4.  T
o allow the printer to be shared, click the  Disconnect button.
The printer connection is released and the status changes to Available.
Use the Scan Feature of a Multifunction USB Printer
If the USB printer that is connected to the extender supports scanning, \
you can also use the 
USB printer for scanning. For example, the USB printer displayed in the \
Windows Printers 
and Faxes screen is ready for print jobs.
Figure 8. Example of the Windows Printers and Faxes screen

To use the scan feature of a multifunction USB printer:
1.  Launch the NETGEAR USB Control Center
 .
2.  Make sure that the printer status shows as 
 Available. 
						

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 AC1900 WiFi Range Extender
3. 
Click the Network Scanner button. 
The scanner screen displays so that you can use the USB printer for scan\
ning.
Change NETGEAR USB Control Center Settings
You can stop the NETGEAR USB Control Center from starting automatically w\
hen you log in 
to Windows. You can also change the language and specify the time-out to release the \
connection to the USB printer that is connected to the extender.
To turn off automatic NETGEAR USB Control Center startup:
1.  Launch the NETGEAR USB Control Center
 .
2.  Select  T
 ools > Configuration.
3.  Clear the  Automatically execute when logging on W
 indows check box.
4.  Click the  OK button.
Your settings are saved. 
						

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66 AC1900 WiFi Range Extender 
To change the language:
1. Launch the NETGEAR USB Control Center.
2. Select Tools > Configuration.
The Control Center - Configuration screen displays.
3. In the Language menu, select a language.
4. Click the OK button.
The next time NETGEAR USB Control Center starts, the language changes.
To specify the time-out:
1. Launch the NETGEAR USB Control Center.
2. Select Tools > Configuration.
The Control Center - Configuration screen displays.
3. In the Timeout field, type the number of minutes.
The time-out period is the number of minutes that a computer holds its connection to the 
USB printer when the connection is not being used.
4. Click the OK button.
Your changes are saved. 
						

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9
9.   FAQs and Troubleshooting
This chapter covers the following topics: 
•FAQs
•Cannot Connect to the Extender
•Cannot Join a WiFi Network and Receive an Error Message 
						

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AC1900 WiFi Range Extender 
FAQs
This section provides answers for difficulties you might experience with the extender.
The web browser setup guide keeps asking me for my network password (pa\
ssphrase) 
or security key
 , and I am sure that I entered the correct password. What can I do?
The extender is probably placed at the borderline of the range covered b\
y the router or  access point. 
 To improve your signal strength, move your extender closer to your router\
 and 
make sure that the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Link Rate LED lights solid amber or \
green.
Table 2.  Link Rate LED colors
LED ColorPerformance
The extender provides the best performance.
  The extender provides a workable performance.
 The extender provides a poor performance.
 Off The extender cannot function.
If you are using WEP security, make sure that you are typing the network password in the 
correct field.
I am connected to NETGEAR_EXT and launched a browser. Why can’t I see the web 
browser setup guide?
Try these troubleshooting steps: • Make sure that your computer is set up to use DHCP (most are).
• Make sure that the Device to Extender LED 
 is green and that you are using a valid 
IP address.
• Relaunch the web browser and enter  www
 .mywifiext.net in the address field. Type your 
user name and password and click the LOG IN button.
• If you are installing the extender as an access point, make sure that yo\
u are connecting 
your computer or WiFi device to the extender through a WiFi connection i\
nstead of an 
Ethernet connection.
I forgot my login email and password. What can I do?
On the login screen, click the Username & Password Help link to answer the security 
questions you set up during the initial setup.
If you forgot the answers to your security questions, do the following t\
o set up your login 
credentials again:
1.  Reset the extender to its factory default settings. 
						

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69  AC1900 WiFi Range Extender
For more information about how to reset the extender, see Return the Extender to Its 
Factory Default Settings on page 44.
2. Launch a web browser.
3. Enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field of the browser.
The login screen displays.
4. Click the NEW EXTENDER SETUP button.
The Create Account screen displays.
5. Complete the fields to set up your user name and password.
My router security is WEP, and I entered the wrong passphrase or security key on the 
extender. I cannot access the extender anymore. What can I do?
The extender cannot check to see if the WEP passphrase is correct. If you entered the wrong 
passphrase, your wireless device is not able to get the IP address from the extender. You 
must reset the extender to its factory default settings to get the IP address back. See 
Factory 
Default Settings on page 75.
Can I set up the extender in extender mode if I connect it to the router or access point 
with an Ethernet cable?
No. The extender is designed to connect wirelessly to the router or access point if it is in 
extender mode. If the extender is in access point mode, you can connect it to the router or 
access point with an Ethernet connection.
For more information about access point mode, see Install the Extender as an Access Point 
on page 18.
I enabled a wireless MAC filter, wireless access control, or access control list (ACL) on 
my router. What should I do when installing the extender?
When the WiFi 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. If your routers 
MAC filter, wireless access control, or ACL is enabled, the WiFi device connects to the 
extender but cannot get an IP address from the extender and cannot access the Internet. To 
allow the wireless device to receive an IP address from the extender and access the Internet, 
you must provide the translated MAC address to the router.
To add a translated MAC address to your router:
1. Log in to your router and disable the MAC filter, wireless access control, or ACL.
For more information about how to disable your router’s MAC filter, wireless access 
control, or ACL, see your router’s documentation.
2. Power on the extender and connect all of your WiFi devices to the extender.
3. Make sure that the Link Rate LED remains lit.
4. Log in to your extender:
a.Launch a web browser.
b. Enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field of the browser. 
						

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70 AC1900 WiFi Range Extender 
A login screen displays.
c. Enter your email address and password and click the LOG IN button.
5. Select Settings > WiFi Settings.
The WiFi Settings screen displays.
6. Scroll down and select Connected Devices.
The Connected Devices section displays the MAC addresses and virtual MAC addresses 
for computer and WiFi devices that are connected to the extender network.
7. On the router, add all of the virtual MAC addresses from your extender to your router’s MAC 
filter table.
8. Pull out the product label from the extender and find the extender’s MAC 1 and MAC 2 
addresses.
For information about accessing the product label, see Retrieve and Display the Product 
Label on page 11.
9. Add the extender’s MAC 1 address to your router’s MAC filter table.
10. Add the extender’s MAC 2 address to your router’s MAC filter table.
You must type 02:0F:B5: first, then type the last six digits of your MAC 2 address after.
For example, if your MAC 2 address is C4:04:15:5F:20:AC, type 02:0F:B5:5F:20:AC in 
your router’s MAC filter table.
11. Convert the extender’s MAC 1 address and add the new MAC 1 address to your router’s 
MAC filter table.
a.Convert the first two hexadecimal values in the extender’s MAC 1 address to binary.
For example, say the first two hexadecimal values in your MAC 1 addresses are C4. 
The binary code for C is 1100 and the binary code for 4 is 0100. Therefore, the binary 
code for C4 is 1100/0100..
Table 3.  Hexadecimal value to binary numbers  
Hexadecimal ValuesBinary Numbers
00000
10001
20010
30011
40100
50101
60110
70111
81000