Netgear R6900 Nighthawk Ac1900 Smart Wifi Router User Manual

Unpack Your Router
The bo
x contains the following items. Figure 1. Package contents for the router
Table 1. Legend Router
1.
Antennas (3)
2.
Ethernet cable
3.
Power adapter
4
In some regions, a CD is included in the package.
Attach the Antennas The router comes with three antennas. Hardware Overview of the Router
11
Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi Router Model R6900 

To attach the antennas:
1.
Remove the antenna caps from the antenna posts on the back panel of the router.
2. Align the antennas with the antenna posts
. 3.
Attach the antennas on the threaded antenna posts.
4. Position the antennas for the best WiFi performance.
We recommend that the center antenna be vertical and that you aim the others outward at 45-degree angles,
as shown.
LEDs and Buttons on the Top Panel The status LEDs and buttons are located on the top of the router
. Hardware Overview of the...

Figure 2. Router LEDs and buttons
Table 2. LED and button descriptions Description
LED
•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.
P
ower •
Solid white
. The Internet connection is ready.
• Solid amber. The router detected an Ethernet cable connection to the modem.
• Off. No Ethernet cable is connected between...

Description
LED
•Solid white. The 5 GHz WiFi radio is operating.
• Blinking white. The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
• Off. The 5 GHz WiFi radio is off.
5 GHz 
WiFi •
Solid white
. The guest WiFi network is operating.
• Blinking white. The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
• Off. The guest WiFi network is off.
Guest 

WiFi •
Solid white
. A USB device is connected and is ready.
• Blinking white. A USB device is plugged in and is trying to connect.
• Off. No USB device is...

Figure 3. Router back panel
In addition to the three antennas, viewed from left to right, the back panel contains the following components:
•
Reset button. For information about using the Reset button, see Return the Router to Its Factory Default Settings
on page 191.
• Ethernet LAN por
ts. Four Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 LAN ports to connect the 
router to LAN devices.
• Internet por
t. One Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 WAN port to connect the router to a modem.
• P

ower On/Off button
. Press the Power On/Off...

Figure 4. USB port
Product Label on the Bottom Panel The product label on the bottom panel of the router lists the login information, WiFi network name (SSID) and
pass
word (network key), serial number, and MAC address of the 
router. Figure 5. Router product label
Position Your Router The router lets you access your network anywhere within the operating range of your WiFi network. However, the
operating distance or range of your WiFi connection can vary significantly depending on the physical placement...

Additionally, other WiFi access points in and around your home might affect your router’s signal. WiFi access points
are routers, repeaters, WiFi range extenders, and any other device that emits a WiFi signal for network access.
Position your router according to the following guidelines:
•
Place your router near the center of the area where your computers and other devices operate and within line
of sight to your WiFi devices.
• Make sure that the router is within reach of an AC power outlet and near...

Figure 6. Router cabling
To cable your router: 1.
Unplug your modem’s power, leaving the modem connected to the wall jack for your Internet service.
If your modem uses a battery backup, remove the battery.
2. Plug in and turn on your modem.
If your modem uses a battery backup, put the battery back in.
3. Connect your modem to the Internet port of your router with the yellow Ethernet cable that came with your router.
4. Connect the power adapter to your 
router and plug the power adapter into an outlet....

2
Connect to the Network and Access the
Router
You can connect to the router’s WiFi networks or use a wired Ethernet connection. This chapter describes the ways you
can connect and how to access the router and log in.
The chapter contains the f
ollowing sections:
• Connect to the Router on page 20
• Use a 

Web Browser to Access the Router
 on page 22
• Change the Language on page 24
• Access the Router 

With the NETGEAR genie App
 on page 24 19 

Connect to the Router
During and after installation, 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 of your computer so that it uses Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
Connect to the Router Through an Ethernet Cable
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:...