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 Router
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							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 the router and the modem.
Inter

net •
Solid white
. The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is operating.
• Blinking white. The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
• Off. The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is off.
2.4 GHz 

WiFi Hardware Overview of the Router
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							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 connected, or someone clicked the Safely Remove Hardware button and it
is no

w safe to remove the attached USB device.
USB 3.0 port The LED color indicates the speed: white for Gigabit Ethernet connections and amber for 100 Mbps or
10 Mbps Ethernet connections.
•
Solid white or solid amber. A powered-on device is connected to the Ethernet port.
• Blinking white or b

linking amber. The port is sending or receiving traffic.
• Off. No device is connected to this Ethernet port.
Ether

net ports 1–4 Pressing this button for two seconds turns the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi radios on and off.
If this LED is solid white, the WiFi radios are on. If this LED is off, the WiFi radios are turned off and you
cannot use WiFi to connect to the 
router.
WiFi On/Off b
utton with
LED This button lets you use WPS to join the WiFi network without typing the WiFi password. The WPS LED
blinks white during this process and then lights solid white.
WPS button with LED For information about disabling LED blinking for network communications and turning off all LEDs except the Power
LED, see 
Disable LED Blinking or Turn Off LEDs on page 191.
Ports, Buttons, and Connectors on the Back Panel The back panel of the router provides ports, buttons, antenna connectors, and a DC power connector. For information
about attaching the antennas, see Attach the Antennas on page 11. Hardware Overview of the Router
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Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi Router Model R6900 
						

							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 button to provide power to the router.
• DC po
wer connector. Connect the power adapter that came in the product package to the DC power connector.
USB Port on the Front Panel The USB 3.0 port is located on the front of the 
router. Hardware Overview of the Router
15
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							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 of
your router. For example, the thickness and number of walls the WiFi signal passes through can limit the range. Hardware Overview of the Router
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							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 Ethernet cables for wired computers.
• Place the router in an elevated location, minimizing the number walls and ceilings between the router and your
other devices.
• Place the router away from electrical devices such as these:
•Ceiling fans
• Home security systems
• Microwaves
• Computers
• Base of a cordless phone
• 2.4 GHz cordless phone
• 5 GHz cordless phone
• Place the router away from large metal surfaces, large glass surfaces, insulated walls, and items such as these:
•Solid metal door
• Aluminum studs
• Fish tanks
• Mirrors
• Brick
• Concrete
If you are using adjacent access points, use different radio frequency channels to reduce interference.
Cable Your Router The f
ollowing image shows how to cable your router
: Hardware Overview of the Router
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							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.
5. Press the Power On/Off button on the back panel of the 
router. Hardware Overview of the Router
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							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: 1.
Make sure that the router is receiving power (its Power LED is lit).
2. Connect an Ethernet cable to an Ethernet port on your computer.
3. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to one of the numbered Ethernet ports.
Your computer connects to the local area network (LAN). A message might display on your computer screen
to notify you that an Ethernet cable is connected.
Join the WiFi Network of the Router
Choose either the manual or the WPS method to add a WiFi device such as a computer, iPhone, iPad, or gaming
device to the WiFi network of the router.
Manual Method
On the WiFi device that you want to connect to the router, you can use the software application that manages your
WiFi connections. To connect a device manually to the WiFi network of the router: 1.
Make sure that the router is receiving power (its Power LED is lit).
2. On the WiFi device that you want to connect to your router, open the software application that manages your
WiFi connections.
This software scans for all WiFi networks in your area.
3. Look for the router’s network and select it. Connect to the Network and Access the Router
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Nighthawk AC1900 Smart WiFi Router Model R6900