Netgear R7900 Nighthawk X6 Ac3000 Tri Band Wifi Gigabit Router User Manual

							Hardware Setup 11
 Nighthawk
 X6 AC3000  Tri-Band WiFi  Router
You can use the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel of the router to turn the LEDs on the 
top of the router on or off. See Turn the LEDs On or Off Using the LED On/Off Switch on 
page
  12.
Rear Panel
The rear panel connections and buttons are shown in the following figure\
.
USB 3.0
Ethernet Internet Power Power
port
LAN ports 1–4 portconnector On/Off
LED On/Off
switch Reset
button
Figure 3. Router rear panel
Pressing the Reset button restores the factory settings. See Factory Settings 
on page
  182. 
USB 3.0 port• Solid white. A USB device is connected and is ready. 
•  Blinking . 
 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 now safe to remove the attached USB device. 
Guest WiFi
•  Solid white. The guest WiFi radio is operating.
•  Off. The 
 guest WiFi radio is off.
Ethernet ports 
1–4
The LED color indicates the speed: white for Gigabit Ethernet connection\
s and amber for 100  Mbps or 10 Mbps Ethernet connections.
•  Solid . A 
 powered-on  device  is  connected  to  the  Ethernet  port.
•  Blinking . 
 The port is sending or receiving traffic.
•  Off. No device is connected to this Ethernet port.
WiFi On/Off 
button with LED
Pressing this button for two seconds turns the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi ra\
dios on and off.
If this LED is lit, 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.
WPS button 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.
Table 1.  LED and button descriptions  (continued)
LEDDescription 
						

							Hardware Setup 12
Nighthawk
 X6 AC3000
 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 Of
 f 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 ra\
nge of your 
wireless network. However, the operating distance or range of your wireless connection can 
vary significantly depending on the physical placement of your router. F\
or example, the 
thickness and number of walls the wireless signal passes through can lim\
it the range. 
Additionally, other wireless access points in and around your home might affect your router’s  signal. Wireless access points are routers, repeaters, WiFi range extend\
ers, and any other 
device that emits a wireless 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 o\
ther devices 
operate and within line of sight to your wireless 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 an\
d 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
• Place the router away from large metal surfaces, large glass surfaces, i\
nsulated walls, 
and items such as these: 
						

							Hardware Setup 13
 Nighthawk
 X6 AC3000  Tri-Band WiFi  Router
-Solid metal doors
- Aluminum studs
- Fish tanks
- Mirrors
- Brick
- Concrete
Cable Your Router
The following image shows how to cable your router:
Modem Power adapter
Ethernet cable Router
Internet
Computer Computer
Figure 4. 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 E\
thernet cable that 
came with your router.
4.  Connect the power adapter to your router and plug the power adapter into\
 an outlet.
5.  Slide the LED On/Off switch on the rear panel to the On position.
6.  Press the  Power On/Off button on the rear panel of the router. 
						

							14
2
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 
explains the ways you can connect and how to access the router and log in.
This chapter contains the following sections:
•Connect to the Network 
•Types of Logins 
•Use an Internet Browser to Access the Router 
•Change the Language 
•Access the Router with NETGEAR the genie App  
						

							Connect to the Network and Access the Router 
15  Nighthawk X6 AC3000 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. 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.
WiFi Connection
You can connect to the router’s WiFi network with Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) or you can 
find and select the WiFi network.
To use WPS to connect to the WiFi network:
1. Make sure that the router is receiving power (its Power LED is lit).
2. Check the WPS instructions for your computer or wireless device.
3. Press the WPS button on the router.
4. Within two minutes, on your computer or wireless device, press its WPS button or follow its 
instructions for WPS connections.
Your computer or wireless device connects to the WiFi network.
To find and select the WiFi network:
1. Make sure that the router is receiving power (its Power LED is lit).
2. On your computer or wireless device, find and select the WiFi network.
The WiFi network name is on the router’s label.
3. Join the WiFi network and enter the WiFi password.
The password is on the router’s label.
Your wireless device connects to the WiFi network. 
						

							Connect to the Network and Access the Router 16
Nighthawk
 X6 AC3000
 Tri-Band WiFi  Router 
Label
The label on the router shows the login information, WiFi network name a\
nd network key 
(password), MAC address, and serial number.
Figure 5. Router label
Types of Logins
Separate types of logins serve 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. Your 
service provider gave you this login information in a letter or some oth\
er way. If you 
cannot find this login information, contact your service provider.
• W
iFi network key or password . Your router is preset with a unique wireless network 
name (SSID) and password for wireless access. This information is on the router label.
• Router login.This logs you in to the router interface from an Internet browser as ad\
min.
Use an Internet Browser to Access the Router
When you connect to the network (either with WiFi or with an Ethernet c\
able), you can use an 
Internet browser to access the router to view or change its settings. The first time you access 
the router, NETGEAR genie automatically checks to see if your router can\
 connect to your 
Internet service.
NETGEAR genie Automatic Internet Setup
You can set up your router with the NETGEAR genie automatically, or you can use the genie 
menus and screens to set up your router manually. Before you start the setup process, get 
your ISP information and make sure that the computers and devices in the\
 network have the 
settings described here. 
						

							Connect to the Network and Access the Router 17
 Nighthawk
 X6 AC3000  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. For DSL service, you \
might need the 
following information to set up your router:
•The ISP configuration information for your DSL account
• ISP login name and password
• Fixed or static IP address setting (special deployment by ISP; this set\
ting is rare)
If you cannot locate this information, ask your ISP to provide it. When \
your Internet 
connection is working, you no longer need to launch the ISP login progra\
m on your computer 
to access the Internet. When you start an Internet application, your rou\
ter automatically logs 
you in.
NETGEAR genie runs on any device with a web browser. Installation and basic setup takes 
about 15   minutes to complete. 
To use NETGEAR genie to set up your router:
1. T
urn the router on by pressing the  On/Off button. 
2.  Make sure that your computer or wireless device is connected to the  router with an Ethernet 
cable (wired) or wirelessly with the preset security settings listed o\
n the label.
Note: If you want to change the router’s WiFi settings, use a wired connect\
ion 
to avoid being disconnected when the new WiFi settings take effect.
3.  Launch an Internet browser
 .
The screen that displays depends on whether you accessed the router befo\
re:
• The first time that you are setting up the Internet connection for your \
router, the 
browser goes to http://www
 .routerlogin.net and the NETGEAR genie screen displays.
•If you already used the NETGEAR genie, type http://www.routerlogin.net  in the 
address field for your browser to display the NETGEAR genie screen. 
4.  Follow the onscreen instructions.
NETGEAR genie guides you through connecting the router to the Internet. \
5.  If the browser cannot display the web page, do the following:  
						

							Connect to the Network and Access the Router 
18 Nighthawk  X6 AC3000 Tri-Band WiFi Router 
•Make sure that the computer is connected to one of the four LAN Ethernet ports or 
wirelessly to the router.
•Make sure that the router is receiving power and that its Power LED is lit white.
•Close and reopen the browser or clear the browser cache.
•Browse to http://www.routerlogin.net.
•If the computer is set to a static or fixed IP address (this setting is uncommon), 
change it to obtain an IP address automatically from the router.
6. If the router does not connect to the Internet, do the following:
a.Review your settings. Make sure that you selected the correct options and typed 
everything correctly. 
b. Contact your ISP to verify that you are using the correct configuration information.
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. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the 
network.
2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com in the address field of the 
web browser.
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. 
Change the Language
By default, the language is set to Auto.
To change the language:
1. Launch a web browser from a computer or wireless device that is connected to the 
network.
2. Enter http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com in the address field of the 
web browser. 
						

							Connect to the Network and Access the Router 
19  Nighthawk X6 AC3000 Tri-Band WiFi Router
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. In the upper right corner, select a language from the list.
5. When prompted, click the OK button to confirm this change.
The screen refreshes with the language that you selected.
Access the Router with NETGEAR the genie App
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.com/genie. 
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to install the app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
3. Launch the genie app.
The genie app dashboard screen displays. 
						

							20
3
3.   Specify Your Internet Settings
Usually, the quickest way to set up the router to use your Internet connection is to allow 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. 
This chapter contains the following sections:
•Use the Internet Setup Wizard 
•Manually Set Up the Internet Connection 
•Specify IPv6 Internet Connections 
•Change the MTU Size 
•Enable the Bridge or Add a VLAN Tag Group