Although the Netgear Nighthawk R6700 WiFi router is known for providing a secure WiFi speed of 1.75Gbps in farther areas of the establishment, still some users want to extend its WiFi range. Are you also planning to do that? Yes? Well, then you should complement the router’s WiFi network with a range extender. FYI, a range extender will let you access internet even in those areas of the house that are unexplored by WiFi signals emitted by your Nighthawk R6700 router. But, connecting the range extender and this very model of the Nighthawk routers seems a great hassle because there are 3 different approaches to do that. With the help of this blog, we will try to discuss the steps involved in these methods. So, can we start explaining how to connect WiFi extender with Netgear Nighthawk R6700?
To make things easier for you, we are taking an example of a Netgear range extender. You are free to use these instructions as per the extender model you own.
Prerequisites: Connecting WiFi Extender to Netgear Nighthawk R6700
You need to go through a few prerequisites before creating an actual connection between your WiFi range extender and the Nighthawk R6700 router no matter whether you are going to do it via mywifiext.net or through the Nighthawk app.
- Your extender should be running on the default factory settings. For that, it is recommended that you press and hold the extender’s Reset button carefully for 8-15 seconds.
- Your Netgear Nighthawk R6700 should be in a working state. No one can make his/her WiFi extender up and running if the host gateway i.e. the router itself is not configured properly.
- Take note of the SSID broadcasted by your Nighthawk R6700 wireless router and its respective WiFi network password. You’ll need them to finalize the connection via the web-based management panel of the range extender.
How to Connect WiFi Extender with Netgear Nighthawk R6700 [Steps]
In the very beginning of the post we told you that three methods can be used for creating a connection between a WiFi range extender and the R6700 router – the manual method that involves accessing mywifiext or 192.168.1.250, the Nighthawk app method, or the WPS method. Since the WPS method is the easiest to execute, we are beginning the connection journey with that.
1. Connecting WiFi Extender to Nighthawk R6700 via WPS
Follow the steps highlighted below in order to join your WiFi router R6700 network with a Netgear wireless range extender:
- Start by bringing your range extender and the R6700 router into the same room.
- You must now switch on your devices (first router and then the extender).
- It is time to locate the WPS button on the router. You can find it at the extreme right.
- Press the R6700 router’s WPS button.
- Now, move to your WiFi range extender and press its WPS button.
- The 2.4GHz LED of your extender will start glowing indicating that the respective frequency connection is completed.
- To connect the 5GHz bands of both devices, you need to press their WPS buttons once again.
This is how to connect WiFi extender to Netgear Nighthawk R6700 router using the WPS method. Hopefully, you found this method easy. However, you can move to the next section if you are more through the technical side and want to customize every setting on your own.
Note: Some WiFi extenders support only one frequency. In that case, you cannot extend the 5GHz frequency. You are not supposed to press the WPS button two times.
2. Connecting WiFi Extender and Router Manually
The manual method of connecting two networking devices is all about accessing the web or IP address and making changes to the default settings. Before starting, we want to inform you that you need to use the mywifiext.local address in case you are setting up the extender via Mac. Here’s how to connect extender and an R6700 router:
- Hardwire the LAN port of your R6700 and the Internet port of the WiFi extender.
- Switch on your devices (host must be powered up first).
- Now, switch on your computer and connect it to the default network of your Netgear extender.
- Once done, load the default web browser and access the default web or IP address.
- The New Extender Setup page will open up that will take you to the window that will let you pick the extender’s operating mode.
- After that, you will have to select the network to be extended (here Nighthawk R6700) and enter the WiFi password.
- Customize the 2.4 GHz and 5GHz SSID and password.
- Update the firmware and follow the on-screen prompts.
Quick Tip: The IP address of the range extender varies from model to model. Therefore, you are suggested to use the one that belongs to your product model.
Connecting R6700 Router and WiFi Extender via Nighthawk App
The steps highlighted below will assist you to connect your WiFi range extender and the main router with the help of the Netgear Nighthawk app:
- Create a LAN connection between your WiFi extender and the Netgear R6700 router.
- Now, unlock your mobile phone and connect it to the network named Netgear_ext.
- FYI, Netgear_ext is the default WiFi name of Netgear extender. The default password is written in the user manual.
- Now, load the Nighthawk app (if already installed, otherwise, download it).
- The app will ask you to put in the Netgear account details.
- Input the required details.
- If you do not have an account, create one using your email ID and password.
- Choose the WiFi extender model you own and give a shot at the on-screen instructions.
Note: The mobile application is not available for all WiFi range extenders. In those cases, you will have to pick the manual method of connection.
The Final Words
We are now wrapping up the post explaining how to connect WiFi extender to Netgear Nighthawk R6700 router. It is expected that you will be able to complete the process with the help of the method that you find convenient.