Help

[PaulUKuser]

HI, I've bought a second hand AC3000 from a friend who used it and had bought it from a friend etc.

I suspect that the original purchaser registered it on the Netgear website and passed it on and since they registered it it's remained, as far as Netgear are concerned in their ownership. when trying to access the extender from my laptop it can't find my extender and directs me to the login page requesting username/password. If I request help it just brings me to the original users security questions which I obviously don't have. I've tried what I believe to be the default password 'Admin' with the pin as the password but it too doesn't work which would lead me to suspect the 1st owner registered it.

Any help as Netgear were as much use as a chocolate teapot, I guess it's only right that they couldn't help me as I could be someone trying to hack in, but you'd think there was a way to use these things second hand if someone upgrades and forgets to unregister it, I'd think that was quite common.

Regards

               Paul

[plemans · Accepted solution]

What you're describing makes me think 2 things. 

1. you either didn't factory reset it properly. Push and hold reset while powered on for up to 15 seconds. The lights should change. 

2. you're hitting wps at some point after the factory reset. That'll also cause it to setup in mesh mode 

[plemans]

It doesn't need to be registered to you to use it. 

Simple factory reset it by pushing and holding reset for 7-15 seconds while its powered on. That'll get it back to factory state where you can install it and set your own login password/questions. 

[PaulUKuser]

Thanks for that but, I've tried the factory reset and then gone to Search for the extender on my network and it can't be seen, it was seen for a little while on my mobile phone network search but then vanished.

I'm pretty sure it's working as all of my network is boosted to full signal when it's on and random signal strengths when switched off. besides this the link status light shows solid white, Max throughput, 2.4HHz and 5GHz and WPS are also lit up solid white which would suggest it's working.

Then, when I do as instructed on page 15 of the manual and go to NETGEAR installation wizard the page informs me 'You are not connected to your extender's WiFi network.' . I'm then posed the question if your extender and network are using the same access name follow these instructions, As instructed I head to another page 'My WiFi' and I end up on an access page requesting email and password.

I'm presuming that this is for the log in details of the previous user as, no mater what I put in it won't allow me access, the only option on the page is something like 'Need help with your password' and when I opt for that it simply brings up two security questions obviously filled in by someone else as they are 'Who was your first employer' and then 'what's your best friends name'.

There are no options to do anything else so no way to get off that page. I phone Netgear help line and spoke to a very friendly Indian gentleman and I asked if it was possible to remove the previous log in data from the previous owner to allow me access. He simply said can you find out the email and password of the person you obtained the extended form, I did ask "would you give someone your email and password?" "he said I guess not" he then asked if I knew someone called Jennifer, so I guess at the moment it remains registered to her.

I would have thought that as you said if I simply return it to factory settings then it should then allow access.

I was wondering if there was some reason as to why my laptop might not be able to see the extender, but then reading the manual there is the capacity for it to be using the same name as my router and therefore it's hidden?

God knows, I'm simply a dabbler so no whizz with this stuff 🤷🏻‍♀️

Cheers

[plemans · Accepted solution]

What you're describing makes me think 2 things. 

1. you either didn't factory reset it properly. Push and hold reset while powered on for up to 15 seconds. The lights should change. 

2. you're hitting wps at some point after the factory reset. That'll also cause it to setup in mesh mode 

[PaulUKuser]

Plemans,

               It would appear you were correct, I had done a factory reset however it takes that long to restart after the 7 second reset that I'd switch the power back on before it had had chance to reset 🤦‍♂️. In my defence I could have boiled a kettle and made a coffee and two rounds of toast in the time it takes it to factory reset, the manual mentions nothing about waiting for the lights to come on.

Also in my defence even when the the thing did reignite I still couldn't find it on my network via either of my laptops, it just didn't exist and yet, on my mobile phone, there it was. I therefore registered it via my phone and then strangely it then became visible on my laptop and I could proceed with the set up.

So I'm happily now able to access all of its functions so many thanks.

I do have another question however, now that it's set up and I now know that the manual is not very prescriptive I'm a little confused with one thing (No doubt there'll be more) the client link LED is on permanently. the manual states:

Is this correct as none of my laptops or my phone are connected to the extender which the description gives the impression that one of these should be connected for the light to be permanently on?

Thanks again for your help

                                              Paul

[plemans]

Usually if the lights one for "device" something is connected. 

You should be able to use its IP address to log into it and check if something is connected to it. 

Do you have it hardwired in or setup with the wireless backhaul?

[PaulUKuser]

Plemans

               That's what I'd understood, I didn't have much time to interrogate it once I'd got it set up so will need to see if I can have a look at it later, .

I used the WIFI connection to set it up but not sure what you mean with 'Backhauling', as I mentioned previously I'm no whizz and new to all this 😉

I'll have a read of the manual and try and understand what you mean.

Thanks again for your help so far it's been a real help.

Cheers

[plemans]

Backhaul would be if you have it hardwired to your router with ethernet. 

Hardwiring it in can have performance benefits which is why some do it. But it needs to be in access point mode if its hardwired in