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DangerousDan's avatar
DangerousDan
Aspirant
Nov 09, 2022

r6400v2 can't access router after factory reset

I've been using this router as an access point. It suddenly disappeared from the network. Power cycling was no help so I did a factory reset. Before the reset, I have always been able to connect to the router login page using its IP address. Since the reset it  insists on being connected to the internet through the WAN port (meaningless for an AP). Attempting to connect just redirects to their web site which says "use the app"

 

Using the app, with the WAN port connected to the LAN, I can connect. It then says "looks like your behind another router" and offers to config as an access point and prompts for SSID's and passwords. In also, apparently, gets and IP for the wifi ports from DHCP that is NOT 192.168.1.1 (like it should be after a factory reset.)

 

Once the new wifi's are set up, the factory SSID's are disabled.

 

So, the next step would be to reconnect to the device to the LAN and navigate to its new ip. This just redirects to the web site and says "Use the app"

 

This is a catch-22. The router is effectively bricked since there is no way to use it or reconfigure it. I really long for the old days when hardware companies just made hardware. Now they seem to believe that the need to be nurse-maids who hold your hand when crossing, wipe your butt when you make a mess and are generally so addled that you couldn't possible configure anything as complicated as a router without their interference.

 

Since I've had this for a few years, I don't expect them to do anything for me. I can't even install dd-wrt because that requires logging in to load new firmware.

 

If I were to ever consider buying Netgear routers in the future, I  hope that someone would cart me to a psychiatrist to have my head examined.

 

If anyone knows a way to escape this catch-22, I would be eternally grateful.

7 Replies

  • plemans's avatar
    plemans
    Guru - Experienced User
    Nov 09, 2022

    When you get to the point where it says "use the app" scroll down to the bottom. There's a link basically saying "i don't have a compatible smartphone". Click that. It'll take you to being able to install it using the gui. I do it all the time as I get annoyed using the app for setup

      • DangerousDan's avatar
        DangerousDan
        Aspirant
        Nov 09, 2022

        I started over. Reset device, got nighthawk app. It went through all the initial steps including a firmware update and started configuring. Then it stopped and said "router not found).

        If I try www.routerlogin.com I just get to netgear's page, not to the router. It says:

        Below that it says:

        • If you are using NETGEAR Business products (any WAC or WAX access points or Orbi Pro), please visit APLogin
        • If you’d still like to use routerlogin.com or routerlogin.net, visit the Router login page cannot be displayed.
        • If you are using a VPN connection or a customize IP range, type your Gateway IP address on the browser to access your router. The default gateway IP for your router is 192.168.1.1.

         

        Doing a network scan, there is no device on 192.168.1.1

        There is a device on 192.168.1.180 but browsers will no open anything at that IP.

         

        I can't find anything on Netgear's pages that says "i don't have a compatible smartphone".

         

        So at this point I still have no clue.

         

        In the past all I needed to do was reset, go to 192.168.1.1, login and set my configs. I don't understand how or when that introduced this new procedure that assumes that:

        a) you are connected to a modem

        b) that you intend to use the device as a router

        c) that you actually have an internet connection and that you are not in the middle of some desert just wanting to set up a small LAN with some wifi access to a local file server).

        d) that you really want someone wiping your nose (which might be ok if it worked) but they clearly have a very limited use case in mind and seem to have precluded any others.

         

        If there is no solution I will just have to send this device to the landfill. Without the 192.168.1.1 login, I can't even switch to DD-WRT because that required loading a firmware file manually.

         

        I'm stuck and hope that someone can help.

         

        Thank you