r6400v2 can't access router after factory reset

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