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Forum Discussion
trent761
Aug 17, 2023Follower
How are you supposed to connect to wifi using the wifi usb adapter A6100 if you don’t have internet?
I keep seeing guides and answers of needing to download the driver / genie set up, but I have no internet connection or other devices to do either of those things. I though I got lucky since the adapter has the WPS button, but lo and behold spectrum doesn’t have the button on its router or modem. And I don’t have a USB cord to connect my phone to my pc and try uploading the file that way. My PC doesn’t seem to recognize the adapter when plugging in beside making that USB connection sound, either.
So how exactly am I supposed to do this?
4 Replies
- schumakuGuru - Experienced User
trent761 wrote:
I keep seeing guides and answers of needing to download the driver / genie set up, but I have no internet connection or other devices to do either of those things.
Without some some supporting additional hardware, overcoming these kind of chicken or egg problems. Some friendly might be willing to borrow a USB thumb drive and the Internet connection to download what's required from https://www.netgear.com/support/product/a6100
A wise investment is always a RJ45 network cable and in absence of a network port on many recent notebooks or desktop computers one of these popular USB Ethernet adapters not requiring a special driver installation.
trent761 wrote:
I though I got lucky since the adapter has the WPS button, but lo and behold spectrum doesn’t have the button on its router or modem.
Modern ISP CPE require using the provider App or Web portal to enable WPS and press a virtual button. Needless to say, this requires a working Internet connection, too.
- michaelkenwardGuru - Experienced User
trent761 wrote:
I keep seeing guides and answers of needing to download the driver / genie set up, but I have no internet connection or other devices to do either of those things.
As schumaku says, a USB drive is probably the easiest, but there are other options.
How did you post this message? You should be able to use that Internet connection to download the drivers for your adapter.
You could even do it on a mobile phone.
Point it at this page:
A6100 Software Version 1.0.0.36 | Answer | NETGEAR Support
That has links to download the files you need.
Then you can connect whatever you used to the PC, transfer the files to that and install the drivers from that.
- schumakuGuru - Experienced User
michaelkenward wrote:How did you post this message? You should be able to use that Internet connection to download the drivers for your adapter.
You could even do it on a mobile phone.
This is where the OP original comment comes in:
trent761 wrote:
And I don’t have a USB cord to connect my phone to my pc and try uploading the file that way.
Life without chicken and egg is difficult.
- michaelkenwardGuru - Experienced User
schumaku wrote:
michaelkenward wrote:How did you post this message? You should be able to use that Internet connection to download the drivers for your adapter.
You could even do it on a mobile phone.
This is where the OP original comment comes in:
trent761 wrote:
And I don’t have a USB cord to connect my phone to my pc and try uploading the file that way.
Life without chicken and egg is difficult.
My mobile phone connects to my router's wifi.
The PC connects to the router's wired LAN?
There is no wifi or USB connection between phone and PC.
If you haven't found it yet, Microsoft's Phone Link software for Windows is an excellent tool.