Brand new Samsung S6 Smartphone will not communicate with WN3000RP

In response to Brad2 asking if I got a response from Samsung, I did.   I'll post their response below.  I didn't try the safe-mode boot.  Prior to their response I gave up and bought another Netgear device, a Wifi Range Extender Model EX6100.  It works great.  Problem solved, albeit with more money.   Hopefully, the (free) solution that Brad2 found is still working.

From Samsung:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us at Samsung Technical Support. We always appreciate hearing from our customers.

It must be inconvenient as your Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus(SM-928A) device is experiencing connectivity issue with Netgear WN3000RP range extender. I can understand your concern in this regard and will surely help you with all the possible options available from our end which might resolve the issue.

I see that you have tried to isolate the issue by connecting various devices to Netgear. I appreciate your efforts.

We also wanted to thank you for bringing to our attention regarding the issue of your phone model missing. We will surely forward this information to the appropriate department.  [Note from Swithin: I wasn't able to enter the exact phone model I had on the support page.]

The issue which you are experiencing might be due to the following reasons:

1. Temporary issue with the device.
2. Software/hardware issue with the device.
3. Some third party applications might trigger this issue.
4. Physical/liquid damages present on the device.

To isolate the issue, please perform the below troubleshooting steps:

1. Please perform battery simulation on your device which will refresh the internal circuit of the device. To perform battery simulation, press and hold volume down and power key for 10-20 seconds. Now check the issue. If the issue persists, please follow the next troubleshooting step.

2. The Wi-Fi issue could be due to incorrect settings on the phone. There is an option called 'Smart network switch' which automatically switch between Wi Fi and mobile networks to help maintain a more stable connection when enabled. At this time, I'd like to you check if this
feature is enabled on the handset and disable it to have more stable Wi-Fi connection.

To disable 'Smart Network Switch' :

1. From your device Home Screen, tap on Apps >> Settings>> Wi-Fi.
2. Then, tap on 'More Options'( 3 vertical dots at the right corner of the page) >>'Advanced Settings' >>'Smart network switch'.
3. Remove the check mark next to this option by taping it.

After disabling the Smart network switch, please check the issue. If the issue persists follow the next troubleshooting steps.

3. We request you manually connect the phone to Wi-Fi. Please follow the below mentioned steps for manually connecting the phone to Wi-Fi.

a) From the Home screen, tap Apps >> Settings >> Connections >> Wi-Fi.
b) Tap Add Wi-Fi network.
c) Enter the Network SSID. This is the name of your Wireless Access Point.
d) Tap the Security field and select a security option. This must match the current security setting on your target WAP.
e) If secured, you will also need to enter your WAP’s password.
f) Tap Show advanced options, if you need to add advanced options such as Proxy settings, IP settings, or Key management.
g) Tap Connect to store the new information and connect to your target WAP.

Now please check with the issue. If the issue persists even after performing the above steps, I request you to boot the device in Safe mode and check with the result.

4. Check the issue in safe mode: It may be necessary to boot your device in Safe mode if you wish to isolate whether or not added applications are causing problems with the device.
Certain third-party or downloaded applications may interfere with normal device functionality. Safe mode will load only basic system software.

Follow the general steps given below to boot your device into Safe mode.
1. Make sure your device is turned OFF
2. Press and hold the Power/Lock key to turn ON the device.
3. When the animation starts, press and hold the Volume down key until the lock screen appears.
4. Once the Lock screen appears, Safe mode is displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen.

Note: When completed, to boot your device into normal mode again, restart your device.

If the device is working as expected after you put the device into Safe Mode, the issue may be due to a recently updated or installed app. Please un-install those applications'
.
I am positive that the issue will be resolve after performing the above troubleshooting steps. If the issue persists, Please feel free to get back to us. We will be more than happy to assist you with any further queries.

Should you desire additional assistance, we invite you to access the web-link http://www.samsung.com/us/support/contact to speak to a Chat Specialist. Our technicians are more than happy to assist you further. Chat Support is available 24X7.

For additional support and updates regarding your product, please follow us at @SamsungSupport on Twitter or like our page at https://www.facebook.com/samsungsupport.

Thank you for choosing Samsung products.

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Sincerely
Pooja