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Pilot1's avatar
Pilot1
Tutor
Nov 19, 2015

EX6100 Cannot Connect to WiFI with SSID Disabled

I have installed the firmware upgrade V1.0.1.36_1.0.114 and find that I cannot connect to either 2g or 5f wifi if I disable the SSID broadcast.  I have also reinstalled both prior versions of the firmware to find that they, too, have this problem.  The problem is demonstrated as:

Set up the EX6100 system with SSID enabled

 

Connect a wireless device (android in my case) to either 2G or 5G wifi on the extender -

   Connect to the internet to validate the connection

 

On the wireless device, go to the wireless connections page

    - see a list of stored wireless device connections that includes   ..._2GEST and ..._5GEXT

    - notes on each connection state "Saved, Secured"

 

Start Netgear Genie on a separate computer (mywifiext.com, or type in IP address)

 

Go to the Settings - Wireless page

 

Uncheck the Boradcast Network Name box on either or both wifi transmitters

 

Click "Save" at the top of the page - do not exit Genie

 

Go to wireless device and look at list of wifi connections, the list immediately changes

     to show the ...2GEXT and ..._5GEXT  siill in the list, but they are now marked "Not in Range"

 

Go back following the procedure above via the Genie software to

    enable the SSID Broadcast

 

Go to the top of the page in Genie and click "Save"

 

You will imkmediately see the list of wireless connections on the wireless device change to say that the

    ...2GEXT and ..._5GEXT connections are now "Saved, Secured"

 

 

Firmware
Installation

4 Replies

  • Pilot1's avatar
    Pilot1
    Tutor
    Nov 23, 2015
    Sorry, I want to run the EX6100 without broadcasting the SSID as I do on my Netgear router. The Ex6100 works flawlessly until I switch the SSID broadcast off. Then I cannot connect with a saved configuration on my computer or on my android.
    • netwrks's avatar
      netwrks
      Master
      Nov 23, 2015

      I don't think the base station (router) likes the SSID hidden. Could be the problem. You are just better off advertsing your SSID.  a hidden SSID does not equal a secure wirless network. A strong wireless passphrase is the way to go.

  • Pilot1's avatar
    Pilot1
    Tutor
    Nov 28, 2015
    Another layer of security, hiding the SSID, never hurts and is my first layer above several layers of security. To what degree hiding the SSID represents any security is not the issue. The EX6100 advertises being able to turn off the SSID broadcast and includes this option in the setup. If this is not possible on the EX6100, then it gets shipped back.