NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
R7500 with WNDR3700 as Access Point/Repeater/Extender
Model: R7500v2 Firmware: 1.0.2.2 Model: WNDR3700 Firmware: Not sure I recently purchased the R7500 router to replace my WNDR3700. As the R7500 is in my basement, I'd like to use the WNDR370...
The WNDR3700 won't meet your needs. It cannot function as a wireless range extender, but you use it as a wired Access Point (AP).
- I'd like to repeat the same SSID on both devices rather than having a different network name.
If you end up getting a real range extender, then you should be able to do this with no problem. Or if you set up the WNDR3700 as an AP, then you can still do this.
- I need the devices to be connected wirelessly, as running a cable is not viable.
As mentioned previously, you cannot use the WNDR3700 as a wireless range extender. If you are willing to relax this requirement, then you can use it as a wired Access Point (AP). You can use Powerline instead of running a cable.
- Can I extend both the 2.4G and 5G networks? That would be an added bonus, but only the 2.4G is required.
All dual band range extenders can extend both 2.4G and 5G networks. But this is inefficient because the extender has to relay wireless traffic between devices and the main router. This can impose speed penalties of 50%. Some range extenders offer the option to dedicate one band for communicating with devices and the other band for communicating with the router. Netgear calls it FastLane (link). Note: Running a cable is still the best because both bands can be devoted to communicating with devices, and the cable is used to link back to the router. There is no speed penalty.
- How do I configure the channels on the devices? I read somewhere that (for 2.4G) I should have the main router on channel 1 and the extender on channel 11 to reduce any possible interference, and then the device would theoretically switch to whichever network had a better signal. That's basically what I'm trying to achieve. Side note, if I'm able to extend the 5G network, the same question applies. Should I stagger the channels on that network as well?
Yes, you should make sure the main router and extender use separate, non-overlapping channels. 1 and 11 certainly works, but 1 and 6 should be fine, too, because they don't overlap. The same applies to 5G, although the channel numbers are different (36-48 and 149-165 in the U.S.).
Thank you for the quick response. Will the WNDR3700 work as a repeater? From what I understand, repeating and extending a wireless network are two different things.
If not, I suppose I'll have to find a way to run a wire and use the WNDR3700 as an AP. If I go that route, is there anything special I need to know in terms of configuring channels, IP range for the AP, etc?
It depends on how you define "repeating" and "extending." Regardless of the exact definition, the WNDR3700 will not work as a repeater.
The instructions for setting up the WNDR3700 as an AP start on page 127 in the manual. Unlike older routers, the WNDR3700 uses the WAN port to connect to the main router, even as an AP.
There is no IP range to manage because the DHCP server is disabled in AP mode. All wireless clients that connect to the WNDR3700 will obtain IP addresses from the main router.
The WNDR3700 will still have its own IP address. It will either obtain from the main router using DHCP, or you can statically assign an IP address. You will see this option once you enable AP mode.
You can set up the AP to use the same SSID as your main router but be sure to use a different channel. Otherwise, the AP and main router will interfere with each other and negatively impact Wi-Fi speeds.
Thank you again for the comprehensive response. One last question:
The manual you linked above is for WNDR3700v5. My router only says WNDR3700 on the bottom (no v1, v2, v3, etc.), and oddly enough the serial number box is blank. I believe it's at least v3 since I did have ReadySHARE capabalities, but how would I pinpoint exactly which version I have to make sure I'm using the correct documentation when setting up the AP? Thank you!