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Forum Discussion
Range Extender(EXS25) Management When Extending Guest Network
I have an EXS25 set up to extend my Guest network and now that it's successfully joined I can not get access to view or manage its configuration via the Nighthawk app or browser. Is there a way to...
I have an EXS25 set up to extend my Guest network and now that it's successfully joined I can not get access to view or manage its configuration via the Nighthawk app or browser
This is because you are connected to the guest network, not to the primary network.
I'm not sure why but I had to connect via the LAN port on the extender and run through the setup again
The LAN is your primary network, including the LAN IP subnet - that's why you can reach your EXS25 admin (by Web UI, or by App).
I think I’m gaining a bit more understanding to this and that you need to be connected to the extender as as a connected device and I believe this is due to the device to device communication restrictions on the guest network.
There are several factors in the game at this point. Your new EXS25 does connect to the primary LAN as configured, the SSID (the wireless name) is the one you might want to use for the guest network. Depends a little bit on your primary router, and how the so called guest network is segregated from your LAN and the usual Wireless name, the "normal" SSID - and how that router does integrate the guest network.
A usual approach is that the guest network does give access to the Internet, and not to the LAN and your usual Wi-Fi WLAN.
If connecting the router LAN - even if you configure the wireless name (SSID) of your primary router to the same name, the same security, the same wireless key (PSK, pre-shared key) - that wireless network served by the extender will connect to your primary LAN, the same like your main Wi-Fi or WLAN. Any controls you have on your primary router for the guest network (mind you these are two different networks actually) won't apply to the guest wireless served by your extender.
A potential better solution - leaving alone the lower speed possible by using the extender as a wireless bridge - would be to operate the EXS25 as a pure wireless extender, without a physical LAN cable connection. Technically this means the EXS25 as well as any wireless device associating to the guest network need to be configured and permitted on the primary router wireless. Potentially, the router does block by default any direct P2P connection between the different wireless clients. This would also make it impossible to connect to the EXS25 Web UI direct, or using the Nighthawk App with a direct Wi-Fi connection. The only exception might be - permitting this is available - by using the cloud connectivity.
Confusion complete?
The EXS25 is set up as an extender and I’m not using the hard wired connection. I was trying that because I could not connect wirelessly.
I think it was an ‘accidental’ find as it forced me to within range of the extender and my laptop connected wirelessly to the extender being so close.
“The only exception might be - permitting this is available - by using the cloud connectivity”
I don’t see anywhere in the options in the extender to enable cloud access.
So it would seem that I just need to be a client on one the extender to access it.
“The only exception might be - permitting this is available - by using the cloud connectivity”
No idea where you got this quote. While the nighthawk app is supposed to provide remote access, it didn't provide that when you tried it. I guess you could try it after disconnecting your phone from your home wifi, and see if that makes any difference.
If you need to manage the extender the best way is to connect to the extender network (either wifi or ethernet).
That quote was from a response Schumaku made.
The only exception might be - permitting this is available - by using the cloud connectivity.
Like many older and (most or all?) newer Netgear Wi-Fi Extenders (in Extender mode - not in AP Mode) can be remote accessed and administered using the Nighthawk App. ->
https://kb.netgear.com/23517/How-do-I-set-up-my-NETGEAR-WiFi-range-extender
Don't be confused by the fact Netgear became very poor property maintaining the (far to many?) product references and "applies to" links. please - a lot of work was ignored over the recent years - or many support features are massively over-designed or overly complex to keep this all under control. For example
https://kb.netgear.com/000060588/ where the newer WiFi 7 extenders are not covered (or elsewhere?)
I don’t see anywhere in the options in the extender to enable cloud access.
There is no control on the Extender Web UI to enable the cloud access: This is conveniently done from the Nighthawk App with just a few taps.
So it would seem that I just need to be a client on one the extender to access it.
Most simple way is using the Nighthawk App on your mobile device - while associated nearby to the Extender. In your case not to your other router guest network.
Sure, this can be confusing, especially if there is the same SSID configured on your primary router Wifi (here guest network), same security, same pre-shared key (PSK, WiFi Password, ...).
Once a range extender is registered to the users Netgear Account, as long as the extender does have (or had) Internet access, it can be added to the Nighthawk App by using the [Setup a new Nighthawk System] in the Nighthawk App, either by scanning the QR code on the Nighthawk product (Router, Extender, ...), or by Select the Device -> Select your Product, position the extender and power-up the factory default device by joining the NETGEAR_EXT SSID. For Extenders already configured, you can follow the on-screen instructions, connect the Apple or Android mobile to the network configured before -> [Choose Network].
So sad Apple got out of this business.
So sad Apple got out of this business.
Aehm .... sorry?
https://www.netgear.com/home/services/nighthawk-app/
The Netgear Nighthawk App is readily available in the (Apple) App Store as well as in the (Android) Play Store
