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Does WNDR3700 require LAN connection for wireless to function?
Hello,
I originally set up my router with my PC connected to a LAN port and everything works fine in this situation. The problem is that my desktop PC is in the farthest corner of my apartment. My goal is to connect the router in a more central area to provide improved coverage throughout our apartment for other wireless devices. We live in an appartement with network outets in each room. When I plug my PC into either of these outlets directyl bypassing the router, the internet connects and functions. I have tried to connect the router in a different room, without the LAN connection to my PC and the WiFi no longer works.
What am I missing?
Thank you for your time.
Our apartment complex provides internet service for every single apartment individually included in the rent, so I do not have my own internet service plan. They have a modem on their end and have every room within each apartment connected so that if one plugs into a LAN access outlet in any room within the appartment (every room has one), we access the apartment-specific network. My setup for the past year (which has worked fine) is to connect my Netgear router into any of the LAN access outlets, then a PC into the router, and I have been able to manage wireless networks while also having a local connection to the same PC.
The problem with this situation, is that the PC is on the farthest point of one side of my aparment, and the WiFi signal isn't strong enough to reach the other side. I would like to leave my PC where it is at and plug the router into a seperate LAN access outlet so that I get stronger signal in the other side of the appartment. Again, all of the LAN access outlets are connected as one network beyond the modem.
When I test the connection with any of the LAN access outlets in the home:
-If I connect the PC (or Xbox/any device with a LAN port) directly into any of the LAN access outlets in the apartment they have functioning internet access.
-If I connect the Netgear router to any LAN access outlet via the "internet" plug on the router, then plug my PC into any of the "ethernet" plugs on the router, I have a functioning WiFi network as well as a direct local line on my PC. This PC can access and change settings within the router.
-If I connect the Netgear router to any LAN access outlet via the "internet" plug on the router, but do not plug a PC into any of the "ethernet" ports, I no longer have functioning WiFi access, but the the network continues to appear visible.
My question is if there is a way I can get the Netgear router to emit functioning WiFi without a PC connected to its "ethernet" port.
Hopefully that clears things up, thanks again for your help.
7 Replies
Not sure that I follow what is going on in your layout, but if the WNDR3700 router is not connected to modem that delivers your Internet, then there is no way that your wifi can connect to the Internet. There is no magic wireless connection between the router and the modem.
Start at the beginning, what is your modem?
Our apartment complex provides internet service for every single apartment individually included in the rent, so I do not have my own internet service plan. They have a modem on their end and have every room within each apartment connected so that if one plugs into a LAN access outlet in any room within the appartment (every room has one), we access the apartment-specific network. My setup for the past year (which has worked fine) is to connect my Netgear router into any of the LAN access outlets, then a PC into the router, and I have been able to manage wireless networks while also having a local connection to the same PC.
The problem with this situation, is that the PC is on the farthest point of one side of my aparment, and the WiFi signal isn't strong enough to reach the other side. I would like to leave my PC where it is at and plug the router into a seperate LAN access outlet so that I get stronger signal in the other side of the appartment. Again, all of the LAN access outlets are connected as one network beyond the modem.
When I test the connection with any of the LAN access outlets in the home:
-If I connect the PC (or Xbox/any device with a LAN port) directly into any of the LAN access outlets in the apartment they have functioning internet access.
-If I connect the Netgear router to any LAN access outlet via the "internet" plug on the router, then plug my PC into any of the "ethernet" plugs on the router, I have a functioning WiFi network as well as a direct local line on my PC. This PC can access and change settings within the router.
-If I connect the Netgear router to any LAN access outlet via the "internet" plug on the router, but do not plug a PC into any of the "ethernet" ports, I no longer have functioning WiFi access, but the the network continues to appear visible.
My question is if there is a way I can get the Netgear router to emit functioning WiFi without a PC connected to its "ethernet" port.
Hopefully that clears things up, thanks again for your help.
Carth wrote:
My question is if there is a way I can get the Netgear router to emit functioning WiFi without a PC connected to its "ethernet" port.
So, your WNDR3700 is connected to one of the LAN sockets in your apartment and you want to have the laptop plugged into a different LAN socket.
It is likely that the "modem" at the landlord's end it really a modem/router. This means you have their router and your router in the same network.
Two routers on your network can cause headaches. For example, you can end up with local address problems. Among other things, the other router can misdirect addresses that the Netgear router usually handles, such as routerlogin.net or the usual IP address for a router, 192.168.1.1.
This explains some of the other drawbacks.
What is Double NAT? | Answer | NETGEAR Support
The way to break the link between the laptop and the WNDR3700 is normally to set it up in wireless access point (AP) mode.One problem is that your router is so old (2009) that it does not have a simple "switch" to put it into AP mode.
If you have a newer version of the WNDR3700 then there is hope. What does it say on the label? Look for the V? bit, if it doesn't have V2 or higher then it is V1. V4 and V5 have bits in the manual on using it as an AP.
If you visit the support pages:
Support | NETGEAR
you can feed in your model number and find the documentation for your hardware.
It will also have any firmware and drivers for your device.
Look for the model number on the label on the device.Given the age of this thing, if you can't get it into AP mode, an inexpensive wifi repeater would be worth looking into.
