NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
R6020 as wireless AP
My main router is a TPLink AX4400 connected to a Spectrum fiber optics modem. I'm trying to use a R6020 as an AP to extend the range of my wireless network (trying to cover as much of 5 acres as possible).
I went through the steps at https://kb.netgear.com/20927/How-do-I-change-my-NETGEAR-router-to-AP-mode That article doesn't mention that the instructions in the router setup requires using a cable from a LAN port on the AX4400 to the WAN port on the R6020. Fortunately, I've got a few cables around that are long enough. Anyway, I was able to get a wireless connection to the R6020 and go online. Great.
Then I disconnected the cable to the AX4400. That disconnected the internet connection. I could still connect to the R6020 networks (2.4 & 5g) but couldn't go online. Reconnected the cable to the AX4400, the internet light on the R6020 comes on, but my computer won't connect to the internet. I've restarted the R6020 a few times, but still no internet connection.
I really don't want to crawl under the house to run cable from one end to the other, but it's looking as if the R6020 will require the cable - or can a wireless connection be setup to communicate with the AX4400?
Also, anyone have an idea as to why the internet connection would have stopped working even though I've reconnected the cable & the router thinks it's online?
Cliffh999 wrote:
I'm going to start shopping for some dedicated range extenders. There's only a couple of places I can put the extenders, so I'd need a couple that are omnidirectional and at least one directional. Would y'all have any suggestions on those?
Five acres probably means outdoors. Netgear's product range there is tiny.
You might need to look for something specialist. That's a bit beyond this place.
5 Replies
- AP mode requires a cable. You're trying to set up some kind of repeater. That won't work as firmware doesn't support it.
Cliffh999 wrote:
My main router is a TPLink AX4400 connected to a Spectrum fiber optics modem. I'm trying to use a R6020 as an AP to extend the range of my wireless network (trying to cover as much of 5 acres as possible).
You might do better to buy something designed for the purpose. Five acres is a stretch and the R6020, from 2017, is pretty well the cheapest and least capable Netgear router of recent years.
According to Netgear's manual for this device, not always the most reliable source of information, the LAN and WAN ports support only 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX. That makes it slower than many newer internet services and most modern network hardware. It also slows down whatever is going on in your local network. Newer devices support at least 1000BASE-TX.
That's what I've been thinking since posting this question. As you said, it's old & slow - not that slow is a problem here, the internet connection would only be used for inactive cell phones to playback radio & maybe YouTube videos.
I'm going to start shopping for some dedicated range extenders. There's only a couple of places I can put the extenders, so I'd need a couple that are omnidirectional and at least one directional. Would y'all have any suggestions on those?
Cliffh999 wrote:
I'm going to start shopping for some dedicated range extenders. There's only a couple of places I can put the extenders, so I'd need a couple that are omnidirectional and at least one directional. Would y'all have any suggestions on those?
Five acres probably means outdoors. Netgear's product range there is tiny.
You might need to look for something specialist. That's a bit beyond this place.
