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How to use R7000 as router only
At our last home, we got out Internet service through a cable modem, which I then routed into a Netgear Nighthawk R7000 wireless router in order to get maximum wi-fi coverage throughout our long, ski...
> Using the R7000 in bridge mode, which was the first thing I tried,
> didn't allow me to access the Internet.Now that we know what did _not_ happen, what, exactly, _did_ happen
when you tried that?> I acquired a wi-fi adapter that does allow me to access the Internet.
When you do that, and connect to your "landlords' wi-fi", does it
just work, or do you need to log into something to make it work?> I still want to be able to connect to an external hard drive as a
> network drive that both my wife and I can use on separate PCs, an
> operation that requires a router.Actually, that does not require a router. An R7000 configured as a
wireless access point would work, too, but getting that connected to
your "landlords' wi-fi" might still be difficult.
> [...] whenever I turn the R7000 on, I can't access the Internet, even
> though I also have the wi-fi adapter active. Presumably this is either
> because my PC is looking to the R7000 first or because there's some
> setting on the R7000 that's forcing my PC to prioritize it.The R7000 can't coerce your Windows system into anything.
Configuring the R7000 as a WAP might keep Windows from believing that
it's a path to the Internet.I've never tried anything like this, so I know nothing, but I might
look into "Internet Connection Sharing" or (on Windows 10) "Mobile
hotspot". Then, connecting the R7000-as-WAP to the sharing Windows
system might allow multiple devices to share that shared connection.Another possibility would be to find a (cheap) wireless bridge to
give the R7000 its own connection to your "landlords' wi-fi", which
might let the R7000 act as a normal router.
"You want to connect to another wifi source. As @shadowsports explained, the only way to do that with the R7000 is to Set Up the Router in Bridge Mode as the manual explains."
If you'd read my original post, you'd know that I'm not looking to connect to the wi-fi with the R7000. I'm trying to prevent my PC from trying to connect to the Internet with the R7000, because …
"What is this magic adapter? One of those USB things that plugs into a computer?"
… yes. I have a magic USB thing that plugs into a computer, and that gets me the Internet connection I need, while the R7000 won't, and wouldn't even when I put it in bridge mode.
To recap:
- Using the R7000 in bridge mode, which was the first thing I tried, didn't allow me to access the Internet.
- I acquired a wi-fi adapter that does allow me to access the Internet.
- I still want to be able to connect to an external hard drive as a network drive that both my wife and I can use on separate PCs, an operation that requires a router.
- The R7000 is a router. I want to use it as a router, without using it to connect to the Internet, so that I don't have to go buy another router, too.
- However, whenever I turn the R7000 on, I can't access the Internet, even though I also have the wi-fi adapter active. Presumably this is either because my PC is looking to the R7000 first or because there's some setting on the R7000 that's forcing my PC to prioritize it.
> Using the R7000 in bridge mode, which was the first thing I tried,
> didn't allow me to access the Internet.
Now that we know what did _not_ happen, what, exactly, _did_ happen
when you tried that?
> I acquired a wi-fi adapter that does allow me to access the Internet.
When you do that, and connect to your "landlords' wi-fi", does it
just work, or do you need to log into something to make it work?
> I still want to be able to connect to an external hard drive as a
> network drive that both my wife and I can use on separate PCs, an
> operation that requires a router.
Actually, that does not require a router. An R7000 configured as a
wireless access point would work, too, but getting that connected to
your "landlords' wi-fi" might still be difficult.
> [...] whenever I turn the R7000 on, I can't access the Internet, even
> though I also have the wi-fi adapter active. Presumably this is either
> because my PC is looking to the R7000 first or because there's some
> setting on the R7000 that's forcing my PC to prioritize it.
The R7000 can't coerce your Windows system into anything.
Configuring the R7000 as a WAP might keep Windows from believing that
it's a path to the Internet.
I've never tried anything like this, so I know nothing, but I might
look into "Internet Connection Sharing" or (on Windows 10) "Mobile
hotspot". Then, connecting the R7000-as-WAP to the sharing Windows
system might allow multiple devices to share that shared connection.
Another possibility would be to find a (cheap) wireless bridge to
give the R7000 its own connection to your "landlords' wi-fi", which
might let the R7000 act as a normal router.
> Now that we know what did _not_ happen, what, exactly, _did_ happen
> when you tried that?As far as I could tell, it did connect to my landlords' wi-fi. But that was it: My status bar icon said "No Internet connection," and I couldn't make contact with any website.
> When you do that, and connect to your "landlords' wi-fi", does it
> just work, or do you need to log into something to make it work?The first time, I had to specify which network I wanted to connect to and enter the password, of course, but after that, it just works. It's not like hotel wi-fi or coffeehouse wi-fi where there's a particular screen you have to go to and enter additional information into first. AFAICT, it's just a home wi-fi setup that they're letting us piggyback on.
> > I still want to be able to connect to an external hard drive as a
> > network drive that both my wife and I can use on separate PCs, an
> > operation that requires a router.> Actually, that does not require a router.
How does it not? We can't plug the external drive directly into both PCs at once.
> The R7000 can't coerce your Windows system into anything.
> Configuring the R7000 as a WAP might keep Windows from believing that
> it's a path to the Internet.I'll give that a try and see if it works.
Changing the R7000 to Access Point mode seems to have done the trick. I have Internet access through my wi-fi adapter and can also access my external hard drive through the router. Thanks for the suggestion, antinode.
The ironic thing is, Access Point mode is the mode I used it in back at my previous home. I didn't think it would work here because I didn't have my own Internet line coming in, so I never tried it.