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I want to use my AC1600 Modem Router Model 6400 as a range extender

IanHardacre
Aspirant

I want to use my AC1600 Modem Router Model 6400 as a range extender

I have recently switched to VirginMobile in the UK and their combined modem/wi-fi router doesn't push wi-fi to all my rooms.

When I used my AC1600 Modem Router Model 6400 connected to my old network provider I had strong signal everywhere.

I can't find a manual for the Model D6400 router on the Netgear site hence this plea for help.


I want to connect my Virgin box using gigabit Ethernet to the Red labelled plug on the D6400 and then use it to generate wi-fi for the house.

Is this possible?

If so how do I do set up the Internet connection on the D6400?

Thanks

 

ian

Message 1 of 7
antinode
Guru

Re: I want to use my AC1600 Modem Router Model 6400 as a range extender

> I can't find a manual for the Model D6400 router on the Netgear site
> [...]

 

   Really?  It's not complicated.

 

   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look
for Documentation.  Get the User Manual.  Read.  Look for "Use the Modem
Router as a WiFi Access Point".

Message 2 of 7
IanHardacre
Aspirant

Re: I want to use my AC1600 Modem Router Model 6400 as a range extender

Thanks

 

The manual is not for my model of the AC1600 - mine is a model D6400 not the D6250 that is the only manual I can find


My model has a DSL input, 4 output Ethernets and an input internet Ethernet

When I searched this  manual before I was unable to find any text about using the AC1600 as a repeater.

If it is there I'd appeciate a clue as to where it is!

Many thanks


Message 3 of 7
antinode
Guru

Re: I want to use my AC1600 Modem Router Model 6400 as a range extender

> The manual is not for my model of the AC1600 - mine is a model D6400 not
> the D6250 that is the only manual I can find

 

   _Which_ "The manual" do you mean?

 

> Visit http://netgear.com/support , [...]

 

   Did you?

 

> [...] put in your model number, [...]

 

   Did you?  "D6400"?  Look for "Model" on the product label.

 

> [...] and look for Documentation. [...]

 

   Did you?

 

> [...] Get the User Manual. [...]

 

   Did you?


   I fail to see how you can miss the "NETGEAR AC1600 WiFi VDSL/ADSL
Modem RouterModel D6400 User Manual" if you follow those (simple)
instructions.  What, exactly, _did_ you do?

 

      http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/D6400/D6400_UM_EN.pdf

 

> My model [...]

 

   If it's a D6400, then I got all that from the D6400 User Manual.

 

> When I searched this manual before I was unable to find any text
> about using the AC1600 as a repeater.

 

   That might be because "range extender" or "repeater" is not what
Netgear calls what you claimed that you want to do.

 

> I want to connect my Virgin box using gigabit Ethernet to the Red
> labelled plug on the D6400 [...]


> [...] Look for "Use the Modem Router as a WiFi Access Point".

 

   Did you?

 

> [...] It's not complicated.

 

   Really, it's not.  Although if you can't even _find_ the appropriate
User Manual, it's not at all clear that you'll be able to follow the
instructions in it if you ever do.

Message 4 of 7
schumaku
Guru

Re: I want to use my AC1600 Modem Router Model 6400 as a range extender


@IanHardacre wrote:

When I searched this  manual before I was unable to find any text about using the AC1600 as a repeater.


You can't make any router to work as a wireless extender or as a wireless repeater. Older routers had the ability to configure two technically similar devices to create a WDS (wireless distribution system), this depends on common features on both sides. In no case, the security requirements (and the possible speed) does come anywhere near to the year 2020 requirements.

 

All you can do is to configure the D6400 into a wireless access point - as you see on the referenced user manual, this requires a wired  Ethernet connection from your ISP router to the wireless access point. 

Message 5 of 7
antinode
Guru

Re: I want to use my AC1600 Modem Router Model 6400 as a range extender

> You can't make any router to work as a wireless extender or as a
> wireless repeater. [...]

 

   That's less clear than it should be.  What is true is that not all
router models can be configured as an extender or repeater.  Some can.
The D6400 is not one of them.  A search for "repeater" in an R7000 User
Manual might find "Set Up the Router as a WiFi Repeater", for example.
(As one might guess, the R7000 documentation can be found in the same
way that the D6400 documentation can.)

Message 6 of 7
schumaku
Guru

Re: I want to use my AC1600 Modem Router Model 6400 as a range extender

Yeah @antinode ... was discussing with me before posting if I should write "not any" or "not many". The existence of this mode on that many many year old R7000 is in my opinion purely academic - with the limited security options ("... You cannot use the WPA2-PSK (AES), WPA-PSK (TKIP) + WPA-PSK (AED), or WPA/WPA2 Enterprise security modes if you want to enable this mode. You also cannot select the Auto channel selection mode ...") it's hardly a feature to promote.

Message 7 of 7
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