I have the following setup: R7000 router (192.168.1.1) at one end of the house, another R7000 as access point (192.168.1.100) at the other end. Both are running firmware 1.0.9.34.
When I am at the router area of the house and use the app, I can access all available functions. But when I am at the access point area of the house, the app connects only to the access point and not all functions are available. Shouldn’t the app automatically connect to the router, even if going through the access point? Or maybe better, there could be a possibility for the user to specify the IP address of the router when logging in?
I have the following setup: R7000 router (192.168.1.1) at one end of the house, another R7000 as access point (192.168.1.100) at the other end. Both are running firmware 1.0.9.34.
Does that mean that you have put the "remote" R7000 into Access Point mode?
But talking in terms of 192.168.1.100 on the remote device suggests that you may be doing something else. You don't make something an AP simply buy giving it an IP address.
Are these two devices wired together? Or is it done through a Wireless Distribution System?
Yes, the remote R7000 is put into Access Point mode (as suggested by Netgear), and it is wired to the main router. I have address reservations for all devices. A long time ago I decided to use .100 for the access point. (At that time I had an old router as access point, wired to one of the switch inputs and disabled DHCP).
I know that some features are disabled in the R7000 when in access point mode. This is not my problem. The problem is that the Nighthawk App does not reach my main router when my device (normally iPad) is connected to the access point, and there is no way to force it going to the router. I do not want to do anything on the access point, only the router.
With the old Genie app I could specify the address when logging in. I could then reach the router from all places in my house, even if I was connected to the access point. Unfortunately, this Genie does not work after firmware update 1.0.9.32 (not possible to log in anymore). The newer Genie app has other problems, but that’s another story.
A wild idea: Enabling the remote management for the router and the AP (while connected to the individual unit), I would guess you can select the device to be managed to manage when changing to remote access.
Vaguely remember having read similar questions before - looks to me like Netgear Nighthawk App design and implementation was done with the single router deployment idea in mind.
Maybe remote management would fix this, but it seems to be too much for this problem.
This morning a thought struck me: what if the access point is a non-Netgear router? I had an old Asus RT51U somewhere. I found it, updated the firmware and set it up as the access point. And guess what – now the Nighthawk App connects to the main router, wherever I am in the house! Which means I do not have to get up from my favourite chair to use the Nighthawk App…
So my “problem” is a follows:
When the Nighthawk App connects to the access point, in my case an R7000 which is a Nighthawk App enabled router, it thinks that this is the router. I can see two ways in which Netgear could fix this:
- Check if the router is set up in access point mode. If so, continue to the main router - Give the user the opportunity to specify the IP address of the router
Maybe remote management would fix this, but it seems to be too much for this problem.
Can't be difficult to enable on the router and the AP and test the App - considering this does not open any management ports the security impact is overseeable.
