Connecting MK63 t0 R6700AX

[ChicknLil]

Have an R6700AX router that I purchased a few months ago, and just picked up a MK63-100NAR 3-Pack. Was that a mistake? Can I use them with my existing router? Based on what I've read, it seems like the router within that 3 pack unit needs to be the router. Had I realized that, I wouldn't have purchased these.

Thanks for any clarification anyone can provide.

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

Well you could use the laptop and wirelessly connect to the default SSID name on the MR and set up that way with the MR. If you wirelessly connect to the MR useing the default SSID name, navigate to 192.168.1.1 on the MRs web page to use the setup wizard there.

There are USB to ethernet adapters that are inexpensive to purchase.

Offline means it doesnt' have to be connected to anything when you set it up. Once you have it setup off line, you can configure AP mode then after you apply that change, then connect the MR to the 6700 series router. 

You could connect it to the 6700 series router, the MR will use a different IP address, 10.0.0.1 I beleive since default is 192.168.1.1 for the 6700 and MR, the MR should avoid this and change to the 10 IP address string as two routers on the same line can't use the same IP address pool string. Would use the 6700's DMZ for the MR to help avoid any double NAT issues. This works as well. Use this configuration many times. 

[FURRYe38]

Can. 

Can use the DMZ on the R6700 router for the MR router in router mode or easiest configuration would be to configure the MR for AP mode and connect it to the R6700 and then disable the 6700's wifi radios:

https://kb.netgear.com/20927/How-do-I-change-my-NETGEAR-router-to-AP-mode

[ChicknLil]

So @FURRYe38, would I need to connect the MK63's router to my modem (and thus disconnect the R6700AX) in order to set it up that way? That will be disruptive to the household if that's the case.

[FURRYe38]

No, you can set it up off line from the modem or router using a wired PC and web browser? 

[michaelkenward]

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@ChicknLil wrote:

Have an R6700AX router that I purchased a few months ago, and just picked up a MK63-100NAR 3-Pack. Was that a mistake?

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Probably not. But it probably depends on what you want to do and why you bought the MK bundle.

The MK kit should be better than the R6700AX. With its satellites it does Mesh Wifi. If it covers the whole of your property, why not just pension off the R6700AX? (Or sell it?) That way you get a simpler system than faffing around with the older router.

Connect the MR60 router to your (anonymous) modem and way you go.

You could use the R6700AX as wireless access point, but it won't do Mesh with the other stuff.

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Based on what I've read, it seems like the router within that 3 pack unit needs to be the router.

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The MR60 could work as an AP. But way make life complicated if the MK63 does the job?

[ChicknLil]

No wired PCs in the household - laptop doesn't even have an ethernet port.

Though I'm not understanding what you mean by offline @FURRYe38.

Could you elaborate?

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

Well you could use the laptop and wirelessly connect to the default SSID name on the MR and set up that way with the MR. If you wirelessly connect to the MR useing the default SSID name, navigate to 192.168.1.1 on the MRs web page to use the setup wizard there.

There are USB to ethernet adapters that are inexpensive to purchase.

Offline means it doesnt' have to be connected to anything when you set it up. Once you have it setup off line, you can configure AP mode then after you apply that change, then connect the MR to the 6700 series router. 

You could connect it to the 6700 series router, the MR will use a different IP address, 10.0.0.1 I beleive since default is 192.168.1.1 for the 6700 and MR, the MR should avoid this and change to the 10 IP address string as two routers on the same line can't use the same IP address pool string. Would use the 6700's DMZ for the MR to help avoid any double NAT issues. This works as well. Use this configuration many times. 

[ChicknLil]

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@michaelkenward wrote:

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why not just pension off the R6700AX? (Or sell it?) That way you get a simpler system than faffing around with the older router.

My reluctance there is that I just purchased the R6700AX in...January? Maybe even early February.  So I'd really like to keep using it if at all possible because it's too late to return it, and selling it around here is not an option.

[michaelkenward]

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@ChicknLil wrote:

My reluctance there is that I just purchased the R6700AX in...January? Maybe even early February. 

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Ouch. I see the point.

I'd still look for the simplest setup, which is not to use the R6700AX as the main router rather than the R60.

[FURRYe38]

Simplest would be to keep the 6700 and configure AP mode on the MK system. You'll be fine then. 

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@ChicknLil wrote:

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that I just purchased the R6700AX in...January? Maybe even early February.  So I'd really like to keep using it if at all possible because it's too late to return it, and selling it around here is not an option.

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[ChicknLil]

Okay, @FURRYe38, here's what I've done:

1.  I got a USB-C to Ethernet adapter, and plugged it into my laptop, and plugged one end of the ethernet cable into it. From there, I plugged the other end of the ethernet cable into the MR60, in it’s Ethernet port.
2. I changed the wireless network on my laptop to the Netgear01 (as listed on the sticker on the front of the MR60), and as the instructions here instructed, I navigated to routerlogin.net, logged in, and changed it to AP Mode, and clicked apply.
3. I then changed the wireless network on my laptop back to my regular one, and navigated to the 192.168.1.1, to the R6700AX Router page, and attached devices. At this point, it wasn't there.

At this point, the wheels fell off. I hit the sync on the back of the MR60, then changed the network back to the Netger01 network. It found it again, logged me in, and let me see that routerlogin.net page and I gave thought to changing the SSID at that point, but didn't, and tried to log back on to my main networks. Except, my laptop could no longer see those networks, it could only see that Netgear01 and nothing else - not even my neighbors networks (I live in a condo, so there are always quite a few visible).

I tried doing automatic resets of my modem (Netgear), Router (the aforementioned R6700AX) and every other device on the network could see everything fine. During this time, I brought the MR60 up to the room where the R6700AX lives and wired an ethernet cable from the back of the R6700AX to the "Internet" port on the MR60. When I returned, I also plugged one of the satelittes in, and my Chromecast immediately found the wired connection and it was happy.

But I was not. My laptop continued to only see the Netgear01 SSID. I tried going back up and hard rebooting the modem and R6700AX, hollering down at my friends who are currently staying with me to tell me when they were back online. After a few minutes they were, and when I went back down, my phone was as well. Laptop though? Nope.

I have done every "wireless fix" I can find on the web, flushing dns, finding new drivers for my WLAN card, even telling services to start automatically. Nothing is making a difference.  Worse, this is the only device in the household this is happening on.

I haven't yet tried removing the MR60 and seeing if that resolves the wifi issues on my network, but I'm not sure what else to do.

Right now I'm plugged in via ethernet, because otherwise I wouldn't be online.

Thoughts or advice would definitely be appreciated.

[FURRYe38]

Ok so what's the SSID name on the R6700? You can use this same SSID name on the MR when you are setting it up and after you configure AP mode on the MR60 and apply the change and the MR reboots, I would go in and disable the wifi radios on the R6700 then also reboot the R7000 as well. After both are ready, you should be able to connect wirelessly to the MR or the laptop will auto connect to it since if your using the same SSID name and PW as what you had on the R6700, it should already be there. 

I recommend using a custom SSID name on the MR. Something other than the default one. 

[ChicknLil]

Haha...on the R6700AX, the 5 is "nicepornstash" and the 2.4 is "watchingyou" ... 

When I originally set up the MR, I used the default name (Netgear01) and briefly tried setting it up with "nicepornstash" before switching it to "extralargechicken".

At this point, the MR won't work unless it's plugged into the R6700AX, so it's not even connecting wirelessly. The 2 MS are connected wirelessly though, and the only reason my laptop is online is because I'm plugged into an MS.

Do you think I should reset the MR back to factory and try again, even though I followed the instructions on that link you sent to the letter?

My network adapter on my laptop is not seeing ANY networks at this point, beyond "extralargechicken" and even then, it's not connecting at more then 1mbps ... It's not seeing the two from the R6700AX. Nor any of my neighbors. It's ridiculous. I have a WiFi 6 AX1800Mbps USB-3 Adapter Dual Band arriving later today, to see if it's the network adapter that's the issue, because EVERY other device in the condo seems to have ZERO issues seeing the R6700AX networks.

Dunno. Frustrated as hell right now.

[FURRYe38]

So for the MR to work correctly you'll need to use one SSID name as it combines both 2.4 and 5Ghz signals in to one SSID name. So either "nicepornstash" or "extralargechicken" should work on the MR. 

Once the MR is configured for AP mode and you select the apply button on the AP mode screen the MR should reboot. AT this point I would turn OFF the radios on the R6700. As long as the ethernet from the MRs WAN port is connected to the R6700's LAN port, the MR should boot to ready and get a BLUE led in front. Is this happening? 

Leave the wifi adapter on the laptop disabled while you have the ethernet connection running. 

May wanna try a factory reset and setup from scratch. 

[ChicknLil]

"extralargechicken" is what it is at this point.

The MR and 2 MS's all have blue lights.

Will disable wifi, and circle back when I've got the new adapter and see if it makes a difference.

[FURRYe38]

Ok, should disable wifi radios on the R6700. Should have internet services thru the MR with your ethernet connected PC. 

[ChicknLil]

Ugh. I don't want to have a 5/2.4 network with the same name, which would be the case if I was only using "extralargechicken".

And I have other people in the household (including my phone) connecting just fine to "nicepornstash" and/or "watchingyou".

I'm getting the sense these devices are WAY more trouble than they were worth!

[FURRYe38]

The MK does offer a separate custom networks for 2.4 and 5Ghz:

https://kb.netgear.com/000063027/Can-I-create-separate-2-4GHz-and-5GHz-SSIDs-on-my-Nighthawk-Mesh-Wi...

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-Wi-Fi-6-AX-Mesh/MK62-Custom-Default-SSIDs/m-p/2301335/hig...

[ChicknLil]

I've created two additional SSIDs off the MK/MR.

I disconnected my laptop from the MS I put next to me and turned on WiFi again, and it's only seeing the 2.4 SSIDs, and at 1 bar. With the MS literally right next to me. Seems like there's major issues with that adapter. I've disabled WiFi again, and am back on the ethernet.

My new WiFi adapter is out for delivery. I'm guessing once I plug that in, I'll no longer be having difficulties accessing ANY of the networks!

[FURRYe38]

Whats the brand and model of that adatper. Ya seems like something going there with that. 

Do other devices connect ok to the MK system, phone or pad? 

[ChicknLil]

The installed card was a MediaTek WiFi 6 MT7921 Wireless LAN Card (internal). It definitely crapped the bucket.

The new USB adapter arrived, I plugged it in, and it saw everything again. So the MediaTek has been disabled, I'm no longer on Ethernet, and I'm online.

So thank you, @FURRYe38 for all your help.  And you too, @michaelkenward, as well

[FURRYe38]

Glad you got it working.  Be sure to save off a back up configuration to file for safe keeping. Saves time if a reset is needed.
https://kb.netgear.com/24231/How-do-I-back-up-the-router-configuration-settings-on-my-Nighthawk-rout...
Enjoy. 📡