R8500 wireless bridge setup

[meldgr8t]

Which of the two 5ghz band is the best or recommended one to use when setting up a wireless bridge on another R8500 router? Is it the first 5GHZ or the second 5GHZ SSID and PASSWORD?

[meldgr8t · Accepted solution]

...finally got it working, can now log on to the wireless bridge router with static address, after having done multiple time of 'factory reseting' the router.  Just for curiosity, factory resetting a router a few or multiple times, will it cause damage to the router?

[Retired_Member]

It shouldn't matter BUT, the 3 digit channels in the US have a higher output level if your link is weak use them.

[meldgr8t]

Thanks for your advice!
I'm now setup with two R8500 wireless routers, one configured as a router and the other as a wireless bridge. All is well and really impressive!

I have another question. I can see every single device that is connected to my main R8500 router using netgear genie network map, or viewing 'Attached Devices' through web browser.
But WHY is the R8500 Wireless Bridge not showing up in the genie network map nor on the list of 'Attached Devices'? Can you help me please? Thanks.

[Retired_Member]

I don't care for the Genie (crap) app and have no Idea. I don't think the genie app is able to detect TWO 5g SSID's when I tested the R8000 and genie it couldn't back then.

Is it listed in the attached devices list when logging into router?

[meldgr8t]

When logged on to the Main Router (the first R8500), and go to the 'Attached Devices' menu, it's not listed.  But when you go to the 'Control Devices' where you can see the allowed devices, you can see it is listed there BUT only displaying the mac address of the second R8500 (Wireless Bridge), and the IP Address field only shows '---".

All other devices connected to my network are showing with all the relevant information, e.g., device name, ip address, mac address.

[meldgr8t]

Additional information, all devices (media player, xbox360, bluray player) that are wired to the second R8500 (Wireless Bridge) are all showing up in the list.

[doraemon]

Firmware?

[meldgr8t]

Both R8500 routers have the same latest firmware, version 1.0.2.54.

[doraemon]

Try to isolate. Swap out the 2 R8500 and see if it will give you the same behavior when the other one is configured as wireless bridge. 

Then if you get the same, perhaps that's how it is.

[meldgr8t · Accepted solution]

...finally got it working, can now log on to the wireless bridge router with static address, after having done multiple time of 'factory reseting' the router.  Just for curiosity, factory resetting a router a few or multiple times, will it cause damage to the router?

[doraemon]

No, it doesn't.

I've been resetting mine for a couple of times due to testing. 

Another way to reset is to use the Erase button from the admin page. 

It's the same as pushing the reset button.