Smart Connect with Extender

[larrylato]

Does  a Netgear EX3700 work with Smart Connect setting on the R8000? After switching to Smart Connect, all my wireless bands list as one SSID but the (EXT) bands still show as "Available Networks"!

[plemans · Accepted solution]

It tends to fall in line with those devices that support mesh. This article: https://kb.netgear.com/000044734/How-do-I-enable-or-disable-Smart-Connect-on-my-Nighthawk-Mesh-WiFi-...

shows an "applies to" for devices on the right side. all those have smart connect. 

[plemans]

The EX3700 works with the R8000. But the EX3700 isn't a mesh extender so its doing to have a different ssid than the R8000

[larrylato]

Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, the fact that (EXT) is added to the SSID makes that a different SSID name? I  wasn't sure. During extender set up it seems I have option to name the bands the same as my router but I was afraid that would render the configuration  flawed.

[theGraduate]

Did you ever get a reply to your question? I would also rather give the same name instead of adding EXT, or 5GEXT, 2GEXT, etc. 

Thanks. 

---

@larrylato wrote:

Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify, the fact that (EXT) is added to the SSID makes that a different SSID name? I  wasn't sure. During extender set up it seems I have option to name the bands the same as my router but I was afraid that would render the configuration  flawed.

---

[plemans]

@theGraduate You can always name the ssid's the same. but the EX3700 isn't a mesh device. Its going to be "sticky" because it doesn't have any roaming protocols so devices won't roam. they'll stay attached until their signal degrades to unusable or drops entirely. The other problem is because they have the same ssid, you can't switch over easily to the other network (because it has the same name) when the signal does degrade. 

[theGraduate]

---

Hey, thanks... 

Ok, that makes sense... but does the EX3700 support Smart Connect (similar to the Nighthawk which I am extending) so that I do not have two separate extension names for the 2.4 and 5? 

@plemans wrote:

@theGraduate You can always name the ssid's the same. but the EX3700 isn't a mesh device. Its going to be "sticky" because it doesn't have any roaming protocols so devices won't roam. they'll stay attached until their signal degrades to unusable or drops entirely. The other problem is because they have the same ssid, you can't switch over easily to the other network (because it has the same name) when the signal does degrade. 

---

[plemans]

No it doesn't. Its a base model dual band range extender. 

[theGraduate]

Is there a Netgear extender model that can support Smart Connect? 

Thanks again. 

---

@plemans wrote:

No it doesn't. Its a base model dual band range extender. 

---

[plemans · Accepted solution]

It tends to fall in line with those devices that support mesh. This article: https://kb.netgear.com/000044734/How-do-I-enable-or-disable-Smart-Connect-on-my-Nighthawk-Mesh-WiFi-...

shows an "applies to" for devices on the right side. all those have smart connect.