AX5400 RAX50v2 Bridgeing

[Feltenix]

I just got the AX5400 a couple of hours ago.  I specifically got it for the wireless bridging capabilities.  There was nothing in the listing or on the packaging to indicate that this was the RAX50v2.  I specifically got it from the Netgear section on Amazon.  On the webpage for the wireless bridging I saw that RAX50v2 does have support for wireless bridging.  Is my only option to return the router? Or are the they firmware compatible and I can reflash the RAX50v2 with the RAX50 firmware?

[FURRYe38]

Do you not see wireless bridge mode on the router WEB UI? 

No. 

[michaelkenward]

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@Feltenix wrote:

There was nothing in the listing or on the packaging to indicate that this was the RAX50v2. 

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What does the label on the router say? If it doesn't say V[something]  it is V1.

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Or are the they firmware compatible and I can reflash the RAX50v2 with the RAX50 firmware?

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Usually, no.

Netgear provides the same manual for each version. That maybe a mistake, given Netgear's performance on documentation. That has a section Enable bridge mode.

There are rarely significant feature changes between hardware versions.

Which firmware version do you have on the router. ("The latest" isn't reliable, only the number will tell.) Updates have been known to mend things that were bust in the original release.

[Feltenix]

Attached is a screenshot of what I see when I login to the router. Following the online guide Advanced > Advanced Setup > Wireless Bridge, but it isn't there.

[FURRYe38]

If you don't see Bridge mode under Router Mode/AP Mode then this version of the RAX50 doesn't support it. There was a HW change from what I was told and FW versions are different between v1 and v2. v1 FW can't be loaded on v2. 

[Feltenix]

Thanks for the help.  It looks like the only solution is to return it and buy something other than a RAX50 as it will likely be a v2 as there is no indication of not getting some other rev of the product on the box or advert.  I wonder if there are any other hidden revisions out there. Or if I should just go old school and use a wire.

[michaelkenward]

I'd expect to see it in either the Router / AP Mode slot, which is where it is on my R7800, or, if the manual is correct, in Wireless Settings. (That's not to be confused with the VLAN / Bridge Settings bit, which is something else.)

Looks like another Netgear manual that needs an update for the new hardware version.

[plemans]

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@Feltenix wrote:

 Or if I should just go old school and use a wire.

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what are you actually trying to do? 

Might help to know that and we might be able to recommend something versus just going straight to bridging a router. 

For example, many of the extenders have ethernet ports you can connect a PC to and use them as extenders. 

Or switching to a mesh system and hardwiring the device to one of the satellites.