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Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

sfvoyage
Guide

AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

I lost wifi signal yesterday for both my laptop and (android) phone.  However, my Kindle Fire has wifi signal and is working fine.  Any idea what is happening?  Do I need to buy a new router?

Message 1 of 13

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sfvoyage
Guide

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

The issue has been solved - it turned out to be with my ISP and not my router.  (Happy not to have to buy another router yet.)

View solution in original post

Message 9 of 13

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wcalifas
Prodigy

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

Disconnect it from the power and then see once it boots up it fixes it. Let us know if that fixes that issue to help you troubleshoot it.

Message 2 of 13

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone


@sfvoyage wrote:

I lost wifi signal yesterday for both my laptop and (android) phone.  However, my Kindle Fire has wifi signal and is working fine.  Any idea what is happening?  Do I need to buy a new router?


Only if you are looking for an excuse to get something more powerful.

 

We don't know what router you own. AC1200 is not a reliable guide to model number. Many devices come with an AC tag, but it is essentially a label that Netgear, and other brands, attach to hardware to describe wifi speeds.

 

Look at the label on the device for the model number.

 

We do know that AC1200 is a pretty old wifi technology, at the bottom end of Netgear's range.

 

Try the advice from  @wcalifas .

 

What firmware version do you have on the device?

A number is more useful than "the latest". (It may not be by the time people read this.) There can also be newer versions, or "hot fixes", that do not show up if you check for new firmware in the browser interface.

It might also help if you told people what the modem is in front of this router, if there is one. The make and model number could be useful. Is it, by any chance, also a router, with a set of LAN ports on the back?

The reason for asking is that a lot of people turn up here trying to put a router behind a modem that is also a router. That can complicate troubleshooting.

Message 3 of 13
sfvoyage
Guide

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

I did this several times over the last few days, and unfortunately it didn't solve the issue.

Message 4 of 13

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

We still don't know what device you own, what firmware it runs on, or the modem/gateway that sits between the router and the Internet.

Message 5 of 13
sfvoyage
Guide

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

The model number of my router is R6220 (-100NAS).

 

I don't know what firmware version (sorry, I am not too technical - should I take a pic of the tech specifications from the box and attach it on here?).

 

I do not use a modem.  My ISP is a local San Francisco company called Monkeybrains, and I connect directly their wall jack to my router using an ethernet cable.

 

I lost wifi a couple of days ago, and Monkeybrains has been resetting signals on their end and claimed to have fixed the problem.  When I did a direct connection (bypassing the router), I do get wifi signal, although it's slower than usual.

 

What I don't understand is that, going through the router, I do get strong wifi signal on my Kindle Fire device.  However, no wifi signal for my laptop or my android phone.

 

Does that mean that the router is working somehow but needs to be reset?  Should I next try to reset my router to the original factory settings?  If so, any tips for that?  Many thanks.

Message 6 of 13

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone


@sfvoyage wrote:

 

I do not use a modem.  My ISP is a local San Francisco company called Monkeybrains, and I connect directly their wall jack to my router using an ethernet cable.

 

That sort of setup is not typical. It may be that your ISP has some sort of router further up the chain, which means that you might have to put the R6220 into access point mode.

 

Manuals are always a good place to start.

Visit the support pages:

Support | NETGEAR

Feed in your model number and check the documentation for your hardware.

You may have done that already. I can't tell from your message.

I mention it because Netgear gave up on supplying paper manuals and CD versions some years ago and people sometimes miss the downloads.

Message 7 of 13
sfvoyage
Guide

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

Yes, my ISP has their equipment box in a closet (one floor below) that services several units in my building.

 

Thanks for the link to the user manual.  The product did not come with any documentation.

 

By the way, my neighbor on the same floor had problems with the same ISP the past few days.  It turned out to be a router (TP-Link AC2300) problem for him.  He called TP-Link support, and the technician changed some settings remotely, which fixed the problem for him.

 

Unfortunately, Netgear only provides phone support for 90 days, and I had purchased my router almost 4 years ago.

 

Should I go ahead to reset my router to the original factory settings at this point?

Message 8 of 13
sfvoyage
Guide

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

The issue has been solved - it turned out to be with my ISP and not my router.  (Happy not to have to buy another router yet.)

Message 9 of 13

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

Good news.

 

Can you tell us what the problem was? And the ISP?

 

Might help another victim in the future.

 



(Happy not to have to buy another router yet.)

That ma

 

Some people grasp at any opportunity to  buy new kit.

Message 10 of 13
sfvoyage
Guide

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

My ISP is Monkeybrains, a local firm based in San Francisco.

 

They told me that they had to change to another IP address and route through their own switch (whatever that means...), and that immediately solved the problem.  It took several days of back-and-forth with various technicians.  Finally I connected with the right person who knew what he was doing.

 

 

Message 11 of 13

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

Great feedback.

 

Could help a future victim of Monkeybrains.

 

Bit worrying that you had to fight with them. Hope they are cheap and reliable.

 

 

 

 

Message 12 of 13
sfvoyage
Guide

Re: AC1200 router only working for Kindle Fire and not laptop or phone

Luckily, Monkeybrains is usually reliable (and is cheaper and faster than Xfinity, $35/month, no contract, no set-up or equipment fees).  They don't go down frequently, and problems are mostly solved within an hour or two (except for this latest episode).

Message 13 of 13
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