Setting Up A Wireless Access Point For The 1st Time - Anything I Should Know?

[Jennings92]

Hello everyone!

This is my 1st post here & I'm hoping someone here can help me out with my questions I have concerning this topic. 🙂

Now after viewing the title, you're probably wondering what I have in mind for this little project of mine; you want more details. So I'll provide them...

In February of 2020, my family switched to a better IPS for our home & it's been great ever since. And approximately 6 months ago, I myself upgraded from our ISP-provided gear to the Nighthawk 4-Stream AX1800 WiFi 6 Router [RAX10] which has enabled us to have better speeds without having to even upgrade our internet package! 🙂 Regarding our particular setup, it's a little unusual: my mom has an older desktop which is utilizing a wired fiber connection whille my custom desktop has to rely on a WiFi 6 connection which isn't so bad IMO. I also ought to mention that our house is 1300 square feet in size, it's only 1 story & my room where my setup is at is roughly 53-ish feet away. I DO have to put up with a few walls & obstacles in the way, but I've managed to live with it at the expense of some instability in connection. 😕 

So given my issues with instability here & there, what I intend to do to resolve this problem is to simply extend the 5 GHz band all the way to my room IF it's possible since I can't yet utilize it. How though? Using a WiFi 6 AX1800 Dual Band Wireless Access Point [WAX204] I got 6 months ago along with the router, but I haven't got around to using it just yet. I happen to have a few questions before I even go through with this: 

1. Using the access point essentially as an "extender", how far could it stretch the 5 GHz band assuming that it is possible?

2. If extending the 5 GHz band all the way to my room IS possible, what would I need for setting this up aside from the access point?

Well, those are strangely enough the only 2 questions I can think of regarding this little endeavor of mine. Of course, if anyone here happens to have any questions for me about this, feel free to ask away & I'll reply back! 🙂

Thanks in advance to anyone who can be of help!

Kyle.

[michaelkenward]

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@Jennings92 wrote:

Using a WiFi 6 AX1800 Dual Band Wireless Access Point [WAX204] I got 6 months ago along with the router, but I haven't got around to using it just yet.

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While many questions about routers are generic and could be answered anywhere, some things need specialist knowledge. In thos case you asked about the WAX204, which is a Business WiFi 6 AX1800 Access Point.

You might get more help, and find earlier questions and answers specific to your device, in the appropriate section for your hardware. That's probably here:

WiFi Range Extenders & Nighthawk Mesh - NETGEAR Communities

or

Business Wireless - NETGEAR Communities

In the meantime you could visit the support pages:

Support | NETGEAR

Feed in your model number and check the documentation for your hardware. Look at the label on the device for the model number.

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

I mention it because Netgear stopped supplying printed manuals and CD versions some years ago and people sometimes miss the downloads.

[wcalifas]

With extenders I think it cuts your speed to half of what you got but you might get a decent signal and connection. All depends on your house and any obstacles between it. Try it out and give us an update. Set up your extender close enough to get the signal from the main router and good enough to give you a signal to your room.

[Jennings92]

I should have mentioned that I looked up the specifications for the access point, but didn't manage to find much. Hopefully, that's where helpful communties like this 1 come into play. BTW, I also forgot to mention that for the router, my support has run out & I can't afford any or a warranty. Still, regarding the access point, I didn't really know it was for business use when I got it; I was just trying to find something compatible that would work well together. I'm hoping someone here can answer the technical questions I have since that's what communities & forums are for anyway. 🙂

[Jennings92]

I have given that some though for sure, but no one has yet answered either of my questions. Plus, I don't really know what I would need in order to setup the wireless access point since I haven't had a ton of experience with networking gear. I would appreciate it if someone knowledgeable can give me some guidance here! 👍

[michaelkenward]

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@Jennings92
I should have mentioned that I looked up the specifications for the access point, but didn't manage to find much.

What details do you need that are not in the data sheet or the manual?

See previous link for where to get those.

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I didn't really know it was for business use when I got it

That's just marketing guff that let's them add to the price. Sadly, it also means that they probably don't sell that many and that there aren't many users here who know how it works.

I just mentioned it so that you can find the place where they talk about that particular gadget. This place is as good as any to get help. Ignore anyone who tries to tell you otherwise. They just want a tidy life.

[michaelkenward]

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@Jennings92 wrote:

I have given that some though for sure, but no one has yet answered either of my questions.

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I didn't understand them.

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Plus, I don't really know what I would need in order to setup the wireless access point since I haven't had a ton of experience with networking gear.

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This page has a big button at the top:

WAX204 | WiFi 6 Access Point | NETGEAR Support

It says Guided Assistance. Did you try that?

Then there is this:

Installation Guide

and this:

Installation Guide (for Firmware version v1.0.2.x or later)

These things can be tricky. So start with those and come back with bits in them that you don't understand.

[Jennings92]

Sorry for the confusion on my part. I actually didn't know where to look for certain documentation & what have you. Thankfully, the links you provided were of some help & I just had to research a few other technical questions online. At least now I can say confidently that this will work. 🙂 Now to put it into action. Hopefully, I won't have to change much as far as my network goes considering I've never done this before...

[michaelkenward]

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@Jennings92 wrote:

I actually didn't know where to look for certain documentation & what have you.

That was in my first reply.