Cannot update firmware on ex6100

[blansinger]

I have been trying to update the firmware on my ex6100 that I am using as an extender. I have had problems with connecting to the http://mywifiext.net site. It takes me to a page that is titled "Oops" which tells you to go to the http://mywifiext.net page? On a couple of tries, it actually lets me log in to the netgear user interface. I select the update firmware link and download the firmware, unzip it and it is ready to go. I select the file and upload and it appears that it is working, but after about 20 seconds, I get the screen below. This has happened several times. I am using a pc running windows 8.1. If anyone can help, I would greatly apprecate it. Thanks. 

[Babylon5 · Accepted solution]

An extender will often reduce throughput by half, that’s not a fault of the extender but simply down to the way WiFi data transmission works, I won’t go into detail unless you really want me to.

In addition, the halving of the throughput is at the point where the extender is placed. If you imagine that a computer at the same location as the extender would achieve a throughput somewhat less than if it was much closer to the base station, then that’s pretty much what the extender sees e.g.

2 metres from the base station – 150Mbps

10 metres from the base station and through a wall – 50Mbps

After repeating – 25Mbps

(just an example).

It’s important therefore to place the extender in an optimal position. Too close to the base station and remote clients will see little benefit from the extender, it will be too far away and still halving throughput. Too close to the clients and the extenders data reception from the base station will be poor and still halving throughput, the clients will see a good strong signal from the extender but throughput can be very poor. So you need to find a compromise position part way between clients and base station.

The halving of throughput can be alleviated where the extender/base station are dual band. For some newer Netgear extenders there is support for ‘FastLane’ which allows the extender to connect to the base station using one band e.g. 2.4GHz, and connections to the clients is 5GHz. In that situation clients would also need to be dual band. Alternatively if the extender connection to the base station is 5GHz, then clients can connect to the extenders 2.4GHz band, and they don’t have to be dual band in that case.

Personally, I would either run an ethernet cable to an Access Point, or use Powerline products, before I would consider wireless repeating.

[Babylon5]

If http://mywifiext.net takes you to the ‘Oops’ page that often means that your computer has associated with the Base Station and not the extender, and the Base Station simply passes on the URL to your ISP DNS servers, and then to the Internet based Oops page. This can also lead to web pages that you see not working properly because what you are seeing is cached data and not sourced directly from the extender. You may have better luck if you use the extender’s LAN IP address, assuming you know what that is, your router will most likely have the extender in its ‘attached devices’ list.

[blansinger]

Thank you..that allowed me to update my frmware. I greatly appreciate it. 

I have an additional question. I am not incredibly technical so forgive me if this doesn't make sense. If what you say is true about my computer associating with the base station and not the extender, will that affect the performance of my connection? The speed is significantly slower when attached through the extender. Is there something that I can do to associate devices with the extender instead of the base station that would improve the performance of my connection? Thanks.

[Babylon5 · Accepted solution]

An extender will often reduce throughput by half, that’s not a fault of the extender but simply down to the way WiFi data transmission works, I won’t go into detail unless you really want me to.

In addition, the halving of the throughput is at the point where the extender is placed. If you imagine that a computer at the same location as the extender would achieve a throughput somewhat less than if it was much closer to the base station, then that’s pretty much what the extender sees e.g.

2 metres from the base station – 150Mbps

10 metres from the base station and through a wall – 50Mbps

After repeating – 25Mbps

(just an example).

It’s important therefore to place the extender in an optimal position. Too close to the base station and remote clients will see little benefit from the extender, it will be too far away and still halving throughput. Too close to the clients and the extenders data reception from the base station will be poor and still halving throughput, the clients will see a good strong signal from the extender but throughput can be very poor. So you need to find a compromise position part way between clients and base station.

The halving of throughput can be alleviated where the extender/base station are dual band. For some newer Netgear extenders there is support for ‘FastLane’ which allows the extender to connect to the base station using one band e.g. 2.4GHz, and connections to the clients is 5GHz. In that situation clients would also need to be dual band. Alternatively if the extender connection to the base station is 5GHz, then clients can connect to the extenders 2.4GHz band, and they don’t have to be dual band in that case.

Personally, I would either run an ethernet cable to an Access Point, or use Powerline products, before I would consider wireless repeating.