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Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Dustin_V
NETGEAR Employee Retired

Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

EX7700_Community.jpg

 

 

Experience super-fast WiFi mesh with the latest member of our Nighthawk Mesh Extender family! The new EX7700 allows you to create powerful whole home WiFi using your existing WiFi. With features like Smart Roaming, you can enjoy seamless WiFi as you move freely around your house. Other Nighthawk Mesh features include:

 

  • One WiFi Name
  • FastLane 3 Technology
  • Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO)
  • Tri-Band WiFi Access Point

For more info about the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender, please visit: https://www.netgear.com/EX7700

 

How has your WiFi experience changed since upgrading to Nighthawk Mesh? Tell us in the comments below!

Message 1 of 26
DC777
Initiate

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Netgrears website is horible with no way to contact support. I purchased a EX7300 and it does not tell me how to set up a mesh system. All this unit is good for is an extender with 2 IP addresses not one like the ads state. Trying to even log into the unit is a chore. I have reset the unit three time now and it will now be returned. I have wasted 6 hours trying tom set it up.

Message 2 of 26
DexterJB
NETGEAR Moderator

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Hi @DC777,

 

Welcome to the community!

 

I have sent you a message. Please check your inbox.

 

Regards,

 

Dexter
Community Team

Message 3 of 26
TigerTiger
Tutor

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

So, I am totally skeptical.  I have been working my way up the extender food chain adding thgem to my wifi: EX7300...to EX 7500..."Mesh enabling pgrade of the EX7300"...now there's an EX7700 available.  I'm skeptical of any improvement with it!

 

The diagram in the ad shows "whole house" coverage, but the wifi router is off to the one end of the house and covers the far side and upstairs. I don't know how many people have their router on one end of the house and from what I'm reading from the community, many routers are centrally located where cable and cable modem enter the home, like my set up.  So, the solution seems to be  2 extenders. 

 

I have an EX7500 at one side of the house, good signal, and the "Mesh upgraded" EX7300 at the other*.  I use a Google wifi analyzer and can see the signals.  While of good quality, my wifi connected devices connected to the same or different frequencies (2.4, 5 or 5AC) act like they hate each other and drop their connections.  I can't imagine that Mesh should work like this.  Should it?

 

Will I and my set-up be happier investing in an EX7500 to replace the 7300 or move up to 1 or even 2 of the forthcoming EX7700's (I feel that's a sucker bet, rember I'm skeptical) or switch to Orbie and have a native Mesh system or even switch brands (that would be like giving up)?  As I said I'm skeptical, though I started off really liking the R7900 router but that was many connected devices ago.

 

Thank you everyone.

 

*I returned an EX8000 as it was horrible in my setting, wouldn't even connect to my router.

Model: EX7300|AC2200 WiFi Range Extender,EX7500|AC2200 Nighthawk X4S Tri Band Wall Plug WiFi Range Extender
Message 4 of 26
solanum
Initiate

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

I think I have been hoodwinked by marketing, I have always understood 'mesh' to refer to peer to peer, with messages being passed between nodes. It seems Netgear have redefined 'mesh' as using the same wifi ssid. In my opinion this is deceptive and I'll be returning my two EX7500 as they don't appear to be able to work as a 'mesh' so far as I can see. I've asked on this forum and sent a message to support, but had no reply in either case.

 

Other potential purchasers, please don't be fooled by this marketing!

 

Message 5 of 26
DexterJB
NETGEAR Moderator

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Hi @solanum,

 

Welcome to the community!

 

You may refer to this link for the response as confirmed by engineering.

 

Regards,

 

Dexter

Community Team

Message 6 of 26
dsanchez473
Aspirant

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Hello.

 

I have Nighthawk AC3200 router paired with 2 NighHawk XC2200 extenders.  I want to set the XC2200 up with wired connections to the router in Access Point mode.  Is it possible to have seamless wifi handoff with this setup?

 

I would prefer to have wired connections as the Access Points are a far distance from the router.

 

 

Thanks

 

Model: EX8000|AC3000 Nighthawk X6S Tri Band WiFi Range Extender
Message 7 of 26
DexterJB
NETGEAR Moderator

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Hi @dsanchez473,

 

Welcome to the community!

 

You will have to manually configure the SSID of the extenders that are in Access Point mode to be the same as your router's. This method allows One WiFi name to be used automatically.

 

Regards,

 

Dexter

Community Team

Message 8 of 26
jayburn84
Tutor

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

I was very interested in this model while I was at the store earlier today. I purchased the Nighthawk EX7000 instead.

 

Unlike a lot of modern-age homes nowadays, our ISP who we've had since 1998-1999 (about when cable modems were available in our area)... they ran the line from the pole on the street to the "left" side of our house. Being that there was no WiFi back then, or any demand at all.. we had just ran hardlines through the house. Now we are stuck with our ISP's modem/router (Arris TG1682G) on one side of the house... and obviously the "right" side of the house, has terrible WiFi reception. We just never had a demand in our house for so much WiFi until late last year when we purchased 2 new Smart TV's, as well as a Roku and Firestick for 2 other televisions.

 

Our house is not large by any means, average suburbian house, 3 bedrooms, 3 floors (not including the basement... which has 1 hardline for 1 PC down there). There honestly should be no issues with our ISP issued modem/router considering the size of our house, but our kitchen and far-side of the house were lucky to get 25mbps consistently. While most streams work great regardless, we have had incidents of buffers, drops, etc in those rooms.

 

I just brought back the EX7000 from the store a few hours ago, I synched it to our modem/router via WPS buttons, brought the EX7000 downstairs to the center of the house, and it has certainly beefened up the WiFi signal with our new _5GEXT / _2GEXT "networks". The kitchen is getting an average of 60-75mbps, a huge improvement from the soft inconsistent 25mbps.

 

Our internet plan is 300mbps down / 50mbps up. We actually get the 300mbps downstream via WiFi in most of the house, besides the kitchen and the far end of the house where we have a television. Now connected through the _5GEXT Extension network everything is a lot more stable.

 

 

I am not exactly brand new to setting up routers, but I've grown tired of everyone in the house yelling at me whenever someone has a poor connection or gets disconnected. I hope the EX7000 solves this issue, I am still considering plugging it into the hardline ethernet cable we ran to the far-side of the house and trying that method I have read in the instruction manual.. but so far, a lot better. None of our hardlined PC's ever get 300mbps downstream when I do a SpeedTest, only over WiFi. Our hardlined PC's consistently pull 100mbps downstream, which is fine because I game on my PC as well as my PS4 only while hardlined into our modem/router directly.

 

I know I'm talking about the EX7000, I am wondering if I should have sprung for the EX7700, but for the size of our house... I don't think it is necessary. I was considering the FastLane Technology and switching to it to just use either the 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz, just to simplify things.. since I've already been asked to which is better, and after testing both.. neither seem very different from one another speedwise from the tests I've tried.

Message 9 of 26
StephenB
Guru

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

In extender mode, the wifi performance bottleneck will be the Arris TG1682G.  The path to getting faster performance is to turn off the WiFi in the Arris, and add a higher performing AP.  The EX7000 or EX8000 can do this, as well as all Nighthawk routers.

 

A variation on this is to connect a Nighthawk to the Arris (moving all the the ethernet to to the Nighthawk, with the Arris WiFi off).  I do that with my Orbi and my ISP router (Fios Quantum in my case).  That lets me use all the features in the Orbi (in particular OpenVPN).

 

 

Message 10 of 26
mywifiext
Aspirant

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Nighthawk X4 AC2200 model EX7700 EX7300 provide access to a powerful wireless connection which can be difficult to achieve in your office or home, especially with slow speed modem or routers, or big office and homes with very difficult to reach a place that you would like to gain a fast wireless internet speed from.

Nighthawk X4 AC2200 model EX7300Online Gamers and video streamers are often facing a lot of wireless internet issues regarding poor connection, dropped internet connection, untrustworthy bandwidth, or long buffering which make’s it impossible to watch your content the way you want to be.

Lot’s of users are experiencing quite a similar problem while they are using their cell phones, as they have full wireless connection bars on the front side of the house, but a very poor wireless connection upstairs, this is because the wireless signal on your main modem or router may be designed to give a long range of wireless connectivity, there may be some hurdles i.e  appliances or wall in the way.

In many times, it is been create so much of a frustration, that the technology provides in order to increase your Wireless bandwidth has been organized to the extent where it is both powerful and accessible for just about anybody.

We’re going in deep to look on the features at the newly launch Netgear Nighthawk X4 AC2200 model EX7300 wireless range extender, to look what this extender has to provide and how it competes up with the rest of the other brand extender.

Boost Range and Wi-Fi Strength

The main features of Nighthawk X4 AC2200 model EX7300 wireless range booster or extender is having the capability to boost the existing Wireless connection throughout your home, despite having sheer space, electronics and walls that can create dead-zones.

Nighthawk X4 AC2200 model EX7300

It’s actually so splendid, that user has to plug it into a power outlet somewhere in between your main modem or router and your dead spots, and it will give you an extended wireless internet connection, providing more than 8,000 square feet of entire coverage.

Model: EX7500|AC2200 Nighthawk X4S Tri Band Wall Plug WiFi Range Extender
Message 11 of 26
Mickbashala
Aspirant

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Thanks
Model: EX6400|AC1900 WiFi Range Extender
Message 12 of 26
bamabillyp
Tutor

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Before the "single wifi mesh" I was able to see my 2.4 and 5 ghz radios and manually selected them. I had great results, especially when selecting the 5ghz radio and was getting ~200 Mbps in areas I previously would only get 10-20. After the latest firmware and using the "single wifi" name, it does not seem to be choosing the faster 5 ghz radio. I do my tests in the same area and it seems to only be selecting the 2.4 radio. I see the client light so I know I'm using the extender but getting 2.4 speeds. Why is it not selecting the faster radio? Can I go back so I have the option to manually select the 5ghz radio? Why would it not select that automatically ?

Model: EX7500|AC2200 Nighthawk X4S Tri Band Wall Plug WiFi Range Extender
Message 13 of 26
srcave21
Aspirant

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

I am extremely frustrated with EX7300,  I have spend hours trying to complete the setup with absolutely no success.  there's no support, no help desk, nothing!!  Waiting for someone to respond in a community group is no acceptable so this unit goes back to the store.   If they don't won't to provide an help desk, then they need to do provide extremely detailed instructions for the most widely used networks.  I have ATT so I don't know why the setup would be so difficult to complete.   

Message 14 of 26
jayburn84
Tutor

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Our NightHawk has really helped with a lot of areas we were not getting strong signals, however I do understand and have witnessed some "bottlenecking" I believe. Our Arris is just in such a poorly placed spot of the house, we've always had our modems in the same room since we had the line(s) from the street ran to one side of the house and into my office which was done 20+ years ago before any of us knew WiFi would be the way of the future.. otherwise we would have told them to run the line to the front/middle of the house.

 

One day I have time I will most likely change the modes and shut the WiFi on the Arris off, the NightHawk gives off a great signal... but the Arris WiFi is just weak IMO. Our house is not large, I feel like this Arris was built for a house half our size (which would be like the size of an apartment).

 

I am wondering if I due decide to switch modes to beef up the WiFi downstairs as we have a hardline we could run to the NightHawk, if I could still keep the hardlines (3) connected to the 2 PC's in this office and 1 to the PS4. I prefer to keep my gaming PC's and PS4 Console connected via ethernet cables. It would be pretty impossible or at least very difficult if we switched modes and then I had to run new hardlines from the NightHawk (downstairs) back up to this office.. I'd like to leave the Arris in it's place it has always been and keep these 3 devices plugged into the Arris. I do not care about WiFi upstairs, I'd prefer everyone downstairs get the best of the WiFi, we have 1 PC and 1 Console we could hardline into easily for the area near the NightHawk (where it currently is located in the middle of the house).

 

We have a hardlined PC right next to the NightHawk that we could plug into the NightHawk once modes are switched, but there will be a lot of empty unused ethernet ports on the back of the NightHawk... as I mentioned our hardlines were all ran through the house 20+ years ago from this office on one side of the house...

 

I've read the instructions and it doesn't seem difficult at all to switch modes, and I know that the NightHawk is MUCH stronger than the Arris in regards to putting out a WiFi signal as the bars are full all over the house (many places where they were very weak)... I am just worried if I switch modes if I could still keep these 2 machines and 1 console plugged into the Arris... and use the 4th line to plug into the NightHawk downstairs...

Message 15 of 26
StephenB
Guru

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender


@jayburn84 wrote:

 

I've read the instructions and it doesn't seem difficult at all to switch modes, and I know that the NightHawk is MUCH stronger than the Arris in regards to putting out a WiFi signal as the bars are full all over the house (many places where they were very weak)... I am just worried if I switch modes if I could still keep these 2 machines and 1 console plugged into the Arris... and use the 4th line to plug into the NightHawk downstairs...


The simple solution is to purchase an small gigabit switch (maybe 5 ports).  Connect that to the Nighthawk, the PC, and to the existing wall jack. 

 

Then you can leave your existing in-wall cabling alone, and switch modes.  You can find a suitable switch for approximately $25 (for instance a GS205).

 

 

 

Message 16 of 26
wesz28
Aspirant

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

I have the main router upstairs and set up the Nighthawk Extender downstairs, where all lights, door bell, Ring, Rokus, Thermostast, laptop, iPhones are used, I have used all types of Netgear Extenders thru the years but this is the best technology, laptop runs at Ping 23; Download 277; Upload 24 mbps wired to Extender using VPN Ping29; Download 95 and Upload 24 and iPhones while connected to Nord VPN Ping 32, Download 21.3; Upload 22.2 now turning off VPN Ping 25; Download 251; Upload 23.4 and sometimes it won't connect while VPN is connected even on the "fastest server" thru the Extender.  Would there be something on the "firmaware" blocking the VPN?

Message 17 of 26
StephenB
Guru

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

The extender shouldn't be blocking the VPN traffic, as far as it is concerned it is just another encrypted stream.

Message 18 of 26
wesz28
Aspirant

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

That is what I thought, but as soon as the VPN is off it links back to Extender at full speed.

Message 19 of 26
raven_au
Virtuoso

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender


@TigerTiger wrote:

So, I am totally skeptical.  I have been working my way up the extender food chain adding thgem to my wifi: EX7300...to EX 7500..."Mesh enabling pgrade of the EX7300"...now there's an EX7700 available.  I'm skeptical of any improvement with it!

 

*I returned an EX8000 as it was horrible in my setting, wouldn't even connect to my router.


I don't know about the EX8000 but the EX7700 firmware is fundamentally broken.

 

I see invalid MAC addresses corresponding to a few devices (sometimes with an additional entry with the correct virtual MAC address on my D7800, also seen on D8500 and R8500).

 

Together with the DHCP server on the D7800 (and at least the D8500) not honoring the address range set in the router configuration makes for a real mess.

 

There was once a time when Netgear firmware could be relied upon, those days have gone I'm afraid.

 

 

 

Message 20 of 26
adambasten
Aspirant

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

having a nightmare trying to connect my mesh extender to the netgear router i have virgin and its a ball ache the whole lot awfull

Message 21 of 26
TigerTiger
Tutor

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

I gave up and went with the Netgear Orbi and havent looked back.

Message 22 of 26
Jimmy19
Aspirant

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

Very Disappointed with my EX7500 Range extender.  My network freezes routinely.  I have removed the range extender and my WiFi network is very stable, but I have the same limited range problems.

 

Has anyone actually contacted Netgear support?  I've tried and I get routed to new pages and prompted to login and register my product.  All links to support simply create a new browser page.

 

I will warn all my friends to never buy Netgear products.

Model: EX7500|AC2200 Nighthawk X4S Tri Band Wall Plug WiFi Range Extender
Message 23 of 26
jhex7000
Guide

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender


@Dustin_V wrote:

EX7700_Community.jpg

 

 

Experience super-fast WiFi mesh with the latest member of our Nighthawk Mesh Extender family! The new EX7700 allows you to create powerful whole home WiFi using your existing WiFi. With features like Smart Roaming, you can enjoy seamless WiFi as you move freely around your house. Other Nighthawk Mesh features include:

 

  • One WiFi Name
  • FastLane 3 Technology
  • Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO)
  • Tri-Band WiFi Access Point

For more info about the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender, please visit: https://www.netgear.com/EX7700

 

How has your WiFi experience changed since upgrading to Nighthawk Mesh? Tell us in the comments below!


This sounds terrific - now all we need is doc on how to setup these mesh extenders with our ISP dual band modem/routers. I spent last night with support setting up my EX8000 as a traditional extender with the suffixed network names (_2GEXT and _5GEXT) for the extender ids. The manuals are helpless. Why suport set this EX8000 this way I dont know.

Model: EX8000|AC3000 Nighthawk X6S Tri Band WiFi Range Extender
Message 24 of 26
FURRYe38
Guru

Re: Create a WiFi Mesh System with the NEW Nighthawk EX7700 Mesh Extender

There should be a option check box to combine the SSIDs on the EX web page. 

Message 25 of 26
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