I'm configured on an ATT Uverse DSL connection, ~20mbps, using Arris Motorolla NVG589 modem / gateway router. Various speed tests indicate the 20-30 mbps bandwidth is and has been reliable. The residence is an older bi-level home with concrete lath wall construction which makes wifi a bit challenging.
The NVG589 home address is 192.168.1.254
I picked up a newer N300-2700 extender which worked fine out of the box. I then added an older AC750 - 2600 extender and quickly learned the two extenders were bucking 192.168.1.250 which caused some trouble in trying to access either during operation without switching one or the other off. Accordingly, I changed the base address of the N300 to be 192.168.1.249 which solved this aspect.
Next I wanted to set NVG589 to be MAC address explicite white list which is where the problem began to show up with the N300. It seems I cannot get the N300 to authenticate to the NVG589. I can laptop a discrete IP address to the N300 to configure it but I cannot get it's MAC address to pass into the router to be recognized. I can get wi-fi or wired to connect to the device. I just cannot get the device to auth into the router.
I reconfigured the NVG589 to use WPA-Default OR WPA-PSK with 13 char. passphrase, turned off protected mode, verified the stated N300 MAC address was in the NVG589 whitelist table, but still shows same issue. WPS light on the N300 still lights as if it was WPS enabled and authenticated, (despite WPS mode off in the router) but connection of the N300 to the router never completes.
During the N300 Genie setup I tell it to use the same pass phrase as the router. I don't know where else to turn to find our why this is happening. I'm next going to turn off the other extender (2600) and put the N300 back to factor default to see if I'm failing to configure the IP change wrong as I pointed it's gateway back at the router's home address, same with the DNS address.
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Mike
Model: EX2700|N300 WiFi Range Extender Essentials Edition
After reconfiguring the extender to it's own static addressx on the router's subnet address I found and indication by another poster that the MAC addrfess on the back of the unit may not be the MAC address extended to the downstream devices connecting.
I had the router poll the devices connected and found another MAC address coming from the extender which afaics is a completely undocumented address. I added it to the router's whitelist table but same problem, extender does not connect to the router on either MAC address. Devices can connect to the extender but the extender cannot reach the router.
AFAICS this is a completely undocumented behaviour. I wish Netgear or someone that knows this unit would be good enough to at least suggest what else I might need to do since it appears Netgear doesn't provide live support to new purchase users on their devices.
Please correct me if I'm making these assessments in error. So far I have paid for something I haven't received.
Thank you,
Mike
Model: EX2700|N300 WiFi Range Extender Essentials Edition
