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I need support help setting up my WBC502. I recently purchased this from the NETGEAR store on Amazon, but the neatgear.com/support site claims my S/N was purchased over a year ago, so I cannot get support. Called the phone support, learned it was registered to somebody else (?!?!), so tech support could ot help me. They were supposed to transfer me, but they disconnected teh call. My second call was also disconnected. My online case was closed without being resolved. I would love NETGEAR to reopen my case (#44269148) and contact me.
But at the end of the day, I just want to learn how to set up as a remote Wifi Access point, but cannot get it configured to my network. Any help would be appreciated.
I see that @BretD says in another post that my WBC502 should be able to "attach itself to existing WiFi networks". Any tips on how to do that would be appreciated, the manual is lacking in that area.
I have one WBC502 that I'm trying to attach to an existing network, to extend wifi range to my workshop ~125ft away. If I direct-wire to the router, the house obsctructs the signal, so I want to Wifi-connect to the router from the opposite side of teh house, and extend out to the shop.
1. The WBC502 is a point to point system. It can go quite far (up to 9000ft) when used with a pair of them. But when you only have 1, its limited to the same broadcast distances as standard routers. In which 125ft can be quite far. Especially if the routers having to broadcast through an extentior wall. Exterior walls tend to have more materials that block wifi and sometimes that material itself blocks wifi very well. LIke cement board, brick, adobe, foil lined insulation, metal siding, etc. These all do a great job of blocking wifi signals.
2. The WBC502 does have a client bridge mode where it can pick up that signal. It doesn't rebroadcast it like an extender but allows you to use the signal it recieves through its ethernet port. The manual goes over this.
at 125ft, you might be needing a pair of wbc502's and not just 1.
You might find more people that've used the WBC502 in the forum for it. You're currently in the standard extender forum.
1. I understand it has that mode, but Netgear marketing led me to believe it also had other modes.
2. Again, Netgear marketing led me to believe it would rebroadcast.
I understand that 125 feet might have been a stretch too far, but I cannot get to that point, because I bought a product that does not have the modes that wer advertised to me.
In terms of support, Netgear keeps hanging up on me when I call, they closed the online case without resolving, & I have already wasted 4 hours of my life trying to get support. It would be great if Netgear provided support.
1. I understand it has that mode, but Netgear marketing led me to believe it also had other modes.---It does have other modes.
2. Again, Netgear marketing led me to believe it would rebroadcast. ----I attached the marketing for it with the modes described. I didn't seen anything about it acting as a repeater. Maybe I'm wrong. Or maybe its a simple misunderstanding of what you're reading.
I understand that 125 feet might have been a stretch too far, but I cannot get to that point, because I bought a product that does not have the modes that wer advertised to me.-----Again, I think its a misunderstanding of how it operates. Eitherway at 125 ft, you'd more than likely need a point to point system (2 unit). If a single access point could broadcast like that, we wouldn't need point to point systems.
In terms of support, Netgear keeps hanging up on me when I call, they closed the online case without resolving, & I have already wasted 4 hours of my life trying to get support. It would be great if Netgear provided support.-----Support is only free for the first 90 days of purchase. As you've already said, you're outside that window. did you buy a support contract or what do you think support is going to be able to do for you?
@plemans , you don't work for Netgear, & I'm not going to argue with you. I'm beginning to think that I misunderstood the product's capability, so it looks like it cannot do what I thought it could? Most likely? At this point it doesn't matter if it was misleading marketing (it's named 'Wireless' and described operation is "Outdoor access point - One WBC502 unit"....and I want one wireless outdoor access point.
But I don't know for sure if it can be configured as I need it to operate, because Netgear refused to support.
I purchased on Jan 28th, well within the 90-days still, and have been attempting to get support for a while now.
In access point mode, it needs to be hardwired into your network.
Did you try contacting a moderator to see if they can help with the registration issue? That's why I linked @Christian_R
If it was bought that recently, you also might be within your return window to exchange it. It wouldn't be the first time a company has resold a returned product.
