Trouble connecting WiFi extender WN2500RP with WNDR3400v2 router

[LindaPat]

I'm new here and having a connectivity issue with 2 Netgear products. I have a Netgear N600 model WNDR3400v2. I have no issues with this unit except the signal is not strong enough in my son's room 2 floors up.

I just bought a used Universal Dual Band WiFi Range Extender model: WN2500RP from my son's friend. He moved and is now directly connected. So I know this unit worked last month at his home.

I hit the reset key on the bottom of the unit and have a green power button. I placed the unit on the desk next to the router to help keep any other wireless interference to a minimum. I have my laptop with me in the room to facilitate the setup.

Using setup Option 1: I pushed the WPS button on the back of the unit and then pushed the big blue WPS button on the router. The router has both 2.4ghz & 5ghz lights lite up on front. The green WPS button flashes on the extender for a while then goes blank. I am unable to connect to the www.mywifiext.net page, it "does not exist

I looked through the forums for help and couldn't either find or understand the solutions. Any help you can give would be appreciated.

[jmizoguchi]

http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WN2500RP/WN2500RP_UM_9Nov12.pdf

connect the PC directly to extender via ethernet cable , disable wifi on computer using then try www.mywifiext.net

look at manual Use NETGEAR Genie to Set Up the Extender

and use wizard and avoid using WPS. Scan the your SSID of 3400 and put encryption key for 3400

[Gary7701]

I have seen this response before on other questions regarding being unable to connect. But unfortunately it's not clear.

When I use the Genie

Step 1. is identifying the router - so we choose the name of our router

Step 2. is providing the wi-fi password - but my router is configured already as WPAS-PSK

Step 3. my router is not 5g compliant so I SKIP this step

When I click Continue the extender is attempting to complete the connection of Router - Extender - Device

and we all get the The extender was not able to connect error msg

How can I avoid using WPS? There is no option in the Genie

How do I scan my SSID of 3400?  Also do not see any option to do this 

Put the encryption key 3400 where exactly?

What specifically are you telling us to do?

Thank you for your assistance.

[Gary7701]

With nothing else to do, I am carefully reading the manual.pdf that was referenced above.

So the first observation is the Genie app on my computer does not match what you see in the manual.

Specifically pages 11 & 12. The options on the screen print do not match what is available to me on my screen.

Certainly #2, #3 & #5 are not something I can do with this Genie.

And then pages #14 -16? How do I access those screens? 

Configure the extender, sounds exactly what I need. 

How do I get there?????

[nhann]

Hi Gary7701,

Can you please provide screenshots of what you do see on your computer?

Please note that the Genie app that you've downloaded:

http://www.netgear.com/home/discover/apps/genie.aspx

Will look different from the web interface. Type this address into your internet browser (please be sure to connect to only the WN2500RP WiFi network, the name is usually followed by '_EXT'):

mywifiext.net

The instructions you see in the manual mentioned above are according to the web interface.

[Gary7701]

nhann,

I did not download the Genie app. I am decribing the Genie wizard that comes up automatically when setting up the extender. It is the browser version although it technically is not on the web- because I cannot get the extender to make the connection.

The lights on the extender are all green as decribed in the manual, but the Genie fails to make the connection between the device and the extender as many others have described in the community.

[nhann]

Hi Gary7701,

Can you please confirm that the WN2500RP connected with your WNDR3400v2 is  WN2500RPv2 ?

That may be the reason why you are seeing different screens than in the manual mentioned above.

Please see the v2 manual: http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WN2500RPV2/WN2500RPv2_UM_28May2014.pdf

from: http://support.netgear.com/product/WN2500RPv2

I have also confirmed that the setup of WN2500RPv2 is working with the WNDR3400v2 as seen below:

To the left is the WN2500RPv2 mywifiext.net interface, which shows connection status as "Connected"

To the right is the Genie app to show the network map of the setup I created. The WN2500RPv2 is connected to the WNDR3400v2 with access to internet.

Please be sure to first set up the router by connecting to the router's WiFi then log into routerlogin.net

Then connect to the Extender's "_EXT" network and login to mywifiext.net and use the router credentials to extend the network.

If you are still experiencing issues with setting up your network, please contact support for further troubleshooting:
http://support.netgear.com/general/contact/default.aspx

[Gary7701]

Yes my version of the WN2500RP Netgear extender is a WN2500RPv2 and the Manual you referenced does show the corresponding menus that match.

No I am not trying to connect to a NetGear router.

By chance, going through the Genie steps over and over the extender finally connected to my router. But having this problem definitely showed me there is an whole seperate menu of options that are behind the Genie process. I'm still not seeing the access to those menu options without first going through the Genie. But those menu options are definitely helpful. Pg 31 in the Manual.

[nhann]

Great to hear it's working!

I will link your other posts to this discussion.