R8500 and Mesh 6

[PitMasterDoug]

I have an R8500 and am replacing it with a Mesh 6. Apparently they both use the same nighthawk app. But I want the new Mesh 6 to use my same network name and password as the R8500 it’s replacing so it’s seamless to devices and users already connected.

Can someone give me some direction? I’m not very strong with the newest networking knowledge. Thanks!

[michaelkenward · Accepted solution]

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@PitMasterDoug wrote:
Would I put the R into AP mode after its disconnect and install of the MR with the nighthawk app?

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Excellent question.

I assume that you are OK with using the browser graphical user interface (GUI) to manage a router.

When you have the MR router up and running, connect the R8500 to a PC that has not connection to the Internet. Then go into the R8500 and turn it into an AP.

You can also disable the wifi while you are in there, or just use the WiFi on/off switch on the router.

How do I change my NETGEAR router to AP mode? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

That says:

Only use the Enable fixed IP settings on this device (not recommended) setting if you have advanced network experience and want to manually assign a specific IP address to the router while it is in AP mode.

My advice is to give the AP a fixed address to make it easier to find afterwards. Otherwise you will have to track down the IP address by looking for it on the router.

You can leave it at Get dynamically from existing route and tell the router to reserve an IP address for the R8500. You get the same result, an AP that you can get at by aiming a browser at a known IP address.

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And those R ports will then allow hard wire Ethernet users to plug into the R and get the full bandwidth of the MR?

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Yes. The R8500 effectively becomes a switch.

You may have to restart the network on the right order to get everything to connect.

It may help to reboot the whole network in the right order.

Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:

• Turn off and unplug modem.
• Turn off router and computers (and the AP)
• Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
• Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
• Turn on AP.
• Turn on computers and rest of network.

[FURRYe38]

Log into the MRs web page and setup the wifi using same SSID name and PWs as what you have on the R series router:

https://kb.netgear.com/22697/How-do-I-install-my-NETGEAR-router-using-the-router-web-interface

[PitMasterDoug]

So just disconnect the R and do a fresh install and set the name and pw as the R? Can I subsequently plug the R into the MR to add additional hard Ethernet ports (only 1 on MR)? Will that confuse the MR or appearance to others online? Is it easier to just add a hub?

[michaelkenward]

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@PitMasterDoug wrote:
So just disconnect the R and do a fresh install and set the name and pw as the R?

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Yes. Same SSID and passwords and other devices should connect. Some may be picky about seeing a new Mac address.

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Can I subsequently plug the R into the MR to add additional hard Ethernet ports (only 1 on MR)? Will that confuse the MR or appearance to others online?

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To avoid confusion, put the R8500 into AP mode and turn off its wifi. Or give the wifi a different SSID if you want yet another wifi source to play around with. (I have an R7800 with its own SSID plugged into an MRXX.)

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Is it easier to just add a hub?

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If you mean a switch, small switches are cheap. and that would be easier and more flexible when it comes to adding more stuff. Over the years, I have added enough stuff to warrant 16-port switch.

[michaelkenward]

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@PitMasterDoug wrote:
Apparently they both use the same nighthawk app.

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They do, and you can set up Anywhere Access to control both of them at the same time, even if you put the R8500 into AP mode (see below).

[PitMasterDoug]

Thanks Michael. More good information. Since the MR only has 1 Ethernet port, I’m assuming that is where the R would plug into. Would I put the R into AP mode after its disconnect and install of the MR with the nighthawk app? Will it see the R connected subsequently and allow you to go AP and drop its wifi? All after the MR install? And those R ports will then allow hard wire Ethernet users to plug into the R and get the full bandwidth of the MR?

(Sorry for all the questions)

[PitMasterDoug]

Further, with R in AP mode, it won’t affect the new MR in any way, other than provide ports for hard wire Ethernet cable to plug into MR ? And will the app or Genie see the R ports and be able to control their permissions?

[michaelkenward · Accepted solution]

---

@PitMasterDoug wrote:
Would I put the R into AP mode after its disconnect and install of the MR with the nighthawk app?

---

Excellent question.

I assume that you are OK with using the browser graphical user interface (GUI) to manage a router.

When you have the MR router up and running, connect the R8500 to a PC that has not connection to the Internet. Then go into the R8500 and turn it into an AP.

You can also disable the wifi while you are in there, or just use the WiFi on/off switch on the router.

How do I change my NETGEAR router to AP mode? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

That says:

Only use the Enable fixed IP settings on this device (not recommended) setting if you have advanced network experience and want to manually assign a specific IP address to the router while it is in AP mode.

My advice is to give the AP a fixed address to make it easier to find afterwards. Otherwise you will have to track down the IP address by looking for it on the router.

You can leave it at Get dynamically from existing route and tell the router to reserve an IP address for the R8500. You get the same result, an AP that you can get at by aiming a browser at a known IP address.

---

And those R ports will then allow hard wire Ethernet users to plug into the R and get the full bandwidth of the MR?

---

Yes. The R8500 effectively becomes a switch.

You may have to restart the network on the right order to get everything to connect.

It may help to reboot the whole network in the right order.

Be sure to restart your network in this sequence:

• Turn off and unplug modem.
• Turn off router and computers (and the AP)
• Plug in and turn on modem. Wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
• Turn on the router and wait 2 minutes for it to connect.
• Turn on AP.
• Turn on computers and rest of network.

[michaelkenward]

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@PitMasterDoug wrote:
Further, with R in AP mode, it won’t affect the new MR in any way, other than provide ports for hard wire Ethernet cable to plug into MR ? And will the app or Genie see the R ports and be able to control their permissions?

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The Mesh router will barely notice the AP.

As to managing the LAN ports, there's not that routers can do that front. Apart from things like Address Reservation, permissions are usually down to whatever you use to connect to the network.