Given the role that internet connectivity has played in recent years, a powerful and steady WiFi connection is a necessity in people’s lives. Thus, the existing signal of your router might not be strong enough to penetrate through wall or if the house layout is large enough. This is where a WiFi range extender comes in handy with the following netgear ac750 wifi range extender setup benefits
Currently, amongst the many WiFi range extenders in the market, one of the most sought after is the Netgear AC750 WiFi Range Extender (EX3700). Here in this all encompassing tutorial, we will explain how you can install the latest version of the Netgear AC750 WiFi extender to increase the reception of your WiFi signals.
What is a WiFi Range Extender?
Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) Range Extender is a device used to pick up and amplify a Wireless home network signal that has been transmitted by a wireless router.
A netgear ac750 wifi range extender setup is a devise that picks up an existing wireless signal from your home router and then retransmits it to amplify coverage. It connects with the WiFi signal that your router emits and boosts it up and then, rebroadcasts the strengthened signal to the regions where the router’s signal is weak.
If you need robust Wi-Fi signals in every room you are in your house including those far from the Wi-Fi router then range extenders should be your go-to. They enable one to have strong WiFi signals with no blind spots regardless of the area of the house, compound inclusive.
Overview of Netgear AC750 WiFi Range Extender
The Netgear AC750 WiFi Range Extender EX3700 is a dual-band wireless extender that extends your WiFi coverage up to 1000 square feet. Here are some key features:
- Dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) for concurrent WiFi connections
- Up to 750Mbps wireless speed (600Mbps on 5GHz + 150Mbps on 2.4GHz)
- Fast, plug-and-play set up either via the Nighthawk app or WPS button
- Compact and portable design that can be placed anywhere
- 2 external antennas for stronger signal penetration
- Auto Channel Selection avoids interference
- WEP, WPA and WPA2 wireless security supported
Overall, the Netgear EX3700 is a powerful yet affordable WiFi range extender ideal for homes up to 2500 square feet. Its dual-band technology allows you to leverage both frequency bands for extra speed and bandwidth.
Check Your Router Compatibility
Before setting up the Netgear WiFi range extender, the first step is to check if your existing wireless router is compatible with it. The Netgear EX3700 works with all standards 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi routers.
If your router supports either the 2.4GHz WiFi band or both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, then the Netgear extender will work with it. You can easily find information on your router’s manufacturer website or user manual about its WiFi capabilities.
Place the Extender in Position
For optimal performance, place the Netgear WiFi range extender in an area where the signal strength from your existing router is weak. Some good locations include:
- Near the center of the area you want to cover with WiFi
- On a table, shelf or mounted on a wall using the provided mounting holes
- Away from large appliances or metallic structures that can interfere
- Approximately halfway between your router and the WiFi dead zone
Ideally, the extender should receive at least a 2-3 bar signal (out of 5 bars) from your router. Avoid placing it too close or too far away from the router for effective signal boosting.
Connect the Extender to Power Supply
Once you have decided on a suitable location, simply plug in the power adapter cable into the extender and connect the other end to a nearby power outlet. Press the power button at the rear to turn it on.
The status LED on the front will start blinking slowly as the extender initializes. This process takes about 2 minutes after which the LED will remain solid indicating it’s ready for setup.
Download the Nighthawk App
The recommended method for setting up the Netgear WiFi range extender is via the Nighthawk app. It provides an intuitive, step-by-step guided setup.
Download the free Nighthawk app from the App Store or Google Play store on your iOS or Android device. Open the app and follow the on-screen prompts.
Connect to WiFi Hotspot
During the initial setup process, the extender creates a dedicated WiFi hotspot called “Netgear_EXT” with the password “12345678”.
Use this temporary hotspot to connect your mobile device and launch the Nighthawk app for guided configuration. If prompted, tap “Start Setup” to begin.
Select Extender Model
On the app home page, tap the “+” icon in the top-right corner and then select “EX3700” from the list of extenders. This identifies the extender model for easy setup synchronization.
Connect to Existing Network
The app will automatically start scanning for available WiFi networks. Select your home network name from the list. Enter the password when prompted to connect the extender to your existing router’s WiFi network.
Assign New WiFi Settings
Choose a unique, customized name and password for the extender’s new extended WiFi network that will be broadcast. Make a note of these credentials for accessing the boosted WiFi network in dead zones.
Optimize Placement
After successfully connecting to your router, the app checks wireless signal strength between them and provides placement feedback. Relocate the extender if required and rerun the check.
Install Complete
Once connectivity is optimized, the setup is complete. The extender reboots and starts broadcasting the new extended WiFi signal. You can verify the setup by connecting devices to the new network name you configured.
Alternate Wired Setup
If your extender location is close to your router, you can connect them using an Ethernet cable (not included) for more stable and higher-speed performance.
Simply plug one end of the cable into a LAN port on the router and the other end into the LAN port on the back of the extender. Then follow steps 4 to 10 above via the app for WiFi extended network setup.
Setting Up the Extender
Now let’s look at the setup process step-by-step:
1. Connect to Power
Plug the extender into a power outlet near your chosen location using the included power adapter.
2. Press the WPS Button
Press and hold the WPS button on the extender for 3 seconds. This will activate the WPS feature.
3. Connect Devices to Extender’s Network
The extender will broadcast its own WiFi network with the name NETGEARxxxx. Connect your devices to this temporary network.
4. Open Your Router’s Web Interface
Open a web browser and enter your router’s admin page default IP (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). Log in with your username and password.
5. Locate WPS Section
Look for the WPS section in your router settings. Select WPS push button or click WPS on your router.
6. Extender Should Automatically Connect
If the WPS connection is successful, the NETGEARxxxx network name will change to match your main router network name.
7. Optional: Connect via Ethernet
For a more stable connection, you can connect the extender to your router network via an Ethernet cable instead of wireless connection.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some tips if you face issues during or after the Netgear AC750 WiFi extender setup:
- Move the extender closer to the router if the setup fails
- Manually select the router WiFi network instead of auto-scanning
- Restart both the extender and router to refresh connections
- Use a different device or operating system for app-based setup
- Try the WPS setup button if app installation fails
- Update extender firmware for latest bug fixes
If problems persist, contact Netgear support via live chat or call for personalized troubleshooting assistance. Their technicians can help identify and resolve connection errors.
FAQs
Q. Can I use both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously?
A. Yes, the Netgear AC750 extender supports dual-band operation, allowing you to take advantage of both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies at the same time for faster overall throughput.
Q. How many WiFi devices can be connected simultaneously?
A. The extender can handle about 20 WiFi devices connected concurrently on the extended network under typical usage. The actual number may vary depending on the types of activities performed.
Q. Can I use my extender as a wireless access point?
A. Yes, while the primary purpose of the Netgear EX3700 is to extend an existing WiFi network, it can also function as a basic wireless access point with its own WiFi network without relying on a router connection.
Q. Will the extended network speed be same as my home network?
A. No, the speeds on the extended WiFi network will typically be slower than your router’s network since the signal is being amplified and passed through additional hardware. You can expect around half the maximum potential speed of 750Mbps.
Conclusion
This netgear ac750 wifi range extender setup is quite easy to install, taking only a few minutes, via the Nighthawk app. After installation, it effectively enhances the making of WiFi signal coverage at home for web browsing, media streaming, online gaming and much more on all WiFi enabled devices. It is also easy to install and even a non-technical person can be able to install the program just by connecting the software to the hardware. Wi-Fi speed is actually quite good and flexible since EX3700 supports simultaneous dual band while the unit’s wall-plug design is also convenient for mid-size homes.
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