A step-by-step guide for Netgear extender setup.

How to setup Netgear WiFi extender?

Today in this post I am going to provide an easy guide on how to setup Netgear WiFi extender to extend the range of your WiFi network at home. But before I show the steps of Netgear extender setup let’s first see what is a WiFi extender.

What is a WiFi Extender?

Due to the ever-increasing use of wireless devices like cell phones, game consoles, TVs, tablets, and PCs in our homes, demand for better coverage of WiFi has increased significantly. Many of the users are not aware of the fact that the range of their existing routers cannot cover all the places in their homes. The places where the WiFi signals cannot reach are known as ‘dead spots’. The existing old routers also do not offer the desired stability to work with multiple devices all at a time. Such connectivity problems can be resolved only by replacing the old routers with modern mesh-network routers, which are too expensive.

However, you can now get rid of these WiFi ‘dead spots’ in your house in a cost-effective way by setting up WiFi extenders through which you can expand the range of your WiFi routers. The Range Extenders or WiFi extenders can work with any standard router and bring better coverage and strength to the WiFi signal.

 Choosing the right WiFi extender

Here are some important factors to consider while choosing the right WiFi extender:

1. Go for an extender with features that are compatible with your existing older router (network speed, capability of frequency handling, etc.);
2. Buy a WiFi extender that has Gigabit Ethernet (GE) ports;
3. Go for an extender with an external antenna which offers better coverage area;
4. Purchase a duel-band (2.5GHz and 5GHz) extender which gives superior range as compared to a single-band device;
5. Music lovers should go for an extender with an audio jack;

When it comes to choosing an extender, the Netgear WiFi Extender is a great choice for users as it provides a simple interface to control the network easily.

Before I go to describe how to setup Netgear WiFi extender let’s first see how the Netgear WiFi extender works.

How does Netgear WiFi extender work?

Netgear WiFi extender is meant to expand the range of WiFi routers in your home network. The extender functions as a bridge capturing the wireless signals from your router using its powerful antennas and rebroadcasting the same after amplification to the areas where the WiFi signal is weak or to the ‘dead spots’ where the signal cannot reach at all. With the Netgear new extender setup you can effectively double your wireless network range. The universal compatibility of the Netgear WiFi extender makes it completely different from other extenders. The Netgear can work with any standard router including the router you get from your service provider and boost your WiFi signal coming from the router.

How to setup Netgear WiFi extender?

The Netgear extender setup can be done by two methods – the manual method and the WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) method.

First of all, ensure that the Netgear WiFi extender is placed in the same room as that of your home router. Now follow the step-by-step guide to setup Netgear extender in your home and get started with it.

Netgear extender setup via manual method

1. Plug in the WiFi range extender into an electrical socket and turn it on;
2. Look for the netgear_ext access point either from your mobile or PC;
3. Connect the Netgear extender to your WiFi device;
4. Once connected launch any browser and navigate to the mywifiext.net web page. This will take you to the Netgear new extender setup page;
5. Click the NEW EXTENDER SETUP button;
6. Create an account and click the NEXT button;
7. Select the router network;
8. Click the ‘next’ button to see the available router networks;
9. Enter the password and click ’continue’
10. Select your router network whose WiFi signal you want to extend;
11. Click on the ‘next’ button;
12. On the next page, it will ask for your preferred network configurations;
13. Choose the settings as per your needs (if you do not want to extend both WiFi bands, clear the 2.4 GHz WiFi Networks or the 5 GHz WiFi Networks check box) and click on ‘Finish’;

Now you have completed the Netgear extender setup and you are ready to use the extender with ease.

Netgear WiFi extender setup via WPS method

The WPS method is the easiest way for the Netgear WiFi extender setup. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Power on the extender;
2. Press the WPS button on the Netgear extender for some time;
3. Press the WPS button on your existing router at home;
4. This will turn the LED light green indicating that your router has been configured properly with the Netgear extender;
5. Follow the same procedure for the dual-band range extender;
6. Lastly, connect to the Netgear extender network – use the same password as that of your router network;
7. Now the Netgear WiFi extender setup via WPS is complete and you can enjoy high-speed internet from anywhere in your house or workplace;

You may also like to read: How to setup a home network – an easy guide

Conclusion

It would be evident from the steps on how to setup Netgear WiFi extender that, for extending your home WiFi network range, both the above methods of Netgear extender setup are quite easy to implement. However, one point needs to be mentioned in this connection for the best result, the WiFi range extender should be placed at the halfway point between the router and the area you want to cover. If you want to maximize the coverage, you can place two WiFi range extenders on either side of your route which would extend the reach of your home WiFi network about three times and improve its performance.