NETGEAR Wireless Router – AC1750 Dual Band Gigabit (R6300)

This NetGear router is a great way to add super fast and strong wireless coverage to a home or business. I've purchased two of these already for our house, and I just now ordered 3 more of them for other purposes and buildings.The main purpose of this review is to explain how to configure this router as a wireless access point, rather than as a router per se. In our house, we already have a very nice wired Linksys router that provides DHCP services and is super reliable, never seems to go down. We have Ethernet wiring from that router to various points in the house. So, in our house, I wanted to use two of these NetGear R6300 routers, turn off their DHCP and router capabilities, and just use these NetGear devices as wireless access points in two parts of our home to provide awesome strong and high-speed wireless access to our existing network.To turn off the DHCP/router capabilities of these NetGear devices so that they become wireless access points, it would seem you just need to uncheck the configuration box that makes it a DHCP server. However, it turns out that's not sufficient, because even when you do that, the router still creates its own subnet for wireless network traffic and routes that traffic to the rest of your network. However, after some experimentation and research, I figured out how to literally make this router just a wireless access point on the network, on the same subnet as the rest of your existing network, and I wanted to pass along this information in case it is useful to someone.Here is how to configure this NetGear R6300 router as a wireless access point:1. Plug in the power to the NetGear router.2. Plug the Ethernet cable from your network into the yellow Internet port on the back of the NetGear router (initially).3. If you need to reset the NetGear router to its default settings, use a bent paper clip to press and hold the Reset button on the back until the power light in front blinks.4. Use a computer to connect to the NetGear router WIRELESSLY.5. If the NetGear router has been reset, use the SSID and password that was provided to you when you bought the NetGear router (on the sticker on the front of the NetGear router after you opened the box) to connect to it wirelessly. Otherwise, connect to the router using the SSID and password you chose when you set up the NetGear router earlier, or just connect to it without a password if you turned off security.6. Use your browser to go to [...] to access the configuration web page inside the NetGear router.7. If you just reset the router:a. The router will configure itself, then take you to a page that says, "Congratulations! You are successfully connected to the Internet."b. At this point, click the green button, "Take me to the Internet".c. A dialog box will appear inviting you to register the NetGear router. Feel free to do that if you want.d. There is NO NEED to download the NetGear Genie software to your computer! You don't need it. If you are like me, and don't want bloatware on your computer, just click "Cancel" when the web page offers to download the Genie software.e. Use the browser to surf again to [...].8. When prompted for a username and password, either use username "admin" and password "password" if the NetGear router has been reset, or "admin" and whatever password you chose previously if you have already configured the NetGear router.9. See if it says "Updated firmware is available" in a small message toward the top of the screen. If so, click that and follow the instructions to upgrade the firmware on the NetGear router.10. On the left side of the page, click on "Wireless", and wait for the screen to redraw.11. For the 2.4GHz network:a. Change the SSID to whatever name you want to use (or leave the default name).b. Set the Channel to be 1 for the first NetGear router in the building, Channel 11 for the second router, or Channel 6 for the third router. (These are recommended channel assignments suggested in various places on the Internet.)c. Set the security options in whatever way you see fit, or you can simply turn off security (for example, if you live in the rural countryside and you aren't worried about the neighbors leeching off of your Internet connection).12. For the 5GHz network:a. Change the SSID to whatever name you want to use (or leave the default name).b. Set the Channel to be 153 for the first NetGear router in the building, Channel 161 for the second router, or Channel 157 for the third router. (Again, these are recommended channel assignments.)c. Set the security options in whatever way you see fit.13. Click the green "Apply" button toward the top.14. If it asks you for your username and password again, login again and do the above Wireless settings again. It means you took too long to fill out the page.15. Using the computer, wirelessly re-connect to the router under its new SSID name, because you just changed its SSID.16. Click the "ADVANCED" tab toward the top.17. If you just reset the modem:a. On the left, click the little arrow next to "Administration". Below that, click "Set Password".b. Type the old password (which is probably the default, "password"), then type (twice) whatever new password you would like to use.c. Click the green "Apply" button toward the top.18. On the left, click the little arrow next to "Setup". Below that, click "LAN Setup".19. If you are asked to provide a username and password, the username is "admin", and the password is whatever password you chose above.20. On the right, UNcheck the box for "Use Router as DHCP Server".21. Click the green "Apply" button toward the top. When you get the warning about manually reconfiguring the LAN IP subnet, click OK.22. The NetGear router will reboot itself. Wait a minute or so. It should eventually come back on its own.23. On the NetGear router, unplug the Ethernet cable from the yellow Internet jack on the back of the router, and plug it instead into one of the other jacks on the back.24. Back at your computer, click refresh button for your browser, to take you back to the NetGear router's main configuration screen.25. Click the "ADVANCED" tab toward the top, then click the little arrow next to "Setup" on the left, then below that click "LAN Setup".26. Under "LAN TCP/IP Setup", set the IP Address of the router to be an unused IP address on your network that is NOT in the range of DHCP dynamically assigned IP addresses that your existing router will assign. For example, at our house, I configured our existing Linksys router to use the subnet 192.168.0.xxx with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. I have the DHCP feature in our Linksys router set up to dynamically assign IP addresses in the range 192.168.0.50 to 192.168.0.200. My Linksys router uses 192.168.0.1 as its own IP address, and we have a D-Link gigabit switch for the house that I have assigned to the IP address 192.168.0.2. So, I assigned my two NetGear R6300 routers (wireless access points) to 192.168.0.5 and 192.168.0.6, which don't collide with any other IP addresses already in use on the network, and are also outside the dynamic range of IP addresses assigned by the DHCP server inside the Linksys router.27. Click the green "Apply" button toward the top.28. The NetGear router will reboot itself.29. Wait for the white "NetGear" to appear in big letters on the front of the NetGear router.30. The NetGear router is now configured as a wireless access point.31. NOTE: From this point forward, now that the NetGear router is configured as a wireless access point rather than as a full router, you will no longer be able to access the router's configuration screen using "[...]". However, you can still access the router's configuration screen by surfing directly to the IP address you assigned above. For example, in our house, to access the configuration screen of the first NetGear R6300 I installed (to which I assigned the IP address 192.168.0.5 using the instructions above), I type "192.168.0.5" (without the quotes) into the address bar of my web browser. It prompts me for the user name (which is "admin") and password (which is whatever password you assigned), then takes me to the configuration screen for the NetGear router.That's it. I hope this info is useful to someone!

1. This is a review of my experience with the Netgear R6300 dual band 802.11ac router (NETGEAR Wireless Router - AC 1750 Dual Band Gigabit (R6300)) and the related Netgear A6200 USB Wi-Fi adapter (Netgear WiFi USB Adapter - AC Dual Band (A6200)), which is available separately.2. For reference, I see that CNET has a review dated 1-22-2013 of five "Best 802.11ac Routers," here:CNET > Reviews > Networking and Wi-Fi > Buying Guide > 2. Top five cutting-edge routers.They seem to give top billing to the Netgear & Asus models. I tried the Asus RT-AC66U router before the Netgear R6300, but it would not install properly at all. Something about an IP address conflict with my modem I found out later, after I had returned it. The Netgear R6300 router installed without a fuss: it simply advised me of the IP address conflict and fixed it automatically. The A6200 adapter also installed without problems.3. I think I'm right in saying that at this time there's not much point in getting an ac router without an ac adapter, since almost no devices except routers or adapters are yet on the market that are compatible with the 802.11ac standard, probably because the standard itself has not been finalized in stone or bits or whatever and won't be until later this year.In tandem the router & adapter work to deliver an 802.11ac Wi-Fi signal to your current non-802.11ac-compatible computer. Without the adapter your non-ac-compatible computer will only receive the R6300 router's 802.11n signal, which is no better than simply using an n router (i.e., no faster or stronger Wi-Fi signal).Both the router and adapter are backward compatible with the previous 802.11n Wi-Fi standard and earlier, now outdated, 802.11 standards. The R6300 broadcasts on the 2.4 GHz band (802.11n) and the 5 GHz band (802.11ac & 802.11n), while the A6200 adapter receives these signals on both bands. My understanding is that the R6300, like other high-end n and ac routers, is actually sending out a number of different signals or "streams" at different strengths on both frequencies. Your adapter sorts this all out (so you don't have to), and your adapter's software will only show the two bands as available. The adapter then connects to the best stream that your device is able to use from those available on the band you've chosen.4. FYI, I'm retired and run Windows 7 on a high-end Lenovo laptop at home here in the U.S., along with several mobile devices. I'm not that technically savvy, but I have been using PC's literally and truly since the first one came out. My ISP is AT&T. I use their U-verse service in the U.S., which gives me actual download speed of about 11.5 mbps (I pay for 12) and upload speed of about 1.5 mbps (I pay for 1.6, I believe). The modem is supplied by AT&T and is a 2Wire 3800HGV-B with 802.11g Wi-Fi.5. Following Netgear's instructions, the router & adapter were installed and up and running in about one half hour. Additional time will be necessary to change SSID's, network passwords etc. Installation of the router was pretty standard. You connect the router's WAN port to a LAN port on the modem, then connect a LAN port on the router to your computer. Finally, start your browser, log in to the router with its "Netgear Genie" program and change router settings if desired. As I mentioned above, the installation program detected an IP address conflict with my modem and automatically fixed it, unlike the Asus router I tried. Installation of the adapter was also simple. In fact it was so simple I can't remember much about it. Truly "plug and play" I guess.In the end both router and adapter work fine together with my PC, whether connected by wire or wirelessly. The improvement in speed of the Wi-Fi signal is remarkable in comparison to that of my old n routers (see "UPDATE" below).6. I noticed that the two devices each have their own versions of Netgear's "Netgear Genie" software. The router's Netgear Genie runs via your browser to adjust the router's settings to sign in to a Wi-Fi band. The adapter's Netgear Genie runs as software on your desktop rather than via your browser and allows you to sign in to a Wi-Fi band or set up using WPS.UPDATE:1. I've been using the Netgear R6300 ac router along with their A6200 USB Wi-Fi adapter for about 10 days now without any significant problems.2. Until I got the new ac router & adapter I used three 802.11n routers here at home, as follows:a) A Netgear N900 n router upstairs, to cover the houseb) A Linksy E4200 n router in the kitchen wired into the N900 upstairs, to cover the back yardc) A D-Link DIR-655 n router in the living room wired into the N900 upstairs, to cover the front yardd) The PC had a built-in 802.11n adapterEven with all this the Wi-Fi could be slow at the extremes of the property.3. With the new Netgear 802.11ac router and adapter setup, and with the other routers turned off, I now get excellent Wi-Fi speed in all parts of the property on the 5 GHz ac band. Informal tests (using SpeedTest.net, inSSider and inSSider 3) show that even where the 5 GHz signal is weak I still get the maximum Wi-Fi throughput (11.5 mbps) I can reasonably expect from my ISP. I'm amazed to be able to replace three n routers with one ac router and still get a boost in Wi-Fi performance much greater than I expected. I've read that in practice the ac signal should be about twice as fast as the old n signal. The ac signal range is actually not as good as the 2.4 GHz n band, but the speed of the 5 GHz ac signal is so much greater it doesn't matter.4. On the other hand, while I didn't test it, I believe that the R6300 router should not provide a significant improvement over older n routers on the 2.4 GHz band. A top n router like the Netgear N900 should offer about the same performance as the new R6300 on the lower frequency band. The limitation is the 802.11n standard, not the routers. This means that if you have a good n router now, you probably shouldn't buy an ac router unless you have devices you know can use the 5GHz ac signal, which at this point requires an ac adapter. Which brings me full circle to the point I made in paragraph 3 at the top of this review.5. One last point. If you get an ac router or adapter, or any other router for that matter, to set it up right you may want to download MetaGeek's inSSIDer and/or inSSIDer 3. These programs are free and will help you to see what other competing Wi-Fi signals are in your vicinity so you can select the best channels for your router to broadcast on or where to best locate devices etc. They won't help you identify other potential sources of RF interference around you, but the company sells other products that will do that if you can afford them. The two programs are great free dividends available to the average Joe (or Judy) from a company that sells its commercial products to professional Wi-Fi network designers.Hope this helps.