NETGEAR WN2500RP User manual

WN2500RP WiFi Range Extender
Installation Guide

2
Getting Started
The WN2500RP WiFi Range Extender increases the distance of a
WiFi network by boosting the existing WiFi signal and enhancing the
overall signal quality over long distances. An extender repeats the
signals from an existing WiFi router or access point.
Existing WiFi
Sometimes your router
does not provide the WiFi
coverage you need.
WiFi Range
Extender
Boosts the range of your
existing WiFi and creates
a stronger signal in
hard-to-reach areas.

3
Meet Your Extender
Before you install your extender, familiarize yourself with its LEDs,
buttons, and ports.
Front Panel
5 GHz Link Rate LED
Device to Extender LED
WPS LED
2.4 GHz Link Rate LED
Ethernet LEDs
Power LED

4
Rear Panel
Factory reset button
Ethernet ports
Power input
Power On/Off button
WPS button
Note: The WPS button is located
on the top of the extender.

5
LED Descriptions
Use the LEDs during installation to find the best location for the
extender or to monitor the extender performance.
Power LED Solid Green. The extender is powered on.
Off. The extender is powered off.
2.4 GHz Link
Rate LED
This LED indicates a 2.4 GHz WiFi connection between the
extender and the router or access point.
•Solid Green. Best connection.
•Solid Yellow. Good connection.
•Solid Red. Poor connection.
•Off. No connection.
5 GHz Link
Rate LED
This LED indicates a 5 GHz WiFi connection between the
extender and the router or access point.
•Solid Green. Best connection.
•Solid Yellow. Good connection.
•Solid Red. Poor connection.
•Off. No connection.

6
Device to
Extender LED
•Solid Green. The extender is connected to a computer
or mobile device.
•Off. The extender is not connected to a computer or
wireless device.
Ethernet
LEDs •Solid Green. The Ethernet port has detected an
Ethernet connection.
•Off. No device is detected to an Ethernet port.
WPS LED • Solid Green. WiFi security is enabled (WPS or WPA2).
•Blinking Green. A WPS connection is in progress.
•Off. WiFi security is not enabled.

7
Install the WiFi Extender
Place the extender, apply power, and connect it to your WiFi network.
Place the Extender and Apply Power
1. Place your extender in the same room as your WiFi router.
Note: Proximity to the WiFi router is required only during the
initial setup process.
2. Connect the power adapter to the extender and plug it into an
electrical outlet.
The Power LED lights solid green.
Connect to an Existing WiFi Network
To extend the range of your WiFi network, you must connect the
extender to your existing WiFi network. You can do this in one of two
ways:
•Connect with WPS. For more information, see Connect with
WPS on page 8.
•Connect with the genie web browser setup. For more
information, see Connect with NETGEAR genie Smart Setup on
page 10.

8
Connect with WPS
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) lets you easily join a secure WiFi
network without typing the network name and password. The WPS
button is a physical button on the router or access point.
To connect with WPS:
1. Press the WPS button located on the bottom of the extender.
2. Within two minutes, press the WPS button on your router or access
point.
The extender connects to your existing WiFi network, and the
WPS LED and the 2.4 GHz Link Rate LED on your extender
lights solid green.
If the 2.4 GHz Link Rate LED does not light, or the LED is blinking
amber, try again. If it still does not light, follow the instructions in
Connect with NETGEAR genie Smart Setup on page 10.
3. If your WiFi router supports the 5 GHz band, repeat steps 1 and 2
to connect the extender to the 5 GHz band.

9
4. Find the new extender network name.
The extender’s wireless network name (SSID) changes to your
existing WiFi network name, with _2GEXT or _5GEXT at the end
of the name, depending on whether the extender is connecting to
your WiFi network in 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.
For example:
•Existing WiFi network name. MyNetworkName
•New extended network name. MyNetworkName_2GEXT
or
MyNetworkName_5GEXT
5. Connect your WiFi devices to the new extended network.
Use the same WiFi password that you use for your WiFi router.

10
Connect with NETGEAR genie Smart Setup
1. After the extender is powered-on and the Power LED lights
green, use a WiFi network manager on a computer or mobile
device to find and connect to the NETGEAR_EXT (SSID) WiFi
network.
You can use any WiFi network utility on a computer, tablet, or
smartphone to find and connect to the extender WiFi network.
After the connection with the computer or mobile device is
established, the Device to Extender LED lights solid green.
2. Open a web browser window from the same computer or mobile
device.
The browser takes you directly to the NETGEAR genie® smart
setup.
Note: If you are not automatically directed to NETGEAR genie,
launch an Internet browser and type www.mywifiext.net in the
address field of the browser. Enter admin for the user name and
password for the password.