NETGEAR WN2500RP User manual

Universal Dual Band WiFi Range Extender
WN2500RP Installation Guide
Extended Wireless Range
Existing Router Range
5 GHz Wireless
2.4 GHz Wireless
2.4 AND 5 GHz
WIRELESS
EXTENSION
EXISTING
ROUTER
CONNECT WIRED
DEVICES WIRELESSLY

© 2011 NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
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stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by
any means without the written permission of NETGEAR, Inc.
DO NOT stack equipment, or place equipment in tight spaces or in drawers.
Be sure your equipment is surrounded by at least 2 inches of air space.
Technical Support
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Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR
Phone (Other Countries):
See http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/984.
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and/or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the
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Statement of Conditions
In the interest of improving internal design, operational function, and/or
reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to make changes to the products
described in this document without notice. NETGEAR does not assume any
liability that may occur due to the use or application of the product(s) or circuit
layout(s) described herein.

3
Hardware Features
The LEDs on the front show how the Extender is working.
Link Rate. Indicates a 2.4 GHz
or 5 GHz wireless connection
between the Extender and a
router. The appropriate LED lights
to indicate the type of
connection:
• Green is best.
• Amber is good.
• Red is poor.
• Off. Not connected to router.
WPS
Link Rate
to
Extender
2.4 GHz
Wireless
Device
Link Rate
5 GHz
Power
On/Off
Wireless Device to Extender.
This LED is lit when the Extender
is connected to a wireless device.
WPS. This LED indicates
a WPS wireless connection.
• Solid green. There is wireless
security (WPA or WPA2).
• Blinking green. A WPS
connection is in progress.
• Off. No wireless security.

The back panel has the following features:
Reset factory settings. To reset the
Extender to its original factory settings,
insert a paper clip into the reset hole and
hold it until the Power LED flashes.
button
Reset
factory
settings
Ethernet
ports
WPS
button
Power
jack
On/Off
WPS button. Use this button to connect
the Extender to your existing Wi-Fi
network. For more information, see
Connecting the Extender to an Existing
Wi-Fi Network on page 6.
Ethernet ports. Use the Ethernet ports
on the Extender to connect up to four
Ethernet-enabled devices wirelessly to
your network.
Power jack. Connect the Extender to an
electrical outlet by plugging the power
adapter that came with your extender
into the power jack and connecting the
other end to an electrical outlet.
On/Off button. Use this button to turn
the Extender on and off.
4

5
Getting Started
The WiFi Range Extender extends the wireless network to include the
area outside the range of your existing Wi-Fi network. Follow these
steps to correctly set up the Extender.
Placing the Extender and Applying Power
1. Place the Extender an equal distance between your router and the
wireless device located outside the range of your router.
DO DON’T
Tip: If you have to use a different location, move the
Extender closer to the device, but still within the
wireless range of the router.
2. Plug the Extender into an electrical outlet, and wait 1 minute until
the Extender starts. The Power LED turns green.

6
Connecting the Extender to an Existing
Wi-Fi Network
To extend the range of your Wi-Fi network, you need to connect the
Extender to your existing Wi-Fi network. You have two options to
connect the Extender to your network.
Option 1: Connecting with WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
WPS lets you easily join a secure Wi-Fi network without typing
the network name and password. The WPS button is a physical
button on the Wi-Fi router, gateway, or access point.
If your router supports WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup), we
recommend that you use Option 1; otherwise, go to Option 2.
Tip: WPS does not support WEP network security.
If you are using WEP security, use Option 2
to connect.
Option 2: Connecting without WPS, using the web browser
setup guide
The web browser setup guide walks you through the necessary
steps to connect your Extender to an existing Wi-Fi network.

7
Option 1: Connecting with WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
1. Press the WPS button on back panel of the Extender. The WPS
LED on the front should blink.
2. Within 2 minutes, press the WPS button on your wireless router,
gateway, or access point.
If successful, the WPS LED on your Extender turns solid green,
the 2.4 GHz Link Rate LED lights up, and the Extender should be
connected to your existing Wi-Fi network.
Note: If the 2.4 GHz Link Rate LED does not
light up, repeat steps 1 and 2, or make
sure your router supports WPS.
3. If your router supports the 5 GHz band, repeat steps 1 and 2 to
connect the Extender to the 5 GHz band. The 5 GHz Link Rate
LED on your Extender should light up.
The Extender’s wireless network name (SSID) changes to your
existing Wi-Fi network name, with _2GEXT or _5GEXT at the end
of the name, depending on whether the Extender is connecting to
your Wi-Fi network in 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.
Existing Wi-Fi network name: MyNetworkName
New Extender network name: MyNetworkName_2GEXT
To connect additional Wi-Fi devices to your Extender network,
use the same network security key (password) as is set on your
existing wireless network/wireless router.

8
Option 2: Connecting with web browser setup guide
1. Once the Extender is powered on and the Power LED is
green, use a wireless network manager on a computer to find
and connect to NETGEAR_EXT (SSID) wireless network.
Tip: You can use any wireless network manager utility
on a computer or tablet to find and connect to the
Extender wireless network.
After the connection with the computer is established, the
Wireless Device to Extender LED turns green. Next, you
need to connect the Extender to your existing Wi-Fi network.

9
2. Open a web browser window from the same PC, and the browser
should take you directly to the onscreen setup guide.
Tip: You can always access the Extender settings
again by typing www.mywifiext.net in your
browser URL bar.

10
3. The web browser setup guide walks you through the following
steps:
• Selecting the Wi-Fi network you would like to extend.
• Entering the security password for the existing network.
• Choosing the name for your new Extender network.
• Connecting your wireless devices to your new Extender
network.
Extender Configuration Settings
If you want to make changes after initial setup, or you wish to run the
setup again, you can always access the Extender configuration
settings again by typing www.mywifiext.net in your device’s browser
address. When prompted to log in, use the following information:
User name: admin
Password: password

11
Extender Performance
The Link Rate LED indicates the performance of the 2.4 GHz or 5
GHz wireless connection from the Extender to a router.
• The best performance is delivered when the Link Rate LED is
green.
• A workable performance is delivered when the Link Rate LED is
amber.
• A red Link Rate LED indicates a poor connection or no
connection.
• If the Link Rate LED is off, there is no connection between the
Extender and the router.
Tip: Make sure your Wireless Device to Extender
LED is green before you check the Link Rate
LED for performance.

12
To improve Extender performance:
1. Move the Extender closer to the router or to a different location
with a better line of sight.
2. As you move the Extender, check the Link Rate and the Wireless
Device to Extender connection LEDs on the front panel until you
find a good location.

13
FastLane™ Technology
Fastlane™ Technology offers maximum Wi-Fi performance. It
provides high-speed Wi-Fi with a dedicated band connecting the
Extender and the wireless device, and a second band connecting the
Extender and the router. It is ideal for HD gaming and HD video
streaming.
To enable FastLane Technology:
1. After you have set up the Extender, switch to FastLane mode by
logging in to www.mywifiext.net to access the Extender
Settings page.
2. In the menu options on the left side of the Settings table, select
Advanced > Operating Mode.
3. Select FastLane Technology.
4. Review the two FastLane Technology options, and select the one
that suits your setup.
5. Click Apply.
Tip: To maximize performance, FastLane limits
device connection to the band you select.
NETGEAR recommends that you choose the
band that most of your devices support.

14
Four-Port Wi-Fi Adapter
Once the Extender is connected to your existing wireless Wi-Fi
network, you can use the Ethernet ports on the Extender to connect
up to four devices wirelessly to your network. Simply plug the
Ethernet cable from your Ethernet-enabled device (connected TV,
Blu-ray player, gaming console) to the Ethernet port of the Extender,
and enjoy wireless connectivity for up to four devices simultaneously.
Wireless router
Blu-ray player
TV
Gaming
console
Extender

15
When to Use the Extender Wireless
Network
NETGEAR recommends that you connect to the Extender wireless
network only when a PC or wireless device is in a “dead zone” where
the network connection to your existing router is very poor or
nonexistent. This is because data traffic routed through the Extender
wireless network is slower than traffic directly from the original
wireless router network.
If you cannot connect from your wireless device to the Extender,
move the Extender to a different location halfway between the device
and the router. If, after you try several locations, the device cannot
connect to the Extender, move the Extender closer to the device.

16
Wireless SSIDs and Passwords
Use the space below to record your new Extender network name
(SSID) and Extender security settings, in case you need to add
additional wireless devices to your Extender in the future.
Enter your wireless information here:
Router network name (SSID) ____________________________
Router security password _______________________________
Extender network name (SSID) __________________________
Extender security password _____________________________

17
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find more information about your product in the User Manual
available at http://support.netgear.com.
1. NETGEAR Genie keeps asking me for my wireless password, and I
am sure I have entered the correct wireless password. What can I
do?
It is very likely that the Extender is placed at the borderline of the range
covered by the router. Follow the instructions in the previous section to
resolve this. If you are using WEP security, make sure that you are typing
the wireless key in the correct field.
2. I connected to NETGEAR_EXT and launched a browser.
Why am I unable to see NETGEAR Genie?
First, make sure your computer is set up to use DHCP (most are).
Second, make sure the PC to Extender status LED is green and you
have a valid IP address. Finally, re-launch the browser, and enter
www.mywifiext.net.
3. Will the Extender work if I connect it to the router with an Ethernet
cable?
No. The Extender is designed to connect wirelessly to the router.
4. What are the user name and password to log in to the Extender?
The user name is admin, and the default password is password. Both
are case-sensitive.

Compliance
Declarations of Conformity
For complete DoC please visit the NETGEAR EU Declarations of Conformity website
at: http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11621/
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http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/open_src.asp
This symbol is placed in accordance with the European Union Directive
2002/96 on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (the WEEE
Directive). If disposed of within the European Union, this product should be
treated and recycled in accordance with the laws of your jurisdiction
implementing the WEEE Directive.

NETGEAR, Inc.
350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134 USA
November 2011