NETGEAR WN3500RP User manual

Installation
N600 WiFi Range Extender
Model WN3500RP

2
Getting Started
The NETGEAR 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.

3
Meet Your Extender
Before you install your extender, familiarize yourself with its LEDs,
buttons, and port.
LEDs
Buttons and Ports
Power LED
2.4 GHz Link Rate LED
5 GHz Link Rate LED
Device to Extender LED
WPS LED
Power On/O
button
WPS button
Audio port
USB port
Factory Reset
button
Ethernet
port

4
LED Descriptions
Power LED Solid amber. The extender is booting.
Solid green. The extender is powered on.
O. The extender is powered o.
2.4 GHz Link
Rate LED
This LED indicates the 2.4 GHz WiFi connection between the
extender and the router or access point.
Solid green. Best connection.
Solid amber. Good connection.
Solid red. Poor connection.
O. No connection.
5 Ghz Link
Rate LED
This LED indicates the 5 GHz WiFi connection between the
extender and the router or access point.
Solid green. Best connection.
Solid amber. Good connection.
Solid red. Poor connection.
O. No connection.
Device to
Extender LED
Solid green. The extender is connected to a computer or WiFi
device.
O. The extender is not connected to a computer or WiFi
device.
WPS LED Solid green. WiFi security is enabled (WPA or WPA2).
Blinking green. A WPS connection is in progress.
O. WiFi security is not enabled.

5
Install the WiFi Extender
Prepare the extender, place the extender, apply power, and connect it to
your WiFi network.
Prepare the Extender
You can use the AC plug or the stand and power adapter cord that came
with your extender to plug it into an electrical outlet.
Note: The AC plug varies by region.
Stand
Power adapter
cord
AC Plug

6
Place the Extender and Apply Power
1. Place your extender in the same room as your WiFi router.
Proximity to the WiFi router is required only during the initial setup
process.
2. Plug the extender into an electrical outlet.
The Power LED lights green. If the Power LED does not light,
press the Power On/Off button.
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 7.
• Connect with web browser setup. For more information, see
Connect with Web Browser Setup on page 9.

7
Connect with WPS
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) lets you join a secure WiFi network without
typing the network name and password.
Note: WPS does not support WEP network security. If you are using WEP
security, follow the instructions in Connect with Web Browser Setup on
page 9.
1. Press the WPS button on the extender.
The WPS LED blinks.
2. Within two minutes, press the WPS button on your router or access
point.
The WPS LED on the extender lights solid green, the 2.4 GHz Link
Rate LED lights, and the extender connects to your existing WiFi
network.
If the 2.4 GHz Link Rate LED does not light, try again. If it still does
not light, see Connect with Web Browser Setup on page 9.
3. If your WiFi router supports the 5 GHz band, repeat Steps 1 and 2 to
connect the extender to the 5 GHz band.
4. Find the new extended network name on your computer or WiFi
device.

8
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 computer or WiFi devices to the new extended WiFi
network.
Use the same WiFi password that you use for your WiFi router.
6. Unplug the extender and move it to a new location closer to the area
with a poor WiFi signal.
The location that you choose must be within the range of your
existing WiFi router network.
7. Plug the extender into an electrical outlet.
The Power LED lights green. If the Power LED does not light, press
the Power On/Off button.
8. Use the Link Rate LEDs to help you choose a spot where the
extender-to-router connection is optimal.

9
Connect with Web Browser Setup
1. Use a WiFi network manager on a computer or WiFi device to find and
connect to the NETGEAR_EXT (SSID) WiFi network.
After the connection with the computer or WiFi device is established,
the Device to Extender LED lights.
2. Open a web browser window from the same computer or WiFi device.
The browser takes you directly to the NETGEAR genie web browser
setup. If you are not automatically directed to NETGEAR genie, launch
a web browser and enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field.
Enter admin for the user name and password for the password.
The extender searches for WiFi networks in your area and displays a
list.

10
3. Select a 2.4 GHz WiFi network to extend and click the Continue
button.
4. Type the network password (also called passphrase or security key) in
the Password field and click the Continue button.
5. Select a 5 GHz WiFi network and click the Continue button.
If your router does not support the 5 GHz band, click the Skip button.
6. Type the network password (also called passphrase or security key) in
the Password field, and click the Continue button.
The following screen displays:
7. In the Name (2.4G SSID) and Name (5G SSID) field, type the
names (SSIDs) for your new extender WiFi networks and click the
Continue button.
You can use the same security settings as the settings for your
existing network by selecting the check box.

11
The settings are applied and the following screen displays.
On iPads, iPhones, and MacBook computers, this screen automatically
closes.
8. Use a WiFi network manager on the computer or WiFi device to
connect to the extender’s newly created WiFi network.
Repeat this step for all of your computers and WiFi devices.
9. If the screen is still displayed on your computer or WiFi device, select
the check box at the bottom of the screen and click the Continue
button.

12
A message displays confirming that the extender is connected to the
WiFi network.
10. Click the Finish button.
11. Unplug the extender and move it to a new location closer to the area
with a poor WiFi signal.
The location that you choose must be within the range of your
existing WiFi router network.
12. Plug the extender into an electrical outlet.
The Power LED lights green. If the Power LED does not light, press
the Power On/Off button.
Use the Link Rate LEDs to help you choose a spot where the
extender-to-router connection is optimal.

13
Connect an Ethernet-Enabled Device
After the extender is connected to your existing WiFi network, you can
connect a wired device to the extender using an Ethernet cable. That
device can then access your existing network through the WiFi connection.
Stream Music Using DLNA or AirPlay
You can use DLNA or AirPlay to stream music to speakers or audio systems
connected to the extender’s audio jack. The USB port on the extender can
be used to power the speakers.
Blu-ray playerWiFi router
Extender
Extender
Speakers

14
Log In to Access Extender Settings
After installation, you can log in to the extender to view or change the
extender’s settings.
1. Use a WiFi network manager on a computer or WiFi device to find and
connect to the new extended WiFi network.
After the connection with the computer or WiFi device is established,
the Device to Extender LED lights.
2. Launch a web browser.
3. Enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field of the browser.
A login screen displays.
4. Enter admin for the user name and password for the password.
NETGEAR genie displays.
5. Make any needed changes.

15
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find more information about your product in the user manual,
which is available at http://support.netgear.com.
The web browser setup guide keeps asking me for my network
password (passphrase) or security key, and I am sure that I entered
the correct password. What can I do?
The extender is probably placed at the borderline of the range covered by
the router or access point. For more information, see Place the Extender
and Apply Power on page 6.
If you are using WEP security, make sure that you are typing the network
password in the correct field.
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 or access
point.
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.

16
My router security is WEP, and I entered the wrong passphrase
or security key on the extender. I cannot access the extender
anymore. What can I do?
The extender cannot check to see if the WEP passphrase is correct. If you
entered the wrong passphrase, your wireless device is not able to get the
IP address from the extender. You must reset the extender to its factory
default settings to get the IP address back.
How do I restore the extender to its factory default settings?
1. Use a sharp object such as a pen or paper clip to press and hold the
Factory Reset button on the extender for at least five seconds until
the Power LED blinks amber.
2. Release the Factory Reset button and wait for the extender to
reboot.
The extender resets and returns to the factory default settings.
You can now access the extender from your web browser using the
factory default settings.

17
I completed the Installation Wizard, but my WiFi device is unable to
get an IP address from the extender. What should I do?
Make sure that the password that you entered on your WiFi device is
correct, and power cycle the extender and your router. If your WiFi device
is still not able to get an IP address, try the following:
• Move the extender closer to your router, and move your WiFi
device closer to the extender.
• Disable the WiFi on your WiFi device and enable it again to see if
your WiFi device can get the IP address.
• If your router has a MAC filter, wireless access control, or access
list (ACL), disable it and add the device’s MAC address to your
router.
I am connected to NETGEAR_EXT and launched a browser. Why
can’t I see the web browser setup guide?
Try these troubleshooting steps:
• Make sure that your computer is set up to use DHCP (most are).
• Make sure that the Device to Extender LED is green and that you have
a valid IP address.
• Relaunch the web browser and type www.mywifiext.net in the
address field. Enter admin for the user name and password for the
password.

18
I enabled a wireless MAC filter, wireless access control, or access
list (ACL) on my router. What should I do when installing the
extender?
When the WiFi device connects through the extender to your router,
the MAC address of the WiFi device shown on the router is translated to
another MAC address. If your router’s MAC filter, wireless access control,
or ACL is enabled, the WiFi device connects to the extender but cannot
get an IP address from the extender and cannot access the Internet.
To allow the WiFi device to receive an IP address from the extender and
access the Internet, you must provide the translated MAC address to the
router.
1. Log in to your router and disable the MAC filter, wireless access
control, or ACL.
For more information about how to disable your router’s MAC filter,
wireless access control, or ACL, see your router’s documentation.
2. Power on the extender and connect all of your WiFi devices to the
extender network.
3. Make sure that the Link Rate LEDs remain lit.
4. Log in to your extender.
a. Launch a web browser.
b. Enter www.mywifiext.net in the address field of the browser.

19
A login screen displays.
c. Enter admin for the user name and password for the password.
5. Select Maintenance > Attached Devices.
The Attached Devices screen displays the MAC addresses and virtual
MAC addresses for computers and WiFi devices that are connected to
the extender network.
6. On the router, add all of the virtual MAC addresses from your
extender to your router’s MAC filter table.
7. Enable the router’s MAC filter, wireless access control, or ACL.

September 2014
NETGEAR, Inc.
350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134, USA
Support
Thank you for purchasing this NETGEAR product. After installing your device, locate the serial
number on the label of your product and use it to register your product at
https://my.netgear.com. You must register your product before you can use NETGEAR
telephone support. NETGEAR recommends registering your product through the NETGEAR
website.
For product updates and web support, visit http://support.netgear.com.
NETGEAR recommends that you use only the official NETGEAR support resources. You can
get the user manual online at http://downloadcenter.netgear.com or through a link in the
product’s user interface.
Trademarks
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other
countries. Information is subject to change without notice. © NETGEAR, Inc. All rights
reserved.
Compliance
For the current EU Declaration of Conformity, visit
http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11621/.
For regulatory compliance information, visit
http://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory/.
See the regulatory compliance document before connecting the power supply.