NETGEAR XWN5001 User manual

Powerline 500 WiFi Access Point
(XWN5001) Installation Guide

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Contents
Package Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Hardware Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
LED Descriptions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Button Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Install the Access Point and Surf the Web with WiFi. . . . . . . . . 6
Install NETGEAR genie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Compatible NETGEAR Powerline Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

NETGEAR recommends
that you do not plug a
Powerline device directly
into a power strip.
2
Package Contents
Ethernet cableXWN5001

3
Hardware Features
Wireless
LED
Power
LED
Powerline
LED
Ethernet
LED
Security
button
Factory
Reset
button
Ethernet
port
On/Off
switch
Powerline 500 WiFi Access Point
(XWN5001)

4
LED Descriptions
The LEDs indicate the status of your Powerline device.
• When you plug in the Powerline device, the Power LED
lights and turns green.
• The Ethernet LED lights and turns green when you connect
a powered-on Ethernet device to at least one Ethernet port. If the
LED is off, there is no Ethernet connection.
• The Wireless LED lights and turns green when the wireless
radio is on.
• The Powerline LED lights when the Powerline device detects at
least one other compatible Powerline device.
The Pick A Plug feature lets you pick the electrical outlet with the
fastest link rate.
- Green: Link rate > 80 Mbps (Fast)
- Amber: Link rate > 50 and < 80 Mbps (Medium)
- Red: Link rate < 50 Mbps (Slow)

5
Button Descriptions
The buttons on your Powerline device let you do the following:
• Factory Reset button: Use the Factory Reset button to return your
Powerline device to its default factory settings. Press the Factory
Reset button for 2 seconds, and then release it.
• Power On/Off switch: Use the On/Off switch to turn the device on
and off.
• Security button: The Security button has three functions:
-Secure the Powerline network.
-Create a WiFi access point on the XWN5001 that has the
same wireless settings as your router or gateway.
-Automatically connect your wireless client to the XWN5001
WiFi access point.

6
Install the Access Point and Surf the Web with WiFi
1. Secure your Powerline network.
These instructions assume that you already have a Powerline
network that includes at least 2 Powerline devices and that you
want to add the XWN5001 to your network.
a. Make sure that the Power LED is solid green on each
Powerline device.
Reset Reset
b. On a Powerline device that is connected to your existing
Powerline network, press the Security button for 2 seconds,
and then release the button. The Power LED blinks green
while the device is setting up security.

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c. Within 2 minutes, press the Security button on the
XWN5001 for 2 seconds, and then release the button.
Reset Reset
d. After a few seconds, the security is set and the Power LEDs
turn solid green.
The Powerline devices can communicate over the Powerline
network in a secure way.
Reset Reset

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2. Plug one of your Powerline devices into a wall outlet near your
router or gateway.
If you want to share Internet access across your home, make
sure to connect the Powerline device to your Internet gateway
with an Ethernet cable.
Reset
Reset
Existing Powerline Network
Room 1 Room 2
Powerline device is
connected to router
or gateway.

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3. Plug the XWN5001 into a wall outlet where you need WiFi
coverage.
Reset
Reset
Existing Powerline Network
Room 1 Room 2 Room 3
Add a
WiFi Access Point

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Note: You can connect an Ethernet-based device (like a game console,
set-top box, or Blu-ray player) to the Internet and the home network with
the additional Ethernet port on the XWN5001.
This room has an
XWN5001 WiFi
access point.

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4. Set up WiFi access on your XWN5001 access point.
You can set up WiFi access on your XWN5001 access point in
one of two ways:
•Option 1: Use NETGEAR genie to manually configure the
wireless settings of your XWN5001 access point.
a. Install NETGEAR genie. (See Install NETGEAR genie on
page 19.)
b. Temporarily connect your computer directly to the
XWN5001 through the Ethernet port.
c. Launch NETGEAR genie on your computer and click
Network Map or select it from the menu.

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d. Click the Powerline icon on the Network Map screen.
The Powerline Utility screen displays:
Powerline
icon
XWN5001
icon
e. On the Powerline Utility screen, right-click the XWN5001
icon.

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f. From the pop-up menu that displays, select Wireless
configuration.
g. Enter the following wireless settings:
• Wireless Network Name (SSID)
• Wireless Security Type
• Passphrase

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If you want to clone your existing wireless network, enter
the same wireless settings that your router or gateway
uses. When you are roaming in your house, your wireless
client (laptop, tablet, or smartphone) switches from one
network (router or gateway) to the other (XWN5001),
depending on the signal quality.
If you want to create a new wireless network, enter new
wireless settings. Creating a new wireless network lets
you have a second network in another zone of your
house.
h. Click Apply to save your changes.
i. When you are finished with the wireless settings,
disconnect the Ethernet cable from the XWN5001.
Note: You can access advanced wireless
settings by right-clicking the device
icon and selecting the IP address on
the pop-up menu. The login and
password are admin and password.

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•Option 2: Use the web browser setup guide to manually
configure the wireless settings of your XWN5001 access
point.
On your computer or wireless device (tablet, smartphone):
a. Open the software that manages
your wireless network connections
and connect to the XWN5001
network.
Tip: The default wireless network name (SSID)
of the XWN5001 is NETGEAR_EXT.
The default network key (wireless security
password) is printed on the back of the
XWN5001.

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b. On the same computer or wireless device, open a web
browser window.
The browser takes you directly to the onscreen setup
guide. If it does not, enter one of the following into the
browser address bar:
www.mywifiext.net
www.netgearextender.net
c. When prompted to log in, enter:
• User name: admin
• Password: password
The web browser setup guide helps you configure the
wireless settings of the XWN5001.

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If you want to clone your existing wireless network, enter
the same wireless settings that your router or gateway
uses.
If you want to create a new wireless network, enter new
wireless settings. Creating a new wireless network lets
you have a second network in another zone of your
house.
Record the new wireless settings here:
Wireless network name (SSID)
Network key (Passphrase)

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5. Connect your wireless client (laptop, tablet, or smartphone) to
the XWN5001 for Internet access.
•Option 3: Use the WPS button on your wireless client to
automatically connect to the XWN5001 access point.
a. Press the Security button on the XWN5001 for 2
seconds and release it.
The Wireless LED starts to blink.
b. Press the WPS button on your Wireless client for 2
seconds and release it.
When the Wireless LED stops blinking, your wireless
client is automatically connected to the XWN5001 access
point and you can surf the web.
•Option 2: Manually connect to the XWN5001 access point.
On your computer or wireless client (tablet, smartphone):
a. Open the software that manages your wireless network
connections.
b. Connect to the XWN5001 wireless network (SSID).
c. Enter the network key (passphrase).
Your wireless device is now connected to the XWN5001
access point and you can surf the web.