NETGEAR NIGHTHAWK R7000 User manual

NETGEAR, Inc.
350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134 USA
November 2013
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 Declarations of Conformity, visit
http://support.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11621/.
For regulatory compliance information, visit
http://www.netgear.com/about/regulatory/.
Nighthawk
AC1900 Smart WiFi Router
Model R7000 Installation Guide
Package Contents
The box contains the following items.
In some regions, a resource CD is included in the package.
Installation Video
To view the Nighthawk installation video, visit
http://www.netgear.com/R7000_QR_IG_EN
or use this QR code:
Ethernet cable
Nighthawk AC 1900 Smart WiFi Router
Power adapter
Antennas (3)

You can use this diagram to connect your router or follow the detailed instructions in this booklet.
2. Prepare your modem.
3. Connect your modem.
Unplug your modem’s power. If it has a battery
backup, remove the battery.
Plug in your modem. Put the battery
back in. Then cable the modem to
the router Internet port.
Modem
Internet
Router
DSL or cable
5. Connect a computer.
4. Power on the router.
6. Launch a browser.
The Power LED lights amber and then turns white
when the router is ready.
You can use an Ethernet cable or connect with WiFi.
To connect with WiFi, use the WiFi network name and
password on the router label.
NETGEAR genie displays.
Follow the genie steps to connect to the
Internet.
If you do not see genie, type
www.routerlogin.net. Then type admin
for the user name and password as the
password.
1. Attach the antennas.
Attach the antennas on the
threaded antenna posts.
Position the antennas for the best
WiFi performance.
NETGEAR recommends that the
center antenna be vertical and that
you aim the others outward at 45
degree angles, as shown.
Download the free genie app from
www.NETGEAR.com/genie.
Get the genie app.
Easily share media, files, and
printers on the network from your
smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
You can get the user manual online at
http://downloadcenter.netgear.com
or through a link in the product’s user interface.
Support
Thank you for selecting NETGEAR products.
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.

1
Contents
Install Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. Attach the antennas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Prepare your modem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3. Connect your modem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4. Add power to the router. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
5. Connect a computer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
6. Launch a web browser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
LEDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
WiFi Network and Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Join the WiFi Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
View or Change the Router Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Prioritize with Quality of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Share a USB Drive on the Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
NETGEAR genie App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
ReadySHARE Vault Backup App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Share a USB Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
More Premium Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2
Install Your Router
Make sure that your Internet service is active before you install your
router.
To install your router:
1. Attach the antennas.
a. Align the antennas with the antenna posts on the router.
b. Attach the antennas on the threaded antenna posts.
c. Position the antennas for the best WiFi performance.
NETGEAR recommends that the center antenna be vertical
and that you aim the others outward at 45 degree angles, as
shown.
2. Prepare your modem.
a. Unplug your modem’s
power.
b. If the modem has a battery
backup, remove its batteries.
c. If your modem was already
connected to another router,
disconnect the cable
between your modem and
that router.
Internet
DSL or cable
Modem

3
Make sure that your modem is turned off and is cabled only to the
wall jack for your Internet service.
3. Connect your modem.
a. Plug in, then turn on your modem. (Replace the batteries if
you removed them previously.)
b. With the yellow Ethernet cable that came with the router,
connect your modem to the Internet port of your router.
4. Add power to the router.
a. Connect the power adapter to the router, and plug the power
adapter into an outlet.
Router
Modem
On/Off

4
b. Wait for the Power LED on the front panel to light amber
and turn white. If no LEDs are lit, press the Power On/Off
button on the rear panel of the router.
5. Connect a computer.
You can use an Ethernet cable or connect with WiFi:
•For a wired connection, use an Ethernet cable (not included)
to connect your computer to a black Ethernet LAN port on
your router.
•To connect with WiFi, use the WiFi settings on the router
label.
6. Launch a web browser.
The first time that you connect to the router, the genie screen
displays. Follow the genie steps to connect to the Internet.
If the genie screen does not display, try the following:
•Close and reopen the browser.
•Make sure that your computer is connected to one of the four
black LAN Ethernet ports on the router, or that you are
connected to your WiFi network.
•Make sure that the router has full power, and that its Power
LED is lit.

5
•If your computer is set to a static or fixed IP address (this is
uncommon), change it to obtain an IP address automatically from
the router.
If you still do not see the genie screen, log in to the router so that
genie can detect your Internet connection.
To log in to the router:
1. In the address field of your web browser, type
www.routerlogin.net or www.routerlogin.com.
A login screen displays.
2. Enter admin for the user name and password for the password.
The router BASIC Home screen displays. If your Internet
connection is not set up yet, genie automatically detects your
Internet connection.
LEDs
The LEDs on the top of the router light to indicate router activity:
Power
Internet
2.4 GHZ WiFi
5 GHZ WiFi
USB 1 (USB 3.0 port on the front panel)
USB 2 (USB 2.0 port on the rear panel)
Ethernet ports 1–4
WiFi On/Off button with LED
WPS button with LED

6
WiFi Network and Security
The preset WiFi network name (SSID) and network key (password)
are unique to your router, like a serial number. Because the router
automatically uses WiFi security, you don’t need to set it up. The WiFi
settings are on the label.
NETGEAR recommends that you use the preset WiFi settings
because you can check the router label if you forget them. NETGEAR
genie lets you change these settings if you want. If you do so, write
down the new WiFi settings and store them in a safe place.
You can write the WiFi settings from your router’s label in this space
for easy reference.
WiFi network name (SSID):
Network key (password):
If you change the WiFi settings, write the new settings here for easy
reference and store this booklet in a safe place.
WiFi network name (SSID):
Network key (password):

7
Join the WiFi Network
You can either use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) or select your WiFi
network and type its password.
To join the network using WPS:
1. Press the WPS button on the router.
2. Within two minutes, on your computer or wireless device, press its
WPS button or click its onscreen WPS button.
For help with the WPS button on your computer or wireless
device, check the instructions or online help that came with that
computer or device. Some older equipment cannot use WPS.
To select your network and enter its password:
1. On your computer or wireless device, open the software that
manages its WiFi connections.
This software scans for WiFi networks in your area.
2. Find and select your WiFi network.
The WiFi network name and password are on the router’s label.
3. Enter the WiFi password and click the Connect button.

8
View or Change the Router Settings
After you use genie to set up the router, you can log in to the router to
view or change its settings.
Log In to the Router
To log in to the router:
1. Connect a computer or wireless device to the router.
You can use an Ethernet cable or connect with WiFi.
•For a wired connection, use an Ethernet cable (not included)
to connect your computer to a black Ethernet LAN port on
your router.
•To connect with WiFi, select and join your WiFi network.
2. Launch a web browser.
3. Type www.routerlogin.net in the address field of the browser.
A login screen displays.
4. Enter admin for the user name and password for the password.
The router BASIC Home screen displays.
Change the Admin Password
To change the admin password:
1. Log in to the router.
2. Click the ADVANCED tab.
3. Select Administration > Set Password.
4. Type your old password and type the new password twice.
5. Select the Enable Password Recovery check box.
6. Click the Apply button.
7. When prompted, answer security questions.
The answers are saved.

9
Recover a Forgotten Admin Password
The default password for the admin user name is password. If you
changed the password and used the password recovery feature, you
can retrieve this password.
To retrieve a forgotten admin password:
1. Launch a web browser.
2. Type www.routerlogin.net in the address field of the browser.
A login screen displays.
3. Click the Cancel button.
4. When prompted, enter your saved answers and the serial number
of your router.
The serial number is on the router label.
Find a Forgotten WiFi Security Password
The preset WiFi password is on the router label. If you changed your
WiFi password and forgot what it is, log in to the router to view its
current WiFi password.
To connect to the router and view its WiFi password:
1. Use an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to a black LAN
port on the router.
2. Launch a web browser.
3. Type www.routerlogin.net in the address field.
A login screen displays.
4. Enter admin for the user name and password for the password.
The router BASIC Home screen displays.
5. Select Wireless Settings.
The Security Options section of the screen displays your WiFi
password.

10
Prioritize with Quality of Service
You can use Quality of Service (QoS) to assign high priority to gaming
and streaming video from the Internet.
UpstreamQoS
(gaming)
DownstreamQoS
(videostreaming)
Internet
To set up QoS, log in to the router and enable Downstream QoS and
Upstream QoS.
Downstream QoS prioritizes Internet traffic from the Internet to your
network. This delivers better performance when you stream Internet
video, such as when you watch YouTube videos.
Upstream QoS prioritizes network traffic from local devices like your
Xbox to the Internet. This provides for a lag-free online gaming
experience.

11
Prioritize Internet Video Streaming
To set up QoS to assign a high priority to Internet video streaming, log
in to the router and enable Downstream QoS.
To enable Downstream QoS:
1. Click the ADVANCED tab.
2. Select Setup > QoS Setup > Downstream QoS.
3. Select the Enable Downstream QoS (Improved Video
Streaming) check box.
4. (Optional) Select the Streaming Database Auto Upgrade check
box.
The router automatically checks for updates for the streaming
database, and downloads and installs them.
5. Click the Apply button.

12
Prioritize Internet Gaming
To set up QoS to assign a high priority to Internet traffic from your
gaming system, log in to the router and enable Upstream QoS.
To enable Upstream QoS:
1. Click the ADVANCED tab.
2. Select Setup > QoS Setup > Upstream QoS.
3. Select the Enable Upstream QoS (Optimized for Gaming) check
box.
4. Specify the maximum uplink bandwidth for your Internet connection:
•If you know what your uplink bandwidth is, type it in the
Uplink bandwidth Maximum field.
•If you are not sure, click the Speedtest button.
Speedtest verifies the upstream speed of your Internet
connection. The Uplink bandwidth Maximum field displays
the result of the test.
5. Click the Apply button.
The router assigns a high priority to Internet traffic from your
gaming devices to the Internet.

13
Share a USB Drive on the Network
ReadySHARE lets you access and share a USB drive connected to
the router USB port. (If your USB drive has special drivers, it is not
compatible.)
USB 3.0 port
To connect a USB drive:
1. Insert your USB storage drive into the blue USB 3.0 port on the
front of the router.
2. If your USB drive has a power supply, you must use it when you
connect the USB drive to the router.
When you connect the USB drive to the router USB port, it might
take up to two minutes before it is ready for sharing. By default,
the USB drive is available to all computers on your local area
network (LAN).

14
To access the USB drive from a Mac:
1. Select Go > Connect to Server.
2. Enter smb://readyshare as the server address.
3. Click the Connect button.
To access the USB drive from a Windows computer:
1. Select Start > Run.
2. Enter \\readyshare in the dialog box.
3. Click the OK button.
NETGEAR genie App
The free NETGEAR genie app lets you easily monitor, connect, and
control your home network from a Windows or Mac computer, tablet,
or smartphone. You can share and stream music or videos, diagnose
and repair network issues, set up parental controls, and more:
•Access your router and change its settings or diagnose and
repair network issues.
•Make a printer AirPrint compatible so that you can print from an
iPad or iPhone.
•Use MyMedia to find and play media files in your network.
•Use Turbo Transfer to quickly send files from your computer or
smartphone to another device on the network.
•Set up parental controls.
•Connect your smartphones and tablets to your home WiFi by
scanning the WiFi QR code from genie.
Download the free genie app from www.NETGEAR.com/genie.

15
ReadySHARE Vault Backup App
Your router comes with free backup software for all the Windows
computers in your home. Connect a USB hard disk drive (HDD) to the
USB port on your router for centralized, continuous, and automatic
backup.
To back up your Windows computer:
1. Connect a USB HDD to a USB port on the router.
For best performance, connect a USB 3.0 HDD to the blue USB
3.0 port on the front of the router.
2. Install the genie app on each Windows computer.
3. Download ReadySHARE Vault from www.netgear.com/readyshare
and install it on each Windows computer.
4. Launch ReadySHARE Vault.
5. Use the Dashboard or the Backup tab to set up and run your
backup.

16
Share a USB Printer
You can connect a USB printer to the router’s USB port and print
wirelessly.
To set up ReadySHARE Printer:
1. Connect the USB printer to the router’s USB port with a USB
printer cable.
2. On each computer that will share the printer:
a. Install the current USB printer driver software (available from
the printer manufacturer).
b. Download the NETGEAR USB Control Center utility from
www.netgear.com/readyshare.
c. Select the language.
3. If prompted, select the printer and click the Connect button for
each computer.
When the first computer connects, the status changes to
Manually connected by xxx. For each computer, when you
complete Step 3, the printer status displays as Available.
More Premium Features
Your router lets you do the following and more:
•Share media from DLNA and iTunes Server.
•Set up a secure VPN Service connection to your home network.
•Create a personal FTP server with a custom URL.
iTunes Server
iTunes Server lets you play music with your Windows or Mac iTunes
app from a USB drive that is connected to the router USB port. You
can also use the Apple Remote from iPhone and iPad to play music
on any AirPlay devices, such as Apple TV or AirPlay-supported
receivers.

17
To set up iTunes Server:
From the ADVANCED tab, select Advanced > USB Storage >
Media Server.
VPN Service
VPN Service allows you remote access to your home network with a
secure connection.
To set up VPN Service:
From the ADVANCED tab, select Advanced Setup > VPN
Service to set up the VPN connection.
Personal FTP Server
With your customized free URL, you can easily access your own FTP
server that is set up on your home network remotely.
To set up FTP and your free URL in the router:
1. From the ADVANCED tab, select USB Storage > Advanced
Settings.
2. Set up the FTP (via Internet) feature.
3. From the ADVANCED tab, select Advanced Settings > Dynamic
DNS and select NETGEAR as the service provider.
For more information about these and other features, see the user
manual, available online at http://downloadcenter.netgear.com or
through a link when you log in to the router.