NETGEAR Nighthawk X4S User manual

Quick Start
Package Contents
The package contains the following items.
In some regions, a resource CD is included in the package.
Nighthawk X4S
AC2600 Smart WiFi Router
Model R7800
Support
Thank you for purchasing this NETGEAR product. You can visit www.netgear.com/support to
register your product, get help, access the latest downloads and user manuals, and join our
community. We recommend that you use only official NETGEAR support resources.
Trademarks
© NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR and the NETGEAR Logo are trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc.
Any non‑NETGEAR trademarks are used for reference purposes only.
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.
NETGEAR, Inc.
350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134 USA
August 2015
Router
Ethernet cable
Power adapter
(varies by region)
Antennas (4)
BETA DOCUMENT

21
1. Attach and position the antennas.
To determine where to attach the
antennas, match the labels on the
antennas with the labels on the router.
Attach the antennas on the threaded
antenna posts.
Position the antennas vertically for the
best WiFi performance.
2. Prepare your modem.
Unplug your modem’s power. If it uses a
battery backup, remove the battery.
3. Connect your modem.
Plug in your modem. Put the battery back
in. Then cable the modem to the yellow
Internet port on the router.
4. Power on the router.
The Power LED lights amber
and then turns white when the
router is ready.
5. Connect a device.
You can use an Ethernet cable or use
WiFi to connect a device to the router.
To connect with WiFi, use the WiFi
network name and password on the
product label.
6. Log in to the router.
Launch a web browser.
NETGEAR genie displays.
If you do not see genie, enter
www.routerlogin.net in the address field
of the web browser. When prompted, enter
admin for the user name and password for
the password.
Follow the genie steps to connect to the
Internet.
8. Get the user manual.
You can get the user manual online at
http://downloadcenter.netgear.com or
through a link in the product’s user interface.
Router
Ethernet
cable
Cable or DSL
Internet
Modem Power
adapter
You can use this diagram to connect your router or follow the detailed instructions in this booklet.
7. Get free apps.
During the installation process, genie
prompts you to download two free apps:
• genie app. A personal dashboard
that lets you monitor, control, and
repair your home network.
• ReadySHARE Vault app. Enables
automatic continuous backup of a
Windows computer to a USB device
that’s connected to your router.
Ethernet cable
Computer
WiFi device
Computer

1
Hardware Features
Top and Side Panels
The LEDs, buttons, and USB ports are shown in the following figure.
For more information about the LEDs and buttons on the top panel,
see Top Panel LEDs and Buttons on page 2.
Rear Panel
The rear panel connections and buttons are shown in the following
figure.
LEDs WPS button
with LED
Reset button Ethernet
ports 1–4
Internet
port
Power
On/Off
button
Power
connector
LED Indicator
On/Off switch
eSATA
port
USB 1
port
USB 2
port
WiFi button
with LED

2
Top Panel LEDs and Buttons
The LEDs on the top of the router light to indicate router activity:
LED Description
Power LED • Solid white. The router is ready.
• Solid amber. The router is starting.
• Blinking amber. The firmware is upgrading, or the Reset
button was pressed.
• Blinking white. The firmware is corrupted.
• Off. Power is not supplied to the router.
Internet LED • Solid white. The Internet connection is ready.
• Solid amber. The router detected an Ethernet cable
connection to the modem.
• Blinking white. The port is sending or receiving traffic.
• Off. No Ethernet cable is connected between the router
and the modem.
2.4 GHz WiFi LED • Solid white. The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is operating.
• Blinking. The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
• Off. The 2.4 GHz WiFi radio is off.
5 GHz WiFi LED • Solid white. The 5 GHz WiFi radio is operating.
• Blinking. The router is sending or receiving WiFi traffic.
• Off. The 5 GHz WiFi radio is off.
USB 1 LED
USB 2 LED
The USB 1 LED is for the blue USB 3.0 USB port. The USB 2
LED is for the USB 2.0 port.
• Solid white. A USB storage device is connected and is
ready.
• Blinking. A USB storage device is plugged in and is trying
to connect.
• Off. No USB storage device is connected, or someone
clicked the Safely Remove Hardware button in the
router’s web interface and it is now safe to remove the
attached USB storage device.

3
LED Description
eSATA LED • Solid white. An eSATA device is connected and is ready.
• Blinking white. An eSATA device is plugged in and is
trying to connect.
• Off. No eSATA device is connected.
Ethernet ports
1–4 LEDs
The LED color indicates the speed: white for Gigabit
Ethernet connections and amber for 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps
Ethernet connections.
• Solid. A powered‑on device is connected to the Ethernet
port.
• Blinking. The port is sending or receiving traffic.
• Off. No device is connected to this Ethernet port.
WiFi On/Off
button with LED
Pressing this button for two seconds turns the 2.4 GHz and
5 GHz WiFi radios on and off.
If this LED is lit, the WiFi radios are on. If this LED is off, the
WiFi
WPS button with
LED
This button lets you use WPS to join the WiFi network
without typing the WiFi password. The WPS LED blinks
white during this process and then lights solid white.

4
Install Your Router
Make sure that your Internet service is active before you install
your router.
¾To install your router:
1. Attach and position the antennas:
a. To determine where to attach the antennas, match the
labels on the antennas with the labels on the router.
b. Align the antennas with the antenna posts on the router.
c. Attach the antennas on the threaded antenna posts.
d. Position the antennas for the best WiFi performance.
NETGEAR recommends that you position all of the antennas
vertically, as shown.
2. Prepare your modem:
a. Unplug your modem’s power.
b. If the modem uses a battery backup,
remove its batteries.
c. If your modem is already connected
to another router, disconnect the
cable between your modem and that router.
Make sure that your modem is turned off and is cabled only to
the wall jack for your Internet service.
Internet
Cable or
DSL
Modem

5
3. Connect your modem:
a. Plug in, then turn on your modem.
b. If you removed the batteries, replace them.
c. With the Ethernet cable that came with the router, connect
your modem to the yellow Internet port on your router.
4. Add power to the router:
a. Connect the power adapter to the router and plug the
power adapter into an outlet.
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.
Ethernet
cable
Internet
Cable or
DSL
Router
Power
adapter
Cable or
DSL
Internet
Router
Ethernet
cable
Modem
Modem

6
5. Check the LEDs.
If the Power LED lights solid white and the other LEDs are off,
press the LED button on the front panel of the router to turn on
the other LEDs.
6. Connect a device.
You can use a wired connection to connect a computer to the
router, or you can use a WiFi connection to connect a computer
or WiFi device to the router:
• To connect using a wired connection, use an Ethernet
cable (not included) to connect an Ethernet port on your
computer to an Ethernet port on the router.
• To connect using a WiFi connection, use the WiFi network
name and password on the product label.
Ethernet
cable
Modem
Cable or
DSL
Ethernet cable
Internet
Power
adapter
Router
WiFi device
Computer
Computer

7
7. Launch a web browser.
The first time that you connect to the router, the genie page
displays. Follow the genie steps to connect to the Internet.
If the genie page does not display, try the following:
• Close and reopen the browser.
• Make sure that your computer is connected to one of the
Ethernet ports on the router, or that you are connected to
your router’s WiFi network.
• Make sure that the router is receiving power, and that its
Power LED is lit.
• 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 page, log in to the router so that
genie can detect your Internet connection.
¾To log in to the router:
1. Launch a web browser and enter www.routerlogin.net in the
address field of the browser.
A login window displays.
2. Enter admin for the user name and password for the
password.
The BASIC Home page displays. If your Internet connection
is not set up yet, genie automatically detects your Internet
connection.

8
WiFi Network Name and Password
The preset WiFi network name (SSID) and password (network key)
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 product label.
NETGEAR recommends that you use the preset WiFi settings
because you can check the product label if you forget them.
NETGEAR genie lets you change these settings. 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 product 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):

9
Join the WiFi Network
To join the router WiFi network, you can either use the router’s
Wi‑Fi Protected Setup (WPS) function or select its WiFi network
and type its password. For help with the WPS button on your
computer or WiFi device, check the instructions or online help that
came with that computer or device. Some older equipment cannot
use WPS.
¾To join the network using WPS:
1. Press the WPS button on the router for 3–5 seconds.
The WPS LED on the button blinks.
2. Within two minutes, on your computer or WiFi device, press its
WPS button or click its onscreen WPS button.
The WPS LED lights solid blue when the computer or WiFi
device connects to your router.
3. Repeat this process to add other computers or WiFi devices.
¾To select your network and enter its password:
1. Open the software utility that manages your WiFi connections
on the computer or WiFi device that you want to connect to
your router.
This utility scans for WiFi networks in your area.
2. Find and select your router’s WiFi network name (SSID).
The SSID is on the product label.
3. Enter the router’s password (or your custom password if you
changed it) and click the Connect button.
The password is on the product label.
4. Repeat Step 1 through Step 3 to add other computers or WiFi
devices.

10
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
¾To log in to the router:
1. Connect a computer or WiFi device to the router.
You can connect using a wired connection or a WiFi connection:
• To connect using a wired connection, use an Ethernet
cable (not included) to connect an Ethernet port on your
computer to an Ethernet port on the router.
• To connect using a WiFi connection, use the WiFi network
name and password on the product label.
2. Launch a web browser.
3. Enter www.routerlogin.net in the address field of the
browser.
A login window displays.
4. Enter admin for the user name and password for the
password.
The BASIC Home page displays.
Change the admin Password
¾To change the admin password:
1. Launch a web browser and enter www.routerlogin.net in the
address field of the browser.
A login window displays.

11
2. Enter admin for the user name and password for the
password.
The BASIC Home page displays.
3. Select ADVANCED > Administration > Set Password.
The Set Password page displays.
4. Type your old password and type the new password twice.
5. To be able to recover the password, select the Enable
Password Recovery check box.
NETGEAR recommends that you enable password recovery.
6. Select two security questions and provide answers to them.
7. Click the Apply button.
Your changes are saved.
Recover a Forgotten admin Password
The default password for the admin user name is password. If you
changed the password and enabled the password recovery feature,
you can retrieve this password.
¾To retrieve a forgotten admin password:
1. Launch a web browser and enter www.routerlogin.net in the
address field of the browser.
A login window displays.
2. Click the Cancel button.
If password recovery is enabled, you are prompted to enter the
serial number of the router. The serial number is on the product
label.
3. Enter the serial number of the router.

12
4. Click the Continue button.
A page displays requesting the answers to your security
questions.
5. Enter the saved answers to your security questions.
6. Click the Continue button.
A page displays your recovered password.
7. Click the Login again button.
A login window displays.
8. With your recovered password, log in to the router.
Find a Forgotten WiFi Security Password
The preset WiFi password is on the product label. If you changed
your WiFi password and forgot what it is, log in to the router to
view its current WiFi password.
¾To connect to the router and view its WiFi password:
1. Launch a web browser and enter www.routerlogin.net in the
address field.
A login window displays.
2. Enter the router user name and password.
The default user name is admin and the default password is
password. Use the default credentials if you did not change
them.
The BASIC Home page displays.
3. Select Wireless.
The Security Options section of the page displays your WiFi
password.

13
Access a USB Device on the Network
ReadySHARE lets you access and share a USB storage device
connected to the router’s USB ports. (If your USB device uses
special drivers, it is not compatible.)
¾To access the USB storage device from a Windows
computer:
1. Connect your USB storage device to a USB port on the router.
NETGEAR recommends that you use the blue USB 3.0 port on
the router to get the best USB device access speed.
2. If your USB storage device uses a power supply, connect it.
You must use the power supply when you connect the USB
storage device to the router.
When you connect the USB storage device to the router’s USB
port, it might take up to two minutes before it is ready for
sharing. By default, the USB storage device is available to all
computers on your local area network (LAN).
3. On a Windows computer that is connected to the network,
select Start > Run, enter \\readyshare in the dialog box, and
click the OK button.
A window displays the files and folders on the device.

14
¾To access the USB storage device from a Mac:
1. Connect your USB storage device to a USB port on the router.
NETGEAR recommends that you use the blue USB 3.0 port on
the router to get the best USB device access speed.
2. If your USB storage device uses a power supply, connect it.
You must use the power supply when you connect the USB
storage device to the router.
When you connect the USB storage device to the router’s USB
port, it might take up to two minutes before it is ready for
sharing. By default, the USB storage device is available to all
computers on your local area network (LAN).
3. On a Mac that is connected to the network, launch Finder and
select Go > Connect to Server.
The Connect to server window displays.
4. Enter the smb://readyshare in the Server Address field and
click the Connect button.
5. When prompted, select the Guest radio button.
6. If you set up access control on the router and you allowed your
Mac to access the network, select the Registered User radio
button and enter admin for the name and password for the
password.
For more information about access control, see the user manual,
which is available online at http://downloadcenter.netgear.com
or through a link in the router’s user interface.
7. Click the Connect button.
A window displays the files and folders on the device.

15
Back Up with ReadySHARE Vault
Your router comes with a 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.
Note: The following operating systems support ReadySHARE Vault:
Windows XP SP3, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and
Windows 10.
¾To back up your Windows computer:
1. Connect a USB HDD to a USB port on the router.
2. Download ReadySHARE Vault from
www.netgear.com/readyshare and install it on each Windows
computer.
3. Launch ReadySHARE Vault.
The dashboard displays.
4. Use the dashboard or the Backup tab to set up and run your
backup jobs.

16
Print Wirelessly with ReadySHARE Printer
You can connect a USB printer to the USB port on the router and
print wirelessly.
¾To set up ReadySHARE Printer:
1. Connect the USB printer to a USB port on the router with a USB
printer cable.
2. On each computer that will share the printer, do the following:
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 and install it.
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.

17
More Premium Features
Your router lets you do the following and more:
• Play music from a USB storage device with 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 from a USB device that is
connected to a USB port on your router with iTunes on your
Windows or Mac computer or with the Apple Remote app on your
iPhone or iPad. You can also use the Apple Remote app from an
iPhone or iPad to play music on any AirPlay devices, such as Apple
TV or AirPlay‑supported receivers.
To set up the router’s iTunes server to play music on your Windows
or Mac computer, you must set up Home Sharing.
To set up the router’s iTunes server to play music on your iPhone or
iPad, you must download the Apple Remote app.
For more information on how to set up iTunes server, see the user
manual, which is available online at
http://downloadcenter.netgear.com or through a link in the router’s
user interface.

18
VPN Service
VPN service allows remote access to your home network with a
secure connection. After you set up VPN service, you can use VPN
to access the router’s USB drive and media and to access your
Internet service at home. To set up VPN service, follow these high‑
level steps:
1. Specify the VPN service.
2. Install OpenVPN software on your computer.
3. Use a VPN tunnel.
These steps are explained in detail in the user manual, which is
available online at http://downloadcenter.netgear.com or through a
link in the router’s user interface.
Personal FTP Server
With your customized free URL, you can use FTP to access your
network when you aren’t home through Dynamic DNS. To set up
your FTP server, follow these high‑level steps:
1. Register for a free NETGEAR Dynamic DNS (DDNS) service
account.
2. Provide the account settings to your router.
3. Connect a USB hard disk to your router and set up FTP access
through the Internet.
These steps are explained in detail in the user manual, which is
available online at http://downloadcenter.netgear.com or through a
link in the router’s user interface.