Help on setting up router as wifi extender

[Prestigebumps1]

I'm trying to setup my netgear N600 router as a wifi extender, but my problem is it wont connect over wireless.
I followed a guide saying to use the WPS connectivity but the netgear router wont connect over wireless (I checked my modem and it supports WPS connectivity).
I connected the netgear router to my main modem via ethernet and the netgear router works, but I'm confused as to why it wont connect over wireless using WPS.

Here's what I've done:
Held down WPS button on netgear router (extender) and waited for a blinking light. Once blinking I released and held down the WPS button on my modem, but the netgear router won't pick up WPS signal.

Networking isn't my strong point, I'm not even sure if it's possible to setup the router as an extender.

EDIT: I should mention repeating is available on the n600 I'm trying to use as an extender

 

[t53186]

If I understand correctly you have a WiFi router (netgear) that you want to make a wireless connection to another WiFi router, that will not work.

 

[bill001g]

There maybe more than one netgear router called a n600 but are you sure that router even has the ability to run as a extender/repeater.

 

[Prestigebumps1]

If I understand correctly you have a WiFi router (netgear) that you want to make a wireless connection to another WiFi router, that will not work.

I'm trying to set it up as a repeater. I've done some digging and netgear says that my n600 can be set up as an extender using its repeater settings, but I'm not sure what to do with it.

 

[Prestigebumps1]

There maybe more than one netgear router called a n600 but are you sure that router even has the ability to run as a extender/repeater.

It can be setup as a repeater

 

[t53186]

There are quite a few models of the N600, the N600 model WNDR3700v4 can definitely be setup as a repeater (instructions are in the manual).

So what model # do you have and have you by chance looked in the manual.

 

[Prestigebumps1]

There are quite a few models of the N600, the N600 model WNDR3700v4 can definitely be setup as a repeater (instructions are in the manual).

So what model # do you have and have you by chance looked in the manual.

I have the WNDR3400v2, which the manual says it supports it.

I have my desktop ethernet running into my n600 with another ethernet running from the n600 to the modem.
My problem is that for some reason I can no longer connect to the netgear panel because it registers the n600 as a repeater instead of the main router, so I can't fix the changes I did wrong earlier. The worst part of it all, the factory reset button on the router isn't working, because I cant connect to it after the reset.

 

[Prestigebumps1]

Found out that netgear decided to disable the feature for "security reasons".

 

[boosted1g]

So you can load custom firmware on it (like DD-WRT) that will give the capability.
However while loading custom firmware to make the router into a repeater is something that you can do, it is not something that you should do.

First and foremost if you are trying to set this up with WPS then you may not be tech savy enough to "hack" the router to put the alternative firmware on it and end up bricking it (bricking meaning it is incapable of being repaired and is nothing but a brick on your desk).

Secondly, repeaters are horrible products. They just allow you to get a slow crappy intermittent connection in an area that would be worse without it. A repeater splits your bandwidth in half so if it is getting 50mbps from the primary router (this is an optimistic number), then all of the devices connected to that repeater have a shared 25mbps bandwidth. This is due to its single radio playing middle man.

So what you should actually do is either run an ethernet cable from primary router to where you want to put the netgear, or second best option is to buy a 1200mbps (or better) powerline network adapter.
Then configure the netgear as an access point and plug input ethernet into LAN port (so not in WAN port).
Now you have a fast reliable connection between the primary router and the netgear, you have increased wifi coverage and 3 additional ethernet ports, and it keeps all the devices on the same network.



As a side note you should be disabling WPS on any and all routers. This is a horrifically insecure authentication method that can be cracked by any 12 year old with a smartphone.