The connection between the Netgear extender and router is one of the most important elements when it comes to extracting 100 percent from the extender. After all, it is the router only that supplies the internet connection to the extender to blanket the internet dead zones in the house. However, some users have complained about their Nighthawk extender not connecting to router. Some face this issue during the Netgear Nighthawk extender setup only.
Are you also struggling to establish a connection between your WiFi extender and the main WiFi router? If yes, then this post is written for you. Here, you will learn the tips to resolve the connectivity issue between your range extender and the router no matter you are facing it during the setup process or after that.
Before Everything Else: Check Hardwired Connections
Learning advanced techniques will come later. But, before all that, we want you to do a regular check on the hardwired connections related to your range extender. Here’s what you are supposed to check:
- The LAN cable connecting your range extender to the router
- Power cables connected to every WiFi device
- The Ethernet cables joining your router to the modem and computer to the router
All of the cables that we’ve just mentioned above should be well-working and must be connected to the correct ports. Let us say the LAN port or the router should be connected to the Internet port of the range extender. And most importantly, all the connections should be finger-tight. But, just in case, there’s nothing wrong with the hardwired connections, you must check the points highlighted in the next section.
Fix: Nighthawk Extender Not Connecting to Router
- Reduce the Gap between Your Devices
If your WiFi range extender is facing difficulties while getting connected to the router, then we suggest you reduce the distance separating them. Know that both devices won’t be able to communicate if they are present out of each other’s range. While doing so, keep the following things in mind:
- They should be placed within 10ft of each other.
- Avoid placing your devices too close as their signals may clash.
- There should be fewer obstructions present between the paths of communication of both devices.
Does reducing the extender-router gap fail to resolve the issue for you? Then it is time to perform a power cycle of the entire home network. The steps jotted down in the next section will reveal how.
- Power Cycle the Extender and Router
Power cycling stands for restarting. It means you just have to restart your WiFi range extender and the router. Here are the steps that you must follow to properly power cycle your WiFi devices:
- Switch off your WiFi router and remove its power adapter from the wall outlet.
- The next step is to power down the extender and disconnect it from its socket.
- Now, you are supposed to wait for 10-20 minutes.
- You are also free to disengage the cable connections.
- After that, reconnect the router to the power socket and switch it on.
- The moment the router lights become stable, connect it to the extender.
- Lastly, switch on the extender.
We hope that after you’re done power cycling the entire home network, you will be able to fix the Nighthawk extender not connecting to router issue. However, if you fail, reboot your modem too, and check the connection status by trying to use the Netgear Nighthawk app. Are you able to? If yes, then we would like to congratulate you on fixing the problem.
Final Thoughts
We hope that the tips we’ve mentioned in this article will help you do away with the router-extender connectivity issue with ease. However, if the situation is still not favoring you, then we suggest you place your extender in an area free of WiFi interference. But, remember not to place it out of the range of the router.
And know that, you are always free to pull out the final card of resetting the WiFi range extender to the default settings if everything fails. For this, you are supposed to push the RESET button located on the extender’s back panel using an oil pin or a similar object. Keep it pressed for 15-30 seconds to reset the extender. Once done, configure the extender again using the WPS method or the Nighthawk app.