Whenever a Netgear extender is turned on, it connects to the router in order to provide the user with an internet connection on the connected clients. The status of the connection is revealed by the Router Link light present on the range extender. But, if this light turns off for no reason then it means that the extender to router link is poor and you need to address the problem. This issue if not fixed can cause problems using the Netgear Genie app. To prevent that from happening, we have jotted down some troubleshooting tips in the post. Keep reading.
Why is the Netgear Extender Router Link Light Off?
We’ve already told that the meaning of this light being off on the range extender is a sign that it has failed to establish the connection with the router or you’ve not initiated it in the first place. The connection might fail if the distance between the Netgear extender and the main WiFi router is too much.
Thus, the first thing you can do to fix the problem in the discussion is to reduce the gap separating devices. You are suggested to keep this gap between 8 ft to 10 ft. Know that increasing the gap will create the no-communication situation. However, if you keep both devices very close, there will be a clash of the WiFi signals of your range extender and the root router.
Just in case, the gap is proper, you are suggested to take the help of the troubleshooting techniques highlighted in the next section of the post.
Troubleshooting: Netgear Extender Router Link LED Off
- Initiate the Extender-Router Connection: The very first thing we recommend doing is to re-initiate the connection between your Netgear WiFi extender and the router. You can choose to do that using the WPS or the manual method. Take care of the time period for which you press the WPS buttons on your devices while using the WPS method. However, if you attempt to connect your devices manually, it is recommended to make use of the correct WiFi password of the router. If your router supports dual-band frequency, make sure you connect both bands of your devices. It can be done by accessing the Netgear extender setup wizard.
- Use a Wired Connection: Another thing you can do in order to fix the Router Link light issue with the Netgear extender is to connect it to the main router using an Ethernet cable. So, attach the Ethernet cable to the WAN port of your Netgear range extender and the LAN port 1 of your root router and create a finger-tight connection. After that, you will need to access the dashboard of the extender and change some settings. Just in case the IP of the extender does not work, use the one assigned to it by your main router by accessing the router’s dashboard.
- Reboot Your Devices: A temporary connection error can also be the reason why the Router Link light on your Netgear range extender went off all of a sudden. To turn it on again i.e. to establish a successful extender-router link once again, it is suggested to reboot both devices. First unplug your router and then the Netgear extender. Wait for a few minutes. Once done, plug your networking hardware back in the same order you powered them down.
The Conclusion
The Router Link LED being off on the Netgear range extender is one of the biggest problems one can ever face while using the extender. But, using the above-given troubleshooting tips, it is possible to get rid of the issue. It is expected that after following the techniques given here, you will achieve success in fixing the issue. Else, perform a factory reset of the extender.