If you’re here, it’s likely that your Nighthawk AC1200 WiFi extender can’t connect with your Xfinity gateway. You plugged it in and did what seems like a hundred steps, but it still you’re not able to connect. Therefore, we’ve got this perfect guide for you that aims to tell you right away that it’s not always the extender that causes the trouble.
It might be Xfinity box to be blamed sometimes. You may be missing a little step in the setting of the nighthawk extender. Let’s go over everything step by step so you don’t have to reset the same devices over and over every night.
What is the problem?
So, here’s the issue most people face: It appears like the AC1200 is connected. Lights flash. The app says “almost done.” But when you attempt to connect to WiFi using it, nothing loads or it keeps disconnecting. Sometimes, the extender just won’t connect to the Xfinity gateway during the first handshake.
Why? Strange things about compatibility. Sometimes third-party extenders don’t function with Xfinity gateways. Dual-band, camouflaged SSIDs, and sophisticated security settings may confound extenders. Also, the error that says “Netgear nighthawk setup can’t connect” isn’t all that uncommon.
Let’s Talk About the Xfinity Gateway?
You need to know what the extender is attempting to connect to before you blame it. Xfinity gateways is just a modem and a router in one device. That means, it won’t allow you to regulate everything down to the smallest detail as you can do with a standalone router.
They usually come with:
- Two bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) that occasionally use the same SSID.
- WPA3 security (which some earlier extenders may not be able to use correctly).
- Admin limits that prevent certain sophisticated functions from being used.
Don’t worry if your AC1200 isn’t connected. The further guide will explain you how to do it!
The AC1200 Extender
The Netgear AC1200 WiFi extender is a good, easy to perform Netgear Nighthawk setup. But if you have to connect it to the router, the source router has to cooperate for it to perform effectively. Sometimes AC1200 WiFi extender can’t connect with Xfinity.
This extender promises to:
- Cover both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
- Set up via WPS button and the manual configuration in a browser.
- Use the Netgear Nighthawk app to set things up.
But what’s the bad news? The extender can’t always find out where to plug in if the main gateway has band steering or hidden channels. That’s when the Nighthawk extender setup doesn’t work.
What to do if AC1200 Wifi extender can’t Connect?
After a lot of trial and error, here are some of the methods that would eventually work for you. If you’re stuck, do this exact order:
- Start over: Don’t miss this. For 10 seconds, press the reset pin on the extender until it blinks. Also restart the Xfinity gateway. Begin again.
- Put the Extender in the Right Place: Put it midway between your gateway and the place where you want coverage. Don’t put it directly near the gateway. It might mess up the signal.
- Nighthawk extender Setup via Browser and WPS: If the WPS method continues to fail, do it via browser method. To connect your phone or laptop to the extender’s default WiFi name, NETGEAR_EXT. Go to mywifiext.net via web browser.
- Sign in and choose networks: The login screen appears. Most of the time, the default username and password are “admin” and “password.” It will ask you which networks you want to expand. Choose your Xfinity’s 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands independently.
- Be careful of the same SSID trap: If your Xfinity gateway has both bands under the same name, change the name in the settings of your gateway before you try again. Give the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands different names. That keeps things from becoming messy.
- Save, use, and reconnect: After you save the settings, the extender will restart. You should now be able to view your extended networks. Connect to them and see whether the internet works.
Using Login Access Correctly
The extender has its own login page that is not the same as the Xfinity gateway. Don’t mix them together. The Xfinity gateway login is 10.0.0.1. To log in to your extender, enter mywifiext.net.
A lot of users tend to mix it up and then say the extender isn’t functioning. So, keep them distinct in your mind. Reset the extender again and start again if you can’t log in.
Mistakes to avoid
Most Nighthawk extender setups don’t work properly because of some of the underlying reasons. Here is what to avoid
- Only using WPS. It’s fast, but it fails more often than not with Xfinity gateways.
- Not making SSIDs different. The AC1200 is confused when 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz have the same name.
- Not paying attention to firmware upgrades. After setting up the extender, go in and look for updates. More problems come up when firmware is old.
- Bad location. Too far away from the doorway or too near to it. For the extender to work well, you need that center place.
- Putting logins in the wrong order. Keep in mind that mywifiext.net is the extender and 10.0.0.1 is the gateway.
Putting It All Together
Sometimes it is possible that Nighthawk AC1200 WiFi extender can’t connect with a Xfinity gateway. But, you’re not the only one. The hardware works perfectly, it’s the weird compatibility issues and Netgear Nighthawk setup problems that keep users from getting things done. If you reset your router, change the names of your SSIDs, and use browser setup instead of WPS, it will work nine times out of ten.
Or, if it gets too much messy, just don’t use the gateway’s WiFi at all and use your own network with the extender. Less trouble, more control.