Netgear R6300 Manual

							350 East Plumeria Drive
San Jose, CA 95134
USAJune 2012
202-11030-01
v1.0
R6300 WiFi Router 
802.11ac Dual Band 
Gigabit
User Manual 
						

							2 R6300 WiFi Router 802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit 
©2012 NETGEAR, Inc.  All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated 
into any language in any form or by any means without the written permission of NETGEAR, Inc.
Technical Support
Thank you for choosing NETGEAR. To register your product, get the latest product updates, or get support online, 
visit us at http://support.netgear.com.  
Phone (US & Canada only): 1-888-NETGEAR
Phone (Other Countries): See Support information card.
Trademarks
NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and Connect with Innovation are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of 
NETGEAR, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Information is subject to change 
without notice. Other brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective 
holders. © 2011 NETGEAR, Inc. All rights reserved.
Statement of Conditions
To improve internal design, operational function, and/or reliability, NETGEAR reserves the right to make changes 
to the products described in this document without notice. NETGEAR does not assume any liability that may occur 
due to the use, or application of, the product(s) or circuit layout(s) described herein. 
						

							3
Contents
Chapter 1 Hardware Setup
Unpack Your Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Position Your Router  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Hardware Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Front and Side Panel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Back Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Chapter 2 Getting Started with NETGEAR Genie
Router Setup Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Use Standard TCP/IP Properties for DHCP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Gather ISP Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Wireless Devices and Security Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Types of Logins and Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
NETGEAR Genie Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Use NETGEAR Genie after Installation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Upgrade Router Firmware  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Router Dashboard (Basic Home Screen) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Add Wireless Devices or Computers to Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Manual Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) Method  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 3 Genie Basic Settings
Internet Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Internet Setup Screen Fields  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Attached Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Parental Controls  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
ReadySHARE USB Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Basic Wireless Settings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Wireless Settings Screen Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Change WPA Security Option and Passphrase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Guest Networks  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Guest Network Wireless Security Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Chapter 4 Genie Advanced Home
Setup Wizard  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
WPS Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Setup Menu  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 
						

							4 R6300 WiFi Router 802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit
WAN Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Default DMZ Server  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Change the MTU Size  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
LAN Setup  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
LAN Setup Screen Settings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Use the Router as a DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Address Reservation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Quality of Service (QoS) Setup  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Chapter 5 USB Storage
USB Drive Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
ReadySHARE Access  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
File-Sharing Scenarios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Basic Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Add or Edit a Network Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
USB Storage Advanced Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Safely Remove a USB Drive  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Media Server Settings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Specify Approved USB Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Connect to the USB Drive from a Remote Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Access the Router’s USB Drive Remotely Using FTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Chapter 6 ReadySHARE Printer
ReadySHARE Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
USB Control Center Utility  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Control Center Configuration  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
USB Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Scan with a Multi-Function Printer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Desktop NETGEAR Genie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Chapter 7 Security
Keyword Blocking of HTTP Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Block Services (Port Filtering)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Schedule Blocking  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Security Event Email Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Chapter 8 Administration
Upgrade the Router Firmware  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
View Router Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Router Information  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Internet Provider (WAN) Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Wireless Settings (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
View Logs of Web Access or Attempted Web Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Manage the Configuration File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Back Up Settings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 
						

							5 R6300 WiFi Router 802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit
Restore Configuration Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Erase  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Set Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Password Recovery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Chapter 9 Advanced Settings
Advanced Wireless Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Set Up the Router in Bridge Mode  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Wireless Repeating Function (WDS)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Wireless Repeating Function  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Set Up the Base Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Set Up a Repeater Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Port Forwarding and Triggering  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Remote Computer Access Basics  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Port Triggering to Open Incoming Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Port Forwarding to Permit External Host Communications  . . . . . . . . . . 91
How Port Forwarding Differs from Port Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Set Up Port Forwarding to Local Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Add a Custom Service  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Editing or Deleting a Port Forwarding Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Set Up Port Triggering  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Dynamic DNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Static Routes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Remote Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
USB Settings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Universal Plug and Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
IPv6  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Traffic Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Chapter 10 Troubleshooting
Quick Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Sequence to Restart Your Network  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Check Ethernet Cable Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Wireless Settings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Network Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Troubleshooting with the LEDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Power/Test LED Is Off or Blinking  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Power/Test LED Stays Amber  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
LEDs Never Turn Off  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Internet or Ethernet Port LEDs Are Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Wireless LEDs Are Off  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
The Push N Connect (WPS) Button Blinks Amber  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Cannot Log In to the Router . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Cannot Access the Internet  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Troubleshooting PPPoE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Troubleshooting Internet Browsing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Changes Not Saved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 
						

							6 R6300 WiFi Router 802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit
Wireless Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Wireless Signal Strength  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Restore the Factory Settings and Password  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Troubleshoot Your Network Using the Ping Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Test the LAN Path to Your Router  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Test the Path from Your Computer to a Remote Device  . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Appendix A Supplemental Information
Factory Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Appendix B Notification of Compliance
Index 
						

							7
1
1.   Hardware Setup
Getting to know your router
The NETGEAR R6300 WiFi Router delivers next generation WiFi at gigabit speeds. It offers the 
ultimate mobility for WiFi devices with speeds up to 3x faster than 802.11n.
Compatible with next generation WiFi devices, and backward compatible with 802.11 a/b/g and n 
devices, it enables HD streaming throughout your home. The R6300 with simultaneous dual 
band WiFi technology offers speeds up to 450
1 to 13002 Mbps and avoids interference, ensuring 
top WiFi speeds and reliable connections. This makes it ideal for larger homes with multiple 
devices. In addition, four gigabit Ethernet ports offer ultra-fast wired connections. Wirelessly 
access and share a USB hard drive and USB printer using the two USB 2.0 ports.
If you already set up your router, you can skip this chapter. If you have not done that yet, this 
chapter covers the hardware setup. 
Chapter 3, Genie Basic Settings, explains how to set up 
your Internet connection.
This chapter contains the following sections:
•     Unpack Your Router 
•     Position Your Router 
•     Hardware Features 
For information about ReadySHARE features in your product, see Chapter 5, USB Storage, and 
www.netgear.com/readyshare. 
The NETGEAR genie® app provides easy installation from an iPad®, tablet, computer or 
smartphone. It includes a personal dashboard, allowing you to manage, monitor, and repair your 
home network. NETGEAR customers can download the app at 
www.netgear.com/genie or from 
the Google Play or App Store.
For more information about the topics covered in this manual, visit the Support website at 
http://support.netgear.com.
1. Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE standard 802.11 specifications. Actual data throughput and wireless coverage will vary. Network 
conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual 
data throughput rate and wireless coverage. NETGEAR makes no express or implied representations or warranties about this product’s compatibility 
with any future standards. 802.11ac 1300 Mbps is approximately 3x faster than 802.11n 450 Mbps.
2. Up to 1300 Mbps wireless speeds achieved when connecting to other 802.11ac 1300 Mbps devices. 
						

							Hardware Setup8
R6300 WiFi Router 802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit 
Unpack Your Router
Open the box and remove the router, cables, and installation guide.
Ethernet cable
Power cord
Dual Band WiFi Router 
Power adapter
Figure 1. Check the package contents
Your box contains the following items:
•     R6300 WiFi Router 802.1
 1ac Dual Band Gigabit
•      AC power adapter and power cord (plug varies by region)
•     Category 5 (Cat 5) Ethernet cable
•     Installation guide with cabling and router setup instructions
If any parts are incorrect, missing, or damaged, contact your NETGEAR de\
aler. Keep the 
carton and original packing materials, in case you need to return the pr\
oduct for repair
 . 
Position Your Router
The router lets you access your network from virtually anywhere within t\
he operating range of your wireless network. However, the operating distance or range of your wireless connection 
can vary significantly depending on the physical placement of your route\
r. For example, the 
thickness and number of walls the wireless signal passes through can lim\
it the range. For 
best results, place your router: 
•     Near the center of the area where your computers and other devices opera\
te, and  preferably within line of sight to your wireless devices.
•     So it is accessible to an 
 AC power outlet and near Ethernet cables for wired computers. 
						

							Hardware Setup9
 R6300 WiFi Router 802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit
•     In an elevated location such as a high shelf, keeping the number of wall\
s and ceilings 
between the router and your other devices to a minimum.
•      A
way from electrical devices that are potential sources of interference. \
Equipment that 
might cause interference includes ceiling fans, home security systems, m\
icrowaves, PCs, 
the base of a cordless phone, or 2.4 GHz cordless phone. 
•      A
way from any large metal surfaces, such as a solid metal door or aluminu\
m studs. Large 
expanses of other materials such as glass, insulated walls, fish tanks, \
mirrors, brick, and 
concrete can also affect your wireless signal.
When you use multiple access points, it is better if adjacent access poi\
nts use different radio 
frequency channels to reduce interference. 
 The recommended channel spacing between 
adjacent access points is 5 channels (for example, use Channels 1 and 6\
, or 6 and 11).
Hardware Features
Before you cable your router, take a moment to become familiar with the \
front, side, and back 
panels and the label. Pay particular attention to the LEDs on the front \
panel.
Front and Side Panel
The router front panel has the status LEDs and icons shown in the follow\
ing figure.
LEDs WiFi On/Off button
WPS button
USB port
Figure 2. Router, front and side view 
						

							Table 1.  Front panel LED descriptions  
LEDDescription
Power
•  Solid amber . The router is starting up.
•  Blinking amber . 
 The firmware is upgrading, or the Restore Factory Settings button was 
pressed.
•  Solid green . The 
 router is ready.
•  Blinking green . The 
 firmware is corrupted. See  www.netgear.com/support.
•  Off. Power is not supplied to the router
 .
Internet
•  Solid green . The Internet connection is ready.
•  Solid amber . 
 The Ethernet cable connection to the modem has been detected.
•  Off. No Ethernet cable is connected to the modem.
Wireless
•  Solid blue . The wireless radio is operating in either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz mode.
•  Blinking : 
 The router is in WPS mode. 
•  Off. 
The wireless radios are off for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
USB
•  Solid blue : The USB device has been accepted by the router and is ready to be used. \
•  Blinking blue : 
 A second USB HDD is plugged in and is trying to connect. 
•  Off: No USB device is connected, someone clicked the Safely Remove Hardware\
 button and 
it is now safe to remove the attached USB device. 
Hardware Setup
10
R6300 WiFi Router 802.11ac Dual Band Gigabit 
The WiFi and WPS buttons toggle the WiFi and WPS functions on and off. 
•     W
iFi On/Off button . Pressing and holding the wireless LAN button for 2 seconds turns 
the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless radios on and off. If the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz LEDs are lit, 
then the wireless radio is on. If these LEDs are off, then the wireless radios are turned off 
and you cannot connect wirelessly to the router.
•     WPS button. 
 You can use this button to use WPS to add a wireless device or computer 
to your wireless network. The LED below the WPS button blinks green when the router is 
trying to add the wireless device or computer. The LED stays solid green when wireless 
security is enabled in the router.
Back Panel
The back panel has the connections shown in the following figure.
USB Ethernet InternetPower On/OffPower connector
portLAN ports 1-4
Reset
button
port
Figure 3. Router, rear view