Since the number of hackers is increasing day by day, people are now tending towards preventing their WiFi extenders’ networks. Thankfully! Netgear range extender users do not need to put a lot of effort into protecting the WiFi network. The reason being, they only have to turn off the SSID broadcast and the network name will get wiped off from every network list that is present in the extender’s range.
Although from WiFi extender installation steps to the instructions on how to reset Netgear extender, everything is available in the user manual, still some users face difficulties turning off the SSID broadcast. Considering that you are on this write-up, we are assuming that you’ve also arrived to know the instructions to hide the SSID of the extender. Walk through the easy-to-follow steps here are create a hidden WiFi network. However, before we proceed, we want to reveal that you need to manually enter the SSID of your extender in the client device’s WiFi assistant after you disable the extender’s SSID. With that said, read on.
Benefits of Turning Off SSID Broadcast
Let’s have a look at a few benefits that you’ll reap after turning off the SSID broadcast on your Netgear wireless range extender. Here they are:
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Hidden Network is Created: As mentioned earlier the network name of your extender network will no longer show up on any WiFi assistant, You can conclude that turning off the SSID broadcast is just a synonym of creating a hidden network.
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Improved Network Performance: Well, disabling SSID broadcast does not have a direct connection with the network performance. However, doing so will limit the number of users connected to your extender’s WiFi. Therefore, the lesser the network traffic, the higher the WiFi performance.
Now, without any delay, let’s shift our focus to the instructions to turn off the SSID broadcast on a Netgear range extender to create a hidden WiFi network.
Steps to Turn Off Netgear Extender SSID Broadcast
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First of all, switch off the WiFi router and your Netgear range extender.
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If you’ve already connected them using a LAN cable, verify the connection.
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Wait for a time frame of 10 minutes.
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Switch on the main router and let the LED lights on it become steady.
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Now, it is time to turn on the range extender.
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Once your extender becomes ready to use, switch on a computer or laptop.
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Connect your computer to the Netgear_ext SSID using the WiFi utility.
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You can also connect your computer directly to the range extender via a LAN cable.
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The next step is to load an internet browser and access the login page.
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So, input mywifiext.net into the address bar and hit Enter.
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On the next screen, input the valid password and user name.
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Now, you will see the BASIC Home screen.
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Locate the extender’s Wireless Settings.
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Under the General section, uncheck the box named Broadcast the Network Name (SSID).
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Click the Save button to make changes effective.
The SSID of your WiFi range extender will get hidden. You can check the effectiveness of changes by refreshing the network list on your client devices. If you can’t see the Netgear_ext SSID, then the process has been successfully executed. But, keep in mind that the www.mywifiext.net URL is applicable for Windows OS only. If you want to turn off the Netgear extender’s SSID broadcast using a Mac device, you are supposed to use the mywifiext.local address. However, you are always free to use the default IP address of the range extender as a substitute for these web URLs.
The Final Words
Here, ends our guide explaining easy-to-follow instructions on how to turn off SSID broadcast on a Netgear wireless range extender. We hope that the steps highlighted above will help you complete the process successfully. Now, you need not worry about the extender’s network being accessed by WiFi bandits.
However, if the changes don’t come into effect after you save them, consider restarting the wireless range extender. It is because, on older range extenders, the changes get applied after the extender is rebooted. In case you want to further improve the security of the wireless range extender, consider changing its admin password every three months and installing the latest firmware version as soon as a new version is rolled out by the company.
