Can I Use Orbi with Existing Router Nighthawk XR500?
The graph of people using the Netgear Orbi mesh system is growing exponentially. Why won’t it? This mesh WiFi system by Netgear is satisfying its users with ultimate performance. Recently a user asked, “Can I use Orbi with existing router Netgear Nighthawk Pro XR500?” You may also have an existing router and want to use Orbi with it and have the same question in mind. If yes, then giving this blog post a thorough read will be helpful in getting the desired information. Hence, stick to reading!
Can I Use Orbi with Existing Router: Answered!
Let us first answer the question in your mind. Yes! You can use Orbi with existing router. Netgear Nighthawk Pro Gaming router XR500 and Netgear Orbi mesh WiFi system, both of these are the best devices. No one would want to dump one and use the other if they have the option of using them together. We can help you with this.
You can use them together but there are a few changes in the settings that you need to do. If you are planning to use both devices together then considering these points is essential. Now that you got the answer to Can I use Orbi with existing router, let us help you with the connection.
Here are some options that you can select from:
1. Use Same SSID and Password for Both
You already have the Netgear Nighthawk XR500 set up in your home. Now when you are setting up your Orbi system, make sure that you use the same SSID and password as the Netgear router. This means you will use a common SSID to connect to both Orbi and XR500 network. The important point that you must remember is that you should set different WiFi channels on both devices. Given this, make sure that the WiFi channels that you use on XR500 are not the same as that on Orbi. You can manually change the wireless channels on both devices.
2. Use Nighthawk XR500 as Secondary Router
You have one more option that can be used. Use the existing router as secondary router. Netgear Orbi system has its own router. Use that as primary router.
While you are using Nighthawk Pro as secondary router, you should turn off WiFi radios on it. That implies you will then make hard wired connection with the accessing devices like computers, laptops, gaming consoles etc with an Ethernet cable.
However, Netgear Orbi network can be connected using WiFi.
Some More Options to Consider!
There are some more options to consider, however, that will require technical expertise. You can give a shot at them if you think you can make changes to the settings of the Orbi router and the existing router.
Existing Router in Router mode
Change the operation mode on the existing router to router mode. Here you need to use Netgear Orbi DMZ for the existing router. You should make changes in the settings by logging on to your Orbi system. Here are the steps you should follow after accessing Orbi router login page:
- Use admin credentials to log in.
- In Settings, click on Advanced > Setup > WAN Setup.
- On the WAN setup page, select the Default DMZ Server check box by clicking on it.
- Type the existing router’s IP.
- Click Apply and save the settings.
Existing Router in AP Mode
Change the operation mode on the existing router to AP and then make changes in the IP addresses of both routers. Both routers have same default IP address 192.168.1.1. When you set them in AP mode, you will get an IP conflict as both share same IP. So, manually change the IP of your Orbi or existing router.
The Final Note
We have provided you with the best possible options if you wish to use Netgear Orbi router and the existing router together. We hope the information provided in this blog post proved to be helpful in answering to your question Can I use Orbi with existing router. With the hope of helping you out, here we wrap up our helpful informative post. However, we recommend getting the Orbi firmware update done in order to get the best performance from it.
