Mifi use at home...

[galladanb]

We just recently bought a Novatel 4510L hotspot on Verizon with 3G services.

I am using it primarily in the van as a mobile internet connection, mostly for navigation,
but also will used for some evening video and social media while out and about.

But here in the s and b home, I was thinking wouldn't it be lovely to use it in place of our cable service. Honestly, speed and performance is not a big issue for us, 3G works good enough.

I have a Netgear Nighthawk (AC1750) router. It was top of the line 3 years back...

I have heard of using the hotspot as a Wireless Reapeater, but I don't think my router has that option...

Any ideas? Thoughts? Am I trying to get something for nuttin???

Such Fun!

 

[jimindenver]

I cut the cable at home once I had my mifi and T-mobile accounts. Why pay for what was overloaded half of the time.

 

[B and C]

We just recently bought a Novatel 4510L hotspot on Verizon with 3G services.

I have a Netgear Nighthawk (AC1750) router. It was top of the line 3 years back...

I have heard of using the hotspot as a Wireless Reapeater, but I don't think my router has that option...

Any ideas? Thoughts? Am I trying to get something for nuttin???

Such Fun!

Go to http://www.netgear.com/support/ and enter your router model number.  Then look for using it in wireless repeater mode.  It will connect to your hotspot and repeat the signal to the devices in your S&B.  Your hotspot will NOT be a repeater, your Netgear router will be the repeater.

 

[B and C]

We just recently bought a Novatel 4510L hotspot on Verizon with 3G services.

I have a Netgear Nighthawk (AC1750) router. It was top of the line 3 years back...

I have heard of using the hotspot as a Wireless Reapeater, but I don't think my router has that option...

Any ideas? Thoughts? Am I trying to get something for nuttin???

Such Fun!

I went to http://www.netgear.com/support/product/C6300.aspx with your router model number.  This model appears to have a cable modem built into it so it will never have the repeater function from netgear.  You will need to get a router that supports the repeater function or a stand alone wifi repeater.  I understand needing to expand your coverage area at the S&B.  I have a main router and two repeaters to get full coverage for mine and may have to add a third.

You are trying to repeat your hotspot service, not trying to use your hotspot as a repeater.

 

[MrAlvinDude]

Here is another link to a page that might help you make your Nighthawk into a repeater for your mifi

https://kb.netgear.com/24108/How-do-I-configure-my-Nighthawk-router-as-a-wireless-repeater

 

[galladanb]

Brian, my router is a 1750 - r6400. I couldn't find the reaper option in the menus, it may be in the rev 2 versions, but not mine. Mine also does not have the cable modem part...

MrAlvin, I had seen that earlier, but as I said, the menu option is simply not there in my router.

 

[galladanb]

I am also looking for a way to see just how much data I have consumed.

Another user suggested the iPhone app called My Data Manager. I like it... BUT...

Well, two issues with that one...
1.) it works on one phone with one connection. My iPhone s not using the hotspot right now.
2.) it won't work on my iPad, as the app needs 10.xx, my iPad is to old, and stuck at 9.23...

I would like to know how much data has been used within the account, not per device...

 

[B and C]

Brian, my router is a 1750 - r6400. I couldn't find the reaper option in the menus, it may be in the rev 2 versions, but not mine. Mine also does not have the cable modem part...

MrAlvin, I had seen that earlier, but as I said, the menu option is simply not there in my router.

When I put in your router model in at the netgear site, it showed it as having a cable modem built into it.  If there is a coaxial cable (TV antenna looking connection) then it is a cable modem/router.  I use a seperate cable modem at home with a seperate router.  (I kinda hate multifunction items because when one of the functions break, it normally renders the entire unit unusable.  YMMV)

If the function is not there in the menu's, you are going to have to bite the bullet and get either a router that supports wireless repeater mode or a device that its' sole purpose is a repeater.  

At home I have three Asus RT-A66 routers all flashed with DD-WRT.  IIRC, the stock Asus firmware supports wireless repeater mode.  You do not need to go get one of these expensive routers and flash it.  Google search "wireless repeater".  If you are going to use it in the S&B, I would not get one of the little ones.  You want coverage area there.

 

[galladanb]

Yep, just checked, no coax... My xfinity comes into a separate cable modem box via coax, and goes out the wan port to the wan in on the router...

 

[John61CT]

I would like to know how much data has been used within the account, not per device...

There are four+ points where that data can be collected.

By the ISP, but they may not give an interface for the customer to view it.

By the client host(s) actually consuming the data, if apps are available for each OS/version. Obviously each only keeps track of their own, the sysadmin would need to total them up each month.

At the hotspot/repeater/firewall/router(s) involved. If this functionality is not built in, then an intermediate host can be inserted into the chain, pass through all the packets and total up the MB passed.

Setting this last option up would be trivial for a Linux sysadmin with networking experience, but a huge project for a noob end user.

 

[user 423]

I am also looking for a way to see just how much data I have consumed.

I would like to know how much data has been used within the account, not per device...

The Verizon account page will tell you that. They've changed it so that you have to sign in each time to check it though and that sucks. It used to be you could just bookmark it and check it easily.

 

[galladanb]

What account page?

My mifi came with a piece of paper saying where to get the monthly pins, and the number to call to apply them..

No webpages were given...

 

[NeedAnEscape]

If I connect my AT&T hotspot's USB cable to my router the router provides internet over it's ethernet ports and WiFI. I had to flash OpenWRT onto the router and install the USB ethernet drivers to get it to work.

 

[MrAlvinDude]

About repeater options in the menu

You might need to upgrade the firmware. Check to see if your firmware is the latest version, otherwise download the latest version to your pc, connect to the router via a wired connection, and upload the latest firmware.

See also these pages:
https://www.netgear.com/support/product/R6400.aspx#Firmware
https://kb.netgear.com/000053259


Just noticed that the R6400 – AC1750 comers in two different versions. Make sure to identify if you have something like R6400 or R6400v2 on a label on the back of the router, so you get the correct firmware for your router, if it turns out that you need to upgrade.

R6400 is version 1
R6400v2 is version 2

 

[galladanb]

I mentioned in post #6, that mine was the older version, not v2...
And yes, I see there is a firmware version out there for it.

Lost.... The usb ports are earmarked for sharing use only...
And in particular, mentions NO USB MODEMS... Oh well.

Chapter 6. Share USB Storage Devices Attached to the Router
This chapter describes how to access and configure a USB storage drive attached to your router. The USB port on the router can be used only to connect USB storage devices like flash drives or hard drives, or a printer. Do not connect computers, USB modems, CD drives, or DVD drives to the router USB port.

 

[B and C]

I mentioned in post #6, that mine was the older version, not v2...
And yes, I see there is a firmware version out there for it.

Lost.... The usb ports are earmarked for sharing use only...
And in particular, mentions NO USB MODEMS... Oh well.

Chapter 6. Share USB Storage Devices Attached to the Router
 This chapter describes how to access and configure a USB storage drive attached to your router. The USB port on the router can be used only to connect USB storage devices like flash drives or hard drives, or a printer. Do not connect computers, USB modems, CD drives, or DVD drives to the router USB port.

This is a small router that I carry with me: https://www.amazon.com/GL-AR150-Converter-Pre-installed-Performance-Programmable/dp/B015CYDVG8  
Plug the supplied USB cable into the USB power port.  Connect another micro-USB cable to your hotspot.  This becomes the WAN on this little router.  Plug an ethernet cable into the WAN port of your existing router and the LAN port of this little guy.  This allows your cellular hotspot to now be plugged into your existing router as the WAN where you had your cable modem attached.  I like this little guy because it is all USB connections, no 120V wall wart to mess with.  They make another one with an external antenna if you wanted to use it as your wifi access.  I have no experience with the external antenna one.

 

[MrAlvinDude]

hmmm....  I have used DD-WRT, Tomato and Asuswrt-Merlin firmwares on my routers for many years, but I have never looked at the Netgear Nighthawk series of devices before.

So I apologize if some of the general information I have previously linked to about the Nighthawk series turns out to not actually be relevant for your particular model in the Nighthawk series.

As I go through Netgear web pages about it, see what you are finding out, combined with some google searches, it seems to me that the R6400 device (with Netgear firmware) is not very likely to provide you with any level of repeater options.


As it is however equipped with some rather beefy hardware, it might be worth looking into 3-party firmware options for it.

I think this option might be your best bet for the R6400
https://advancedtomato.com/downloads/router/r6400

Read more about the "AdvancedTomato" firmware here:
https://advancedtomato.com/
And here is some general info about "Tomato" firmwares. 

And here is the guide of how to load the Tomato family of firmwares to your R6400
https://www.myopenrouter.com/download/tomato-firmware-shibby-netgear-r6400-07-09-2016

I believe this is the link to the initial flash, that is needed, in order to transition from Netgear firmware, to any 3-party firmware.  A step that is quite common for many makes and models of routers.
https://advancedtomato.com/get/v3.5-140/K26ARM/tomato-R6400-1.28.AT-ARM-3.5-140-initial-128K.chk



I think you will find that this firmware has options for all of the functions you have been asking about: 
- repeater function
- monitoring of total wan data usage
as well as a few other functions that you might later find very handy to have in a router.


So switching to a 3-party firmware might save you the need to buy a new router, and provide you with the options that (I my opinion) ought to have been standard for such beefy hardware as yours.

 

[galladanb]

Thank you Brian an Alvin.... Lots of really great info in those last to replies!

I looked at those sub 45 buck portable routers. Wow, what a family of products.
Looking into models and features... Oh my!

My router needs a firmware update, but the latest one may not change anything I desire.
And I am so Leary of breaking it for fixing it... Lol!

I will check out those 3rd party ones you suggested...

 

[galladanb]

Alvin, Yep it looks like the route you suggested may indeed work...

BUT...

It requires me to reset the router to factory default first, and then I would have to go back and redo the network completly,
printers, wifi devices and tablets, tv, firestick, etc...etc...

Not sure I'm ready OR willing to go thru all of that yet... In my best George Takai voice, OHHHH MYyyyyy!

Btw, I think I just broke my PC, I updated the router's firmware, then lost the connection from the wired PC to the router.
So, I went to restart the PC to reestablish, and it asked me to update and restart. So I said sure...

THEN I FREAKED out because I realized I had not re connected it, and now it is update hell. It has been re configuring for over an hour now and it only at 11% as I type this.... Ohhh HELL NO!!!! Not a fault of any bad advice or router reconfig, just goofy, my fault, etc...

 

[MrAlvinDude]

Oh my indeed.

I am however not sure what is updating. Is it a PC?

And did the router get fully updated?
Part of the update process of the router is, that it needs to re-write its internal flash - which is a slow process and can take several minutes, so it is quite normal for the router to not function for many minutes (could be as many as 10-15 minutes) during the update process.


About resetting to factory default

Have you set the IP adresses for all your devices from the router?

Most people have changed only a few settings on their router, from the default settings.  So as long as the same IP network numbers are used/set again (like IP series and DHCP range, and default gateway IP), then most devices will function the same again, as they basically can not see that any change has happened on the network.