Netgear Router R6700v3 needs regular restarts – need a permanent fix.
Netgear Router R6700v3 needs regular restarts – need a permanent fix.
Hello! Here’s a revised version of your message:
Hi! This is my first post about an issue with my R6700 router. It keeps restarting to get internet to multiple devices in a two-router configuration, but the trouble seems to lie elsewhere—possibly with the firmware or another factor I can’t figure out.
Details of my setup:
- Devices: Netgear Nighthawk R6700v3 (two units)
- Firmware: V1.0.4.106_10.0.80 (same on both)
- Internet speed: About 200Mbps, but the factory modem is slow
- Switch: Netgear 5-port switch (not the problem)
- Connection: Primary router connects to a modem; DHCP is active and IPs start after .10
- Secondary router: Connected via Ethernet to a cheaper Netgear switch, used for TV, PC, and another router (WAN port on router 2)
- Switch uses DHCP disabled, IP set at 192.168.1.2
I followed online guides to avoid IP conflicts and rely on the primary router’s DHCP. Each router creates its own networks—four total, two upstairs and two downstairs.
The main issue happens a few times daily: I have to restart the primary router. When it works, all devices get internet as expected. Downstairs devices connect fine via Ethernet or LAN, with good speeds except for minor delays. Upstairs devices also work well. Speed tests from speedtest.net and Netgear’s app show similar results.
CMD ipconfig shows IPs starting at 192.160.1.10 onward, no issues there. Still, sometimes a device loses internet access completely. Lights are normal; modem lights are fine.
I’ve tried rebooting the router quickly or using the gateway page/app, but it only helps temporarily. The problem seems consistent—sometimes, all devices work, sometimes not.
Possible causes:
- Misconfiguration in dual router setup
- Firmware version issues (Netgear’s updates)
- Interference or network congestion
- Possible interference from the modem
My next steps:
1. Try a firmware rollback if possible.
2. Review the exact configuration of both routers.
3. Check if the issue occurs only with one router or both.
4. Consider replacing the routers if troublesome.
Anyone have insights or suggestions? Thanks!
The switch model is identified, and the firmware version running on both R6700s is noted. All SSIDs for each device’s WiFi share identical names. Security settings should match across devices—using the same encryption method like WPA2-AES ensures consistent performance. The primary router operates in default mode while the second R6700 must be configured as an access point. Refer to page 71 of the manual for AP setup instructions and adjustments. Ethernet connections should use LAN ports, not WAN, and third-party firmware may reassign ports if needed. Maintain consistent security configurations between devices to avoid connectivity problems. Adjust power levels so coverage fits the physical space. Avoid overlapping wireless signals on both devices to prevent confusion during handovers. On the wireless side, select non-overlapping channels for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, as 2.4GHz offers broader reach but may cause interference.
Ok wow I knew I came to the right place. Thanks so much! Here is a link to the switch , but again, I have tried with and without the switch and it appears to have no relation to the problem. Already mentioned in OP. Both routers are set to different SSIDs as desired and both routers are on WAP2 security with different passwords. One for devices upstairs one one for downstairs. I do not want devices to automatically switch between the two routers. I will connect all devices upstairs to the primary router, and all downstairs to the secondary. I am not trying to range extend, but to have a separate network for devices on the downstairs router (a dedicated network for my home office). My understanding is that AP mode basically adds the second router as more of a wifi extender to your existing network. The issue with this is that I am aiming for 2 unique networks (from the same single connection). As in, one internet connected shared across the two routers with two different SSID names/passwords. This way I can tell my devices which router to connect to and not have to worry about they trying to connect to the "wrong" router. Other suggestions. Regarding your other points, the second router is already setup with the IP settings you list. When connecting the cable from switch to second router LAN I get no internet connection, but into WAN I get internet connection on second router. But I will try again to triple check. Not about to start messing around with 3rd party firmware... That sounds scary. Not same SSIDs, and different passwords for each. If I don't want devices transitioning between the two networks, do I still need to adjust power for each? I really would prefer to have 2 separate networks (from the single internet connection). I've set both routers to automatically set channels, rather than selecting them manually. Again I'm not worried about devices transitioning between the two. Basically everything downstairs (in my office/studio) will always be connected to the downstairs network and everything else will be connected to the primary network upstairs. This is to allow me to set parental controls and bandwidth limits on one network while leaving the other completely unrestricted (though I haven't gotten to that step yet). Will update with some of your suggestions but for now let me know if you have other ideas.
I’ve noticed feedback on Amazon about issues over time with both 5-port and 8-port models. Keep this in mind. This is normal. A wireless AP differs from a wireless range extender. When you switch a router to AP mode or use a dedicated AP, you introduce another network access point. You can set it with a unique SSID, password, and security settings separate from your main router. Unlike a range extender, this AP connects via its own Ethernet link to the primary device, which is more efficient. Did you set up LAN-to-LAN after configuring the secondary R6700 in AP mode? AP mode lets the device act like a switch with wireless antennas. The WAN port usually limits certain traffic as it would in standard router mode, while LAN ports don’t. Some devices have outdated firmware that blocks this behavior, but if it works properly, your connection should use a LAN-to-LAN link.
So the secondary router hasn't been configured as AP yet. I changed the cable from WAN to LAN without any problems. I checked speeds on both wired and wireless devices upstairs, and everything seems normal so far. No devices have dropped signal recently, so I haven’t had to restart my main router. It's been 24 hours. Thanks a lot for your assistance. If I encounter another need to reboot the primary router, I'll switch to AP mode on the secondary one. Should I keep all my IP and DHCP settings unchanged? Also, it seems like I opened a new issue. My main desktop upstairs suddenly lost upload speeds without warning. All other devices are working fine up and down. On just one device, downloads are okay but uploads are very slow—sometimes just .05 Mbps or even lower. The desktop has both Wi-Fi and LAN connected to the primary router. I tried turning off both and ran speed tests separately on Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Still no upload speed. Downloads are normal. I've run various commands like ipconfig /release, /renew, /flushdns, and netsh winsock reset, but the router still says everything is fine. Other devices report similar slow upload speeds on the same networks. I'm considering uninstalling and reinstalling network drivers. Not sure if this is due to an Aorus driver update, a Windows driver issue, or something else I did. Ugh, this is frustrating.
Restoring the point helped me a lot. It looks like an Aorus App Center update fixed the Intel drivers for Wi-Fi/lan. It’s really annoying how long it took to get things working. Safe mode with networking functioned properly, so I figured it was related to a recent software change. I’ll let you know if your advice resolved the issue.