Netgear wndr3700
Hardware Version WNDR3700
CPU Model: Atheros AR7161 rev 2 (0xaa)
Stock firmware: Netgear Firmware Version V1.0.16.98 – GUI Language Version V1.0.0.64
- WiFi performance: N600 (300 Mbps + 300 Mbps) – 802.11n Dual Band Gigabit
- Simultaneous dual band 2.4GHz & 5GHz
- Five (5) 10/100/1000 (1 WAN and 4 LAN) Gigabit Ethernet ports with auto-sensing technology
This RangeMax™ Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router offers shared access to an external USB storage device (ReadyShare™) and ReadyDLNA— for streaming videos, photos, and music to a wide range of networked media players.
While the router performs well, the USB storage device sharing is not flawless. It is recommended not to share too many files and, if possible to disable the media server.
performs extremely well with dd-wrt firmware
Firmware Version DD-WRT v3.0-r30082 (07/01/16)
Kernel Version: Linux 3.10.102 #25675 Fri Jul 1 04:34:55 CEST 2016 mips
Check also the articles on MyOpenRouter.com (Downloads are here).
Upgrade to dd-wrt firmware
These are the steps you may follow to migrate this WNDR3700 V1 model to a dd-wrt firmware.
Prepare for a roll-back and make a backup of your current (Netgear) firmware version and configuration. Keep note of the particular settings, like SSID, wireless security settings and router IP addresses. All your current settings will be lost.
Download from the dd-wrt.com site a copy of the firmware for first time installation. Look for version 07-01-2016-r30082 and select the file wndr3700-factory.img from the netgear-wndr3700 directory.
Connect your workstation to the router with an Ethernet cable (wired) and check if the connection is stable (disable your workstation wifi if appropriate).
Launch a web browser (I used Firefox 48.x) and logon to the router. Select (in Advanced; Administration) the Firmware Update option. Locate and highlight the wndr3700-factory.img file on your workstation and click Open > Upload. If you get a warning about installing an (older) version, you may ignore it and proceed.
Be patient and do not interrupt the process. Keep your browser open and keep an eye on the router leds. The process will take several minutes. The router will reboot after the firmware is uploaded (wait at least 1 minute after 100% is reached). The lights should flash, and eventually the status light should go solid green.
Check the Router Status page to confirm whether the new firmware is uploaded: open http://192.168.1.1 in your browser, and if a DD-WRT screen appears, the upgrade is complete and successful. If this is not the case, troubleshoot first your workstation’s IP address and if odds are against you, read the recovery instructions.
The next step is to restore your particular settings like router name, SSID, wireless security, LAN IP Subnet(s), DNS, etc. It is recommended to make intermediate copies of your configuration (go to the Administration tab and select Backup).
The most common WAN Connection Type setting is “Automatic Configuration – DHCP”
Firmware version DD-WRT v3.0-r30082 (07/01/16) works very well for me and offers a better performance for the basic router functions than the Netgear Firmware Version V1.0.16.98. You may need to get used to the GUI though. Read also KONG’s Wireless starters guide for first time dd-wrt users. A donation was made to show my appreciation for the developers 🙂
VPN Clients with dd-wrt firmware
Check my post for VPN Clients use.
Wireless AP configuration (with dd-wrt Firmware)
following settings do the job for me:
Wireless Mode: AP
SPI Firewall: enabled
Disable WAN connection
DHCP Server: Disabled
Local IP Address: <fixed ip in your router LAN IP range>
Gateway: <your router IP address>
Local DNS: <your router IP address>
Extend your wireless coverage (with Netgear Firmware)
Netgear Firmware Version V1.0.16.98
GUI Language Version V1.0.0.64
There are several ways to extend your wireless coverage at home. These are the onces that did the job for me.
The easiest way was to use the Netgear EX6100 – AC750 WiFi Range Extender.
A more challenging way was to use a TP-LINK TL WDR3600 . I made it work nicely by using a second subnet as explained in this article by Tom’s Guide (version 2). The Netgear and TP-LINK router settings are shown below:
Netgear (router 2) Basic Settings
Netgear Wireless Settings Overview
Netgear Wireless Settings Details
TP-LINK (router 1) Wireless Settings Details
Important notice: use different Channels for each router.
With the latest firmware, this router can also be used as a Wireless Access Point or Wireless Repeater. To make it work properly with your main router, you may need to tweak some of the Wireless settings, like the channels etc. To avoid conflicts, use static IP addresses on the WNDR3700 as Access Point (see example below):
In case of ‘total loss’ of control (i.e. your router does not reset to the factory settings), you can refer to these instructions (it did the job for me, anyway), which I found on the netgear forum:
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Step 1: Setting Your Static IP AddressIt is important that you setup a static IP address on your computer. Navigate to: “Start” -> “Control Panel” -> “Network and Internet” -> “Network and Sharing Center” -> “Change adapter settings” (left side). Now right click on your local area connection and open up the properties window. Select “Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)” and click on properties. Enter the following information then click “OK”.Quote:IP address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: <leave blank>
Preferred DNS server: <leave blank>
Alternate DNS server: <leave blank>
Step 2: Placing the Router Into Recovery ModeStart by turning off the router using the power button on the back of the device. Now, using the small object of your choice, press and hold the “Restore Factory Settings”, also known as the Reset button located on the bottom of the router (there is a red ring around it). While holding the rest button, turn the router back on. Continue to hold the reset button for approximately 45 seconds then release it.
** NOTE: Before you release the reset button, just be sure the power LED light on the router is flashing. If it isn’t, continue to hold it for about another 15 seconds until it is flashing.
Step 3: Enable the TFTP Client in Windows
If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, you will need to enable the TFTP client. To do this, navigate to: “Start” -> “Control Panel” -> “Programs” -> “Programs and Features” -> “Turn Windows features on or off” (left side). From there, scroll down until you spot “TFTP Client”. Check the box if it isnt already and click “OK”. Exit the control panel.
Step 4: Flash the FirmwareStart by opening up a command prompt. From there you will want to type “cd desktop” in order to change your working directory to your desktop. Assuming of course that is where you saved the firmware download. Now for the fun bit. In the command window type:Quote:
tftp -i 192.168.1.1 put WNDR3700-V1.0.4.68NA.img** NOTE: Be sure to use the appropriate name of the file you are trying to flash. It may be a later version then the one I used as an example.
Step 5: The Waiting GameThis would be the perfect time to go grab a drink or hit the washroom. You need to be patient. Do not turn off, restart, unplug cables or otherwise interact with your router. It may take a little while; this is normal! Watch the power LED light on the front of the router. It should remain orange throughout the process. Once it is complete, it will turn green. At this point you may proceed to point your browser to “192.168.1.1” and continue to setup your router.
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