Netgear Nighthawk D7000 V2 VDSL Set Up Instructions

[#1]

Hi there.

I recently purchased a Netgear Nighthawk D7000V2 and I found it to be a slightly difficult process to get the router set up and running. Therefore, I thought I would share the process I went through. Note that this was trial and error for me, so there may be a more efficient way of doing this.

I am a Fibre To The Home customer and therefore have a BT Open Reach Modem in my property along with the standard Plus Net router.

Setup Process

1. Power down the PlusNet Router and Open Reach Modem

2. Connect the D7000 router to the Modem via Ethernet cable. Make sure the Ethernet is plugged into the 'Ethernet WAN' port on the back of the router. 

3. Power on your modem and the D700 router.

4. Log into your router and set up your admin account. Skip the auto set up genie process. Install the latest router firmware. I found it better to download the firmware directly from NetGear then install it on the router through an Ethernet connection. Head to advanced> Administration> Router Update. Note that you will need to extract the .chk file. This is the file you need to use for the update. For reference I updated to V1.0.0.47_1.0.1, the latest firmware at the time of this post.

5. Update your WAN settings. This is important because the router automatically expects an DSL connection which of course you wont have if on fibre. Head to Advanced> Setup> WAN Setup. Under ‘WAN Preference’ select ‘Must Use Ethernet WAN’. Click ‘Apply’ and wait for your router to update.

6. Head to Advanced> Setup>Internet Setup and enter the following information:

• Country: UK
• ISP: PlusNet
• Transfer Mode & DSL: Should be unable to select based step 5
• Make sure ‘enable this interface’ is ticked and the drop down above is ‘Internet’
• Tick ‘Use VLANID’ and set the value to ‘101’
• Tick ‘Yes’ for ‘Does your internet connection require a login’
• Encapsulation: PPPoE
• Login: Your Plusnet username followed by @plusdsl.net. e.g. 1234@plusdsl.net
• Password: the same password you use to log into the PlusNet members centre with the above username
• Service Name: leave empty
• Connection Mode: ‘Always On’
• Internet IP Address: ‘Get Dynamically from ISP
• Tick ‘Use These DNS Servers’.
• The primary and secondary DNS server addresses can be found through the plus net members center. Once logged in on the left-hand side click ‘Connection Settings’ and you will see listed the DNS servers.
• Enter your Primary and Secondary DNS server addresses.
• NAT: ‘Enable’
• Router MAC Address: Use Default MAC Address
• Double check everything and click ‘Apply’

7. At this point the router will apply the settings and re-boot. One of two things will happen. Either the next time you connect to your rooter it will have connected to the internet and everything will be working fine. If however you log in and there is still no internet connection head to step 8.

8. Log back into your router and click ‘Setup Wizard’. Follow the step by step process. Note you will be asked for your plus net login and password as above. It will also show ‘VLAN ID’ as 0 – don’t worry you can’t edit this and it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Once the steps are completed the router will then attempt to make a connection with the ISP – you will see it doing this on screen. Once done the router will re-boot and then you should be connected.

I know step 8 reads counter intuitive but the impression I got was that by entering the internet details in advance, it helps the auto set up get the job done. What might be interesting is to see if immediately after step 5 you can move straight to step 8.

Anyway, I hope this has been helpful for anyone with a D7000v2 on PlusNet. Let me know if you have any questions or comments and I will try and get back to you.

Thanks

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Duplicate post released from Spam Filter and removed.

[#2]

Don’t know what “Fibre to the home” is but you may find the Nighthawk is a modem/router so you don’t need the Openreach modem.

[#3]

fibre to the home is Fibre all the way to the home instead of to the fibre cab in the case of FTTC, It's mostly given to those in remote areas where a fibre cab can't be installed.

Champnet is correct the nighthawk is a all in one so the Openreach modem isn't needed, unless you prefer the openreach modem and just want to use the nighthawk as a router only.

[#4]

For FTTP connections, the Openreach "modem" (ONT) is required. You can't plug a fibre-optic cable into a DSL socket!

The D7000 wouldn't need an Openreach VDSL2 modem for an FTTC connection.

[#5]

So @mrtomlister if you mean FTTP then ignore my comments.

[#6]

Hi there - yes sorry I meant FTTP. I have an optical line running directly into my front room into the Openreach modem.

Interestingly I’m not in a remote location (London based). I signed up for a trial of FTTP a couple of years ago through an obscure link on the members portal. Not sure if the trial went any further. I sometimes have trouble with PlusNet customer service recognising my package if I call them up.

[#7]

Thanks for sharing the instructions in setting up your router.

I'm sure this will be helpful if others find themselves in a similar situation.

[#8]

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): This thread is now in the appropriate board.

[#9]

Hi Tom ,

I have followed this process step by step multiple times now , I get right too the very end and it tells me my isp username and password is incorrect , I am 100 percent sure I am using the correct information I just dont know why it doesn't let me in , does anyone know how to fix ?

[#10]

If you have an FTTP connection (or are lucky enough to get one in the future) you need a VDSL capable modem with a WAN port as it connects to the OpenReach ONT with an Ethernet cable.

Brian

[#11]

Finally fixed it all last night , I have a FTTP set up with an ONT , using a nighthawk ac1900 D7000

after sitting on Google for hours it turns out my connection wouldn't connect because of a special character in my password for my ISP provider (BT)

changed the password with no special character and connected straight away.

Thanks for the reply and thank you for the original post Tom , helped a lot

[#12]

I have this router set up for fttc, setup seems fine and it works to begin with. However, the connection drops out at least twice a day requiring a reboot. Anyone know what the issue could be?

[#13]

Hi Liam - I have some questions for you to help troubleshoot having owned this router for some time now...

1. How did you set up and configure the router? Did you follow the instructions above (or a variation of) or were you lucky enough to be able to connect with minimal config?
2. Specifically did you upgrade the routers firmware to the latest version, or was this process interrupted in anyway. I ask because I experienced a similar issue after an unsuccessful firmware upgrade. 
3. How long have you had the router set up - very recently or is this a new issues after some time of normal use?
4. Do you notice drop outs on a specific device or do you notice the drop out across all devices. The re-boot makes me think its all but wanted to check. 
5. Have you tried to change the WI-FI broadcast channel to see if this helps with the issue?

Thanks

Tom 

[#14]

Minimal config was required, the genie seemed to handle most of it. I upgraded initially without interruption and downgraded when I assumed it was a firmware problem to no avail. Router is only a few days old. Drop outs are across all devices. Devices remain connected , but no internet access. Channel has been refreshed multiple times.

[#15]

Hi Liam

This sounds like the experience I had before I decided to make this thread and troubleshoot some more. Initially I relied on the genie but faced numerous issues like drop outs etc and so moved to manual configuration. 

My suggestion would be to factory reset and follow the steps at the top of the thread and then see if this solves the issue and report back here. Unfortunately I do not have an easier fix in mind. 

Thanks

Tom