How To Turn Off AP Isolation In Easy Steps? – (Netgear & Spectrum)

Wondering how to turn off AP isolation on your router?

Here you will learn how to turn off the feature in general and how to disable it on popular router brands such as Spectrum and Netgear.

To turn off AP isolation, use the default gateway of your router to enter the settings. Then go to the advanced settings and locate the wireless configurations. In there you should be able to find the AP isolation and disable it for good.

If you have never reached inside your router’s settings, next we’ll discuss how exactly you can do that so keep reading to learn that really useful task.

How To Turn OFF AP Isolation?

With the Access Point Isolation (API) feature enabled, your router isolates all of the clients that are connected to the network.

In other words, two separate devices connected to the network will be prevented from communicating when paired.

To turn off the AP isolation on your router, you must have access to the following:

Default Gateway

You must obtain the default gateway IP of your router to access the router settings. Note that the device you’re using has to be connected to the router via Ethernet cable or WiFi.

1. On a Windows machine, open the Command Prompt (CMD).
2. Type “ipconfig” and hit Enter.
3. Scroll down and copy the Default Gateway address.

Note: You can also open Google and type “What is my IP”. The IP should appear.

Router Login 

On most routers, by default, these credentials are admin/admin or admin/password. If changed these credentials can be acquired by contacting your internet service provider.

When you have access to these things, you’re ready to turn OFF the AP isolation.

Following this guide, you should be able to disable the feature on almost any router.

However, if you’re an owner of a Spectrum or Netgear router, we’ve got a step-by-step tutorial for you.

Let’s jump right in!

How To Turn Off AP Isolation On Spectrum Router?

If you’ve got a Spectrum router then this step-by-step tutorial aligns perfectly with your device.

However, the steps are similar for almost every router so you shouldn’t have difficulties even with other router brands.

Here is how to disable the access point isolation on your Spectrum router:

Step #1 Prepare Your Spectrum Router

Verify that your router is up and running. Accessing the settings while the device is offline might not apply the changes and you will have to do it all over again.

Check if the LEDs on your Spectrum router are blinking. This will indicate that the device is transmitting, therefore you will be able to access the settings configuration.

Tip: Double-check if your Spectrum router has any orange lights on. 

This means it is not transmitting any internet to your network. If not, solve that issue before you continue.

Step #2 Enter The Router’s Control Panel

Following the guide at the beginning of the post, you should be able to acquire the default gateway and access your router settings.

If you’re not able to acquire it, simply use this one (http://192.168.0.1/).

Here is how to enter the Spectrum router control panel:

1. Open any browser on your device.
2. Paste the gateway onto the search field and press “Enter”.
3. In the following screen, use “admin” “admin” as login credentials.

Note: The default login credentials should be written on a sticker at the bottom of your router. 

If the default credentials do not work, reach out to your ISP to get them.

Once you’re in the control panel, there would be a variety of different settings. To find the AP isolation, proceed with the next step.

Step #3 Disable The AP Isolation

The most essential part of the process is to actually locate and disable the AP isolation.

To disable the AP isolation on your Spectrum router, follow the steps down below:

1. In your Spectrum router settings, go to the “Advanced” section.
2. Select the “Advanced Settings” tab.
3. Click on “Wireless” and scroll down until you find the network settings.
4. Locate the “AP isolation” feature in the blue paragraph down below.
5. Untick the Checkbox in order to disable the feature.
6. Hit “Save Changes” at the bottom of the page and restart your router.

After rebooting your router, the AP isolation should now be disabled. The devices connected to your Spectrum router’s network are fully eligible to connect and communicate with each other from now on.

How To Turn Off AP Isolation On Netgear Router?

If you own a Netgear router, here we’ll review how to disable the AP isolation.

The process is slightly different from other router brands since the control panel labeling is different as well as the exact location of the feature.

To disable the AP isolation on your Netgear router, follow the steps down below:

Step #1 Prepare Your Router

As with the Spectrum guideline, make sure your Netgear router is up & running.

It’s important because if your router is not working properly, reaching the control panel might not be possible.

You can determine whether your Netgear router is working correctly by checking out the lights. Any unusual light will indicate a network issue which you must resolve before proceeding.

Step #2 Login To Your Netgear Router

If you’re owning a Netgear router, you will be given a specific page from which you can access the settings of your device.

You can log in to your router at MyWiFiext and still use “admin” and “admin” for login credentials.

It is possible that you’ve been given different credentials or the technicians have changed them to your demand during the setup process.

If that’s the case, make sure to use the new credentials.

However, if you’ve forgotten the login info and the default login credentials do not work, simply contact your ISP to acquire them.

They might have been changed if you’ve reached out to your ISP to report a problem.

Step #3 Turn Off The “AP Isolation” Feature

Once you have logged in, to disable the “AP Isolation” on your Netgear router, follow the instructions down below:

1. Go to the Advanced tab in your Netgear settings.
2. Select “Wireless Settings”.
3. Scroll down and uncheck the “Enable Wireless Access Point”.
4. Confirm the changes by hitting “Apply” at the bottom of the page.

It’s recommended to restart your router after you’ve turned off the settings so it can boot cleanly. 

This way you can be sure that the isolation services are disabled and your changes are applied.

Read Next: Why Is Netgear WiFi Extender Not Showing Up?

Bottom Line:

Thus, to disable the AP isolation on any router, copy your default gateway IP and enter the paste it into your browser. Then log in using the respective credentials. Once in, go to Advanced > Advanced Network > Wireless and disable the AP isolation with the checkbox.

After learning how to turn off AP isolation, we hope your network is performing the way you intended.

You can always head over to the settings and turn the AP isolation again in case you need it for any of your projects.

We hope that our post was helpful and you learned something new today, and if you’re having any other inquiries about your router, don’t forget to check in our blog.