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Extend Airport Extreme WIRED

mainstay

mainstay

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2011
272
0
BC
Hi All,

Perhaps this has been answered already but I'm striking out in the search engine.

I want to extend my airport extreme with another airport extreme. Both running 7.5.2 (March 10, 2011).

I want to get the maximum wireless coverage for a fairly large warehouse.

I have a wire running between the two locations where the AE's will be located.

I understand that I can extend the wireless range with the "extend" option. But how the heck do I extend the range with a Wire? :confused:

AE1 w/ SSID: WAREHOUSE >>>>> wired to >>>> AE2 w/ SSID: WAREHOUSE

This is such a simple option - it can be done, right?

What do the settings look like? How about the wires...? Do I connect LAN1 to the WAN on the second AE?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

--Matthew
 
S

skorpien

macrumors 68020
Jan 14, 2008
2,339
0
Connect AEBS2's WAN port to one of AEBS1's LAN ports. Disable DHCP on AEBS2 by turning Connection Sharing to Off (bridge mode). Enjoy.

This makes the first AEBS act as a router doing DHCP and the second one will act as a second wireless access point.

You can give AEBS2 the same SSID and password as the first one and devices should be able to switch between both networks. Or you can give it a unique SSID and choose the SSID to connect to.
 
b-rad g

b-rad g

macrumors 6502a
Jun 29, 2010
895
1
Could you not also extend your wireless with Airport Express as well. This is what I'm doing in my house. Super easy set up and the Express can extend wirelessly so no cords or anything.
 
mainstay

mainstay

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2011
272
0
BC
Thank you for the responses... Very much appreciated.

You can give AEBS2 the same SSID and password as the first one and devices should be able to switch between both networks.
Click to expand...

I tried this and the switching seemed clunky... and also it appeared that ONE was trying to overrule the other. For instance, on my iMac it actually stated that there were NO wireless networks in range. And then they were, and then they weren't. When I tried logging into the configuration settings on of them, it timed out (I am sitting in the same room with them).

My settings are as you described... and even in the setup options it states you can extend with "ethernet" (never saying which port to use).

I'll try again when the two routers aren't in such close proximity to see if isn't
just interference.

Super easy set up and the Express can extend wirelessly so no cords or anything.
Click to expand...
I actually wanted to take advantage of their being a wire between the two locations. The warehouse is made of strange stuff and nothing beats a wire... Right now the warehouse has a series of independent routers all with different SSID's. I want to replace them all with one cohesive wireless network. If push comes to shove I can always use the JUST WIRELESS option and get more AE's.

Thanks!
 
mainstay

mainstay

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2011
272
0
BC
It seems that if you want to extend a wireless network you need to connect to that existing network wirelessly.

I just reset the second AEBS and set it up manually and the second I extend my Internet Connection under the Internet tab grays out and becomes "Connect Using: wireless".

I don't think these AEBS's can be connected via wire.... so bizarre!

(both units brand new this march 2011, and fully firmware upgraded).

I'm sort of puzzled that they wouldn't allow this.... or I am missing some Apple Magic here.
 

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Last edited:
JamesMB

JamesMB

macrumors 68000
Jan 2, 2011
1,745
107
Texas
I am also interested in this, because I'm going to doing the same thing next week. I know that it will work, because I have read different posts with it set up this way. I don't want to set AEBS2 up wireless, because I read somewhere, that every time you ad a wireless access point, you lose some bandwidth, and I don't have any to lose.:D I live in a rural area and 1mb is all the bandwidth that I have.:( I understood that all you had to do was turn DHCP off in router #2 and it should work.
 
mainstay

mainstay

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2011
272
0
BC
Hi James,

Here's the solution:

1. In AEBS1 setup your wireless network and other DHCP settings as desired. Ensure "Allow this network to be extended" is checked in Airport >> Wireless.

2. In AEBS2 use the setup assistant and:
a. Give it a name and password
b. I want my Airport Extreme to join my current network
c. I want to connect my Airport Extreme to my network using Ethernet to extend my existing wireless network
d. physically connect your AEBS1 LAN 1/2/3 to the WAN port on your AEBS2
e. Select your AEBS1 from the list of devices to connect to...
f. Update...


The part that got me was that when you go back into your second AEBS and look at the wireless settings, it actually will say "Create a Wireless Network". I thought this was wrong and set it to Extend... which is not correct. Using the setup assistant this creates a roaming wireless network and shows up with (imo) a poorly named setting.

I truly hope this helps someone else out there...

All the best,

Matthew
 
JamesMB

JamesMB

macrumors 68000
Jan 2, 2011
1,745
107
Texas
mainstay said:
Hi James,

Here's the solution:

1. In AEBS1 setup your wireless network and other DHCP settings as desired. Ensure "Allow this network to be extended" is checked in Airport >> Wireless.

2. In AEBS2 use the setup assistant and:
a. Give it a name and password
b. I want my Airport Extreme to join my current network
c. I want to connect my Airport Extreme to my network using Ethernet to extend my existing wireless network
d. physically connect your AEBS1 LAN 1/2/3 to the WAN port on your AEBS2
e. Select your AEBS1 from the list of devices to connect to...
f. Update...


The part that got me was that when you go back into your second AEBS and look at the wireless settings, it actually will say "Create a Wireless Network". I thought this was wrong and set it to Extend... which is not correct. Using the setup assistant this creates a roaming wireless network and shows up with (imo) a poorly named setting.

I truly hope this helps someone else out there...

All the best,

Matthew
Click to expand...
Thanks, Matthew
That will save some time, and undoubtedly my wife having to listen to a few well chosen words, next week when I connect a second AEBS.:D

One quick question, did you give AEBS 2 the same SSID and password as AEBS 1?
 
mainstay

mainstay

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2011
272
0
BC
Hi James,

When it "extends" / "creates a wireless network" the information is passed from the first AEBS to the second...

So I didn't actually type in the information.... but yes, the same information is shared by the two routers.
 
JamesMB

JamesMB

macrumors 68000
Jan 2, 2011
1,745
107
Texas
mainstay said:
Hi James,

When it "extends" / "creates a wireless network" the information is passed from the first AEBS to the second...

So I didn't actually type in the information.... but yes, the same information is shared by the two routers.
Click to expand...
Great...Thanks
I assume that your wireless device will then choose the AEBS with the strongest signal.
 
mainstay

mainstay

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 14, 2011
272
0
BC
lol - I assume so too! I haven't actually deployed but my initial tests (in a small space) show that the signals are strong and "pass off" between them seamlessly.

But proof in the real world is yet to come.
 
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