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Airport Extreme 5ghz

D

det2004

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 20, 2007
357
14
Ok, first a little background. We have a Mac Mini, an airport extreme, two apple tv's, and an iPhone.

We also have a baby monitor that runs on the 2.4 ghz frequency which creates havoc for our video streaming.

I changed the Airport Extreme to use 5ghz only but the Mac Mini and the iPhone do not support 5ghz 802.11n.

The Mac Mini shouldn't be too big of an issue since I should be able to find a wireless N USB adapter, but the iPhone is a different story. We use that to control the apple tv in our daughters room over wifi using the remote app so the iPhone needs to be on the same wireless network as the apple tv's and the mac mini.

Is there any way to use the Airport Extreme in dual band mode (2.4 & 5) and have the devices select which frequency to connect on? I would ideally like to be able to connect using 5 ghz with the Apple tv's and the mac mini, and 2.4 ghz with the iPhone, but all using the same ssid so that the iPhone could see the apple tv's and the iTunes library on the Mac Mini and reduce the interference from the baby monitor with our video streaming.
 
If you have a 3rd generation or newer Extreme it can transmit on both 2.4 and 5Ghz at the same time.
 
Intell said:
If you have a 3rd generation or newer Extreme it can transmit on both 2.4 and 5Ghz at the same time.
Click to expand...

Yes, my Extreme is capable of that, I was just wondering if there is a way of forcing the Apple TV's to use the 5ghz band every time they connect so that there isn't any interference with the baby monitor.
 
I don't have one myself, but i believe you can give the networks different names, and then set up your different things to connect to the appropriate one.
 
waw74 said:
I don't have one myself, but i believe you can give the networks different names, and then set up your different things to connect to the appropriate one.
Click to expand...

This. Although I've found that the ATV usually connects the 5 ghz every time. Of course I would still name the 2.4 and 5 networks differently so you can easily tell the 2 apart.
 
det2004 said:
Yes, my Extreme is capable of that, I was just wondering if there is a way of forcing the Apple TV's to use the 5ghz band every time they connect so that there isn't any interference with the baby monitor.
Click to expand...

Set it up on a separate SSID is one option.
 
can't have different SSID's since then the iPhone will not see the ATV's and the Mac Mini to be able to control them with the remote app.
 
det2004 said:
can't have different SSID's since then the iPhone will not see the ATV's and the Mac Mini to be able to control them with the remote app.
Click to expand...

You can. Even though they are separate SSID's, they're still the same network, somehow. I run a dual-band network at home and all of my various devices are able to connect and interact with one another.

I don't know the technicals on how this works ... it just does.
 
ftaok said:
I don't know the technicals on how this works
Click to expand...

it's witchcraft!!! Burn the witch.


all wireless connections go through the router.
even if 2 devices are connected to the same network, they don't talk to each other directly, it goes through the router.

since both networks come out of the same router, they're connected.
with a more customizable router than an airport extreme, you could isolate each network if you wanted to.

until a few weeks ago, i had an older linksys 2.4 network, and an airport express creating a 5Ghz network, a device connected to either wireless network or the wired network was able to talk to each other perfectly.
 
ftaok said:
You can. Even though they are separate SSID's, they're still the same network, somehow. I run a dual-band network at home and all of my various devices are able to connect and interact with one another.

I don't know the technicals on how this works ... it just does.
Click to expand...

waw74 said:
it's witchcraft!!! Burn the witch.


all wireless connections go through the router.
even if 2 devices are connected to the same network, they don't talk to each other directly, it goes through the router.

since both networks come out of the same router, they're connected.
with a more customizable router than an airport extreme, you could isolate each network if you wanted to.

until a few weeks ago, i had an older linksys 2.4 network, and an airport express creating a 5Ghz network, a device connected to either wireless network or the wired network was able to talk to each other perfectly.
Click to expand...

Thanks guys, I'll give that a shot this afternoon. :)

----------

Would I need to set up the secondary SSID as a guest network? I'm not seeing the option to create a second 2.4 ghz network on top of the 5 ghz one I already have going.
 
det2004 said:
Yes, my Extreme is capable of that, I was just wondering if there is a way of forcing the Apple TV's to use the 5ghz band every time they connect so that there isn't any interference with the baby monitor.
Click to expand...

Yes, by giving the two wavelengths different names. It won't be two separate networks, it's the same network with different names for different wavelengths, so no problem with remote app controls. Just make sure you have the appropriate networks on auto join on the different computers etc.

Airport Utility 6.0: Airport Extreme > Edit > Wireless > Wireless Options > Tick the box next to "5GHz network name".

Airport Utility 5.6 and earlier: Manual Setup > Wireless > Wireless Network Options > Tick the box...
 
hafr said:
Yes, by giving the two wavelengths different names. It won't be two separate networks, it's the same network with different names for different wavelengths, so no problem with remote app controls. Just make sure you have the appropriate networks on auto join on the different computers etc.

Airport Utility 6.0: Airport Extreme > Edit > Wireless > Wireless Options > Tick the box next to "5GHz network name".

Airport Utility 5.6 and earlier: Manual Setup > Wireless > Wireless Network Options > Tick the box...
Click to expand...

But I'm only seeing an option to create one SSID. If I go in and change the radio settings, it's just changing them for the SSID I already have...
 
Would it not be simpler to change the baby monitor since that is the cause of all the problems you are having ???
 
logana said:
Would it not be simpler to change the baby monitor since that is the cause of all the problems you are having ???
Click to expand...

except it was a rather expensive audio/video monitor that you can pan/tilt/zoom...and the baby's safety is more important than media streaming..
 
det2004 said:
But I'm only seeing an option to create one SSID. If I go in and change the radio settings, it's just changing them for the SSID I already have...
Click to expand...
The settings are very unclear, but trust me :)

Right now you have one network visible, "NetworkName" with password "Password1234", that your computers etc. will connect to using the 2.4 or 5 GHz wavelengths depending on which one they feel like using. By ticking that box I mentioned earlier, you'll have two visible networks, "NetworkName" and "NetworkName 5GHz", both using the password "Password1234".

If your Mini connects to "NetworkName 5GHz" and your iPhone to "NetworkName", they'll still be on the same network although they're on different wavelengths, so you can use the Apple Remote App.
 
I think I found the problem. We have a 2nd generation Airport Extreme which while it supports dual band, it does not support simultaneous dual band.

Looks like I will be headed to the Apple store tonight, lol.

Thanks everyone
 
Thanks to the OP for posting this. I did a search on google and it found it and helped me.

Thank you hafr too. I saw that option too but, was unclear.
 
hafr said:
The settings are very unclear, but trust me :)

Right now you have one network visible, "NetworkName" with password "Password1234", that your computers etc. will connect to using the 2.4 or 5 GHz wavelengths depending on which one they feel like using. By ticking that box I mentioned earlier, you'll have two visible networks, "NetworkName" and "NetworkName 5GHz", both using the password "Password1234".

If your Mini connects to "NetworkName 5GHz" and your iPhone to "NetworkName", they'll still be on the same network although they're on different wavelengths, so you can use the Apple Remote App.
Click to expand...

I have just finished setting up an Airport Extreme Router that arrived yesterday. I had to change 2 settings in order for my Apple TV, and iPad3 to to connect to the 5 GHz channel. Reason I am searching the forums here is because my iPhone 4s will not recognize or connect to the 5 GHz channel.

In Airport Utility, under Wireless, I had to make these 2 changes:

1.) Radio Mode I had to select "802.11a/n - 802.11b/g" , or "Automatic"
2.) Radio Channel Selection I had to choose "Manual"
3.) Wireless Nework Options button "Checkmark box - 5GHz Network Name"

Now when I go to connect wireless on the Apple TV, and iPad3 the 5 GHz channel is a choice to select (after the first time you do not have to select it again), but not on the iPhone 4s. I have restarted the iPhone too. I still have a 2008 MacBook Air I haven't tried yet. My HP Laptop that I use for work surprised me, I clicked on the wireless connection,and the 5 GHz channel was there, I selected it and it works.

My wireless work phone base, and the old Airport Extreme are near each other, and I can't move them anywhere else. Everytime my wireless phone rings it would knock out my Apple TV, and the HP Laptop wirleess connection. When the old Airport Extreme stopped working, bought it in 2006 I think, plus I have another refurbished one that still works at another place; I thought now is the time to upgrade, and fix the wireless interference issues.

update: when I changed step 1. to "Automatic", my iPhone 4s now shows Wireless 802.11 N, but in the 2.4 GHz setting.
 
Last edited:
JBmac said:
I have just finished setting up an Airport Extreme Router that arrived yesterday. I had to change 2 settings in order for my Apple TV, and iPad3 to to connect to the 5 GHz channel. Reason I am searching the forums here is because my iPhone 4s will not recognize or connect to the 5 GHz channel.
Click to expand...
You should have tried searching the iPhone 4S tech specs first ;)

802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)
http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html
 
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